GENESIS

GENESIS 1

GOD’S CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

In the beginning, God creates everything. First, God separates the light from the darkness and the heavens from the Earth. God then creates the land and the sea, separating the ground and the waters. Next, God creates and places the sun, moon, and stars. Subsequently, God creates birds and sea animals. Lastly, God creates the land animals and humans.

From the very beginning, God creates boundaries and brings order to chaos.

In verse 26, God says that humankind is created in "our" image, which is the first reference to the Trinity in scripture. The Trinity is the unity of three persons in one Godhead—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. (See Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:13.) From the very start, God is present as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Being created in God's image is unique to humans; no other part of creation is made in His image.

After seeing each creation, God says that it is good, but after seeing everything together in unison, God describes it as "very good."

Scripture recalls this creation account occurring in a six-day timeline. Some people believe that this timeline occurs literally in six days, and some people believe that this is a literary device God uses to reveal His creation to us. Regardless of your view on when creation occurs and how long it lasts, there are still revelations of God's character in this passage. Focus on what God wants you to know about Him through the scriptures more than its literal or symbolic nature.

The first word used to describe God in scripture is that He is a creator. Throughout the Bible, God's creative nature is written on every page! The story He is writing is unlike any other.

Genesis 1:26 - Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

GENESIS 2

GOD CREATED ADAM + EVE IN HIS IMAGE 

On the seventh day after His creation, God rests. He blesses the seventh day, making it holy. Later in Scripture, God establishes the Sabbath, a day of the week set aside for rest and remembrance.

God creates the Garden of Eden, a beautiful and fruitful garden, with two trees at the center: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God describes the creation of humanity, in which He forms man out of dust and breathes life into him. The Hebrew word for “ground” or “earth” is “Adamah,” similar to Adam.

God gives Adam dominion over the garden, allowing him to maintain and enjoy the fruit. God warns Adam that although he may eat from any other tree, he will die if he consumes the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

After creating man, God says it is not good for him to be alone and creates a woman named Eve. God introduces the idea of marriage, saying that a man will leave his mother and father and become one with his wife. God charges them to be fruitful and multiply, populating the Earth. Together, they are naked and unashamed.

This chapter describes a world where humankind experiences unity with God, each other, and the earth.

GENESIS 3

SIN ENTERS THE WORLD + GOD OFFERS A GLIMPSE OF HIS PLAN FOR RESTORATION

In the garden is a serpent, who is crafty and wicked. The serpent appears to Eve and questions God’s words, asking her “Did God actually say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden?” The serpent tests Eve’s knowledge of God’s word and wants to cause confusion. 

Eve is intrigued by the fruit because it is beautiful in appearance and the serpent tells her the fruit will make her like God, knowing what is good and what is evil. 

Eve believes God is holding out on her, questions His goodness, and decides she would make a better god than God. Unfortunately, we will see this happen in the lives of many humans at various times throughout scripture. 

Eve eats the fruit, giving some to Adam as well. After eating the fruit, their eyes are opened to the sin that entered the world. They become aware of their own nakedness, and they are ashamed. They cover their nakedness with fig leaves and hide from God in the garden. 

God calls out to them, asking them “Where are you?” God asks this question not because He doesn’t know, but because He wants to be near them, even in their sin. This is a beautiful display of God’s character and response to us in sin.

Adam and Eve tell God that they hid because of their nakedness. Because there was no shame before sin, we can be confident that shame does not come from God. As creations made in God’s image, we were not designed to know shame or carry the weight of sin. 

God asks, “Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” Adam blames Eve for the sin, and Eve blames the serpent. God curses the serpent, saying “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This verse is the very first prophecy of Jesus, spoken from God Himself. God knows that the serpent and the sin in the world will bruise our heels, but Jesus will ultimately come and defeat sin and death! We will suffer a bruise to the heel, but the enemy will suffer a strike to the head. The battle is already won—the cross was the plan from the beginning!

Adam and Eve are also cursed, making their lives more difficult. God makes Adam and Eve leave the garden, causing separation from Himself. Even in this consequence, God’s kindness is on display. God did not want Adam and Eve to eat from the other tree, the tree of life, and stay in their fallen, sinful state forever. When He sent them out from the Garden of Eden, He was protecting them from spending eternity in sin.

Genesis 3:15 - I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

GENESIS 4

CAIN + ABEL GIVE OFFERINGS TO GOD 

Adam and Eve have two sons, first Cain and then Abel. Cain works in the fields and Abel is a shepherd. Cain gives God an offering of the fruit he has grown and Abel gives an offering of his firstborn lamb. God is more pleased with Abel's offering, and Cain is jealous, so Cain murders Abel. 

