We often study the Bible with a magnifying glass. We look at portions of Scripture in digestible and manageable pieces. The bigger picture evades us if we neglect committing ourselves to reading large portions of Scripture in a single sitting, as we would with any other book. In the early chapters of Genesis, we find the roots of our own family stories. We see pain and promise. We see sin’s reach and God’s rescue. Tucked alongside the brokenness of humanity’s fallen condition, we find a truth that gives every family hope — God works through generations, blesses through faithfulness and carries out His redemptive plan through imperfect but surrendered families.
Sin as Betrayal (Genesis 3)
To understand just how deep that redemptive plan runs, we start at the root of the problem. Sin did not begin as a mistake; it all started with betrayal. In Eden, Adam and Eve turned from God and chose “self” over surrender. While we could spend a lot of time discussing the fruit or the serpent’s tempting, ultimately, their distrust of God spurned the heartache of the fall. The act that shattered man’s relationship with God also fostered disunity in the family.
From that moment on, family — once a reflection of divine oneness — became fractured by suspicion, blame and pain. Marriage would now carry thorns. Parenting would involve heartbreak. And still, God did not walk away.
The Promise of Restoration (Gen. 3:15)
Even as God handed down consequences, He shared a promise. A seed would come, born of the woman, who would crush the head of the serpent. Redemption would arrive through a family — not institutions or movements.
That promise stirred a flame of hope in the hearts of Adam and Eve. They were cast out of Eden, but they were not cast away from God’s plan. The promise meant the family would remain central to God’s mission. That same promise pulses through Scripture, history and the gospel.
The Pain of Inheriting Sin (Gen. 4:8)
As the promise lingered in the background, sin marched on in the foreground. From the beginning, sin’s reach has spread. The first family quickly found themselves in the middle of a crime scene. Cain, driven by envy, killed his brother, Abel. The children of the first sinners echoed Eden’s fall. The ones whose birth anticipated the fulfillment of God’s promise destroyed each other.
We still see this today — families marked by betrayal, homes filled with tension and generations repeating patterns of dysfunction. “…there is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9 ESV). It began in Genesis and continues now, but that doesn’t mean families are without hope.
Why Don’t We Stop Sin? (Gen. 6:4; 11:3-4)
Still, it raises a painful question: “If God promised redemption, why does sin still rule so many hearts and homes?” Sin is not just what we do — it is the nature of humanity. Left to ourselves, we not only try to forget God, we try to replace Him.
By the time we reach Genesis 6 and 11, humanity has grown and plunged itself into violence, pride and self-sufficiency. From cities of chaos to towers of defiance, mankind rebels against the Creator. So do our families — we do not drift toward godliness. Families must be intentional. They must be directed, discipled and cultivated.
Becoming a Family of Blessing (Genesis 5-6)
In the middle of brokenness, God cultivated a faithful family line. Woven into the genealogies, we find God’s promise and hope. Adam and Eve placed their hope in another son, Seth. Through his line, God began something new. (Seth → Enosh → Kenan → Mahalalel → Jared → Enoch.)
“Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). The rhythm of death gave way to rupturing hope. Enoch broke the pattern. I doubt Enoch was perfect, but because he walked with God, the generational pattern shifted.
The Bible says Enoch’s walk started when he became a father. There’s something palpable about being a parent that stirs a spiritual hunger. My spiritual pursuits shifted from theory to living out my faith when I became a dad. From Enoch, the generations continued. (Enoch → Methuselah → Lamech → Noah.) Then we hear something extraordinary: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Gen. 6:8).
In a world spiraling downward, God still had a plan. Noah’s household became a vessel of mercy amid God’s wrath. His faith preserved a remnant, a lineage, a promise.
A Word to Green Pastors
There will be times when you deal with families who are fractured. It may be your own. You’ll realize your church has homes with generational baggage and broken legacies. In this, remember God’s blessing often begins small — through the faithful walk, in a parent’s repentance or in one generation saying, “It stops with me.”
God doesn’t need perfect families. He uses broken ones, redeemed ones and surrendered ones. So, keep sowing. The family you lead may be the next link in God’s unbreakable chain of redemption.
