The Book of Genesis explains the fundamental, metaphysical question of the origin of the world known to men and the history of mankind from that point on. These biblical stories include a series of choices and decisions made by individuals and their consequences which outlines a form of reward and punishment system. The significant characters in it serve as exemplars’ of behaviours encouraged by God, contrasted by the rest whom gave into their sinful nature.

Yahweh is the central character of the Old Testament. Genesis begins by unambiguously stating that Yahweh is the creator of everything, apart from himself, in other words, self-existent. The almighty God created the world in six days by divine speech and appointed the seventh as the Sabbath- a day of rest and worship. He then creates the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, from the man’s rib. God gave them the power of free will. Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden due to their disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Conscience. Apart from the exile, they were punished to endure various types of sufferings. This explains why all men bear the consequences of the Original sin and the need for a covenant with God. Among the descendents of Adams and Eve, patriarchs, or God’s chosen people, were appointed the role to lead people through hardship for the survival of mankind, or faced challenges from God himself to show loyalty. These patriarchs all have specific characteristics to demonstrate expected behavior from God, who was disappointed in the wickedness of mankind so He decided to send a Great Flood to cleanse the world. Noah was the only righteous person at the time of his generation so God instructed him to build an ark to save other species from the Flood. Noah embodies the positive virtues which God wished to pass down the generations. After Abraham completed the expedition instructed by God for new lands for his people, he was tested by God. He obeyed the test... [continues]

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