Let’s continue with questions to get us thinking about this important part of the Bible.
- Literary authors like Mark Twain, Herman Melville, and John Steinbeck have taken more from Genesis than any other book in the Bible. Can you explain its appeal?
- Genesis, like other literary masterpieces, uses several devices that capture a reader’s attention. One is the use of chiasm, in which several verses are laid out with a reversing order to them. It’s easier to see it than to describe it. Look at the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11:1-9. Verses 1-2 are the same format as verses 8-9, while verses 3-4 are reflected in verses 6-7. Verse 5 acts as the center point between the two sets of verses. Explain how this inversion works.
- A literary device used here that is shared by many other books is the use of contrasts to highlight the qualities of people or places. Where do you see pairs of people or places which act as strong contrasts with each other?
- A crucial part of Genesis is devoted to the establishment of a covenant between Abraham and God. It plays a prominent role throughout the rest of the Old Testament. Take a look at the following verses to see what the covenant covered–Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17; 15:1-16; 17:1-21; 22:15-18.