God punishes Cain by sending him away as a wanderer in the land and making it impossible for him to grow crops. However, God still watches over Cain, keeping him safe from harm.

Adam and Eve have another son named Seth, and Seth has a son named Enosh. Cain also has a son who he names Enoch. 

In this chapter, the consequences of sin and separation from God become apparent through Eve experiencing pain in childbirth and Cain murdering Abel. 

GENESIS 5 

GENEALOGY FROM ADAM TO NOAH

There are ten generations between Adam and Noah:

Adam → Seth → Enosh → Kenan → Mahalalel → Jared → Enoch → Methuselah → Lemech  → Noah 

Noah has three sons, Shem, Ham, Japeth. 

Genealogies are commonly used throughout scripture and are an important part of tracking the first Adam to the second Adam (Jesus). Jesus is occasionally referred to as the second Adam, indicating that He was the last man to live without sin. Unlike Adam, Jesus remained without sin and was able to be the blameless sacrifice for the sins of the world.

GENESIS 6

GOD PLANS TO SEND A FLOOD TO WIPE OUT THE WICKEDNESS IN THE WORLD

The world becomes increasingly corrupt and wicked. Every thought and intention of humanity is set continually on evil. God is grieved and regrets creating mankind. God decides to wipe out creation, man and animals, by sending a worldwide flood. 

Noah finds favor in the eyes of the Lord because he is a righteous and blameless man who walks with God. God establishes a covenant with Noah, promising to save him and his family and commanding Noah to build an ark. God then instructs Noah to gather two of every animal to keep alive on the ark. Noah does as God instructs. 

GENESIS 7

GOD SPARES NOAH + THE ANIMALS DURING THE FLOOD 

God prepares Noah for the flood, warning him that it will start in seven days and that it will rain for forty days and forty nights. Noah does all that God commands of him. 

Noah and his wife, alongside their sons and their wives, go into the ark with a male and female of each animal. God shuts them into the ark and protects them. 

Just as God told Noah, the rain lasted forty days and forty nights, raising the waters and the ark over the mountains and covering the entire earth. All of the wicked people are killed and the waters cover the earth for 150 days.  

GENESIS 8

NOAH REACHES DRY GROUND

Remembering Noah and his family, God makes a wind blow over the earth to subside the waters. Noah sends out a dove from the ark to find any sign of vegetation, which would signify dry ground. The dove eventually returns with an olive leaf. Finally, Noah and his family are able to leave the ark. 

God tells Noah “Be fruitful and multiply,” the same command he gave Adam in Genesis 1:28. God will use Noah’s family to repopulate the Earth. 

Noah makes an altar to God and gives a burnt offering. Pleased by the offering, God decides to never wipe out humanity again. 

GENESIS 9

GOD’S COVENANT WITH NOAH 

God makes a covenant with Noah, promising to never wipe out the world with a flood again and establishes the rainbow as a symbol of this promise. God reminds Noah that he is made in the image of God and that he should be fruitful and multiply.  

Not long after the flood, Noah plants a vineyard in the soil. Noah becomes drunk and gets naked. His son Ham sees his father’s nakedness and is cursed. Like Adam, Noah is naked and ashamed in a garden. 

GENESIS 10

THE FATE OF NOAH’S DESCENDANTS 

The descendants of Noah spread abroad into many nations across the Earth after the flood. Japeth’s descendants spread throughout the land. Ham’s descendants, who are cursed, include the Canaanites and other future enemies of Israel. Shem’s descendants lead to the line of Abraham.

GENESIS 11

THE TOWER OF BABEL 

At this time, everyone on Earth speaks the same language. The people become prideful and want to make a name for themselves by building a giant tower that reaches to the heavens. 

God knows this is only the beginning of their pride and rebellion, so He scatters them and confuses their language, making it difficult for them to communicate. 

The descendants of Shem, Noah’s son, are listed ending with Abram. Abram marries Sarai, who is unable to have children.

Noah → Shem → Arpachshad → Shelah → Eber → Peleg → Reu → Serug → Nahor → Terah → Abram (+ Sarai) 

GENESIS  12

GOD CHOOSES ABRAM TO BECOME A GREAT NATION 

At this point in Scripture, the narrative shifts from Noah and his family to Abram and his family. 

God tells Abram to leave his home and go to the land that God has for him. Abram brings Sarai, his wife, and Lot, his nephew.   

In Genesis 12:3, God promises Abram that He will make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. Instead of the people trying to make a great name for themselves at Babel in Genesis 11:4, God chooses Abram to make a great name.

The great nation that God promises Abram is land that is currently owned by the Canaanites. The journey of Abram’s descendants to the Promised Land is covered throughout the first six books of the Old Testament. 

