Since the Book of Genesis is inspired Scripture, every Bible-believing Christian would agree that it matters (at least in that sense). But is Genesis still relevant considering that we are living in the Last Days spoken of in Hebrews 1:2?
The answer is a definite yes, and we can have assurance that is the case because (1) God’s Word does not change, and (2) Genesis 1-11 is still the foundation for the rest of Scripture. Even though Christians are not living under the Old Covenant (such as the laws and ceremonies delineated in Leviticus), the Old Testament is still inspired Scripture that God has preserved for our edification (see 1 Corinthians 10).
Not only has God given us a wealth of prophetic insight and information in the Old Testament, but He has also given us the basis for all our Christian doctrines (including eschatology) in the first Book of the Bible: Genesis.
Why is the world the way that it is? Genesis 1-11 gives us the answer. What is sin? Genesis 1-11 gives us the answer. Why did Jesus come into the world to save sinners? Genesis 1-11 gives us the answer. Why is Jesus coming back? Genesis 1-11 gives us the answer. We can go on and on!
Tragically, many Christians are not aware that Genesis is a goldmine of world history. For example, did you know that Cain built the first city in all human history? Genesis 4:17 tells us, “And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.”
Have you ever wondered why we have a seven-day week? In that same chapter, we are told that mankind was capable of crafting instruments (Genesis 4:21) and practicing metallurgy (Genesis 4:22).
Genesis 5:1 opens with the following signature: “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.” The presence of the word “book” signifies that mankind at that time was fully capable of reading and writing.
Since we are living during a time in which books are being re-written and historical lessons forgotten, there is a great need for Christians to return to the Bible as the true, authoritative account of world history.
The Book of Genesis is not a collection of fables; rather, its authors (by the grace and guidance of God) have given us the foundational information we need to build our thinking and to answer the popular questions of our age.
Do our children and grandchildren know that the virgin birth was not a New Testament invention but a promise from God that had been long foretold? A promise that God gave to the serpent in the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 3:15). Do they know that God has promised to restore our broken world to the “very good” state we read of in Genesis 1:31?
My prayer is that we would look to the infallible Word of God, beginning in Genesis, and build our thinking upon that foundation. May we stop measuring the infallible Word of God against the fallible ideas of man and start measuring the fallible ideas of man against the infallible Word of God!