The books of Genesis through Deuteronomy tell how God created the world, chose the Israelites as His people, and gave them laws to live by. These laws taught them how to love God and treat others fairly, guiding them toward a life of blessing and obedience.
The Beginning of Everything
In Genesis 1:1–2:3, the Bible tells us how God created the world. In six days, He made everything—the sky, land, oceans, plants, sun, moon, animals, and people. With just His words, He brought light into darkness and life into emptiness. On the sixth day, He created humans in His own image, giving them a special place in His creation. After everything was finished, God looked at it all and saw that it was very good. On the seventh day, He rested, setting an example for us to pause and appreciate His work.
The First Sin and Its Consequences
In Genesis 2:15–3:24, God placed Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden and gave them one rule—not to eat from a certain tree. But the serpent tempted Eve, and she and Adam chose to disobey God. Because of this, sin entered the world, bringing pain, hard work, and separation from God. They had to leave the garden, and life became more difficult. But even in their mistake, God showed kindness—He clothed them and promised that one day, someone would come to defeat evil and restore what was lost.
Cain and Abel: A Lesson on Jealousy
In Genesis 4:1-16, Adam and Eve’s sons, Cain and Abel, each brought an offering to God. Abel’s gift pleased God, but Cain’s did not. Instead of trying to do better, Cain became jealous and angry. God warned him to control his feelings, but Cain ignored the warning and killed his brother. As a result, he was punished and had to wander the earth. Even then, God showed mercy by protecting him from harm.
Noah’s Obedience to God
In Genesis 6:9-22, God saw that the world was filled with evil, but Noah was different—he followed God and did what was right. God told Noah to build a huge boat, called an ark, because He was going to send a great flood to cleanse the earth. Even though it may have seemed strange, Noah obeyed and carefully followed all of God’s instructions. He gathered his family and pairs of animals into the ark, trusting that God would keep them safe.
The Great Flood
In Genesis 7:1-24, God told Noah to take his family and the animals into the ark because the flood was about to begin. Then, rain poured down for 40 days and nights, covering even the tallest mountains. Everything outside the ark was destroyed, but Noah, his family, and the animals inside were safe because they listened to God. The waters stayed high for a long time, but through it all, God took care of them.
A New Beginning
In Genesis 8:1-22, after many months, God caused the floodwaters to go down, and the ark came to rest on a mountain. Noah sent out birds to see if the land was dry, and when a dove returned with an olive leaf, he knew it was almost time to leave the ark. When the ground was finally dry, God told Noah and his family to come out and start fresh. Noah thanked God by offering a sacrifice, and God promised never to destroy the earth with a flood again.
God’s Promise with a Rainbow
In Genesis 9:1-17, after the flood, God blessed Noah and his family, telling them to fill the earth and take care of it. He also gave them new rules for living and reminded them that life is precious. Then, God made a special promise never to destroy the earth with a flood again. As a sign of this promise, He placed a rainbow in the sky. Every time we see a rainbow, it reminds us of God’s faithfulness and His promise to care for the world.
The Tower of Babel
In Genesis 11:1-9, the people of the world spoke the same language and decided to build a great city with a tall tower to make themselves important. But their pride led them to ignore God. To stop them, God confused their language so they could no longer understand each other, and they scattered across the earth. This is how different languages and nations began.
God’s Promise to Abraham
In Genesis 12:1-9; 17:1-8, God called a man named Abram (later named Abraham) to leave his home and go to a land that God would show him. Even though he didn’t know where he was going, Abraham trusted God and obeyed. God promised to bless him, make his family into a great nation, and give them a special land. Later, God also promised that Abraham’s descendants would be as countless as the stars and that through him, all people would be blessed.
God’s Promise to Sarah
In Genesis 18:1-15, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were very old and had no children. One day, three visitors came to Abraham’s tent, and he welcomed them with food and kindness. Then, one of them—who was actually the Lord—told Abraham that Sarah would have a son within a year. Sarah overheard this and laughed because she thought it was impossible at her age. But God reminded her that nothing is too hard for Him.