The book of Genesis is the book of beginnings. Genesis means beginnings. In Genesis we have the first of many: creation, the first man and woman, the first marriage, the first human sin, the first languages, tribes, industry, inventions, and the Hebrew nation. In Genesis we first learn about home life, childhood, murder, sacrifice, grace, trade, agriculture, city life, and languages. Genesis anticipates all philosophies: atheism, pantheism, polytheism, materialism, humanism, evolution, and uniformism. All major doctrines have their roots in Genesis: sovereign election, salvation, justification by faith, believer's security, separation, disciplinary chastisement, divine incarnation, resurrection, priesthoods, and covenants. And in the Book of Genesis the most amazing tenet of God's plan of redemption begins to unfold.

But as we begin to walk through the book of Genesis we are going to be asking many questions that will test our faith. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith "is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". And in that definition we come to a fork in the road of life and ponder a reality that we are all faced with: death. Everyone dies. There is no escape from death. So knowing that we are all going to die then inevitably we all have hope in something.

In our culture relativism reigns (you have your truth and I have mine) but how do we know what really is true? What is Truth? How can we qualify sources of information to be true? And of course once we hold to "some faith" what is the evidence of our faith?

The answers to these questions have eternal consequences. You see man being more than a machine does not really die. We have a three-part makeup and what dies is the outer shell - the body. The rest of who I am will live forever. But where? As for me I believe man will live forever either in heaven or hell. And as this study on the book of Genesis unfolds you will see why I believe what I believe and how I know that it is true.

So as we begin the book of Genesis we are going to be asking many questions that will test our faith. Some of the more prominent questions are about God. Is God real? Can God be trusted? Do we believe that God says what He means and means what He says? Do we trust in His design and purpose for humanity and for us personally?

The answers to these questions will begin to take shape as this study in Genesis unfolds. I must warn you now that it will be a long study. But I promise to carefully go through the go here study and will be available to answer questions and they come in. In the next article in the study we will understand what Genesis 1:1 is trying to tell us.