Is Genesis History?Sýnishorn

Lesson 1: The Origin of Literally Everything (Is Genesis History?) from Compass Cinema.

The Origin of Literally Everything

I remember being in 10th-grade biology class studying evolution.  The textbook taught the earth was billions of years old, life evolved from bacteria, and humans were related to monkeys.

I instinctively understood this was a different history than the one in Genesis.  It was presented as the findings of science, however, so it must be true.  I reasoned if the earth was old and we evolved, then Genesis must somehow be mistaken.  This included Adam and Eve, a global flood, and the tower of Babel.

Thankfully, I was challenged by a Sunday School teacher with a simple proposition: “you’d better research both sides first.”  When I did, I realized Genesis was a reliable book of history.

Fast forward to a few years ago.  My daughter began asking me the same questions I had asked.  Since I’m a filmmaker, I decided to make a documentary about Genesis. 

As I dug in, I realized it would need to be about everything.  That’s why Genesis is so important.  It presents a history of where we came from, why we’re here, and what our issues are.  

Yet when you hold Genesis up against the history taught in most schools, books, and media, it’s radically different.  Some people may even find it laughable, but that’s what the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill thought about Jesus’ resurrection, too. 

History is what the author of Hebrews encourages his readers to consider.  He knows they’ve been facing difficult times and struggling in their faith.  As encouragement, he reminds them how God worked in other people’s lives long ago.

The first thing he says is that the universe was created by the word of God.  He’s talking about Genesis 1, and he’s reminding them God made everything we see from absolutely nothing.  That’s real power.

He then talks about Abel making a sacrifice, Enoch pleasing God, Noah building an ark, and Abraham traveling to Canaan.  He wants them to remember that God was interacting with real people in real places in a real way back then.  And He’s doing the same thing today.

We just need to remember history.  Whether it’s Noah, Abraham, or ourselves, He’s interacting with us in real ways that we can see, know, and trust.  Faith isn’t a leap in the dark, it’s an assurance and trust based on real actions by a powerful God that happen in actual history: your history and my history.

Reflection:
How have you seen God work in your personal history?