Grace Institute: Genesis: Genesis 1 - Creation of the World

Creation of the World Genesis 1 January 20, 2008

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis begins with a seemingly innocent and simple sentence. Yet this simple phrase carries with it some great fundamental truths.

Reconciliation of Science & Genesis

This simple sentence has also created tremendous controversy, especially in the modern age, due to an apparent conflict between the creation narrative in this chapter with the prevailing scientific thought. This conflict requires that we either not accept the narrative at face value or not accept prevailing scientific theories.

Each theory or attempt to reconcile Genesis with science must address these three areas of conflict, and will attempt to change either our understanding of the prevailing scientific thought and/or the Genesis narrative.

Summary of Views

Atheistic or Naturalistic Evolution

There exists nothing outside the natural universe. All things have either always existed or spontaneously came into being within the natural universe. The earth is a collection of matter which formed together over billions of years through natural forces. Life spontaneously erupted on the earth, and then began evolving from simple species to more complex species. Today, humanity is one of the most complex, if not the most complex species to have evolved. Humanity, and the rest of the natural world, will continue to evolve.

Related Views -

• Big-bang theory
• Atheism and Agnosticism

View of Scripture –

Scripture is one of many ancient myths or superstitions trying to make sense of the complexity of the natural universe. It is mostly irrelevant for modern humanity.

Strengths –

• Scientific evidence seems to point towards a universe and species which are increasingly complex.
• By definition we can not know of anything which exists beyond the natural universe.

Weaknesses –

• Can not explain why the universe exists or why it came into being.
• Ignores the universal beliefs in a supernatural.
• Provides no purpose or meaning to existence.
• Is subject to change as new evidence surfaces.

Theistic Evolution

The universe came into being and has developed as understood in atheistic and natural evolution. However, there exists a God who caused these processes to begin. God created the evolutionary process and now allows them to run according to the natural laws he instituted.

Related Views -

• Deism – God is like a clock maker who created the world, but is not involved in the world in an imminent or intimate way.

View of Scripture –

The creation account is an important myth which helps us to better understand God, and our purpose in the universe. However, it was never intended to be seen as literal truth, but only point us towards spiritual truth.

Strengths –

• Is in complete agreement with prevailing scientific thought.
• Explains why the universe exits and why it came into being.
• Provides a purpose to humanity.

Weaknesses –

• Assumes God is distant and uninvolved.
• Makes the creation of humanity not the focal-point of God's creation, but the result of an evolutionary process.

Progressive Creation

Progressive creationism believes that God's creative act took place through an on-going process. This is usually equated with the geologic and biological evolutionary processes. It is distinct from theistic evolution in that God is seen to regularly involve himself in the process through special creative acts. Most notably, God created Adam directly as opposed to breathing life into a sub-human animal [1].

Related Views -

• Day/Age Theory –The term day could also be translated “age,” and so God did not create the universe in 6 literal days, but in 6 epochs or ages.

View of Scripture –

• The scriptures are true in spiritual matters, but historical and scientific matters may not be accurate.
• In spiritual and moral matters, the bible is to be believed and obeyed. In historic and scientific matters, the underlying spiritual and moral points should be emphasized rather than attempt to reconcile or coordinate them with current scientific views.

Strengths –

• Affirms the spiritual and moral truth of scripture.
• Rightly suggests that scripture was written not to satisfy our curiosity about history and science, but to reveal truth about God and our relationship with him.
• Rightly sees Genesis 1 as written from an earthly rather than cosmological perspective.
• Properly emphasizes an understanding of why God created rather than trying to understand how God created.

Weaknesses –

• Can sometimes be seen as accommodation to science rather than a serious exegesis of the passage.
• Requires broad definitions of the words “day” and “kind.”
• Some progressive creationists have made awkward attempts to reconcile the 6-ages of creation with geologic ages.

Gap Theory

An indefinite period of time exists between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, during which prehistoric geological and biological events took place.

Related Views -

• Pre-creation chaos theory - Satan and the demons fell during this gap, and that the creation in verse 2 and following is actual a “re-creation” or remodel of the earth after God destroyed as part of Satan's judgment. (See Isaiah 45:18)

View of Scripture –

• Same as fiat creationist (see below)

Strengths –

• Accommodates the time frames necessary for the development of the geological ages within the Genesis narrative.
• Provides an explanation for the initial chaos in creation.

