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When I hear the word “genesis,” I immediately think of the first book of the Bible. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been around the Bible my entire life and am pretty familiar with it. But have you ever wondered why that book’s name is Genesis?

In the Hebrew Old Testament, the first book of the Bible is called Bereshit (pronounced beh-ri-SHEET). That word literally means “in the beginning,” and that’s the first word of Genesis 1:1 in Hebrew. After all, what better place to start a book (especially one as important as the Bible) than in the beginning?

Our English word genesis has a similar meaning to bereshit. Genesis means an origin, or a coming into being of something. In the case of the Bible, the book of Genesis describes the origin of our world and how it was all created (Genesis 1-2). It also describes the origin of many other things in the world, such as sin (Genesis 3), the murder (Genesis 4:3-8), and God’s promise with Abraham to provide humankind with an opportunity for salvation (Genesis 15).

Why is it important that we know what happened at the beginning of time when the earth was created? What does that matter today in 2012? Can you imagine reading a novel, but completely skipping the first few chapters? You may be able to figure out what’s going on while reading the rest of it, but it’d sure be more clear if you start at the beginning. Knowing the story of creation is even more important than that, because not only does it tell us how we got here and why we’re here, but it shows us God’s love. God created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27) and gives us the choice to love Him and worship Him because of what He has done for us - including creating the world. The book of Genesis is just the beginning of the history of God’s love for humankind, and it sets the stage for everything that has happened since then and everything that will happen in the future.

I challenge you this week to read the book of Genesis for yourself. Along with learning about how the earth was created, there are many stories of God’s love and provision for His people - Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph just to name a few. Check out their stories and see if God is calling you to any new beginning (or genesis) in your life because of what you learn through their experiences.