There is a famine, so Abram and Sarai go to Egypt. Sarai is beautiful and Abram is afraid that the Egyptians would want to kill Abram and take Sarai for their own. Abram tells Sarai to pretend that she is his sister so that they will let him live. Sarai is taken into Pharoah’s home, which is a betrayal of Abram and Sarai’s marriage. God is angered by this and sends a plague on Pharaoh. Pharaoh realizes that Abram had lied and sends Sarai and Abram away.  

Genesis 12:2 - And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

GENESIS 13

ABRAM + LOT SEPARATE 

After leaving Egypt, Abram sets up his tent and makes an altar for God. Abram and Lot have accumulated a lot of possessions and animals at this point, so many that they cannot find land large enough to share. 

Abram does not want animosity with Lot, so Abram and Lot go their separate ways. Lot chooses the land to the East, which looks more beautiful and fruitful, but is in closer proximity to wicked people near Sodom. Abram settles in the west, closer to Canaan. 

God tells Abram that all the land he can see, spanning in every direction, would one day become his great nation. In Genesis 2, God creates Adam out of dust and now promises that Abram’s offspring will be as many as the dust on the earth. God tells Abram this again, saying that his offspring will be more than the stars in the sky. God uses examples of His great creation to explain to Abram that his creation and legacy will also be great. 

GENESIS 14

ABRAM RESCUES LOT

In Genesis 13, Lot chooses to live in a fertile land closer to the wicked people. A war breaks out in the land where Lot is living, and he is captured. Word of Lot’s capture makes its way to Abram. Abram decides to rescue Lot, and he is victorious in his mission! 

When Abram returns, the King of Salem, Melchizedek, blesses him and brings him bread and wine. Melchizedek serves as an image of Jesus, breaking bread, serving wine, and living as both a priest and a king. Melchizedek is also referenced in Psalm 110 and Hebrews 7. 

Melchizedek was both a king and a priest, as is Jesus, the Messiah. The name Melchizedek means King of Righteousness, and he was also called King of Salem, which means peace. Jesus is also considered to be the Righteous King and the Prince of Peace.  Melchizedek is also mentioned in Psalm 110 and Hebrews 7. 

GENESIS 15

GOD MAKES A COVENANT WITH ABRAM 

God shares his covenant with Abram, similar to Genesis 12 when God tells Abram that He will make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. God assures Abram that he will be protected and that he is not to fear. 

Abram is concerned that Eliezer, a house servant, will become his heir since he does not have any children of his own. God tells Abram that his own son will be his heir and that his descendants will be as many as the stars. 

Although this seems impossible because of his old age and infertility, Abraham trusts God. God declares Abram righteous because of his belief and faith. Abram asks God for reassurance, and God tells him to do a very specific ritual, including a cow, goat, and ram and cutting them in half. 

A deep sleep falls on Abram and a darkness overtakes him. God tells Abram that his offspring will be afflicted as slaves in a land that is not their own for 400 years. God then tells Abram that their captors will suffer judgment and that Abram’s descendants will come out of slavery with great possessions. Lastly, God tells Abram that he will live a good, long life. This is a lot for Abram to process! 

After God tells Abram the fate of his descendants, a fire passes between the animals that have been split in two. This unique ritual shows that God is serious about keeping his promises for the atonement of sin. God responds to Abram and lets him know that he is attentive and near. 

Genesis 15:5 - And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

GENESIS 16

HAGAR GIVES BIRTH TO ISHMAEL 

Sarai, Abram’s wife, is tired of waiting and wants to take things into her own hands. Sarai tells Hagar, her Egyptian servant, to sleep with Abram and conceive. 

Although it was Sarai’s idea, when Hagar becomes pregnant, Sarai resents Hagar and treats her terribly. Hagar becomes scared for her life and runs away. An angel the Lord comes to Hagar and convinces her to return and tells her that God will be with her. 

Hagar gives birth to a son named Ishmael and he is described as a wild donkey of a man. Ishmael means “God will hear” or “heard by God” and is named this because Hagar felt seen and heard by God. 

GENESIS 17

THE COVENANT OF CIRCUMCISION + ABRAM’S NAME CHANGE  

God restates His covenant with Abram and gives Abram circumcision as a sign of the covenant. God refers to circumcision as the everlasting covenant because it will apply to all of Abram’s offspring. God instructs everyone eight days or older to be circumcised. Abram and Ishmael did not delay obedience and were circumcised that same day. 

God changes Abram's name to Abraham and Sarai's name to Sarah. Name changes in the Bible often symbolize a transformation or divine calling from God, showing their new identity or purpose. 