Weaknesses –

• Nothing in the text definitively suggests a gap of time.
• Doesn't provide any reconciliation with biological evolution.

Fiat Creation

Fiat creationism believes that God created the heavens and the earth in the literal way described in Genesis 1 and 2. This includes the belief that the creation took place in six 24-hour days, with God directly involved in each aspect the creation. The culmination of creation was formation of man from the earth and woman from the man. This literal and historical interpretation is contradictory to the theory of evolution. Furthermore, those holding this view tend to believe in a relatively recent creation.

Related Views -

• Scientific Creationism - If the scientific evidence were properly interpreted and not corrupted by the naturalistic evolutionists, then science would agree with the literal Genesis account.
• Apparent Theory – God created the universe to look as if it were already billions of years old. Presumably Adam was not created by God as an infant. If the trees growing in the garden of Eden had been cut down, would they not show several rings? Therefore each element in creation was created with an apparent age.
• Flood Theory – Noah's flood was a catastrophic event which made the earth appear older than it really is.

View of Scripture –

The fiat creationists believes in the absolute inerrancy of the scriptures. The scripture has absolute authority to speak on matters of science and faith.

Strengths –

• Appropriately begins with the assumption that scripture is accurate.
• Provides a more consistent and more natural reading of the passage.
• Doesn't create a convoluted interpretation to fit the prevailing scientific theories of the day.

Weaknesses –

• Often fails to account for the earth-centric view of the creation narrative and the passages accommodation to the original readers.
• Often is dismissive of the prevailing scientific understanding.
• Often accepts scientific creationism not on its own objective scientific merits but on its consistency with scripture.
• Lends its self towards fideism rather than rationalism.

Literary Creation

Genesis 1 is not to be taken literally, but is a myth, poem, parable or allegory which tells an important story, but which does not tell the facts of creation as they actually happened.

Related Views -

• “Creation as Promised-Land” theory – the earth described in Genesis 1 is not the entire earth but merely the “promised land” which the Israelites were about to enter.

View of Scripture –

Poetic language in the scripture should be interpreted more figuratively.

Strengths –

• Genesis 1 is a literary piece which is beautiful and uplifting.
• An understanding of the bible's literary genre's is crucial for proper interpretation.

Weaknesses –

• There is nothing in the narrative which suggests that this is poetry. It does not fit any of the characteristics of Hebrew poetry.
• The author does not use the folklore style in the writing. It is presented in a straight-forward narrative style.

Some Important Hermeneutical Principles

Phenomenal Language

We must remember that the bible is written from the perspective of the culture into which it was originally written. We must be careful to not force accounts such as the creation into statements of scientific truth [2].

Specifically with Genesis 1, this chapter is written from an earthly perspective. Rather than observing the creation from a transcendent viewpoint, the biblical creation account gives us the perspective of someone on the earth. From an earthly perspective, it is accurate to say that the sun stood still in Joshua 10, even though from a cosmological view it might be more accurate to say the earth stopped rotating on its axis.

Therefore, Genesis 1 is accurate from its earthly perspective even though it would be described much differently from another vantage point. Furthermore, Genesis 1 should not be seen as an explanation regarding the origin and development of things beyond the earthly perspective, such as sub-atomic structures or the development of galaxies [3].

Moses Purpose

Moses did not write the creation account to refute Darwin 's Origin of the Species. Nor did he write it to describe the astronomical, atomic or biological events which happened during the creation. Instead, Moses was writing to the young Israelite nation who had just come out of Egypt . He wrote to refute the Egyptian and Canaanite creation myths [4]. He wrote to clarify the character of the one true God in opposition to the character of the Egyptian and Canaanite pantheon.

Specifically, Moses was connecting the God of Abraham and the God of the Exodus with the God who created the world [5]. This was not just one of many gods. This was the one true creator God, and there are no others. By establishing this, Moses is establishing the foundation for the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods.”

Therefore, we should approach Genesis 1 in an attempt to understand what Moses wanted to communicate about the character of God and our place before God within creation. However, if we approach this chapter trying to determine the physics or the biology of the events, we will only be in danger of missing the point of the passage, but we will be adding to the scripture concepts which were never intended to be there.

Conclusions

Therefore, rather than try to force the creation account into our 21 st mentality, what things can we state conclusively about the creation? What are the primary principles which Moses is communicating?

