Week 1 | Genesis 1-4, Genesis 6-9, Job 1-2

This week, we are reading Genesis 1-4, Genesis 6-9 and Job 1-2. Starting at the beginning is a very good place to start. Genesis is the first book of the Bible and starts by telling the story of God and His people. Authorship is usually attributed to Moses as is most of the Pentatuch (the first five books of the Bible), which means that the first audience for this narrative was the people of Israel (while they were in the wilderness after the Exodus). We will also be jumping over to the book of Job which is placed here due to scholars believing that it occurred chronologically before the events of Genesis 11 and 12. 

Key Themes

• Consider the context as you read--Genesis is given by God to the people He has rescued from slavery to tell them who He is. Checkout this overview of Genesis 1-11 from the Bible Project. 
•  This week, we will see God as the creator and ruler of all, with pictures of what His right rule and reign looks like in creation and what life looks like when sin intrudes, into creation and into man’s relationship with God.
• We won’t read the whole book of Job together (although you are welcome to spend some extra time there this weekend) so I would recommend this overview video from the Bible Project. Job is often viewed as a book of the Bible that “answers the question of suffering”, showing us how to suffer righteously. But these chapters do more than that--they show us who God is in the midst of a world that is filled with unrighteous suffering.
• Pay close attention to these first two chapters--what reasons do you see for Job’s suffering? How does this challenge the world’s explanation for why bad things happen? What do these chapters reveal about God’s sovereignty? What do you notice about how God interacts with the characters in this story?

Questions for Application

How does a failure to acknowledge and worship God as Creator lead to sin? How does acknowledging and worshipping God as Creator lead us to life?

How does sin break down relationships, vertically between God and man, and horizontally between humanity? 

How do you explain the suffering in your own life and in the world? What does this reflect that you believe about God?