God promises Abraham the birth of a son through Sarah. Because of Sarah’s old age, Abraham laughs at this promise, thinking it is impossible. God blesses Ishmael’s life, but states again that His covenant will be made with Isaac, a son of Abraham and Sarah. 

Circumcision is an operation where the foreskin, a covering of skin on the head of the penis of the male, is removed by surgery. 

GENESIS 18

ABRAHAM IS VISITED BY THREE MESSENGERS FROM GOD 

Abraham sees three men, messengers of God, who tell Abraham and Sarah that this time next year they will have a baby. Sarah laughs, like Abraham did earlier, and then denies her laughter. God responds to her laughter, asking “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 

God tells Abraham that He plans to destroy the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asks God to spare the righteous people there, even if it was only ten people and God says He will spare the righteous. 

GENESIS 19

THE CITIES OF SODOM + GOMORRAH DESTROYED  

God’s messenger angels go to visit Sodom and Gomorrah to scope out the wickedness in the city. They reside with Lot, Abraham’s nephew, who lives near the evildoers. 

Men from all over the city are interested in sleeping with the attractive messenger angels, which is appalling to them. Lot offers up his virgin daughters to the men so that they will not defile God’s messengers, but this offer does not honor God either. 

God’s messengers tell Lot that they plan to destroy Sodom and warn Lot to leave. Lot is not in a hurry, so the angels urge him to leave and eventually throw him out of the city, telling him to run for his life and not look back. Then God destroys everything and everyone within the city. On the way out of the city, Lot’s wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt.  

After leaving the city, Lot’s daughters want to conceive, so they get their father drunk, sleep with him, and both become pregnant. Yikes! 

GENESIS 20

ABRAHAM LIES TO KING ABIMELECH 

Abraham is traveling and lies about Sarah being his sister to Abimelech, King of Gerar. Abimelech has a dream where he learns the truth about Abraham and Sarah and does not sleep with her.

God tells Abimelech that Abraham is a prophet or messenger of God. Abimelech is unable to have children, so Abraham prays for him, and God heals Abimelech from infertility. 

GENESIS 21

SARAH GIVES BIRTH TO ISAAC 

Just as God promised, Sarah gives birth to a son who is named Isaac. The name Isaac means laughter, symbolic of Abraham and Sarah laughing when God promised them a child. Isaac is circumcised at eight days old, according to God’s commands. 

Sarah, who now has a son of her own, casts out her servant Hagar. Hagar wanders into the desert with her son, Ishmael, and they cry out to God. God, hearing their cries, provided a well for them and protected them. 

Abraham promises to be loyal to Abimelech and they make a trade of animals. 

GENESIS 22

GOD TESTS ABRAHAM + PROVIDES A SACRIFICIAL LAMB  

God tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. This is devastating to Abraham; Isaac is his only son through Sarah. But Abraham is faithful to God’s commands and carries wood up a mountain to build an altar. Abraham lays his beloved son on the wood to sacrifice. As Abraham is about to kill Isaac, an angel of the Lord tells him not to sacrifice his son. God wanted to know that Abraham was willing to offer his son, but did not require Isaac’s death. 

The angel tells Abraham that God will provide a lamb. Abraham sees a ram stuck in the bushes nearby and offers the animal as a burnt offering to God.

This story serves as a prophecy of the crucifixion of Jesus. Just as the angel said, God does provide a lamb, Jesus the sacrificial lamb and God’s only Son, and takes away the sin of the world through His sacrifice. 

Because Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac, God blesses him and tells him that his offspring will be as many as the sand on the beach and the stars in the sky. 

Genesis 22:8 - Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

GENESIS 23

THE DEATH + BURIAL OF SARAH 

Sarah dies at the age of 127. Abraham buys the cave of Machpelah in Canaan and buries her there. 

GENESIS 24

REBEKAH AGREES TO MARRY ISAAC

Abraham is getting older, and Isaac has not married. Since he is the only offspring of both Sarah and Abraham, he needs to have a wife and children to continue Abraham’s legacy and fulfill the covenant. 

Abraham commands his chief servant to find a wife for Isaac but insists that she should not be a Canaanite woman. Abraham’s servant travels to Mesopotamia to find someone for Isaac to marry. 

The servant asks God for a specific sign, wanting to find the right person for Isaac. When he goes to the well, he prays for a woman who would care for and give water to his camels. God provides Rebekah, who does exactly that. 

Abraham’s servant tells Rebekah what has happened, and Rebekah agrees that it is God’s will for her to marry Isaac. She returns with Abraham’s servant and marries Isaac, who loves her.   

GENESIS 25

THE DEATH + LEGACY OF ABRAHAM 

Now that Sarah has died, Abraham gets married again to a woman named Keturah who gives him six more sons. 