Truths of Creation

• God created the universe out of nothing (Rom 4:17b, Hebrews 11:3).
• God created the universe simply by willing it into existence.
• God created the universe for his purposes alone.
• God created every aspect of creation. The universe was not created through some dualistic creation. Therefore nothing was created intrinsically evil. It was all good at creation.
• Everything has value because God created it. The material is not inherently evil or lesser than the immaterial
• Nothing in creation is eternal or self-sufficient.

Refutation of Theological error

• Atheism – Matter and energy haven't just always been or just spontaneously appeared. God created.
• Polytheism – Creation was not the result of the procreation of the gods. God alone created.
• Fatalism – nothing happens by chance. It is all within God's will.
• Pantheism - God is not just a part of creation, nor is creation an extension of God. God transcends creation.
• Materialism – Matter is not all there is. God is the reality which exists outside of matter.
• Gnosticism – The physical or material are not inherently evil or bad. God created all matter, and our goal is not to transcend the material into some spiritual realm, but to participate in God's creation and enjoy it.

The Nature of God

• God is one. There is only one God, and He is God over all.
• God is all powerful. A God who can will things into existence can do anything.
• God is sovereign. Nothing exists except that which God willed it to exist. All things are subject to Him.
• God is transcendent. God is outside of creation. He is not just part of creation. Creation is not an extension of God.
• God is universal. He is not just the God of the Jews, but of the whole world.
• God is imminent. He is involved in His creation.

Structure of Genesis 1

One of the most significant conclusions about the nature of God and his relationship with humanity comes out of the structure of Genesis 1.

After the initial creation in verse 1, we learn that the initial state of affairs was not neat and tidy. All God had created up to this point was a formless and empty world. But God did not create the world to be a wasteland, but to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:18). So, over the course of the next six days, God would fashion this chaotic void into a ordered and abundant world.

We know from the Law of Entropy, that left to themselves, all things tend to degrade towards greater chaos. But here, God is intervening into his creation and reversing the law of entropy through his active engagement in the progress of creation.

This engagement takes place in parallel structure between days 1-3 and days 4-6.

In days 1 to 3, God creates light, sky and land. Then in parallel he fills that space in days 4 to 6 with the sun & moon, birds & fish, and finally animals and humans. In so doing he moves the earth from its formless and empty state.

On all the other days God only has one “let there be” statement. However, on the final day of each of these triplets (i.e. day 3 and day 6), God has a double creation.

Days 1-3: Chaos to Order

Initially we see that the earth was formless. The spirit of God was hovering over a chaotic, dark and wet place. Darkness is usually perceived with fear and hesitation. Likewise, to the Jewish mind, the deep (i.e. the oceans) were a place of fear and hesitation. The Israelis were not a seafaring nation, and the sea was a place to be avoided..

So God in days 1 through 3 God takes the chaotic, fearful place and separates out the light from the darkness and the sky and land from the deep. Now those things which cause fear are contained to only part of the day (in the case of night) and to only part of the world (in the case of the oceans).

While this act of creation limited the darkness and the deep, in the new creation found in Revelation 21-22, we see the complete elimination of those feared elements [6]:

Days 4-6 Emptiness to Abundance

Initially we see that the earth was empty or void. There was no life to be found on this wasteland. Therefore after God created order, he was now ready to begin filling the earth.

• While on day 1 he separated light and darkness, on day 4 he fills the light with the sun and the darkness with the moon and stars.
• While on day 2 he separated the atmosphere from the oceans, on day 5 he fills the atmosphere with birds and the oceans with sea creatures.
• While on day 3 he separated the oceans to create land, on day 6 he fills the dry land with land creatures and human beings.

In three days God has taken this empty place and filled it with the abundance of life.

Ramifications of the Creation Process

Why did God take six days to create the world? Certainly He has the power to instantly cause all the world to come into being. What is He teaching us about Himself and His relationship to humanity?

God Created Order from Chaos

God is demonstrating that He is not a god of chaos (1 Corinthians 14:33 ). In fact, God excels at taking what is seemingly chaotic and out of control and turning into His beautiful creation. Knowing this should bring comfort to those of us with lives that are chaotic and out of control. God can take our situation, no matter how formless and chaotic and create something beautiful from it. Romans 8:28 assures us that God causes all things to work together for our good. If God can do that with the chaos of the universe, how much more so in our own lives.

