I’d like to hear your thoughts. I put together more then I had in the last thread.
Genesis
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2And the earth was a [a]formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the [c]surface of the waters. 3Then God said, “[d]Let there be light”; and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
How do I understand Genesis?
Ultimately, I understand the creation story as a way for the people of Israel to make sense of themselves in relationship to YHWH and the rest of the world. It’s a story that answers the questions of what is the meaning and purpose of their lives. As Christians today, we can relate to such a beginning kind of story and how it makes sense of our own lives because we too had a new beginning, a new birth, a new faith and commitments when we found Jesus Christ. Both kinds of beginnings, whether Genesis 1 with creation or John 3 with the new birth, explained their and our identity, meaning, and purpose. It explained their and our relationship to our God and King, as well as our relationship to the rest of the world.
Considering some of the details of Genesis 1.
1:1 - I understand “In the beginning” to refer to a moment in the past when God began to create. I don’t think this refers to an ultimate beginning of all beginnings. As if God hadn’t created a thing until this moment. The reason why is because the word “the” is not in the Hebrew. Therefore, it can refer to “a beginning” of sorts and could even be understood and translated as “When God began to create the heavens and the earth.”
Heavens. I understand “heavens” as “sky.” I no longer think it refers to all the heavens we can think of, although God did create every one of them. Rather, heavens (I think better should be translated as sky) which ties to the rest of the creation story, which I think further supports my claim.
Earth. I understand “earth” as “land.” The land of dirt, rocks, and dust. The land beneath the ancient Israelites feet. However, from a modern perspective I understand earth to be more then land, but a globe, turning on its axis, moving around the sun, and all that is on the earth. I’ve learned my modern perspective wasn’t what ancient people in Israel or their neighbors thought of.
1:2 “And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”
Observations:
1:1 is an introduction preparing the reader for a more detailed explanation. If v.2 follows v.1 as part of that introduction, it is strange in that it’s details describes things that are contrary to the “order” God brought as explained in days 1-7. V.2 doesn’t seem to reflect the “order” of things in the 7 days, but rather speaks of things without or lacking order. Therefore, this non-ordered description in v.2, in my understanding, isn’t part of the introduction about days 1-7, but an introduction of what God created prior to days 1-7, and provided a small detailed starting point moving from non-ordered (desolate, formless) creation to an ordered creation.
1:2 And the earth (earth = land) was desolate. The Spirit of God hovered over the waters. Both land and waters existed. V.2 describes non-order.
1:3-5 Day 1 seems to be referring to the creation of time. Augustine (early church patristic father) spoke about time as necessary to begin with otherwise creation would be operating in eternity. Whether this were the case, the period of light and period of darkness seems to be speaking on time itself ultimately. If it’s time that is created here, then speaking of this moment as day 1 and hence the beginning of order makes sense to me.
1:6-8 “Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the firmament, and separated the waters that were below the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament, and it was so. God called the expanse, “sky.” And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.”
Firmament. The word is a noun. It’s root is a verb. The verb root refers to the action of a metal worker hammering a piece of metal into something like a bowl or cup or some other useful solid thing. The firmament is therefore referring to a solid dome like structure that holds the waters above it back, allowing for an open space, an expanse called sky. The ancient people had an ancient cosmology where the earth= land was flat, and the solid “firm-ament” covered it holding back the waters above. The firmament was held up by the mountains.
V. 9-13 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so. The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
The creation specifics of land and water here didn’t have to due with the creation of these out of nothing. Rather, these already existing things and the naming of them brought about order. Then the plants and seed could have been created here, but it also could have been a further bringing order by naming them. Although, both ideas of creating these or naming these are lacking from these verses.
But what is plain is that God was behind it all.
V14-19 lights were created by God. The sun, moon reflecting the sun, and the stars would all produce light upon the earth. When clouds covered the sky and sun’s light, it would appear light came from the clouds themselves. Whatever the case, light in the ancient world was a natural phenomenon. Light is an immaterial thing. So, this day would not have been understood as God creating material things, but immaterial things, lights.
V.20-23 Whether this is God creating material things like fish or birds, or it is God bringing order to them, or a combination of the two, I’m unsure at this moment. To create in the ancient world didn’t necessarily have to do with God creating material things, although they did believe God did create material things. But God bringing order did refer to non-material creation, introducing order through naming or commands provided purpose which was contrary to v.2 details.
V.24-31 God created animals and human kind.
He named man, gave them roles and responsibilities, therefore he gave them meaning and purpose. Man was said to be made from the dust of the earth (land). If this was actually so, then mankind was not made from nothing but something. Parts of mankind were created out of nothing, for dust doesn’t contain a spirit or logic, but a human being does. As for dust, I don’t know if this is literal in that God took dust from the land literally and transformed it into man. Or whether the description was literal at all but referred to mankind as temporal in nature, as to dust you were made and to dust you shall return? There’s much to think about.
Day 7 nothing material was created.
With all that said. The creation story appears more then not in my understanding as myth. NOT myth as some fairytale. But rather myth as something believed upon that told a story that made sense of the people of Israel from beginning to their present and their relationship to God and the world. Their view of cosmology was ancient, not modern. A solid dome called firmament still hasn’t been supported by Ken Ham. So, I’d assume, his modern scientific view would interpret firmament according to his modern scientific beliefs and supported by his version of inerrancy.
