Everyone has a worldview; all people have an intrinsic belief system, whether consciously or unconsciously, through which they interpret the world, themselves, and all they see. From the Christian to the non–Christian to the atheist, we all have fundamental beliefs about the world which shape how we understand life and existence itself. This is why the book of Genesis is so important. It is because Genesis provides us the only reliable, inerrant, authoritative foundation for viewing the world. Quite simply, we cannot understand the world in which we live and why it is the way it is and what the purpose of all things is unless we view all things through the foundation lens of the book of Genesis.
Genesis is vital, however, not only to our understanding of creation, but to our understanding of the Bible as well. You see the Bible is the one fluid true story of God the King and His Kingdom spanning all existence. The book of Genesis lays the foundation for this story. How can we possibly understand any of the characters, the actions, the plot, the ending, or the hero of the Bible unless we understand the very beginning of the story? The book of Genesis is vital for us, therefore, and it is so, I would argue, for three overall reasons.
First, it is vital to our Christian theology that we understand the book of Genesis. There can’t be a story of God’s redemption of His people neither there can’t be an end and a heaven, unless there is a beginning. Genesis reveals to us who God is, what He does, what His purpose is for creating. Genesis teaches us who we are, who we are meant to be. Moreover, Genesis shows us who Jesus is, it shows us who our enemy, Satan, is. Genesis shows us the plan of redemption and how God will make all things new. Further, Genesis shows us how we are to understand and relate to Creation, how we are to treat the earth, its animals, and all God’s created order. For these reasons and much more, we see that it is theologically vital that we study and understand the book of Genesis.
Second, it is vital to our Christian defense of Truth that we understand the book of Genesis. Science isn’t a bad thing, science doesn’t contradict Scripture. In fact, science supports the accounts of Genesis. The problem that we face nowadays is that atheists have distorted science to make it appear in opposition to Scripture. Our secular society seeks to undermine the Christian faith by attack the account of Creation and the origins of man. However, as we will see, the account of Creation in Genesis is completely viable, and in fact is supported by science. Science and faith are not enemies, and the book of Genesis demonstrates this.
Third, it is vital to our Christian worship that we understand the book of Genesis. As I just said, Genesis reveals to us who God is and what He does. It teaches us that God is infinite, that He is sovereign, that He is orderly and has ordained the laws of science, but we also see that as a providential God He maintains the order of the universe. We see that God is perfect and good; we see that God is merciful and gracious. Thus, in studying the book of Genesis and seeing who God is, we may then as Christians and as a church worship Him more fully.
