3. Genesis 1-11 as a Whole

When we focus on the account as a whole we see that there are themes and structures that unite the variety of materials in Genesis 1-11 and, indeed, extend through the whole of Genesis (see Chapter 2). In addition, the final composition has a remarkable parallel development. Chapters 1-7 tell a story of creation to destruction, and chapters 8-11 tell a story of divine grace in spite of continued human willfulness. The startling conclusion of the Primeval Story is that in the face of the post-flood return of sin, humanity does not meet the same fate as before the flood, but instead God singles out Shem, blesses his line, and creates a nation through it.