50 lessons from Genesis

Genesis 1-50

There are more than 50 lessons scattered in the 50 chapters of the book of Genesis. In this write-up, I share only 50 that caught my attention whilst reading and studying this first profound book of Moses.

Here are the 50 lessons…

Lesson #1: God is the creator of the heavens and the earth, man and everything in it. 

Genesis 1 teaches firmly that the source of everything including man is God. Psalm 24 says that the earth is the Lord and its fullness.

Lesson #2: God is the giver of life and material resources man needs for sustenance on earth. 

In Genesis 2, we learn that God made man in His image and gave him natural resources, life, work, the word and marriage. God created us and sustains us.

Lesson #3: When man trusts the devil, he falls short of the glory of God.

Genesis 3 teaches that to sin is to trust Satan instead of God. The Bible says the whole world lies in the lap of the devil.

Lesson #4: Lies, deception and murder are of evil origin.

Genesis 4 reveals to us that just as Satan is the originator of sin, he is also the originator of lies, deception and murder. In Cain, we see the way of the devil but in Abel, we see the way of God.

Lesson #5: People continue on the path of natural life until they encounter God supernaturally.

In Genesis 5, we see that the genealogy of Adam was a narration of people living and dying until Enoch encountered God. Without God, we do not have any hope of eternal life.

Lesson #6: In spite of sin and wickedness on the earth, we can obtain grace to remain righteous before God.

Genesis 6 has the big story of God approaching Noah to inform him of His intention to punish the wicked and reward the righteous. We are either on the side of grace or on the side of sin.

Lesson #7: The destruction of the earth and all sinful people is a foretaste of the great judgment and punishment of God when Christ comes.

Genesis 7 spills the beans regarding the ultimate plan of God to punish wickedness on the earth and reward good. We will either spend eternity with God or damnation in hell.

Lesson #8: God’s promises are sure and unfailing.

In Genesis 8, we learn that when God speaks concerning what He intends to do, nothing will stop Him from coming to pass. When He said He will save Noah and his family, He brought that promise to pass.

Lesson #9: Hold on to God’s promises.

In Genesis 9, God blessed and promised to make Noah and his children numerous on the earth. Noah did not doubt what God is capable of doing. He knew that His promises were unfailing.

Lesson #10: God can make the least to become many.

In Genesis 10, we see that the promise of God to Noah to make him fruitful and multiply comes to pass with his three children. Out of them came nations and kings that populated the whole earth.

Lesson #11: When men reject God and embrace self-worship, it leads to divine judgment.

Genesis 11 gives us a lesson on what God does with men and women who reject His ways and serve their own. They sought to build a tower in their own name and reject God. God came down to confuse their language and scatter them on the face of the earth.

Lesson #12: There is always hope on earth when God finds a man who is willing and obedient to follow after Him.

Genesis 12 teaches us that it is God who chooses us to go forth and bear fruit that remains. He chose Abraham from idol worship and gave him promises of a new life with Him. Today, we are all beneficiaries of the call of Abraham.

Lesson #13: Never follow the adventures of other men to chart your course in life if God has not spoken to you about how you should proceed in life.

When Lot left his Uncle Abraham in Genesis 13 to pursue greener pastures, God gave Abraham more than what Lot chose. God’s provisions are better than man’s choices.

Lesson #14: God can make you stronger than your enemies.

Abraham used 318 servants in Genesis 14 to defeat four nations’ armies to rescue Lot and his properties. The Lord is able to make us strong to defeat our enemies.

Lesson #15: God is able to show the righteous things that will happen before they happen.

In Genesis 15, Abraham was promised the land of Canaan and prophesied to about what will happen to his descendants in years to come. Exactly what God said came to pass. His word to His children never falls to the ground.

Lesson #16: Man can plan and execute but the purpose of God will stand.

In Genesis 16, Sarah advised Abraham to give birth with Hagar but God’s purpose was for Abraham to give birth with Sarah. The Bible says many are the plans in a man’s heart but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Lesson #17: We must be obedient to the instructions of the Lord if we want to continue walking with Him.

When the Lord told Abraham to circumcise all the males of his family, he complied immediately. Obedience is a secret for those who walk with the Lord.

