March 19, 2019
Sin Enters the World in Genesis, But the Story Isn't Over Yet!
Genesis 12:1–3
Elizabeth Tamlyn
Central Truth
Genesis starts off in paradise. When Adam and Eve sin, everything changes. But God, in His love, pursues fallen people through a plan of redemption. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we can now have a relationship with God even though we have all sinned and fallen short of His glory.
Key Verse | Genesis 15:6
And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 12:1–3
The Call of Abram
1 Now the LORD said 1 12:1 Or had said to Abram, “Go from your country 2 12:1 Or land 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.” 3 12:3 Or by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves
Dive Deeper | Genesis 12:1–3
I love snuggling up with my grandson reading books like I did with my kids! Many stories have a pattern—begin happy, then trouble, and end happy again. The Bible is no exception.
The book of Genesis begins with perfection and ends in a wreck. But God's story isn't over in Genesis. Genesis closes with God's people not being in the land promised to them, and trouble continues on until Jesus returns in Revelation! Starts with glory, ends with glory. But the in-between trouble is where we are currently in God's story and timeline!
In Genesis 1-2, God created heaven and earth, and it was good. He created man in His image, and it was VERY good. He placed Adam and Eve in paradise with only one stipulation: to not eat from a certain tree. But Adam and Eve ate and brought sin into the world for all of humankind.
In Genesis 3-11, we see increasing sinfulness. In Genesis 12-50, God responds to sin by making a covenant with Abraham. He provides, in His grace, a plan to restore mankind to Himself through an unconditional promise: Abraham believed the Lord, and the Lord credited it to Abraham as righteousness. We, like Abraham, are credited with righteousness if we believe in the Lord's provision for us, Jesus.
The devastation from the sin of Adam and Eve continues throughout the rest of the Bible until Jesus returns in the book of Revelation. The story WILL end in victory! But right now we are living in the middle of the story. It's not over yet. God has provided a way to have a right relationship with Him through the provision of his sinless son, Jesus.
This whole narrative has a happy ending if we accept Jesus as Savior. Jesus is our provision for the brokenness and sin we find in Genesis and in the world today. The book starts with perfection, is followed by trouble (that's our world right now), but WILL end in victory! So take heart. The story isn't over. Genesis isn't the end. The Redeemer is coming back. Trust Him today!
Discussion Questions
1. Have you trusted in the provision of Jesus Christ, who is God's plan to redeem mankind from the sin that began in Genesis?
2. Did you know that the story of the Bible is one long narrative? How can this encourage you when we see sin and destruction in our world today?
3. What are the sin habits we see in the book of Genesis, and how are they the same ones we struggle with today? Do you believe that Jesus Christ can help you overcome your sin patterns?