Preaching the Word: Genesis—Beginning and Blessing
Overview
R. Kent Hughes, respected pastor and author of many other commentaries in the Preaching the Word series, takes readers back to the beginning of the Bible and moves through Genesis with careful exegesis. He explores the superbly crafted structure of the book as well as the weighty themes it contains. For those who preach, teach, and study God’s Word, this exceptionally detailed work will reveal much about the beginnings of God’s great story.
The book of Genesis contains some of the most beautiful and well-known stories in the Bible: the garden, the flood, the tower of Babel, and the lives of the patriarchs. But these are more than just good stories. They lay the groundwork for God’s relationship with humanity and for his plan for our salvation, making Genesis foundational to understanding everything else that happens in the Bible.
Genesis reveals much about human nature and the nature of God. From the actions of the first man and woman, we see where our rebellious, sinful nature originates. And through the whole book we see the hand of a sovereign God who is loving and merciful, but also just and holy. Time and again in Genesis, God showers his grace upon undeserving humanity, giving us our first tastes of God’s enduring faithfulness that shines throughout the entire Bible.
Top Highlights
“The temptation to eat from ‘the tree of the knowledge of good and evil’ was to seek wisdom without reference to the word of God. It was an act of moral autonomy—deciding what is right without reference to God’s revealed will.” (Page 55)
“Note, too, that the doctrine of divine judgment is the very first doctrine to be denied.” (Page 68)
“Adam sinned willfully, eyes wide-open, without hesitation. His sin was freighted with sinful self-interest. He had watched Eve take the fruit, and nothing happened to her. He sinned willfully, assuming there would be no consequences. Everything was upside-down. Eve followed the snake, Adam followed Eve, and no one followed God.” (Page 71)
“We must remember that Jacob fought in his weakness. The paradox continues to instruct. The day of failure through power was over, and the day of success through weakness had begun.” (Page 401)
“Ultimately, and above all, the story of Joseph is about God working his will through the everyday events of life. There are no miracles here. God does not suspend his natural laws to make things happen. The story is about the hidden but sure way of God. God’s hidden hand arranges everything without show or explanation or violating the nature of things. God is involved in all events and directs all things to their appointed end.” (Page 436)
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