Genesis 1:1-2:3

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light! God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day. God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water. So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so. God called the expanse “sky.” There was evening, and there was morning, a second day. God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear.” It was so. God called the dry ground “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good. God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” It was so. The land produced vegetation – plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. There was evening, and there was morning, a third day. God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years, and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” It was so. God made two great lights – the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also. God placed the lights in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth, to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day. God said, “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” God created the great sea creatures and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day. God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” It was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” It was so. God saw all that he had made – and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.”

— ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭31‬‬

“The heavens and the earth were completed with everything that was in them. By the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing, and he ceased on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he ceased all the work that he had been doing in creation.”

— ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬‬

There’s obviously a bunch of debate on the opening verses of the Bible/Genesis1-11 as a whole. Books and entire organizations devoted to these passages. Not my intent to dive into everything here. I am by no means an expert, and I will never write a book on this. I have nothing major to contribute to this debate, and my language will not be nuanced as it should be.

I have taken in depth courses that support multiple various views, as in two or three major semesters worth in support of 6 literal days, and then multiple semesters worth of in depth study of the text and Ancient Near Eastern culture. With some supplemental reading, here are my conclusions:

Verse 1 is a summary statement of sorts/thesis statement. God created the heavens and the earth. The rest of the chapter gives more details (and heavens there is not three levels of heaven or even the highest ultimate heaven. It just means atmosphere or sky.)

The greatest priority in this passage, as always, is understanding these things as the original audience would have. And that doesn’t settle the debate by a long shot, but we have to keep digging and not assume that our culture, language, assumptions align with a culture and language 4000 years ago. They have a completely different frame of reference for so many things.

V. 2 The earth was without form and void. Waters over deep. This seems to assume that something already existed. I’m not saying God didn’t creat that, too. But Genesis 1 doesn’t seem to emphasize where the original matter came from. It assumes it (unless you take v. 1 as that initial creation.) The significance here is the waters, which to this audience would signify chaos, destruction, doom. But the Spirit is over the waters. 

This flies in the face of other ancient creation stories where the gods were part of their creation. YHWH sits over his, cf Ps 93.

Regardless of interpretation of creation, many point to “formless and void” as key to interpretation. As if God forms on Days 1-3 and then fills the void on Days 4-6. May be helpful, and may be somewhat true of authors intent, but not precisely true. It would be so nice if what’s formed/separated on Day 1, 2, 3 was filled by what’s created on Days 4, 5, 6, respectively. But how does sun (4) “fill” the light (1)? The sun more fills the expanse created on Day 2. And birds (5) go in the sky below the expanse, not the waters above the expanse. (By the way, what are those waters above the expanse? Can we say, save it for another post).

The better way to read this is to see progressive explanations day by day. So on Day 1, we have God talking, light appears, and the day is done. On Day 2, there’s a little more explanation of why God is separating water from water. On Day 3, God speaks twice, and on Day 4, God speaks twice and gives purpose behind His created things. This progression continues to expand for Day 5 and 6. And on Day 6, there’s several verses of the what, the why, and the earth is teeming with life.

The purpose of this building is for the climactic act of creation: humanity. God makes humans in His image and gives them a command to have dominion over the earth. An image would be set up by a king over the entirety of His kingdom so that inhabitants or newly conquered peoples would know who the sovereign was. Humans were made to reflect the character and mission of YHWH. They share in the reign of YHWH over His earth.

John Walton emphasizes seeing the earth as YHWH’s temple. The 7 day structure plays into this, but I haven’t studied this extensively. The idea that YHWH rests is parallel to the king taking up residence in the palace or temple. God is not taking a break or growing tired. He is sitting on the throne and establishing humans as His delegates.

When we compare the biblical text with creation texts from other cultures, whether Egyptian creation myths or Enuma Elish, the similarities and differences are incredible. Some have the gods creating from sneezing or a tear, none by just speaking. However, the sequence of creation in the Egyptian texts is remarkably similar. However, humans are always an accident or afterthought. The gods are represented by creation, and they battle to make creation happen. The biblical text confirms there is one God, He is Sovereign over His creation, and He values humanity. Not only, He invites them into His mission to redeem the world.

Genesis 1 is not the only passage that discusses the act of creation. There are a few Psalms, Proverbs passages, texts in the prophets, and a couple sprinkled throughout the NT. The details are not always the same. I’m not suggesting we have to throw away our cherished doctrines, but we have to answer some difficult questions about genre, the possibility of flawed understandings, which texts are normative and why, and which doctrines are essential to faith. I firmly believe the one God is the source of all that exists. 