Abraham dies at the age of 175 and leaves his inheritance to Isaac. Isaac and Ishmael bury him in the cave of Machpelah where Sarah was buried. God blesses Isaac after Abraham’s death. Ishmael has twelve sons, as God had previously spoken. 

Rebekah is barren, but Isaac prays to God asking for children, and God answers his prayers. Rebekah becomes pregnant with twin boys. Isaac and Rebekah’s children are fighting, even in the womb. God tells Rebekah, “two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (v.23). 

Esau is born first, but Jacob arrives quickly after, holding on to Esau’s heel. Esau grows up as a skillful hunter, but Jacob is a quiet man. Rebekah loves Jacob the most.

One day, Esau comes home famished and desperate for something to eat. Jacob convinces him to give up his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew—not a good trade, Esau! Esau gave into temporary desires instead of protecting what was valuable long-term. 

GENESIS 26

ISAAC LIES TO KING ABIMELECH 

There is another famine in the land, so Isaac travels to Gerar. God reminds Isaac of the promises He made to Abraham that now apply to him. 

Isaac tells Abimelech the same lie as Abraham in Genesis 20, trying to disguise his wife for his sister. Abimelech sees Isaac and Rebekah laughing and knows they are married. Abimelech is understanding and tells his people not to kill Isaac or Rebekah. 

Isaac has an abundance of crops and livestock, which causes an argument over water and the use of a well. Abimelech visits Isaac and they come to an agreement. 

Esau takes two wives, named Judith and Basemath, who make life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah. 

GENESIS 27

JACOB TAKES ESAU’S BLESSING 

Jacob, with Rebekah’s sneaky instructions, tricks his father Isaac into blessing him instead of Esau. Because Esau is hairy and Jacob is not, Jacob attaches goat skin to himself so that he feels like Esau. Isaac is old and blind and falls for Jacob and Rebekah’s plan. 

Esau is furious and wants to kill Jacob, so Rebekah tells Jacob to run away to stay with her brother Laban in Haran. 

GENESIS 28

JACOB DREAMS OF A LADDER REACHING TO HEAVEN 

Isaac warns Jacob not to marry a Canaanite woman but rather someone from the family of Abraham. Meanwhile, Esau marries a third wife, the daughter of Ishmael, a Canaanite woman. 

On his way to Haran, Jacob sleeps in Canaan on a single stone for a pillow. Jacob has a dream about a ladder reaching to heaven with angels descending upon it. God tells Jacob that the covenant He made with Abraham now applies to him. God promises land and tells him that his offspring will be as many as the dust of the earth. 

In verse 14, God tells Jacob “In you and your offspring shall all of the families of the earth be blessed.” Here, God is referring to how Jesus will come from the line of Jacob and bless the entire earth! 

Jacob sets up a pillar and pours oil on top of it, calling the place “Bethel,” which means “house of God.” 

GENESIS 29

JACOB MARRIES BOTH RACHEL + LEAH 

While Jacob is visiting the well, he meets Rachel. Jacob wants to marry Rachel and agrees to work for Laban, Rachel’s father, for seven years as a bride price. 

After seven years, Laban deceives Jacob and gives him Leah, Rachel’s sister, to marry instead. Leah is not as beautiful as Rachel and Jacob does not love her. Jacob gets a taste of his own tricky medicine! 

Jacob agrees to work another seven years to marry Rachel. God sees that Leah is loved less by Jacob and allows her to have children, while Rachel is unable to have children. Leah gives Jacob four sons, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

GENESIS 30

JACOB’S CHILDREN THROUGH BILHAH, ZILPAH, LEAH, + RACHEL

Rachel is envious of Leah for being able to have children and tells Jacob that she will die if she does not have children. 

Similar to Sarah’s strategy with Hagar in Genesis 16, Rachel gives Jacob her servant Bilhah to have a child with her. Bilhah has two sons with Jacob, named Dan and Naphtali. 

Leah also wants to give Jacob more children, so she offers her servant, Zilpah. Zilphah has two sons with Jacob as well, named Gad and Asher. 

Rachel trades a night with Jacob for some of Leah’s mandrakes, a plant known for aiding with fertility. Leah gets pregnant twice more, first with Isaachar and then with Zebulun. 

God remembered Rachel and opens her womb, allowing her to conceive. Rachel gets pregnant with Joseph, Jacob’s son whom he loves the most. 

GENESIS 31

JACOB’S DISPUTE WITH LABAN 

Laban’s demeanor changes towards Jacob, and he alters the amount of Jacob’s pay, leaving Jacob feeling treated unfairly. 