Lesson #18: There is nothing impossible for the Lord to do.

In Genesis 18, God promised Abraham and Sarah that they will bring forth Isaac, the promised son. It looked impossible but there is nothing impossible for God to do.

Lesson #19: The way of the wicked is continually before the Lord.

Genesis 19 reveals the nature of God as the judge of all flesh. The wicked ways of Sodom and Gomorrah came before Him and He destroyed them with fire for their deeds.

Lesson #20: God can preserve the lives of people who are related to us.

Even though Abraham feared and lied about his wife to Abimelech in Genesis 20, the Lord rescued her from the king when he took her in. The Lord fights for us when our enemies are stronger than us.

Lesson #21: When God speaks it comes to pass.

When God spoke in Genesis 18 that Sarah will give birth to Isaac, it sounded impossible but here in Genesis 21, the Son of promise was born. What He says comes to pass. No one can stop God.

Lesson #22: God tests us to prove our faith in Him.

God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis 22 not for His benefit but to build Abraham’s trust and confidence in Him. James 1 says that the testing of our faith produces patience. 

Lesson #23: The people we love must be honoured even in their death.

Abraham loved and honoured Sarah that even in her death, he spent money to get a burial place for her and later he was also buried there. Genesis 23 must teach us to love our spouses and honour them.

Lesson #24: Marriage is an important ingredient of a man’s life and purpose.

Marriage was instituted by God. In Genesis 24, when Abraham wanted a spouse for Isaac, he commissioned his experienced servant who also committed the mission into the hand of God and prospered. If Isaac messes with marriage, it could derail the promise for his life.

Lesson #25: The righteous is fruitful even in old age.

In Genesis 25, we see that even in old age after the death of Sarah, Abraham took Keturah as wife and gave birth to 6 more sons. The Lord makes us fruitful even in old age. 

Lesson #26: We must persevere to breakthrough in life.

Success in any area of life even for the believer does not come on a silver platter.  In Genesis 26, we learn from Isaac that we shall face challenges like people and systems who come against us to stop us from achieving our goals. Isaac persevered and prospered.

Lesson #27: God’s plans will come to pass no matter human hindrances.

In Genesis 27, we learn that what God had planned concerning the lives of Esau and Jacob came to pass. He chose Jacob over Esau and he was indeed blessed over Esau. No human schemes can stop the plans of God.

Lesson #28: When we encounter God, we do not remain the same.

Jacob met God in Genesis 28 at Bethel and that changed his commitment with the Lord. He was alone but God was with him to perform His promises in his life.

Lesson #29: Love is an action word.

Genesis 29 teaches us that when we love someone, we must sacrifice to show our love for them. Jacob worked for 14 years for the love of his life, Rachel. Passion defines our love in life.

Lesson #30: God can empower us to be wealthy.

In Genesis 30, we learn from the life of Jacob that God can give us simple ideas that can transform our business and financial fortunes. He is the Lord who blesses. Riches and honour are from Him.

Lesson #31: In spite of what you are going through, hear the voice of the Lord before you move.

Do not make moves because of the challenging situations you find yourself in. In Genesis 31, even though Laban was mistreating Jacob, it was not the only basis to move on but he heard from God before he took a step.

Lesson #32: We must wrestle with God to obtain what we want from Him.

Genesis 32 helps us to know that we can wrestle with God to obtain our spiritual inheritance. Jacob wrestled with God when he was alone and God granted his request.

Lesson #33: God can make our enemies be at peace with us.

Jacob feared to face Esau in Genesis 33 but it all turned out totally different when they actually met. Esau had forgiven Jacob and they made peace. God can make our sworn enemies to be at peace with us.

Lesson #34: God uses imperfect people for His divine purposes.

Considering the story of the rape of Dinah by Shechem in Genesis 34 and how his brothers killed all of the male borns of Shechem’s family, you may wonder how God used the children of Jacob for His divine agenda. The answer is that none is righteous before Him. We all stand accused. He uses imperfect people for His work. We stand righteous in Him and not our own deeds.

Lesson #35: We must honour the Lord for His work in our lives.

When Jacob was going to his Uncle Laban and came to Bethel, he encountered God there and made promises to Him. Part of it was to return to Bethel and he fulfilled it. We must make promises and honour them when the Lord performs His work in our lives.

