In the one-page introduction to the book of Genesis, the editors of the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible claim that “Genesis, meaning ‘origin,’ covers the time from creation to the Israelite sojourn in Egypt. The book falls naturally into two main sections. The primeval history (chapter 1 -11), … tells how the blessing of God enable humanity to multiply, diversify, and disperse on the face of the earth. The ancestral history (chapters 12-50) … deals with the limited family history of Israel’s ancestors: Abrham and Sarah (chps 12-25), Isaac and Rebekah and their twin sons Esau and Jacob (chps 26-46), and Jacob’s family, the chief member of which was Joseph (chps 37-50).”

The promise of God to call and save a people is woven throughout. It’s our family story in the faith.

Genesis 1:1-3

1 When God began to create the heavens and the earth, ² the earth was complete chaos, and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. ³ Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

Prayer

Immerse me, Dear God, in the holy narrative so that I can find my own beginning in my relationship with You as my Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Amen.