Creation, Degeneration, Generation

One of the main things missed by modern readers of Scripture is the way in which Scripture is beautifully organized. Today we use bold or italic print or an outline format to show order or emphasis in what we write. The ancient writers of Scripture also used techniques to make important points including repetition of important words, symmetry, and parallelism. And this is clearly seen in Gen. 1-11. We have in these chapters two main stories that have a great deal of symmetry and that can be summarized as creation, degeneration, and generation. The first story begins of course with creation of the earth and universe and then follows with the sin of Adam, the murder of Abel, the descendants of the sinful son, Cain, followed by the descendants of the chosen son, Seth. This is followed by further degeneration of Seth's line and then a brief introduction to Noah.
The second story begins again with the flood, which was both a judgment as well as the start of a new creation. This is followed by the sin of Ham, a listing of the descendants of the godly son Japheth, the descendants of the sinful son, Ham, and then the chosen son, Shem. These genealogies are followed by the story of the Tower of Babel, and then a brief introduction to the life of Abraham. God works in the complexity of our lives and the world to advance His Kingdom.