The Main Events in the Book of Genesis

Genesis 1

God created the heavens and the earth

Genesis 2

God prepares a habitat for humans

Genesis 3

Adam and Eve sin; God curses them

Genesis 4

Cain kills Abel; Cain's descendents

Genesis 5

Genealogy from Seth to Noah

Genesis 6

God chooses Noah, rejects the rest

Genesis 7

Noah, his family and the selected animals enter the ark; rain for 40 days and nights

Genesis 8

The flood waters recede; God calls Noah and his family to leave the ark

Genesis 9

God establishes the Rainbow covenant with Noah; God gives command about murder; Noah curses his son Ham and his grandson Canaan for an indecent act.

Genesis 10

Genealogy of Noah's sons Shem, Ham and Japheth; Introduction of Nimrod

Genesis 11

Nimrod convinces the people to build a tower in Babel; genealogy of Shem to Abram

Genesis 12

God Calls Abram and promises to the world through him; goes to Canaan and Egypt

Genesis 13

Abram and his nephew Lot separate; God reiterates his promise to Abram

Genesis 14

Abram rescues Lot from captors; Abram is blessed by Melchizedek, King of Salem

Genesis 15

Abram doubts God's promise; God reiterates his promise; Abram's faith counted as righteousness; God tells Abram that his descendants will be slaves in a foreign country for 400 years.

Genesis 16

Abram's wife Sarai gives her maidservant Hagar to Abram; Hagar conceives Ishmael

Genesis 17

After 13 years of silence, God renews his covenant with Abram and changes his name to Abraham which means father of many nations.

Genesis 18

God visits Abraham and promises that Sarai will have a baby within one year; Sarai's name is changed to Sarah; God pronounces judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah; Abram intercedes for Lot

Genesis 19

God destroys Sodom and Gomorrah; Lot escapes with his daughters but his wife dies.

Genesis 20

Abraham moves his family to the Negev; lies about Sarah; Abimelech the king of Gerar takes Sarah into his harem, but God curses this people.

Genesis 21

Sarah gives birth to Isaac; Ishmael and Hagar are sent away

Genesis 22

God calls Abraham to sacrifice Isaac; Abraham obeys; God provides a ram as substitute for Isaac

Genesis 23

Abraham's wife Sarah dies; Abraham buys a field and cave in Canaan to bury Sarah

Genesis 24

Abraham sends his servant back to his extended family to find a wife for his son Isaac; Excellent portrayal of prayer; Rebekah agrees to become Isaac's wife.

Genesis 25

Abraham marries other wives; Abraham dies and is buried with Sarah; Ishmael dies; after 20 years of prayer Rebekah bears two sons Esau and Jacob; Esau sells his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.

Genesis 26

Another famine in Canaan, Isaac moves his family among the Philistines; God passes his promise to Abraham on to his son Isaac; Isaac lies to the Philistines about Rebekkah; Isaac's servants quarrel with the Philistines over wells; Isaac agrees to a covenant with the Philistines.

Genesis 27

Jacob steals Esau's blessing; Esau plots to kill Jacob

Genesis 28

Jacob flees from Esau; God appears to Jacob in a dream while at Bethel; God promises to bless Jacob with the same blessing he gave Abraham and Isaac.

Genesis 29

Jacob falls in love with Rachel; Jacob works seven years to marry Rachel; Rachel's dad Laban (Jacob's uncle) deceives Jacob and makes him marry Rachel's older sister Leah; Jacob works seven more years for Rachel; Leah bares four sons Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah.

Genesis 30

Jacob has more sons and daughters through Leah, Bilhah (Rachel's servant), Zilpah (Leah's servant), and finally Rachel who was barren until she gave birth to Joseph. Jacob serves his uncle/father-in-law and increases his own wealth as well.

Genesis 31

Jacob flees from Laban; Laban pursues Jacob; and they make a pact.

Genesis 32

Jacob prepares to meet his brother Esau; Jacob wrestles with God.

Genesis 33

Jacob meets his brother Esau; Jacob and his family settle in Shechem; Jacob sets up an altar and calls it El Elohe Israel which means God, the God of Israel.

Genesis 34

The prince in Shechem rapes Dinah (Jacob's daughter); Jacob's sons plot and kill all the men of Shechem in revenge.

Genesis 35

God calls Jacob back to Bethel, passes the promise of Isaac and Abraham to Jacob, and Jacob's name is changed to Israel. Rachel gives birth to Benjamin in Ephrath Bethlehem and dies there; Isaac dies and is buried in the tomb as Abraham and Leah.

Genesis 36

The Genealogy of Esau.

Genesis 37

Joseph's two dreams about ruling over his family; Joseph's brother sell him into slavery; Joseph is bought by Potipher, one of Pharoah's officials in Egypt.

Genesis 38

Judah is tricked by his daughter-in-law Tamar.

Genesis 39

The Lord blesses Joseph's efforts and Potiphar puts Joseph in charge of his whole estate. Potiphar's wife makes pass at Joseph; Joseph refuses and Potiphar's wife has him thrown in jail.

Genesis 40

Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharoah's cupbearer and baker.

Genesis 41

Joseph interprets the Pharoah's dreams; Joseph is made prime minister of Egypt.

Genesis 42

Joseph's brothers go to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph's brothers do not recognize him. Joseph deceives his brothers, captures Simeon, and insists his brothers bring Benjamin to Egypt.

Genesis 43

Joseph's brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin to buy more grain. Joseph his brothers dine with him in his home.

Genesis 44

Joseph deceives his brothers again. Judah confesses his sins about selling Joseph into slavery.

Genesis 45

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers.

Genesis 46

Jacob goes to Egypt with his whole clan.

Genesis 47

Jacob and his family (Joseph's father and brothers) settle in the Egyptian region called Goshen. Joseph enslaves the people to Pharoah.

Genesis 48

Jacob blesses Joseph's two sons Manasseh and Ephraim.

Genesis 49

Jacob pronounces blessings on his sons.

Genesis 50

Jacob dies and is buried in the cave in Machpelah with Abraham, Isaac, and his wife Leah. Joseph reassures his brothers. Joseph dies and makes his brothers promise to take his bones to the Promised Land.