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A 30,000 Foot View of Genesis

Updated: Oct 10, 2025

I will be launching a study through the Torah in the fall and I'd love for you to be a part of it. You can learn more and sign up here.


The official reading plan kicks off October 18th, but I’m getting a head start because I have an almost 9 month old baby, and I’m no fool when it comes to managing my time (okay, maybe sometimes I am)!!


Before we begin the study, I’ll be releasing an overview for each book, along with a few resources to support your reading and understanding. These high-level snapshots are meant to help you see the big picture, so you can better engage with the details as we move through the Bible together.


We will begin in Genesis.


The book opens “in the beginning” with the creation of the cosmos. Humanity is placed in a sacred space called the Garden of Eden, to live in the presence of God. But from the beginning humans make choices that lead them away from God’s presence. From Cain’s exile, to the devastation of the flood, to the rebellion at Babel, the distance between God and humanity will grow in every chapter.


Then in Genesis 12 we are introduced to the first patriarch of the faith, a man named Abram (later called Abraham) who was chosen to carry forward God’s redemptive plan for the world. It is through Abraham and his descendants Isaac, Jacob and Joseph that God will build a family that will become His people. 


Sadly, even with Abraham the widening chasm between God and man continued. Abraham only receives a handful of visitations from God, and the other patriarchs, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, even less. The trajectory of humanity continues to drift further from God, but Genesis shows us that God relentlessly pursues relationship with humanity to close the gap and have us return to His presence.


Although the garden was lost, God’s desire for humanity to live in His presence remains at the heart of the story. 


Genesis is ultimately a story of God’s pursuit of us, despite our brokenness. Through fractured families, personal failures, and overwhelming odds, God actively works to prepare a way for His presence to dwell with us again. 


Here are a few tips for reading, some additional tidbits that may be helpful to know before diving in, and an outline of the book.


Tips:

  • Look for patterns: Genesis is full of repeated themes like blessing, exile and promise. Recognizing these will help you understand the progression of the Biblical story.

  • Look for God in the Text: Watch how He shows up, notice what happens when He is absent.

  • Read Carefully: some stories might seem slow, hard or boring, but don’t rush past them! Wrestling with these texts is where wisdom takes root!

  • Keep Jesus in Mind: Everything written in this book points to our need for a Savior, and God’s grace to cross the divide and bring us back into His presence.


Tidbits:

  • Genesis covers a longer time period than any of the other books in the Torah combined. From Creation to Joseph, Genesis spans thousands of years from the origin of the universe to approximately 1640 BCE.

  • The Hebrew name of the book is “Bereshit” pronounced “Buh-Ray-Sheet” which is the first Hebrew word written on the scroll, translating to “In the Beginning”. We call the book “Genesis” which comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title meaning “Origins”.

  • Moses is the author of all 5 books of the Torah. Moses, being raised in Pharaoh’s household, would have been highly educated and uniquely qualified to write these incredible works!


An outline of the book of Genesis:

  1. Primeval History

    1. Dwelling in God’s Presence (Gen 1-2)

    2. Rebellion & Exile (Gen 3-4)

    3. Corruption Spreads (Gen 5-6:8)

    4. Judgment and Mercy through the Flood (Gen 6:9-9)

    5. Scattered from God’s Presence (Gen 10-11)

  2. Abraham 

    1. Abram’s Call (Gen 12)

    2. Faith in Conflict (Gen 13-14)

    3. God’s Covenant Promise (Gen 15)

    4. Marked by God (Gen 16-17)

    5. Three Visitors and Sodom’s Judgment (Gen 18-19)

    6. The Promise Arrives (Gen 20-21)

    7. Testing and Trusting (Gen 22-23)

  3. Isaac 

    1. A Chosen Bride (Gen 24)

    2. Abraham's Death (Gen 25:1-18)

    3. Two Nations (Gen 25-19-34)

    4. God Appears to Isaac (Gen 26)

    5. Jacob Receives the Blessing (Gen 27-28:9)

  4. Jacob 

    1. Jacob’s Dream (Gen 28:10-29:14a)

    2. Family Tensions (Gen 29:14b-30:24)

    3. Jacob and Laban (Gen 30:25-31:55)

    4. Jacob and Esau (Gen 32-33)

    5. Tragedy in the Land (Gen 34)

    6. God Renews the Covenant (Gen 35-36)

  5. Joseph 

    1. Josephs Dream (Gen 37)

    2. Judah and Tamar (Gen 38)

    3. God with Joseph in Egypt (Gen 39-40)

    4. Pharaoh’s Dream (Gen 41)

    5. Joseph’s Reconciliation (Gen 42-45)

    6. Jacob Comes to Egypt (Gen 47-47:26)

    7. Blessing and Death in Egypt (Gen 47:27-50)

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