Last week, we studied the table of nations (Gen 10). Genesis 11 introduces a new story, with the use of the word "now". As readers, this signals to us that events in this chapter mark a new section in the ongoing narrative. 

(A) Noah and his family teach us how God’s grace may seem to disappoint in day to day life (9:18-28)

(B) The table of nations teach us God’s common grace, and His amazing sovereignty (10:1-32) 

(A) God provides immediately after judgment, despite Man’s continued wickedness (8:20-9:1-7)

(B) God makes a covenant with all the earth, and redirects His wrath (9:8-17)

Last week we saw how the world was a broken one mired in deep sin, and God saw the world for what it was. Yet, despite all the brokenness, there were faithful men like Enoch and Noah who walked with God. In this passage, we continue to see how God does not stand by idly at sin, and judges, but also holds out hope and salvation. 

(A) Genesis describes the pre-flood history of sin as a time of growing human decay (6:1-4)

(B) Genesis describes the pre-flood history of sin as a time of complete human evil (6:5-7)

(C) Genesis describes the pre-flood history of sin as a difficult time for the righteous to be faithful yet God is faithful (6:8-12)

What do we do with passages like these, which basically just has a list of names? As we look at this passage, let us remember the words of Deuteronomy 8:3, 

“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”

In today’s study, we read more about God’s response to sin and evil.

One of the key elements in a narrative is a conflict. What then, is the problem of life according to the Bible? In the Christian worldview, Gen 3 is an important passage and it is important to understand what it says before moving on to understand the rest of the Bible. 

With this in mind, let us begin!

In the previous study, we learnt about the creating God in the opening verses of Genesis 1. Picking up from the six day account of creation, these verses focus specifically on one aspect of God's creation -- Man.

What is a mandate? The dictionary defines mandate as "an official order or commission to do something" (if it is a noun) or to "give (someone) authority to act in a certain way" (if it is a verb). Let us learn from Gen 1, what is the official order and command given to one special part of God's creation.

• The first chapter of the Bible is about the Creator God, not the creation (Gen 1:1-2a)
• The first chapter of the Bible is about a certain kind of God, not the god we invent (Gen 1:2b-6)
• The first chapter of the Bible is about God’s creating: giving order to the formless, filling up the void (Gen 1:7-26)