Jacob leaves Laban without saying anything, taking Leah and Rachel with him. Laban does not like this and catches up with them seven days later. Laban is angry, but God visits him in a dream and orders him to speak neither good nor bad to Jacob.

Laban rebukes Jacob for leaving but also accuses him of taking his household gods or idols. Jacob has not taken these, but Rachel has. Rachel lies about having them and does not get caught. 

Jacob and Laban start to argue about the household gods and about the payment of Jacob's wages, but they eventually come to an agreement and mark it with a pile of stones. 

GENESIS 32

JACOB PREPARES TO SEE ESAU + WRESTLES WITH GOD 

Jacob is heading back to Canaan and is afraid of seeing Esau. When Jacob left Canaan, Esau wanted to kill him for taking his birthright and blessing. 

Jacob sends out messengers to Edom to try and find Esau. They return telling Jacob that Esau is coming to meet him and has 400 men with him. This is scary news to Jacob, so he splits the people, animals, and possessions with him into two camps so that Esau can only claim half of it. 

Jacob prays sincerely to God, asks God to deliver him from Esau, and admits that he is not worthy of all that God has done for him. He then sends a generous gift ahead to Esau to try and appease him. 

Jacob has an interesting encounter with God: a wrestling match! Jacob says that he saw God face to face and that his life was delivered. But he does not come out unscathed; God touched Jacob’s hip socket, knocking it out and leaving him with a limp. 

GENESIS 33

JACOB’S EMOTIONAL REUNION WITH ESAU

Jacob reunites with Esau, and they embrace each other and fall to the ground weeping! This encounter could have been horrible and hostile, but instead, they met each other with kindness and humility. 

Jacob encourages Esau to accept his gift because God has been so generous to him. Jacob and Esau end on better terms but still decide to go their separate ways. 

GENESIS 34

DINAH + THE SHECHEMITES 

Dinah, the daughter of Leah and Jacob, is seized, raped, defiled, and humiliated by a man named Shechem.

Jacob hears what happened and wants Shechem and all of his men to be circumcised. Levi and Simeon want revenge for their sister, so they kill them all and plunder their animals and belongings. 

GENESIS 35

GOD CHANGES JACOB’S NAME TO ISRAEL 

God tells Jacob to go to Bethel and build an altar. Jacob tells his family to get rid of all the household gods and idols they have been carrying and buries them.  

Jacob goes to Bethel and God changes his name from Jacob to Israel. God repeats the promise he made with Abraham and Isaac and speaks it over Jacob/Israel. For the sake of clarity, we will continue to call him Jacob.

Rachel dies in childbirth, leaving Jacob with a twelfth son, Benjamin. 

Jacob’s oldest son, Reuben, sleeps with Jacob's concubine Bilhah, which is a disgrace to Jacob.

Isaac dies at age 180 and Jacob and Esau bury him. 

Genesis 35:10 - And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 

GENESIS 36

THE DESCENDANTS OF ESAU 

Esau, also known as Edom, is the father of the Edomites, one of Israel’s future enemies. 

GENESIS 37

JOSEPH’S DREAMS + HIS BROTHERS’ RESPONSE 

Because Joseph is Jacob's favorite son, Jacob gives him a long robe of many colors. This made the other brothers very angry and jealous, so they hated Joseph. 

Joseph has a dream where he and his brothers are gathering grain into sheaves. Joseph's sheaf stands upright, and the brother’s bundles of grain bow down to Joseph’s sheaf. He tells this to his brothers, and they are offended. In Jacob’s second dream the sun, the moon, and eleven stars bow down to him. This dream irritates his brothers even more. 

The brothers debate killing Joseph or leaving him in a pit to die. As they are plotting, they say “here comes this dreamer,” mocking Joseph. They decide to sell him as a slave to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver shekels. Reuben, Jacob's oldest son, wants to leave him in the pit, but Judah motions to sell him as a slave. 

Joseph is taken to Egypt to be a slave to Potiphar, an officer to Pharaoh. 

The brothers take Joseph’s colorful robe and dip it in the blood of a goat. They bring the robe to Jacob, who assumes Joseph is dead. Jacob is heartbroken, mourning inconsolably. 

Jacob deceived his own father with a stolen coat and dead goat in Genesis 27, and now he is the one being tricked.

GENESIS 38

JUDAH + TAMAR 

The story shifts from Joseph and focuses on Judah, one of the sons of Jacob and Leah. Judah lives in Canaan and marries a Canaanite woman who gives him two sons, Er and Onan.

Er marries a woman named Tamar, but Er is wicked in the sight of the Lord, so God kills him. Now, Onan was to marry Tamar. Onan was also evil in God’s sight, wasting his childbearing potential instead of blessing Tamar with a child, so God kills him as well. 

