NOTE ABOUT BOOK TITLES

Even those who believe that the very words of scripture have been preserved, still have trouble with the titles of the books of the Bible. We are told that Acts is not really the Acts of the Apostles; that Revelation is not really The Revelation of St. John the Divine; and that Hebrews is not The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews. We may not correct the text but we still have to correct something so the titles are game.

Although I recognize that the titles were not part of the original text, I do believe that they are part of the providential process by which God has given us the Bible we now have. The titles are very ancient. I do not say that they are inspired. I call them providentially preserved. I just accept them as they are until someone really proves differently. I do the same with chapter and verse divisions and with subtitles and postscripts. I take them at face value. So far, I have not been disappointed.

Therefore, it makes sense that our study of the book of Genesis begins with its formal title. The Old Testament titles of books are not the same as they were in the Hebrew. But they are very old and they are very helpful if we will listen to their instruction. The full English title of Genesis is The First Book of Moses Called Genesis. This title shows us three things about the book.

• It is written by Moses.
• It is his first book (of five).
• It is called Genesis.

1. Written by Moses 
1. He Wrote it by Divine Revelation 
1. God revealed His truth directly to Moses.
2. Deuteronomy 29:29The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
   See All... “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.”
3. Therefore, Moses did not have to be there. It does not matter that the events of Genesis One occurred 2500 years before the time of Moses and before the first man was created.
2. He Wrote by Divine Direction 
1. God told Moses what to write down
2. 2Peter 1:21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
   See All... “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
3. Therefore, Moses could say things that a man normally would not or could not say about himself. Notice four unusual things Moses spoke of concerning himself.
1. He described his birth (Exodus 2:1-2 [1] And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. [2] And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
   See All...)
2. He noted that he was the meekest man on the earth; Numbers 12:3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
   See All... “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” Only divine direction could make this statement possible.
3. He described his own rebellion (Numbers 20:11-12 [11] And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. [12] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
   See All..., 24)
4. He described his own death and burial (Deuteronomy 34:5-8 [5] So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. [6] And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. [7] And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated. [8] And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
   See All...); only possible by divine revelation.
2. The Five Books of Moses 
1. Titles
1. Pentateuch
1. Scholarly name
2. Means five books 
2. Torah
1. Jewish name
2. Means law 
3. Law of Moses
1. Biblical name (Ezra 3:2Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
   See All...; Ezra 7:6This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
   See All...; 1Corinthians 9:9For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
   See All...)
2. Biblical references to “law of Moses” – 21
1. Old Testament: 14 times
2. New Testament: 7 times 
2. One of the major divisions of the Hebrew Bible (see Luke 24:44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
   See All...) 
1. The Law of Moses
2. The Prophets
3. The Psalms
3. The Five Books 
1. Genesis
1. The book of beginnings
2. Genesis is related to these words: generations, generate, genes
3. Theme: Creation (Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
   See All...) 
2. Exodus
1. The book of departure
2. Theme: Redemption (Exodus 6:6Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
   See All...; Exodus 12:13) 
3. Leviticus
1. The book of the Levites
2. Theme: Holiness (Leviticus 11:44-45 [44] For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. [45] For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
   See All...; Leviticus 19:2Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
   See All...; Leviticus 20:7-8 [7] Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God. [8] And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.
   See All...) 
4. Numbers
1. The book of numbering (as in census-taking)
2. Theme: Wanderings (Numbers 14:33And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.
   See All...) 
5. Deuteronomy
1. The book of the second law (this is the meaning of Deuteronomy)
2. It is not a second law in the sense of a new law, but in the sense of a summary, repetition and application of the Mosaic law
3. Theme: Obedience (Deuteronomy 7:6-11 [6] For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. [7] The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: [8] But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. [9] Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; [10] And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. [11] Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.
   See All...)
3. The Book Called Genesis 
1. A Book of Beginnings
1. Of the universe
2. Of life
3. Of man
4. Of marriage
5. Of sin
6. Of language
7. Of government
8. Of civilization
9. Of nations
10. Of Israel
11. Of blood redemption
12. Of messianic prophecy 
2. Book Statistics 
1. 50 Chapters
2. 1533 verses
3. Average length of chapter: 31 verses 
3. Book Divisions 
1. The beginning of the human race
1. Central character: Adam
2. Chapters 1-5
2. The beginning of civil government
1. Central character: Noah
2. Chapters 6-10 
3. The beginning of the Jewish nation
1. Central Character: Abraham
2. Chapters 11-24 
4. The beginning of the twelve tribes
1. Central character: Jacob (Israel)
2. Chapters 25-36 
5. The beginning of the Egyptian sojourn
1. Central character: Joseph
2. Chapters 37-50 

CONCLUSION

Genesis tells of origins. It sets the stage for the rest of the Bible. It has the root of every major doctrine in the Bible. It establishes the good guys and the bad guys. It points to blood redemption and the coming Messiah. It lays the foundation for the battle between God and Satan; between Satan and Israel. The problems and conflicts revealed in Genesis are not solved until the book of Revelation and the end of time as we know it.

QUESTIONS

1. How many words in the full English title of Genesis?
2. How many letters in the word Genesis?
3. What personal quality of Moses does he record that would be contradictory apart from divine revelation and direction? (see Numbers 12:3(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
   See All...)
4. What does Penteteuch mean?
5. What does Torah mean?
6. How many times does the phrase “law of Moses” occur in the New Testament?
7. Jesus referred to the Old Testament as having how many major divisions? (see Luke 24:44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
   See All...)
8. What are some other words that are related to the word genesis?
9. Genesis is a book of ________.
10. What is the theme of Exodus?
11. The name Leviticus is related to what other Bible word?
12. What are the numberings in the book of Numbers?
13. What does Deuteronomy mean?
14. How many chapters are in the book of Genesis?
15. Who are the five central characters in the book of Genesis?