Lesson #36: God’s common grace extends to the unrighteous to live, love and enjoy life.

Genesis 36 shows us how Esau’s descendants also prospered in whatever they did. They were fruitful and multiplied into families and kingdoms. Even though the way of the upright will ultimately be destroyed, God is still merciful towards them.

Lesson #37: God shows us great dreams for the benefit of other people.

In Genesis 37, Joseph had great dreams of the future but it was all aimed at preserving the Jewish people from destruction. We must not take our dreams as our personal ambition to show off but humbly accept it as God’s work for the benefit of other people.

Lesson #38: God uses imperfect human situations for His perfect will to be done.

Human beings are not perfect in our ways. In Genesis 38, God used the incestuous birth of Perez by Judan and Tamar to continue the lineage of the Messiah. What a gracious and merciful God we serve.

Lesson #39: The righteous can prosper even in times of adversities. 

Joseph was painfully sold by his own brothers into slavery in a foreign land but that did not stop God from prospering him to the notice of his master in Genesis 39. In whatever we go through, we must remember that God is still able to make us fruitful and multiply.

Lesson #40: Use your gifts in low places to serve other people.

There are people who only want to give their best when they get big platforms. Joseph in Genesis 40 teaches us that we must use our gifts and talents even in low places of our life’s journey to serve other people.

Lesson #41: Our past acts of service can open doors of opportunities for us to serve more.

What about if Joseph had not used his talent of interpreting dreams in Genesis 40? How would the man who was released know he can interpret dreams? In Genesis 41, he was recommended to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams that landed him a big international job.

Lesson #42: Never doubt what God says He will do.

When Joseph declared his dreams of greatness to his family, he was victimised. In Genesis 42, we see that his dream of becoming great for his brothers to bow before him came to pass. But it was for something bigger to preserve a generation.

Lesson #43: Forgive and wisely accept those who have hurt you in the past.

Joseph forgave his brothers but wisely accepted them when they came back to Egypt in Genesis 43. God commands us to forgive one another but we must deal with them wisely.

Lesson #44: We must be willing to sacrifice for the sake of other people.

Judah was ready and willing to give his life for his brother Benjamin when Joseph said he was going to keep him because of his golden cup issue. Genesis 44 teaches us to have a sacrificial heart for other people. We must give place to one another.

Lesson #45: Forgive one another. 

Joseph finally had the opportunity to reveal himself to his brothers as the one they sold into slavery. He forgave them for what they did. He could connect the will of God to his coming to Egypt.

Lesson #46: Seek God’s counsel before you make a move.

Genesis 46 teaches us an important lesson about hearing God’s counsel before we make a move in life concerning any matter of interest. Jacob was invited by his son Joseph and Pharaoh favoured it but he sought God’s view on the matter before he moved to Egypt. God’s voice is final on any matter we are considering in life.

Lesson #47: God can grant divine wisdom to solve complex problems in the world.

Egypt and the whole world was faced with severe famine in Genesis 47 but God who showed the famine to Joseph before it happened also gave him wisdom from above to solve this complex economic problem. James 1 says that God gives us wisdom liberally.

Lesson #48: We must be sensitive to the ways of God.

Jacob wanted to bless the children of Joseph in Genesis 48. Whereas the father wanted it to be Ephraim before Manasseh but the grandfather was sensitive to God’s way by making it Manasseh before Ephraim. God chooses whom He will show mercy to.

Lesson #49: We must receive blessings from our fathers.

Our fathers have a special place in our lives ordained by God. Godly fathers have the power to bless their children and heaven will back whatever they say because they are sensitive to the ways of God. Jacob blessed each one of his children in Genesis 49.

Lesson #50: The words of the upright are true.

Joseph was not just another leader of Egypt but an upright leader whom the Spirit of the Lord dwelt. In Genesis 50, he prophesied that God will visit his people and take them to the promised land. Surely, God visited His people when He used Moses to get His people out of Egypt.

The book of Genesis is a truly powerful book. It has all the ingredients for God’s redemption plan and how we ought to walk before Him as the redeemed of the Lord.

What is your favourite lesson from the book of Genesis? Share with us.