Teach History Starting With Genesis

I started college in the early 1980s as a young believer enthusiastically reading my Bible each day. As a nursing major, I was bombarded with evolution in all my classes. Without anyone telling me, I knew the Bible taught that God created the world in 6 days. Jesus even mentioned it! 

I was confused. It felt like my new faith was constantly undermined. Was evolution true? I had to know. Back then, I didn’t have access to any creation science materials so I went to the university library and checked out Darwin’s Origin of Species. 

I didn’t have to read too far to realize that I’d rather put my faith in the Bible than in what Darwin presented. He jumped to nonscientific conclusions, and it was easy to see many holes in his theory. 

That settled it for me! 

Later that decade, creation science materials began to pop up, and I read everything I could get my hands on. I’m so grateful for the Creation Science movement because I wanted to teach my children science from a biblical perspective and teach how God created everything according to Genesis 1 and 2. I soon learned that Genesis impacts history, too.  

The Book of Genesis

The Book of Genesis covers over 2,000 years of history! It tells us what happened during the “pre-history” times. God created the world in six days by merely speaking words and it was so. How exciting! My children love to study Creation Week! 

For a fun study on Creation, try lapbooking. For creative ideas, read my blog post Make Creation Come Alive with Lapbooking. 

The flood wiped away so much in the way of records, artifacts, and civilizations, but we have a glimpse into life before the deluge in the early chapters of Genesis. 

After the flood, we see the sons and grandsons of Noah settling in different places. We learn the reason behind different languages.

Like the Lord Himself, Genesis focuses on people and families. God calls Abraham out of idolatrous Ur to walk with Him and move to Caanan. We meet Terah, Sarah, Lot, Rebekah, Isaac, Jacob, Esau, Rachel, Leah, and the men who started the 12 tribes of Israel. There is one exciting adventure after another as God reaches out to people who are just like us with strengths, failures, flaws, and good intentions. We also discover early city/nations like Enoch, Egypt, Shinar (Babylon), Babel, Caanan, Sodom, Gomorrah, Bethel, Beersheba, Hebron, and Shechem. 

Here are ways that the Book of Genesis impacts how I teach history. 

Not Millions of Years

History isn’t millions of years old. There is no pre-history. In our homeschool, we rely on God’s Word as the ultimate authority. 

Here are some approximate dates to use for your timelines: 

• Circa 4000 B.C. Creation
• Circa 2350 B.C. The Flood
• Circa 2250 B.C. Tower of Babel
• Circa 2000 B.C. Abraham
• Circa 1750 B.C. Joseph
• Circa 1490 B.C. Moses & The Exodus
• Circa 1085 B.C. David
• Circa 975 B.C. Monarchy Divides
• Circa 722 B.C. Assyria Conquers Israel
• Circa 596 B.C. Babylon Captivity of Judah
• Circa 4 B.C. Jesus 

Check out my blog post on timelines: The Super-Power of Timelines Helps History Make Sense. 

The First Humans Were Perfect

Man isn’t getting better and better. Man was created perfect and has gone downhill since sin entered the world. Early man probably had greater inventions and insights than we could ever imagine because they were closer to the perfect gene pool and had so many years of living to add to their knowledge. 

For some great books, audios, and videos on this, check out my blog post Ancient History Resources Your Family Will Love. 

Archeology Confirms the Bible

Archeology is a blessing because it keeps confirming the Word of God. Archaeologists have uncovered the ancient cities of Shiloh, Nineveh, Ur, Shechem, Joppa, Ephesus, Dan, and so many more confirming the biblical record. 

Since archaeology shapes so much of what we know about ancient civilizations and peoples, it is a great topic to add to your homeschool studies. If you’re looking for resources on archaeology, read my blog post Archaeology Resources Your Family Will Love! 

History Is Linear

History is not random or doomed to repeat itself. There is a beginning (creation), focal point (Jesus), and end (Jesus’ Return/ New Heaven and Earth). 

History is purposefully moving forward to its final end. 

Jesus Is the Center of History

Even back in Genesis 3:15, God reveals a promise of the coming Messiah. “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (KJV).

From the woman’s seed (offspring), the serpent would be destroyed. This was a prophecy about what Jesus would accomplish on the cross where He would break the power that Satan had over us through sin and death. God would break the curse of sin! 

All of history points forward to the coming Messiah or back to His birth, death, and resurrection. He is the center of history, and when He returns, He will end history as we know it. 

A Different Look at People in History

Finally, the Book of Genesis makes me look at folks different. People, made in the image of God, are capable of great good, yet they are also plagued with original sin which can lead to all kinds of evil. 

Jesus is the only one who lived a perfectly good life. Every other man, woman, or child was imperfect which can be disappointing when you are studying history. 

If our children understand that mankind is made in the image of God, yet conceived in sin, they will not expect people to be completely bad or completely good. They can even comprehend that those born again and filled with the God’s Spirit still struggle with the flesh. 

We should never excuse sin but remind our children when we study history that we will meet imperfect people in the pages of history. Some of these imperfect people put their hope in the Lord, and He used them to do great things! 

As a Christian, I believe the Bible is true, including the Book of Genesis, and applies to all areas of life. I want to show my children how God’s Word relates to every subject we study including history. How about you?

Until next time, Happy Homeschooling, 

Meredith Curtis, homeschooling mom, writer, speaker, and publisher, loves to encourage families in their homeschooling adventure. She is the author of Ancient History Timeline, Let’s Have Our Own Archeological Dig, Ancient History Cookbook, and My Creation Week Lapbook. You can check out her books, curricula, unit studies, and Bible studies at PowerlineProd.com.  Read her blogs at PowerlineProd.com and listen to her at Finish Well Podcast.