The purpose of Genesis 1 may not be a frame by frame account of how things occurred. It may have a different intention. Or it may not. I choose to bump this down the hierarchy of doctrines a step or two. But I love studying this passage and seeing the mission and purpose of God. 

Genesis 6:1-8

“When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. So the Lord said, “My spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely, since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men. But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth. Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. So the Lord said, “I will wipe humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth – everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.”

— ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭8‬‬

Wow, this is obviously one of the most intriguing texts in the OT. So many opinions on the sons of God, the Nephilim, even the extent of the flood. 

First note is structure of Genesis 1-11 as whole. I’ll have to come back and insert verses/passages, but there’s a repeated pattern. Creation, fall, fraternal division, genealogy, lots of sin. Chapters 6-11 repeat the pattern. Flood story covers world with water again (see 1:2) and there’s recreation of sorts. Similarities between Adam and Eve’s sin and Noah’s vineyard (though only one real Fall situation). Cain and Abel=curse of Ham. Genealogy of ch 10 even though the earth isn’t “scattered” until chapter 11. Then Tower of Babel in some ways mirrors this passage. So God’s blessing through Adam, then Noah, then Abraham. 

God says, “Rather than starting over again with one man, I’ll save the world through one family.” At least that’s what the pattern and the literary style presents.

The narrative at least presents a global flood. We can’t interview the people who lived then or what they perceived or experienced, or if they are exaggerating for affect. There’s really no reason for science and Bible to hate each other here. I’ve read a bunch of scientific article for and against a completely global flood. It depends on what you want to believe. So I really don’t care about the science side. I think it can always be used as a tool to help our understanding. Our problem is we get so scared of it, or what if it disproves something? I have a much more confident (well, some may call it loose), but I just understand the nuances of inerrancy enough to know that the ancient contexts of the original audience matter. We can’t impose our thoughts onto them. Sometimes we can’t get all the way back to what they were thinking, and that has to be ok, but the text is completely reliable. Our interpretation may need to be altered.

I do know that “all” doesn’t always mean all in the Bible (see the conquest). “All the land” and “all the world” are sometimes used for effect. 

Sons of god= We may want to tone this down to mean Seth’s line who married Cain’s line, but there are still other humans referenced. Sons of god pretty much always references angels or divine beings of some sort. It makes us uneasy, but in Gen 18-19 the men of Sodom requested to have sex with the angels who visited Abraham and then Lot. So angels either have physical bodies or can take physical bodies.

120 years: Some still translate and interpret this as humans lived for 120 years, but I agree with the NET that the flood came 120 years after God talked to Noah. He allowed them more time to repent. This gets into the debate of how long people actually lived anyway, which is not appropriate here.

Nephilim: giants. Mentioned in Numbers as well. If you think the entire world was destroyed, then these obviously can’t be descendants. The author doesn’t make the connection explicit that these are descendants of the angel/woman relations. Just says they were around. 

God saw: This is a key phrase of the passage. It counters Genesis 1 where everything God sees everything as “good” and fulfilling its intended purpose. Here, everything is completely out of order and chaotic. Also speaks to God’s nearness to His creation/sovereignty even in its chaos.

May be a good place to insert the Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) parallels. Epic of Gilgamesh and Atrakhasis are closest stories from Mesopotamia to reflect flood stories (we also have creation stories and babel stories and famine stories.) People want to argue over who borrowed from whom. There are obvious similarities and differences. The most clear difference is that the secular texts make the gods irrational, annoyed with humans (i.e., they’re too loud). The flood is almost an accident or at least saving them is an accident. One god tells a messenger a secret to go share with the humans how to escape the flood so as to make the other god more angry.

YHWH is not irrational or annoyed. He is responding to sin. He gave commands. Those are being broken, and in His desire for order and justice, He acts. 

God has regret? Lots of different translations here. NET has good note, but Chisholm’s article on God’s character is one of the best I’ve seen. There’s a difference between God’s commands/prophecies and decrees. But this is not that. This is emotion, and may be speaking of God in ways we understand Him. Not saying it’s inaccurate or that God does or doesn’t have emotions. Author is portraying God as grieving. Sorrowful. 

Again, the all inclusive language may be a bit much. Is Noah really the only human that’s nor murdering others or thriving off sin? Could be in that region or maybe just not to a certain extent. Doesn’t really matter. The point is how the author sets this up. 

But Noah…he is the one about to “give rest.” By the way, rest through judgment. And the entire flood story is a fascinating narrative in itself. But that’s more than this passage allows.