Introduction

The Torah, also known as the Pentateuch, provides the foundation for the entire story of the Bible. Although made up of five books, it tells one continuing story, beginning with the creation of the heavens and the earth.

In the opening verse of Genesis, God is introduced as the Creator and source of all things. As He created, He declared His creation good (Genesis 1:12, 18, 25, 31). Sadly, sin corrupted God’s perfect creation, beginning with humans, who were made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 3).

Following the Fall, sin spread, and human wickedness grew. God flooded the earth and “restarted” the human race through Noah’s family (Genesis 6–10). Yet, this did not solve the problem of sin. Humans remained selfish and failed to acknowledge God (Genesis 11).

God then chose Abraham, a man from Mesopotamia, through whose family the Messiah would come to deal with sin forever (Genesis 12:1–3). The Torah follows Abraham and his family’s journey towards the land God promised them.

In this five-part series, I will share personal reflections on each book of the Pentateuch, exploring what I have learned and how it impacts my life. I will also consider connections between the Torah and the New Testament and what they teach us as Christians today. We begin with Genesis.

Genesis

Genesis is a great book to study because it opens both the Torah and the Bible as a whole. It begins with the creation story. Through my studies, I learned that this account shares some similarities with other ancient narratives about creation and the cosmos.

One of the most striking features of Genesis 1 is that God is at the centre of creation. He is its source and life, and the author makes this clear: “Throughout chapter 1 there is a repetition of ‘God’ plus verb, thirty times in six days” (Schnittjer, 2023, p. 47). This highlights both God’s power over creation and its dependence on Him for its very existence, then and for all time.

The narrative moves from creation to the Fall, a pivotal event that would shape humanity’s history. God had told Adam:

“You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16–17, ESV).

Although Adam and Eve did not physically die immediately after disobeying God (Genesis 3), they experienced death through separation from their original condition—most importantly, their loving relationship with God (Schnittjer, 2023, p. 57).

After the Fall, wickedness spread throughout the earth, eventually leading to its destruction by the flood (Genesis 4; 6–7). Yet God, in His mercy, chose Abraham by grace as part of His plan to redeem humanity. Through Abraham’s family, the Messiah would come (Genesis 12).

For me, Genesis speaks of love and mercy. Human failure is highlighted throughout the book, but so is God’s mercy, beginning in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned and realised they were naked, God made clothing to cover their shame (Genesis 3:21). This reminds me of how Jesus cleanses me from sin through His blood and removes my shame (1 John 1:7).

God’s gracious choice of Abraham, and Abraham’s response of faith, remind me that my works do not save me. I have been saved by grace through faith (Genesis 15:6; Ephesians 2:8–9).

I also see God’s sovereignty in Joseph’s story. God allowed him to be sold into slavery in Egypt, yet used his circumstances to preserve the Messiah’s family line through famine. This reminds me that God is intentional about my life. He will never leave me or forsake me, wherever I go, and He can use my suffering to accomplish His purposes and bring Him glory.

Lessons for Christians Today

Eternal Life Through Jesus

After the Fall, humans lost access to the tree of life (Genesis 3:22), which meant they could no longer access the life of God. This was judgement for their sin: spiritual death.

In John’s Gospel, however, we learn that Jesus gives eternal life. John 3:16 tells us that whoever believes in Him has eternal life. John also explains that he wrote his Gospel so that, through believing, people would have life in Jesus’ name (John 20:31).

Jesus Himself said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). Jesus is the Tree of Life and the only way to eternal life in God (Schnittjer, 2023, p. 68).

Judgement and Salvation

Jesus used the judgement in Noah’s day to describe the judgement awaiting those who reject salvation. When the flood came, it destroyed all living beings except Noah and his family. Jesus explained that when the Son of Man returns, one will be taken and another left (Genesis 7:21–23; Matthew 24:36–42).

Before the flood, God shut Noah and his family inside the ark. When the Messiah returns, He will shut out those who have not believed (Genesis 6:16; 7:16; Matthew 25:10–12). In both accounts, the timing of judgement was unknown (Schnittjer, 2023, pp. 86–88).

Isaac and the Sacrifice of Jesus

The near sacrifice of Isaac has been linked to the death of Jesus, the Messiah (Genesis 22; Romans 8:32). Abraham was preparing to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah, which later became the site of the temple (2 Chronicles 3:1).

Not far from Mount Moriah, outside Jerusalem, Jesus died at a place called Golgotha (Schnittjer, 2023, p. 109).

Conclusion

Genesis reminds me that human failure does not erase God’s mercy. From His care for Adam and Eve to His work through Abraham and Joseph, I see His love and purpose throughout the book. These accounts remind me that I am saved by grace through faith and that God can work through my suffering to accomplish His purposes. In the next part of this series, I will share my reflections on Exodus.

Reference:

Schnittjer, G. E. (2023). The Torah story: an apprenticeship on the Pentateuch. Zondervan Academic.