Page 25 - Advanced OT Survey Student Textbook

K. Origin of government
The development of organized government is recorded in Genesis with man not only responsible for his
actions but also for the maintenance of orderly social structures through systems of laws and
punishments.

L. Origin of culture
The book of Genesis tells of the origins of the characteristics that we would think of as necessary for
modern cultures to arise. Skills such as metallurgy, music, agriculture, animal husbandry, writing,
education, navigation, textiles, and ceramics are described along with the development of urbanization.

M. Origin of nations
Today almost all scholars universally accept the concept of one race. However, conventional wisdom
told mankind for hundreds of years that there were many races and some were superior to others.
However, Genesis clearly teaches that we all descend from 2 common ancestors therefore we are all of
the same race. Genesis also clearly explains the formation of distinct people groups or nations. This is
accurate to what we observe today.

N. Origin of religion
There are many religions in the world today and all share the common idea that there is a consciousness
greater than or outside ourselves, some unifying truth or ultimate reality that we should strive to
maintain. Many are organized but some are fragmented and disorganized, yet they all find the need to
somehow worship something greater than themselves. Genesis clearly describes where this knowledge
or connection with a greater consciousness comes from and who that greater one is that deserves honor
and praise.

O. Origin of the chosen people
Israelites – a unique and peculiar nation that existed under persecution from every corner of the globe
for nearly 1900 years. They gave the world the Bible, birthed Christianity, rejected Christianity, and
contributed significantly to the world’s art, music, science, finance, etc. and yet has been despised and
rejected by many. They are a small nation that finds themselves at the crossroads and in the crosshairs
of so many of the world’s nations on so many issues. This can only be explained and understood in light
of the account of the rise of the Israelites in Genesis.

The book of Genesis is really the foundation of all true history, true science, and true philosophy. It is
the foundation of God’s revelation to mankind, as given in the Bible. No other book of the Bible is
quoted as copiously or referred to so frequently in other books of the Bible as Genesis.

In the Old Testament, Adam is mentioned by name in Deuteronomy, Job, 1 Chronicles, and Noah is
mentioned in 1 Chronicles, Isaiah, and Ezekiel. Abraham is mentioned by name in fifteen books of the
Old Testament and eleven of the New Testament. Jacob is named in twenty books (other than Genesis)
of the Old Testament and in at least seventeen of the New Testament. In a special sense every mention
of the nation of Israel is an acknowledgement of their foundation in Genesis. Apart from Genesis, there
is no explanation for the nation of Israel, nor consequently for all of the rest of the New Testament.

The New Testament is even more dependent on Genesis than the Old Testament. There are at least 165
passages in Genesis that are either directly quoted or clearly referred to in the New Testament. Many of
these are alluded to more than one so that there are at least 200 quotations or allusions to Genesis in
the New Testament.

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