Without understanding the foundation of Scripture—the Torah—our knowledge of the rest is pointless. The first Book of the Torah, Genesis (Heb. – Bereshith …”in the beginning”), tells us of the origins of all creation including the origins of His people, Israel. Genesis begins with the creation of the heavens and the earth by Elohim and finishes with the death of Joseph.
During this commentary, we will focus on various facts as well as controversies concerning creation and the Torah itself. The dispute between creation and evolutionism is one that has gone on for many decades. While most who claim to be “skeptics” focus on alleged difficulties with Scripture, they fail in true skepticism by refusing to acknowledge the absolute failure of their non-scientific beliefs in evolutionism.
While there are two basic belief systems on the origins of all things: creation and evolutionism, it is all just a matter of “beliefs.” It is a matter of “beliefs” whether one believes in a Creator of all things, or if one believes that all things created themselves accidentally over time. If one believes in an eternal Elohim or in eternal matter (which is impossible according to the laws of thermodynamics). If ones believes in an Elohim of order who created all things, or if one believes that chaos eventuates into functional complexity by random chance. Was there One who created all things such as living things and gold? Or did hydrogen (H) atoms somehow eventuate into ostriches and elephants, as well as gold (Au)? It’s all a matter of one’s “beliefs.”
But do “beliefs” really matter? Does what one believes about the origins of the universe and of all life change the past? It certainly does not. That is probably the precise reason that Scripture only spends three chapters on the subject of creation. Elohim did it. If you disagree with that, then you “believe” in a fable. But that does not change the Truth.
Early on, Genesis focuses on the history of man and quickly eventuates to the origin of His people, Israel. The Fathers of His people: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) are the main focus of this book. Their origins, their families, their failures, and their successes are highlighted throughout. One will see that they were not chosen because they were better folks than the rest. They were chosen simply by the omniscient decision of the Father.
We will see that from early on, His people were obedient to the Torah of Elohim. Starting with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the Torah of the Father was there in the beginning. We will see that there is an abundance of evidence that His people were knowledgeable of, and embraced, the Torah. These evidences will be pointed out as they are encountered.
Studies delivered through Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly have original content. They are not copies or remakes of what others have said or done. When content is gathered from elsewhere, we take pains to give credit where credit is due. In these notes on Genesis, some of the scientific facts and issues presented in this commentary were discussed in “The Genesis Record” by Dr. Henry Morris. Dr. Morris was a pioneer creation scientist with a Doctorate in Civil Engineering and had tremendous insights into science and the book of Genesis.
Please join us as we begin our journey into Genesis. We encourage you to contact us with your questions.
Copyright 2014
Patrick McGuire and Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly
All rights reserved, no portion of this Lesson may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.
Beit Yeshua Torah Assembly
Fort Smith, Arkansas