Judah later has a third son, named Selah. Because his first two sons died, Judah promises Tamar that Selah will marry her when he is older. Because Judah does not want Selah to also die, he does not keep his promise to Tamar. 

Tamar takes matters into her own hands and dresses up as a prostitute. Judah, not knowing who she is, sleeps with her, and she becomes pregnant. Judah finds out that Tamar is pregnant and wants her killed. But Tamar covered her tracks by keeping Judah’s personal belongings, incriminating him as the one who impregnated her. 

Tamar gives birth to twin boys, named Tamar and Perez. Matthew 1:1-6 shows the lineage of Jesus, including Judah and Perez. Even in this unconventional story, God is working to fulfill his promise to Abraham through the line of Judah. 

GENESIS 39

POTIPHAR’S WIFE ACCUSES JOSEPH 

After being sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites, Joseph is sold in Egypt to be a servant to a ruler named Potiphar. 

Joseph is a good-looking man and Potiphar’s wife wants to sleep with him. Joseph doesn’t want trouble with Potiphar or to sin against God, so he denies her advances. 

Eventually, she gets angry at Joseph’s dismissal of her and grabs him by his garments in a sexual advance. Jacob abandons his garments and runs away. In her anger, she uses his garment against him, claiming he attempted to rape her. Similar to his colorful coat, Joseph's clothing is used against him!  

Joseph gets thrown in prison, but God is still with him and helps him succeed. 

GENESIS 40

JOSEPH INTERPRETS DREAMS FOR THE CUPBEARER + BAKER 

While in prison, two other prisoners have dreams that Joseph is able to interpret. 

One of the men is the king’s cupbearer. His dream is about three blossoming branches. Joseph tells him that in three days, he will be restored to his position as cupbearer to the king. Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember him and help him once he is released from prison. 

The other person is the king’s baker. His dream is about three cake baskets on his head. Joseph tells him that in three days, he will be killed. 

Three days later, both of the dreams that Joseph interpreted were fulfilled. The baker is beheaded, and the cupbearer returns to his position, but he does not remember Joseph like Joseph had asked. 

GENESIS 41

JOSEPH FINDS FAVOR WITH PHARAOH BY INTERPRETING HIS DREAMS

Two years later, Joseph remains imprisoned. 

Pharaoh has a dream, where seven plump cows are eaten by seven skinny cows. In the same night, he has another dream where seven plump stalks of grain are eaten by seven thin stalks of grain. 

Pharaoh wants to know the meaning of the dreams. The cupbearer finally remembers Joseph and tells Pharaoh about his ability to interpret the dreams. 

Joseph is released and Pharaoh describes the dreams to him. Joseph interprets that there will be seven years of plenty and then another seven years of famine. God is warning Pharoah and telling him to prepare. 

Joseph suggests that Pharaoh should appoint a wise man to oversee Egypt and help them ration the food to prepare for the upcoming famine. Pharaoh thinks that Joseph himself is the wise man for the job, so Joseph is put into a very powerful position in Egypt. 

For the next seven years, Joseph collects one-fifth of the food and stores it accordingly to prepare for the seven-year famine. When the famine starts, people from all over the world come to Egypt because they are the only ones prepared for the famine. 

Joseph has two sons, Manassah and Ephraim. 

GENESIS 42

JOSEPH’S BROTHERS TRAVEL TO EGYPT DURING THE FAMINE 

During the famine, ten of Joseph’s brothers travel to Egypt to buy grain. Benjamin stays back because Jacob wants to keep him safe. Benjamin is the only other son of Rachel, making him Joseph’s only full brother.  

When the brothers arrive, they do not recognize Joseph, who is in charge of the land and all of the food. 

Joseph recognizes his brothers but accuses them of being spies and tells them they need to bring their youngest brother to Egypt to prove that they are honest men. Before he lets them go, he keeps them in captivity for three days. Reuben, the one who wanted to leave him in the pit to die says, “I told you we shouldn’t have sold our brother as a slave, now we’re paying for what we’ve done!” An interpreter tells Joseph what was said, and he weeps. 

Then, Joseph lets all his brothers go besides Simeon. Joseph says he’ll release Simeon when they bring back Benjamin. 

On their way back, they notice that the money they used to pay for the grain is in their bags again! It was Joseph who had done this, but they were confused and scared about how this happened. Even though they have persecuted him, Joseph still provides for his brothers. 

When they get back to Jacob and tell him what happened, Jacob is angry and afraid. He refuses to let Benjamin go, not wanting to lose his only living son of Rachel.   

