Five Stories in Genesis

The first eleven chapters of Genesis contain some of the classic stories of the bible- Creation, Adam and Eve eating the "forbidden fruit", Cain and Abel, the Tower of Babel, and of course- Noah and the flood.

Each of these stories are classics, and also all of them are similarly structured which highlights the meaning of each.

Adam and Eve Created

The Fall

Cain and Abel

Noah

The Tower of Babel

Adam and Eve Created

(A) Creation complete: "The heavens and earth were created/ God had finished his work" GE 2:1-3

  (B) Man created: Formed by God from the dust GE 2:4-9

    (C) The trees in the garden: The rivers given names GE 2:9-14

      (D) Man to set to work: GE 2:15

        (X) The command: GE 2:16-17

      (D') Man needs a helper: Not good for man to be alone GE 2:18

    (C') The animals in the garden: The animals given names GE 2:19-20

  (B') Woman Created: From the rib of the man GE 2:21-24

(A') The final creation: Man and Woman naked and unashamed walking with God GE 2:25

Back to the start of Genesis...

The Fall

(A) The Serpent Introduced: Crafty creature GE 3:1a

  (B) The Serpent and the Woman: Eat this GE 3:1b-5

    (C) The Woman and the Man: Eat this GE 3:6

      (D) Nakedness: The saw they were naked GE 3:7

        (E) Hiding: They hid GE 3:8

          (X) God: Where are you? GE 3:9

        (E') Hiding: Why are you hiding? GE 3:10

      (D') Nakedness (Tree): Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from the tree? GE 3:11

    (C') Man and Woman: Se made me do it! GE 3:12

  (B') Serpent and Woman: The serpent made me do it! GE 3:13

(A') Serpent: Cursed GE 3:14

  (B'') Serpent and Woman: More curses GE 3:15

    (C'') Woman and Man: More curses GE 3:16-20

      (D'') Nakedness: God clothes Adam and Eve GE 3:21

        (E'') The Tree (Hiding): No more eating from the trees GE 3:22

        (X) God: Out you go GE 3:23

Back to the start of Genesis...

Cain and Abel

(A) Genealogy: Adam and Eve -> Cain and Abel GE 4:1-2

  (B) Cain Rejected: Sacrifice no good GE 4:3-5a

    (C) Cain "Downcast": Sacrifice rejection to much to bear? GE 4:5b-6

      (D) Beware of Sin: You must master it! GE 4:7

        (E) Murder in the Field: Cain kills Abel GE 4:8

          (X) God: Where is your brother? GE 4:9

        (E') Murder in the Field: God asks- "What have you done?" GE 4:10

      (D') Cursed because of Sin: Cain punished GE 4:11

    (C') Cain "Downcast": Punishment too too much to bear GE 4:13 -15

  (B') Cain Rejected: Out of the Lord's presence GE 4:15

(A') Genealogy: Cain and his wife -> Lamech GE 4:17-18

Back to the start of Genesis...

Noah

(A) People Sinful: GE 6:1-2
  (B) People's Days are Numbered: GE 6:3
    (C) Nephilim: GE 6:4
      (X) God sees it all: GE 6:5
    (C') God Grieved: GE 6:6
  (B') People will be Destroyed: GE 6:7
(A') Noah finds Favour: GE 6:8
(A) Noah and his Sons: GE 6:9-11
  (B) God's Covenant Foreshadowed: GE 6:12-21
    (C) Noah builds the Ark: GE 6:22
      (D) Into the Ark: GE 7:1-3
        (E) After 7 Days it will Rain: GE 7:4-10
          (F) 40 Days and Nights of Rain: GE 7:11-23
            (G) 150 Days of Flooding: GE 7:24
              (X) "But God Remembered Noah": GE 8:1
            (G') Waters Receed after 150 Days: GE 8:2-4
          (F') Ark Opened after 40 Days: GE 8:5-9
        (E') Another bird after 7 Days: GE 8:10-14
      (D') Come out of the Ark: GE 8:15-19
    (C') Noah Builds an Altar: GE 8:20
  (B') God's Covenant: GE 8:21-9:7
(A') Noah and his Sons: GE 9:8-11
  (B) Sign of the Covenant: GE 9:12
    (C) Rainbow: GE 9:13
      (X) God will Remember: GE 9:15
    (C') Rainbow: GE 9:16
  (B') Sign of the Covenant: GE 9:17
(A') Noah and his Sons: GE 9:18-19

Back to the start of Genesis...

The Tower of Babel


(A) People come together; One language: GE 11:1-2

  (B) People say- "Come let us...build": GE 11:3-4

    (X) God came down to see...: GE 11:5

  (B') God says- "Come let us...confuse them": GE 11:6-7

(A') People scattered; Many Languages: GE 11:8-9

Back to the start of Genesis...

Last modified on Wednesday, July 01, 1998