Genesis is not only the book of beginnings but also the starting point of God’s redemptive plan. From the moment sin entered the world, God revealed His purpose to rescue humanity. In Genesis 3:15, God gave the first promise of a Redeemer:
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”
This prophecy pointed to Christ, who would one day crush the serpent’s head through His victory on the cross. Even as judgment fell on Adam and Eve, God clothed them with garments of skin (Genesis 3:21), introducing the principle of substitutionary sacrifice, a life given to cover sin. This foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
The covenant promises to Abraham further establish the framework for redemption. In Genesis 12:3, God said:
“In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
This blessing would be fulfilled through Abraham’s descendant, Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:16). God reaffirmed this covenant in Genesis 22:18 after Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac:
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
Genesis also introduces the concept of faith as the means of righteousness. Genesis 15:6 declares:
“And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”
This principle (salvation by faith) runs throughout Scripture and is fulfilled in the gospel of Christ.
From the first promise in Eden to the covenants with the patriarchs, Genesis reveals that redemption is God’s work, accomplished by His grace and received by faith. It sets the stage for everything that follows, culminating in Christ, the fulfillment of all God’s promises.
