Formed in God’s Story: Genesis 1–12

Free course with notes and podcasts on Genesis 1–12.

Update 2024-03-28: Final podcasts and full notes added.

The first eleven chapters of Genesis make an astounding claim. The Lord God is not only the covenant God of Israel (the message from Exodus onwards). He is the God of all people, Lord of heaven and earth. It’s all his creation, established by his sovereign decree.

The rest of Scripture builds on this foundation, as what God established in the beginning comes together in the end. As the prophets promised, the word of the Lord is not a fruitless echo in a void; it’s the life-giving command that transforms creation (Isaiah 55:11-13).

The word that was there in the beginning became a living, breathing, embodied reality in his creation as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). It’s in him that the whole creation is restored, so the story ends with the one who is seated on the throne declaring, “See! I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:5).

That’s the foundational importance of these early chapters of Genesis. Over six evenings in February/March 2025, we’ll slow down and savour just two chapters a night:

You can also download the full notes (75 pages), covering Genesis 1-12.

A sample

Something beautiful happens when we read the early chapters of Genesis as one, congruent, unfolding story of who God is and who we are in relation to him.

In the beginning, God established heaven and earth in relationship. His proclamations transformed what was formless and empty into a living, fruitful world. The lights in the sky serve as signs that we’re under heaven’s reign. On the ground, humans represent the heavenly sovereign’s care for the creatures that live in the boundaries God set for them. With his good world at peace, God rested (Genesis 1).

God invited us into his garden, serving him with the abundant life he provided. Only the knowledge of good and evil was reserved for the sovereign himself. God gave us meaningful relationships with him, with the creatures, and with each other (Genesis 2).

But that wasn’t enough. Grasping at God’s power for ourselves, we brought pain and conflict into God’s good world. Life is a struggle we lose. Instead of becoming gods we became mortals (Genesis 3).

Ignoring the warnings of our heavenly sovereign, people opened the door for the powers of sin and death to rule over us, cutting us off from each other and from the Lord. We create societies that rely on violence for justice. Everyone suffers, but God gives life to those who call on his name (Genesis 4).

Related posts

Previously the Formed in God’s Story series has covered:

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Author: Allen Browne

Seeking to understand Jesus in the terms he chose to describe himself: son of man (his identity), and kingdom of God (his mission). Riverview Church, Perth, Western Australia

2 thoughts on “Formed in God’s Story: Genesis 1–12”

  1. Allen, thank you for this study! It is very well done. I can tell you have spent much time in study. I don’t know if you remember me, but I was with you in Israel and Turkey with Ben Witherington.

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    1. Alan! What a joy to hear from you and Penny again, a decade later. So many great memories of that journey, including your company.

      Appreciate your comments also.

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