GENESIS: Creation Story

Creation Story

text: Genesis 1:1 – 2:24

Outline:
1^st story, 1:1 – 2:3, 7 day of creation

2^nd story, 2:4 – 2:24, creation of man

Comments: Isn't it interesting and intriguing that Bible begins with the creation account. Not 10 commandments, not the Fall. The Flood could've been a great beginning – while Noah is in the Arks, God tells him the story of creation and fall – which led ultimately to the Flood. No, Bible starts from the very beginning. It tells you something – that God is the creator. No simply the One who put everything in its place, but the One who constantly creates – old things do not suffice, they have to be transformed (Isaiah 43:18-19; Isaiah 65:17 and 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:5).

Therefore, the creation account is not simply a sequence of disconnected acts or events – it is a profound pattern we always need to return to. Fulfilling our life vocations, doing church work, or anything else – being the bearers of God's image we are bound to mimic His initial action of creation.

Here it the outline for the first story:

Earth is

    Formless – 2 firmament, form 5, fish and birds, boundaries

1  Empty – 3 plants, filling 6, animals and humans, filling

    Dark – 4, Sun, Moon, Stars, lights 7, Sabbath, spiritual light

The Second story – creation of Man

2:4 begins with an important word Toledoth. It can be translated as “these are the generations” (2:4, 5:1, 6:9, 10:1, 11:10, 11:27, 25:12, 25:19, 36:1, 37:2). However ESL it sounds, the better translation is “beggotings” – what comes out of... This helps to explain the fact that it is usually “parents” in the title of the block. At the same time it helps to see that Adam and his wife were “the children of heaven and earth.” Not in a weird pagan way, but note how man is created in 2:7: formed of the ground (earth) and God breaths His Spirit (heavens). Man is positioned between the heavens and the earth. He needs to beautify the earth according to the plan that comes from heavens (cp. Lord's Prayer – on God's will, Matthew 6:10).

There is a modern notion that chapters 1 and 2 present conflicting stories of creation. The different name of God is used; there are bushes in the second part, while only grains and trees are in the first one; etc. All of that nonsense has been refuted many many times. If you are looking for a scholarly work that explains the details from a Biblical perspective, look for James B. Jordan, Creation in Six Days (Canon Press, Moscow, ID).

This chart compares the outline of the first story as it reflected in the second story:

Number	Story 1	Story 2
1	1:1-5,Initial creation of the world	2:5-7, initial creation of man
2	1:6-8, Firmament	2:8-9, Garden as the firmament
3	1:9-13, Separation of waters from land and creation of plant	2:10-14, four rivers, dividing the lands filled with good stuff
4	1:14-19, Lights in the sky	2:15, man is placed in the Garden to rule over
5	1:20-23, Boundaries of creation	2:16-17, boundaries of man's habitation
6	1:24-31, Animals and humans	2:18-20a, naming the animals 2:20b-24, creations of male and female
7	2:1-3, Sabbath	2:25 – 3:24, should've been the Sabbath

What it shows is God took the same/similar sequence of steps/events to form the humankind as we know it. Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that we copy (however crappy) the same steps in our creative activities. At least, we still go through the (1) formation – (2) filling – (3) lighting/blessing steps.

But couple more lessons should be drawn from this chart. Man was placed in the Garden to beautify it and to keep it (defend it). When the serpent shows up, Adam should've placed him back to his own environment – for the serpent is a creature of the fields (3:1). In the same way, we are to beautify and protect the Church (which is the Firmament territory on earth – connecting point between heavens and the earth). We are to look for the church's development, at the same time, defending it from the “outsiders” who try to set their rules for the communion of the saints.