God Rested

When the heavens and earth were completed, on the seventh day, God ceased his creativity and He rested. Because of this, God blessed the seventh day and set it apart.

The seventh day completes a rhythm found in the creation narrative [7]. God's active creation is found in two sets of three: the first three days he created order from chaos; the second three days he filled what was void. The narrative for the seventh day also contains a set of three:

• On the seventh day God completed is work.
• On the seventh day God rested from His work.
• On the seventh day God blessed and sanctified the day.

The weekly calendar we use today is part of God's creation pattern. God intends for us not to work every day, but every seventh day we are to follow God's example. We are to cease working. We are to rest from working. We are to bless and set apart the day as special.

Moses will later use this narrative as the basis for the establishment of the Sabbath in the Torah (Exodus 20:11). The celebration of Sabbath has become one of the distinctions of the Torah.

As Christians we are no longer under the law (Galatians 5:18) and are not required to keep the fine details of Sabbath keeping. However, resting once per week is more than the law. It is part of the rhythm of life that God has weaved into creation itself. Keeping the Sabbath will not make you more righteous or bring more of God's favor upon you. However, the idea of Sabbath rest is something which God blessed and sanctified in creation for our benefit. While we never want the Sabbath to rule over us, it is a principle which can benefit us. God made the Sabbath for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:27).

Too many people in today's modern society complain of being tired. We work too much. We take our cell phone and our Blackberry with us wherever we go so that we can always be connected to work. But God invites us to settle into the rhythm of creation. He invites us to stop working. He invites us to rest. He invites us to be blessed as we set apart one day per week for Him.

God Used a Process

God is a god of process. Creation took place over time through a process. But God's creation is not something God did. It is something God is continuing to do. God is still creating!

According to 2 Corinthians 5:17 , believers are a “new creation.” The act of redemption and our on-going sanctification is the continuation of God's creation process. That process will continue until our ultimate glorification when God will create a new heaven and a new earth. As the coup de grace of that new creation He will raise us from the dead and create for us new, everlasting bodies.

But just as God did not create the world instantly, neither is he going to instantly change us into his new creation. Christian maturity is a process of God making us his new creation. Maturity comes through the process of endurance under trials (James 1:2-3, Romans 5:1-5). If we are looking for God to instantly fix our problems, we must realize that is not how God operates. He takes His time, according to His purposes.

God is Involved

God is not isolated from His creation. From the beginning and continuing on today, God is involved in His creation.

The most compelling demonstration of this fact is that God became part of His creation in the incarnation. The apostle Paul states in Colossians 1:15-16 that Jesus was the agent of creation, having created all things. Yet He is also called the firstborn of creation. In Jesus, God was both the creator and became the created. In so doing God was able to reveal himself to us, for Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Furthermore, God continues to dwell in the midst of his creation in the person of the Holy Spirit. Our own bodies are temples to the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

If the transcendent God willingly enters His own creation, then we cannot view the physical or the material as inherently evil. Spirituality is not the opposite of materiality [8]. The goal of Christian spirituality is not to transcend the material, but to participate in the goodness of creation.

That is not to say that, due to the fall, creation has not been corrupted. But that corruption did not cause God to give up on his material creation. Instead, he has decided to redeem creation. All creation anxiously awaits for the final redemption of humanity, for with it will come the redemption of all creation (Romans 8:19). Furthermore, the ultimate hope of the Christian is not to transcend the body and live in some immaterial state. Instead, our ultimate hope lies in the resurrection and redemption of our physical bodies (Romans 8:23).

Therefore, the goal of spiritual living is not to transcend the material, but to live fully and enjoy His creation. The goal of spiritual living is not to give up on creation, but to participate with God in His ongoing act of creation and the redemption of creation.

Notes

1. Millard J. Erickson. Christian Theology . ( Grand Rapids MI : Baker Books. 2002), 506.
2. Erickson, 248.
3. William Sanford LaSor. “Biblical Creationism.” The Asbury Theological Journal. (Vol. 42, No. 2, 1987), 7.
4. Albert Baylis. From Creation to the Cross . (Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan, 1996), 26-27.
5. John H. Sailhamer. “Genesis.” The Expositor's Bible Commentary . Frank E. Gaebelein, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1998), electronic edition STEP file.
6. Baylis, 32.
7. Eugene H. Peterson. Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places . (Grand Rapids MI: Eerdmans, 2005), 67.
8. Peterson, 30.