Day 1-Genesis 1:1-2:25

Genesis means beginning.  This Old Testament book is filled with beginnings–Creation, Humankind’s Initial Innocence, Humankind’s Fall From Grace (the first sin), and the beginning of salvation history in many events (God’s response to Adam and Eve’s sin, His call of Noah, His call of Abraham).  Because of these many beginnings, the book of Genesis is extremely important to Christian Theology.

I believe in the verbal/plenery inspiration of the Scriptures.  This means that I believe everything recorded in the Bible (understanding we must use the best methods of textual criticism to arrive at the texts closest to the original manuscripts) is how God wanted it recorded.  The Holy Spirit is the inspirer, yet men, and very possibly women also, are the human writers.  Their personalities are stamped upon their writing.  However, God insures that what he wants communicated is written, and preserved.  To understand this, we must recognize the numerous genres utilized in Scripture.  Parables are a good example of metaphor and fiction being used.  In some cases hyperbole is used–exageration.  Narratives report the way something happened, and not necessarily the way God wants it to happen.  Amazingly, the Scriptures report the failings of heroes and heroines as well as their strengths.  I find the consistent revelation of God through the 66 books of the Bible, written over two millenia, to be very compelling.

So, in today’s reading we hear the story of Creation told twice.  I see the two accounts not as competing stories but as complimentary.

Genesis 1:1-2:4 tells us God’s creative activity over a six day period, and then God rested.  The first five books of the Bible are attributed to Moses.  Obviously Moses was not an eyewitness to the events of the six days.  But Moses spent forty days on Mt. Sinai in the presence of God receiving the Ten Commandments and other instructions for leading the nation of Israel.  Did God tell Moses verbatim the story of the six days of Creation?  He might have.  What is clear is that God instituted the Sabbath for the Hebrews to obey.  And this story is told in a Sabbath format.

Moreover, theologically there is no doubt as to how Creation came about.  Everything came into existence at God’s command.  He spoke and it came to be.  Furthermore, everything was created good.  God was satisfied with His creation.  Science can and should ask questions about the origins of the universe and all living species.  But science should also recognize the limitations of its methodologies and the limitations of finite humankind to answer questions which can only be understood by an infinite God.  I take the faith position that God can do what God wills.  Can he create galaxies so far away that their light could not be seen for a million years, and have it happen in an instant with their light already visible on earth?  I believe he can.  Did he do it this way?  The Bible tells it this simply.

The second story is more intimate.  It speaks of God creating Adam from the dust and breathing life into him.  It tells of God creating other creatures also from the ground.  God showed Adam that none of these would be suitable for him as a mate.  Then God creates woman from the side of man.  This sequence of creation was never meant by God to give superiority to males.  Rather this story is intended to show the complimentary nature of females and males.  The climax of the story tells how they are to live together as a married couple, Genesis 2:24; NRSV–”Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife and they become one flesh.”  The teaching of this verse is that strong marriages are built on the combination of establishing a separate identity from the homes of origin, a decisive commitment to each other, and a shared intimacy which involves trust.  To us, in the twenty-first century, the language may sound sexist.  But we would do well to acknowledge the limits of culture of the time when it was written.  This is an example of what I spoke of earlier, the Holy Spirit inspiring, but permitting the personality of the writers to show through.

Is there disagreement between the two stories?  There appears to be in the order of creation.  Which came first animals or humans?  But again the points of the stories are singular.  God created.  He did so at His command.  He was intimately involved in His act of creating.

Again, reply with your comments or questions.  Keep reading.  Do so prayerfully.  Rejoice with each new insight, with each new question, and with each glimpse into the majesty of God.

Blessings,

Pastor Don Hasty