The Epic of God: A Guide to Genesis
Overview
Genesis is a book of beginnings. It introduces us to several biblical themes, including God’s authorship of life. In a world that blames the Creator for disasters and credits luck or karma for life’s blessings, God’s people need reminding that he is crafting a wondrous story of redemption and grace. In Genesis, we are called to play the part of faithful children so that we might overcome this world and inherit the one to come. In God’s story, we discover how to live out our own.
The Epic of God will guide you passage by passage through Genesis in hopes of making you more like Jesus and deepening your trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Logos Bible Software dramatically improves the value of this resource by enabling you to find what you’re looking for with unparalleled speed and precision. While you’re reading The Epic of God, you can easily search for important concepts from various theologians and access dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library.
- Foreword by Jeff A. Jenkins
- Discusses key terms & issues
- Talking Points close out each chapter
- In the Beginning
- Paradise Lost
- Deliverance
- Cradle of Civilization
- Two Steps Back
- The Fog of War
- In Between
- Judgment Call
- A Faith Odyssey
- To Be Continued . . .
- He’s the Cheatin’ Kind
- Family Matters
- O Brother, Where Art Thou?
- Brave New World
- For Your Family’s Sake
Top Highlights
“So why did Moses use Elohim in the first chapter, yet switch to Yahweh in the second? It’s because Yahweh highlights God’s relational nature, while Elohim calls attention to his immense majesty and universal sovereignty, themes that are quite appropriate for their respective chapters.1 In other words, Moses wanted readers of Gen 1 to envision Creator God as grander than our collective imaginations.” (Page 16)
“These creation myths speak volumes about the values of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Canaan, particularly their low view of deity.7 These nations wanted their gods to be just as arrogant, moody, and unmerciful as themselves. Their gods weren’t morally superior, only more powerful. Stronger, but not holier. Paganism has always attempted to bring the divine down to our level.” (Pages 19–20)
“Evolution, the new paganism, is a product of man’s desire to eliminate accountability to anything divine. If life is an accident of cosmic proportions, then we can all resort to a dog-eat-dog mentality—survival of the fittest—without any consequences. Evolution’s low view of humanity is surely responsible for the abject despair so epidemic in our world.” (Page 20)
“Everyone was created in God’s image and thus has intrinsic value. It also means that everyone represents God’s presence on earth. Such an awesome, even frightening, concept makes the biblical call to godly living all the more crucial: if we fail to reflect God’s nature on earth, no other created thing is left to answer that call.” (Page 23)
“Unlike the animals, mankind is the only creature that bears God’s image.” (Page 22)
- Title: The Epic of God: A Guide to Genesis
- Author: Michael Whitworth
- Publisher: Start2Finish Books
- Publication Date: 2012
- Pages: 396
Reviews
4 ratings
Glenn Crouch
7/21/2014
Whilst I think this is a fine, easy to read commentary on Genesis for the Lay Person, I think it is better suited as a devotional one (and not just for the beginner). I found quite a few illustrations and approaches that will be useful for Sermons, and I found the Author's approach quite good in helping my devotional meditations on Genesis. Now I tend to lean towards Old Earth Creationist interpretation of Genesis, and whilst the Author takes a Young Earth view, I found him to be gracious and this in no way, for me, detracted from his coverage of Creation and the Flood. I also applaud the Author for a good coverage of Genesis. Some who write on Genesis seem to fall into one of two "traps" - they get so involved with the first 11 Chapters that the rest of Genesis is just breezed through, or all the emphasis is on Abraham (and I do tend to think that Abraham is the focal point of Genesis) that everything else pales in comparison. I was pleasantly surprised with the coverage of Isaac. Whilst when I saw the chapter / section heading, I thought he was just going to breeze through Joseph and his brothers, I really enjoyed the coverage and it was quite well done. So I would recommend that this book be read from cover to cover, rather than just as a reference, and that you consider adding it to your devotional reading :)
RICHARD A. RAY
10/29/2013
James Gee
2/21/2013
Whitworth has done an amazing job with the subject at hand. His grasp of the text is evident. He uses a vast array of scholarly sources and deals knowledgeably with higher critical theories. He is also very adept at handling the material of the ANE. I highly recommend this book to all who want to know more about the Creator and His book entitled Genesis. James C. Gee, Ph.D.Steven Hunter
2/18/2013
Michael does a fine job introducing readers to the mind of an ancient context, but applying the text to a modern reader. When reading this book, you learn how it would have been understood and then how it's relevant today. Through diligent research, Michael unpacks with simplicity what is often complicated in academia. Those seeking simplicity and timely applications will enjoy this work.Gipson Baucum
2/8/2013
A great study of the book of Genesis. Whitworth has done great research so the book is full of information that provides context and enlightens the reader. This is a thorough study so its great for people looking to dig for deep insights into the text, but not so technical that it would overwhelm the casual reader. The author finds interesting ways relate the text to the readers life and even provides lighthearted humor along the way. There are great application points at the end of each chapter as well, so the reader isn't stuck wondering how he or she should relate to the text. Well worth the price of purchase and the time invested in reading.
