Now we have a major division in the book, and I’ve given you a little time to think about it.  Where would you divide the book of Genesis if you did divide it into two parts?  Well, the very interesting thing is that the first 11 chapters constitute a whole.  And beginning with Chapter 12 through 50, we have an altogether different section.  They’re divided in several different ways.  For instance, in the first section, you have the creation to Abraham and, in the last section, you have from Abraham to Joseph.  The very interesting thing is that in the first section we’re dealing with great, major subjects; subjects that still engage the minds of thoughtful men today.  You have in the first 11 chapters:  The first two, Chapters 1-2, Creation; Chapters 3-4, the Fall; Genesis 5 through 9, the Flood; and Genesis 10-11, the Tower of Babel.  Now when you come to the last division, it has to do with personalities, and there are four outstanding personalities in this section:  Abraham the Man of Faith, Genesis 12-23; Isaac the Beloved Son, Genesis 24-26; Jacob the Chosen & Chastened Son, Genesis 27-36, and Joseph Suffering and Glory, Genesis 37-50.

But, my Friend, that’s not really the major division—although that’s major enough.  But there is a division here that, to my judgment, is tremendous.  And it has to do, actually, with time.  The first 11 chapters cover approximately a minimum of 2,000 years, and I would say 2,000 years plus.  That means that the first 11 chapters could cover several—well, I’m prepared to say, several hundred thousand.  In fact, the matter is that I believe this first section of Genesis can cover any time in the past that you need to fit into your theory.  And the chances are you’d come short even then.  We’ll see that when we get down to these first few chapters in Genesis.

Now, here you have a book that from Genesis 1 through Genesis 11 is a minimum of 2,000 years, but from Genesis 12 through Genesis 50, only 350 years.  To tell the truth, for beginning with the 12^th chapter of Genesis and going all the way through the Old Testament, and in fact covering the New Testament, you only cover 2,000 years.  So that as far as time is concerned, you are half way through the Bible when you cover the first 11 chapters.  And from Chapter 12 [of Genesis] through the rest of the Bible, why, you’re covering 2,000 years. I actually believe that the first 11 chapters cover thousands of years longer than the other does.

Now that ought to suggest something to your minds and to your hearts and, that is, that God has something very definite in mind when He gave this first section here.  Moses is the writer.  Fact of the matter is the first five books of the Bibles have been called a Pentateuch, and they’re called a Pentateuch because Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible.  And I think there is an abundance of evidence to testify to that.  And the first five books of the Bible, Moses is the author.  Now, these first 11 chapters cover more than the rest of it put together. And where do you think then that Moses is putting the emphasis?  On the first 11 chapters?  Or on the rest of the Bible? 

Let me widen that out and say, “Where do you think that God is putting the emphasis?  Is the Spirit of God putting the emphasis on the first 11 chapters of Genesis or the rest of the Bible?  Well, he’s putting more emphasis, if you want to know the truth, on the last part.  And the subject of this first part has to do with the universe, with creation, and, may I say that the last part deals with man, nations, and the person of Jesus Christ.  May I say to you:  God was more interested in Abraham than He was in the entire created universe.  And God, my Friend, is more interested in you and He attaches more value to you than He does the entire universe; that is, the physical universe.

Let me further illustrate that.  You have in the four gospels 89 chapters.  Only 4 chapters cover the first 30 years of the life of the Lord Jesus; 85 chapters cover the last 3 years of his life, and 27 chapters cover the last 8 days of his life.  Where do you think the Spirit of God is putting the emphasis?  Well, I’m sure you’ll say, “Well, the big emphasis is upon the last part—the last 8 days because it’s 27 chapters.”  And what is that all about?  It’s all about the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that my Friends, is the important part of the gospel record.  In other words, God has given the gospels that you might believe that Christ died for our sins and that He was raised for our justification.  And that’s essential.  That’s the thing that’s important.  It’s the thing that’s all important. 

Now may I say to you that the first 11 chapters are merely the introduction to the Bible.  And we need to look at it in that fashion.  I’m of the opinion that if Moses were present today and heard all of the present day discussion about creation, for instance, and the record that he gave and what both the theologians and the scientist are saying, he’d be rather amused.  And he would, I’m sure, make the comment, “All of you really missed the point.  I wasn’t attempting to give you the account of creation. Why I was just attempting to give you a few facts that would be the beginning, but that was not my story.  My story had to do with God dealing with man and sin.  The story that I wanted to tell was the story of redemption.  And if you think I was writing a scientific book on creation, you missed the entire point.  I was writing a spiritual book on redemption.”  That’s very, very important to see.

Now that doesn’t mean we’re going to pass over these first 11 chapters. We’re not.  I intend to deal with them.  We’ve got more time this time as we’ve indicated, and we’ll spend more time there.  Genesis, therefore, is the “seed plot” of the Bible because you have here the beginning and the source and the birth of everything.  In fact, the book of Genesis is just like the bud of a beautiful rose, and it opens out in the rest of the Bible.  But it’s truth is given here in germ form. 

And, actually I think one of the best divisions that can be made of the book of Genesis, and I have it in my notes and outlines that many of you received, and I hope you’ll pay attention to it, is to divide the book of Genesis according to the genealogy; according to the families.  It opens with:

Book of Generations of Heavens and Earth      Gen.1-2:6

Book of Generations of Adam                          Gen. 2:7-6:8

Generations of Noah                                       Gen. 6:9-9:29

Generations of Sons of Noah                           Gen. 10:1-11:9

Generations of Sons of Shem                          Gen. 11:10-26

Generations of Terah                                       Gen. 11:27-25:11

Generations of Ishmael                                    Gen. 25:12-18

Generations of Isaac                                       Gen. 25:19-35:29

Generations of Esau                                        Gen. 36:1-37:1

Generations of Jacob                                      Gen. 37:2-50:26

All of these are given to us in the book of Genesis.  And it’s a book of families.  It is an amazing book, you see.  And we should look at it, I think, largely from that particular viewpoint. 

Now all of this that we’re giving is actually preliminary study as we come now to the first chapter of Genesis and we can barely introduce you to this chapter.  And in this chapter we have the story of the creation of the universe.  And, believe me, this chapter is still causing more comment than you can possibly imagine, and that’s the thing that we’re going to get into next time.  And I think that probably I ought to conclude today by just giving the first verse of Genesis. 

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

That is one of the most profound statements that has ever been made, and yet we find that that is the statement that is certainly challenged in this hour in which we are living.  I will be giving you the statement next time of a professor right here in California because now they’re going to permit the creation story to be taught in science textbooks.  Now frankly I’m not so sure that I’m happy about that.  And somebody says, “Why you ought to be.  That’s a wonderful step.”  No, my Friends, I’ll tell you why—it’ll be the character of the teachers who teach it, and I am afraid that we do not have enough with a Christian background and with a Bible background to be able to teach it properly.  That would be my criticism of the fact that today very few of our public school teachers are prepared really to teach the story of creation.  And the reason is they have practically no Bible background, and they’ve been given a background that is contrary to it.  You see, already we’ve entered a controversial section.  Creation has provoked more controversy than probably any other subject in Scripture.  We’ll look at that next time. 

We’ll read the first chapter of Genesis.  Will you get your Bible and read that first chapter.  And don’t read it once, don’t read it twice.  Read it a half a dozen times. 

Until next time, may God richly bless you!