Genesis
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2And the earth was a [a]formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the [c]surface of the waters. 3Then God said, “[d]Let there be light”; and there was light. 4God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
How do I understand Genesis?
Ultimately, I understand the creation story as a way for the people of Israel to make sense of themselves in relationship to YHWH and the rest of the world. It’s a story that answers the questions of what is the meaning and purpose of their lives. As Christians today, we can relate to such a beginning kind of story and how it makes sense of our own lives because we too had a new beginning, a new birth, a new faith and commitments when we found Jesus Christ. Both kinds of beginnings, whether Genesis 1 with creation or John 3 with the new birth, explained their and our identity, meaning, and purpose. It explained their and our relationship to our God and King, as well as our relationship to the rest of the world.
Considering some of the details of Genesis 1.
1:1 - I understand “In the beginning” to refer to a moment in the past when God began to create. I don’t think this refers to an ultimate beginning of all beginnings. As if God hadn’t created a thing until this moment. The reason why is because the word “the” is not in the Hebrew. Therefore, it can refer to “a beginning” of sorts and could even be understood and translated as “When God began to create the heavens and the earth.”
Heavens. I understand “heavens” as “sky.” I no longer think it refers to all the heavens we can think of, although God did create every one of them. Rather, heavens (I think better should be translated as sky) which ties to the rest of the creation story, which I think further supports my claim.
Earth. I understand “earth” as “land.” The land of dirt, rocks, and dust. The land beneath the ancient Israelites feet. However, from a modern perspective I understand earth to be more then land, but a globe, turning on its axis, moving around the sun, and all that is on the earth. I’ve learned my modern perspective wasn’t what ancient people in Israel or their neighbors thought of.
1:2 “And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”
Observations:
1:1 is an introduction preparing the reader for a more detailed explanation. If v.2 follows v.1 as part of that introduction, it is strange in that it’s details describes things that are contrary to the “order” God brought as explained in days 1-7. V.2 doesn’t seem to reflect the “order” of things in the 7 days, but rather speaks of things without or lacking order. Therefore, this non-ordered description in v.2, in my understanding, isn’t part of the introduction about days 1-7, but an introduction of what God created prior to days 1-7, and provided a small detailed starting point moving from non-ordered (desolate, formless) creation to an ordered creation.
1:2 And the earth (earth = land) was desolate. The Spirit of God hovered over the waters. Both land and waters existed. V.2 describes non-order.
1:3-5 Day 1 seems to be referring to the creation of time. Augustine (early church patristic father) spoke about time as necessary to begin with otherwise creation would be operating in eternity. Whether this were the case, the period of light and period of darkness seems to be speaking on time itself ultimately. If it’s time that is created here, then speaking of this moment as day 1 and hence the beginning of order makes sense to me.
1:6-8 “Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the firmament, and separated the waters that were below the firmament from the waters that were above the firmament, and it was so. God called the expanse, “sky.” And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.”
Firmament. The word is a noun. It’s root is a verb. The verb root refers to the action of a metal worker hammering a piece of metal into something like a bowl or cup or some other useful solid thing. The firmament is therefore referring to a solid dome like structure that holds the waters above it back, allowing for an open space, an expanse called sky. The ancient people had an ancient cosmology where the earth= land was flat, and the solid “firm-ament” covered it holding back the waters above. The firmament was held up by the mountains.
V. 9-13 And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.” And it was so. The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
The creation specifics of land and water here didn’t have to due with the creation of these out of nothing. Rather, these already existing things and the naming of them brought about order. Then the plants and seed could have been created here, but it also could have been a further bringing order by naming them. Although, both ideas of creating these or naming these are lacking from these verses.
But what is plain is that God was behind it all.
V14-19 lights were created by God. The sun, moon reflecting the sun, and the stars would all produce light upon the earth. When clouds covered the sky and sun’s light, it would appear light came from the clouds themselves. Whatever the case, light in the ancient world was a natural phenomenon. Light is an immaterial thing. So, this day would not have been understood as God creating material things, but immaterial things, lights.
V.20-23 Whether this is God creating material things like fish or birds, or it is God bringing order to them, or a combination of the two, I’m unsure at this moment. To create in the ancient world didn’t necessarily have to do with God creating material things, although they did believe God did create material things. But God bringing order did refer to non-material creation, introducing order through naming or commands provided purpose which was contrary to v.2 details.
V.24-31 God created animals and human kind.
He named man, gave them roles and responsibilities, therefore he gave them meaning and purpose. Man was said to be made from the dust of the earth (land). If this was actually so, then mankind was not made from nothing but something. Parts of mankind were created out of nothing, for dust doesn’t contain a spirit or logic, but a human being does. As for dust, I don’t know if this is literal in that God took dust from the land literally and transformed it into man. Or whether the description was literal at all but referred to mankind as temporal in nature, as to dust you were made and to dust you shall return? There’s much to think about.
Day 7 nothing material was created.
With all that said. The creation story appears more then not in my understanding as myth. NOT myth as some fairytale. But rather myth as something believed upon that told a story that made sense of the people of Israel from beginning to their present and their relationship to God and the world. Their view of cosmology was ancient, not modern. A solid dome called firmament still hasn’t been supported by Ken Ham. So, I’d assume, his modern scientific view would interpret firmament according to his modern scientific beliefs and supported by his version of inerrancy.
