Genesis 1–11
In the beginning
Seven days, a garden, two brothers and a tower: the beginning of everything, and the beginning of God’s promise. Click through the story, with where to read it at every step.
Seven days
Choose a day and watch the world grow. Every day ends with the same refrain: God saw that it was good.
Step 1 of 7: Light
Light
In the beginning God creates the heavens and the earth. Everything is still formless and empty and dark, and the Spirit of God hovers over the waters. Then God speaks: let there be light. And there is light. God separates the light from the darkness: day and night.
At first everything was dark. Then God said: let there be light! And there was light.
How it points to Jesus
John begins his gospel with the same words: in the beginning was the Word, and through Him all things were made. That Word is Jesus, the light that shines in the darkness.
Do you see the pattern?
In the first three days God makes spaces; in the next three He fills them, each in its place. The seventh day stands above them all: rest.
God makes space
God fills the space
The garden and the fall
A garden full of life, one command, a question that sows doubt. And then: God who comes looking.
Step 1 of 6: From dust and breath
From dust and breath
God forms the man from the dust of the ground and breathes the breath of life into his nostrils. So he becomes a living being. The Hebrew word for human, adam, sounds like adamah: ground.
God made Adam from the ground. Then He breathed into his nose, and Adam came alive!
How it points to Jesus
Paul calls Jesus ‘the last Adam’, who gives life. After his resurrection Jesus breathes on his disciples and says: receive the Holy Spirit.
Cain and Abel
The first brothers, and the first time anger wins. But even here God does not let go.
Step 1 of 4: Two brothers, two offerings
Two brothers, two offerings
Cain works the land, Abel keeps sheep. Cain brings some of the fruit of the ground, Abel the best of the firstborn of his flock. God looks with favour on Abel and his offering, but not on Cain and his offering. Cain becomes furious.
Cain and Abel gave God a gift. God was happy with Abel’s offering. Cain got very angry.
How it points to Jesus
Hebrews says that Abel offered a better sacrifice ‘by faith’. So it was about the heart behind the offering.
Views differ here: Genesis does not say exactly why God did not look with favour on Cain’s offering. Hebrews points to Abel’s faith, the first letter of John to Cain’s deeds.
From Adam to Abram
Two rows of ten names (Genesis 5 and 11). Each bead hangs on a thread as long as that life. Choose a name.
Genesis 5: from Adam to Noah
Genesis 11: from Shem to Abram
How it points to Jesus
Luke traces the family tree of Jesus all the way back, through all these names, to ‘Adam, the son of God’. Jesus belongs to all of humanity, from the very beginning.
Luke 3:34–38Views differ here: The Greek translation of the Old Testament (the Septuagint) gives different numbers than the Hebrew text. Some read the ages literally, others see selective or symbolic lists. After the flood, lives clearly become shorter.
Genesis 6–9
Then comes Noah
Evil grows, and God starts again with one family. The ark has its own page: the ship to scale, the flood day by day and the rainbow.
To Noah’s arkThe tower of Babel
People want to reach the heavens together and make a name for themselves. Follow it step by step.
Step 1 of 4: One language, one plan
One language, one plan
All people speak one language. They move east and settle on a plain in Shinar. There they bake bricks hard in the fire and use tar for mortar.
Everyone spoke the same language. They baked bricks to build something really big.
Other ancient stories about a tower and languages, set beside Genesis: Stories beside the Bible
What is it about?
Genesis 1–11 answers four big questions. Turn the cards over.
Who is God?
One God who speaks, and it is there. No battle between gods, no chance: a Creator who makes everything good and blesses humankind.
Who are we?
Made from dust, yet in God’s image. Small and fragile, and still called to care for the earth.
What went wrong?
Distrust of God, and right away between people too: shame, shifting blame, a brother killing his brother.
Is there hope?
God keeps seeking: clothes for Adam and Eve, a mark for Cain, a rainbow after the flood, and a calling for Abram.
Do you remember?
Six questions about Genesis 1–11.
6 questions about the story. Each answer shows where you can read it.
Questions people ask
Honest, also where Christians think differently.
Were they six 24-hour days?
Christenen lezen dit verschillend. Sommigen lezen gewone dagen. Anderen lezen lange tijdperken: ‘dag’ kan in het Hebreeuws ook ‘tijd’ betekenen (Genesis 2:4 vat de hele schepping samen als ‘de dag dat God hemel en aarde maakte’). Weer anderen zien een bewuste opbouw (dag 1–3 en 4–6) die vooral vertelt wie God is. Allen belijden: God heeft alles gemaakt, het was goed, en de mens is naar zijn beeld.
And what about evolution?
Ook hier verschillen christenen. Sommigen houden aan een jonge aarde vast. Veel kerken, zowel katholiek als protestants, zien geen botsing: Genesis zegt wie en waarom, de wetenschap onderzoekt hoe. Wat geen christen loslaat: de wereld is geen toeval maar Gods werk, en elke mens is gewild.
Were Adam and Eve real people?
Veel christenen lezen hen als het eerste mensenpaar van wie wij allen afstammen; Paulus zet Adam naast Christus (Romeinen 5). Anderen lezen hen ook als beeld van ieder mens. In beide lezingen is de boodschap dezelfde: de mens keerde zich af van God, en God bleef zoeken.
Was it an apple?
Nee, Genesis zegt alleen ‘de vrucht’. De appel komt uit de westerse kunst, waarschijnlijk door het Latijnse woord malum, dat zowel ‘kwaad’ als ‘appel’ betekent.
Who did Cain marry?
Genesis 5:4 zegt dat Adam ‘zonen en dochters’ kreeg. In het begin trouwden mensen dus met familie. Pas veel later verbiedt de wet van Mozes dat (Leviticus 18).
Could people really live that long?
De tekst geeft de getallen zonder uitleg. Sommigen lezen ze letterlijk, anderen symbolisch of als andere manier van tellen; de Griekse vertaling heeft zelfs andere getallen. Opvallend is dat de levens na de vloed korter worden, zoals Genesis 6:3 al aankondigt.