Genesis

Genesis Gen 1:26-28 ESV (26) Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (28) And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Of all the things that God made, only man (male and female) was made in His image. What a glorious honor! Mankind was to have dominion over the earth – we were originally created with delegated authority in mind by God. He wants us to have dominion here. We are the governors of this province and it is our responsibility to see that things are done according to the will of God. We also see that the first commandment to mankind was to be fruitful and multiply – to fill the earth and subdue it. Think about that – the first commandment to man was to multiply – in every area of life. We are to be fruitful in our families, our jobs, our ministries and as nations. This is God’s first purpose for mankind – to increase. Genesis 3:15 ESV (15) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."

The first prophecy of the coming Messiah and the redemption of mankind is recorded here. God had a plan to redeem man from the very beginning. What follows in the rest of the bible, has its basis here. Genesis 6:5-8 ESV (5) The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6) And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (7) So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them." (8) But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

In just a few short generations, mankind had become so evil that God had to wipe them out and start over with Noah and his family. In every generation – God finds men and women who are faithful and will carry out His purposes. Genesis 9:6 ESV

(6) "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

God institutes the laws of human governance. The first law was for murder and the first punishment was capital. Genesis 9:12-13 ESV (12) And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: (13) I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.

God establishes a covenant with Noah that He will no longer use water as a means of mass annihiliation. Genesis 11:6-7 ESV (6) And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. (7) Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech."

The Tower of Babel incident – God disperses humans throughout the earth by giving them different languages. Genesis 12:1-3 ESV (1) Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. (2) And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

The Abrahamic covenant – God chooses one man through which to implement His plan of redemption on the earth. Abraham was a man of faith and he obeyed God – the result of which was that he became a prince among the peoples of that time.

Gen 19:24 ESV (24) Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the LORD out of heaven.

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah Gen 22:1-2 ESV (1) After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." (2) He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

Mt Moriah is also known as Zion.