GENESIS 43

JOSEPH’S BROTHERS RETURN TO EGYPT WITH BENJAMIN

After running out of food, Jacob allows his sons to go back to Egypt, this time bringing Benjamin. He sends the brothers back with twice the money they brought last time. When they get there, they apologize for any problems with the money and offer to pay it again, but Joseph’s servant assures them they are not indebted. 

When they arrive in Egypt, Joseph invites them into his home for a meal and releases Simeon. Joseph steps aside to weep upon seeing his brother Benjamin.

Joseph sits them down in order from oldest to youngest, and they are amazed that this stranger knows their ages. They have still not recognized Joseph! At dinner, Benjamin is blessed by Joseph and given five times more than anyone else. 

GENESIS 44

THE SILVER CUP FOUND IN BENJAMIN’S BAG

Joseph asks a servant to put more money in each of his brothers’ bags and to also put a silver cup in Benjamin’s bag. 

Once the brothers start traveling back to Canaan, Joseph sends his men after them to accuse them of stealing. They search the bags, one by one, starting with the oldest and ending with Benjamin, where they find the silver cup. Joseph creates a stressful and suspenseful situation for his brothers. 

They all go back to Egypt and stand before Joseph. Judah, who promised to protect Benjamin, stands up for him and begs Joseph to spare him. Judah, the one who originally wanted to sell his younger brother Joseph into slavery, now stands before Joseph and asks for mercy for his new youngest brother, Benjamin. 

GENESIS 45

JOSEPH REVEALS HIS IDENTITY TO HIS BROTHERS

Joseph is moved by Judah’s compassion for Benjamin, so he reveals himself to his brothers, saying “I am your brother Joseph!” They are shocked and dismayed by this news. 

Joseph forgives his brothers for selling him into slavery and tells them not to be angry or distressed with themselves. He says that it was God’s plan all along for this to happen and that now he is able to provide for the family during the famine. 

Joseph embraces Benjamin, his only full brother, and weeps with him. 

Joseph tells his brothers that he will provide for them and that they will have everything they need. He tells them to go back to Canaan, get their families, and come back to Egypt for the remaining five years of the famine. 

The brothers travel back to Canaan to tell Jacob the news. He can hardly believe it and decides he must go see Joseph again before he dies. 

GENESIS 46

JACOB GOES TO EGYPT TO SEE JOSEPH 

God speaks to Jacob through a vision in Beersheba and tells Jacob not to be afraid to go to Egypt. God reminds him of His promise to make him a great nation and tells Jacob He will be with him in Egypt. Jacob packs up his gigantic family of sixty-six descendants, and heads to Egypt. 

Jacob and Joseph are reunited, and they weep together.

GENESIS 47

JOSEPH PROVIDES FOR HIS FAMILY DURING THE FAMINE 

Joseph introduces Jacob and five of his brothers to Pharaoh. Joseph provides his family with land, food, and livestock in the land of Goshen near Egypt. 

The famine becomes increasingly severe, and people become desperate. Because they have a fixed amount of money and food from Pharaoh, the priests are the only ones without struggles. 

Jacob is getting old and knows he will die soon, so he asks Joseph to bury him in Canaan where his ancestors are buried, not in Goshen or Egypt. 

GENESIS 48

JACOB BLESSES MANASSEH + EPHRAIM 

Jacob is getting old and passes on his blessings and inheritance. He gives his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh the same inheritance as his own children.  

GENESIS 49

JACOB BLESSES HIS SONS

After blessing his grandsons, Jacob blesses his sons and tells them what will become of their future. 

Even though Reuben is the firstborn, he is no longer the first to the inheritance because he previously slept with Jacob’s concubine. Simeon and Levi murdered lots of people, trying to avenge their sister Dinah after she was raped, and Jacob says he wants nothing to do with their violent ways. 

Jacob says that Judah will be praised and that he will defeat his enemies. Jesus will eventually come from the line of Judah, so this is truer than Jacob realizes! 

Zebulun will live and work by the sea, Isaachar will become a servant, Dan will be a judge, Gad will be attacked and overcome his enemies, Asher will make great food, Naphtali will have beautiful children, Joseph will be fruitful and strong, Benjamin will be like a wolf devouring his prey.  

GENESIS 50

THE DEATH OF JACOB + JOSEPH 

Jacob dies and his sons embalm him and bury him in the cave of Machpelah, where he previously asked to be buried. 

The brothers worry that Joseph is carrying a grudge and waiting to take revenge once Jacob has died. Joseph does not take revenge on his brothers but instead praises God for using him in incredible ways. Joseph says to his brothers “what you meant for evil, God meant for good” What a response! 

Joseph dies in Egypt, but is buried in Canaan with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham per his request.

Genesis 50:20 - As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.