The Creation Story

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In a world where evolution theories and science are increasingly used to answer questions about the origins of the universe what place do the biblical creation narratives hold?

The author of the article “Adam, Eve and Evolution” (in http://www.catholic.com/tracts/adam-eve-and-evolution) categorises evolutionary theories into those which believe that a given thing was instantaneously and directly created by God) which hold that God (“special or instantaneous creation”); points out three common positions people tend to take to explain the origin of the universe; that a given thing did develop from a previous state or form, but that this process was under God’s guidance (“developmental or theistic creation”); and claims that a thing developed due to random forces alone (“atheistic evolution”).

Whatever your belief or position, I honestly think that many people find themselves not knowing whether to belong to “the science” or “the God Creator” Camp. The reasons for this are twofold. On the one hand, it is because scientific facts have remained tools of the trade confined to the labs and treatises that are unapproachable let alone incomprehensible to the untrained mind. A rocket blasting into space and beaming back images simply arouses awe and increases popular curiosity. And even the one minute news flash purported to explain it all arouses and leaves many questions unanswered. On the other hand, there is the fiery inspired minister of God left to explain it all. S/he roars: “…God is all powerful, the origin of all things. He created everything. He created even you…” And when an enthusiastic youth having been taught about reproduction at school tries to question it, s/he is reprimanded and referred to read the bible.

Perhaps we are all losing the plot here. What we need is an explanation (be it science or scripture based), that is simple enough to be comprehended by even the simplest of minds.

The purpose of this article is to examine the biblical creation story as an historical narrative, that is, re-presentation of past events for the purpose of instruction (Sailhamer, 1984) rather than history. The discussion will be grounded on biblical theology and exegetical arguments in its attempt to bring about a debate that will hopefully bring about a clear and simpler understanding of Genesis 1 and 2.

In approaching the topic four main facts have to be born in mind. Firstly, the story of creation as presented in Genesis 1 and 2 is the work of human author(s) inspired or influenced by God and as a result their work is designated the word of God. Biblical inspiration, as Ron Rhodes (in (http://home.earthlink.net/~ronrhodes/Inspiration.html) defines it, “… is God’s superintending of the human authors so that, using their own individual personalities (and even their writing styles), they composed and recorded without error His revelation to man in the words of the original autographs…” Inspiration means that human writers of the scriptures worked under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Secondly Genesis1 and 2 is NOT an eyewitness narrative of creation. It is a reflection upon the world as was current to the author (with Genesis 2 looking at the world MINUS all its problems) for the purpose of engaging the reader in contemplating the about the order in all things and the creative power behind all of them. In this respect and in accord with Sailhamer (ibid), the narrative maybe regarded as an historical discourse. So to say the author would have been influenced by their history, traditions and employed available literary tools to convey the intended message albeit from the viewpoint of the author who recounts the event. The onus on the reader/scholar is to look beyond actual historical events to the inspired author’s version of them which is their evaluation of the meaning and significance of the event.

Thirdly, the inspired author was writing primarily for his immediate audience (using the language and imagery of the time) and but also had a message for future generations. The latter being the prophetic aspect of the message.

Fourthly, though the authorship of the first five books of the bible (the Pentateuch) is often attributed to Moses, in Genesis 1 and 2, we are confronted with two different writing styles and two different creation narratives. Biblical scholars attribute Gen 1:1 – 2:4 to the Priestly writer(s) who lived in the post exilic times, around the 6th century BC. Genesis 2:4bff was the work of the Yahwistic writer at the time of King David, in around 10th century BC.

Each narrative has its own theme. The Priestly account (Gen 1:1 – 2:4a) presents God as the transcendent and creative commander of the universe at work, while in Genesis 2:4bff, the Yahwist is describes “a personal God, immanent and knowable” (See http://records.viu.ca/www/ipp/rtb/chpt6.htm).

A correct interpretation of Genesis 1 and 2 (and holds true for scripture as a whole) must take into account the four points mentioned above.

In this essay I will follow the commonly accepted concept which looks at Genesis 1 and 2 as two different descriptions of creation by two different (schools of) writers, effectively dividing it accordingly. The first part of the essay looks at the creation story as presented by the Priestly writer, while the second will examine it from the eyes of the Yahwistic writer.

The purpose of the essay is to explain the text without going into deep exegesis. It is more like an invitation to all interested parties to reflect beyond what they read and to refrain from picking parts from each story thereby losing the message, context and constraint.

Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a: Creation According to the Priestly Writer

In the context in which they appear, the Priestly narrative (Genesis 1:1 – 2:4) stands out as preface not only to the book of Genesis but to the whole bible.

Many biblical scholars attribute the Genesis 1:1-2:4a creation narrative to the Priestly writer(s) thereby placing the origins of the passage to the post-exilic years (around 500BC). The story while often looked upon as a single narrative has prompted some scholars to argue that we are presented with two creation stories (http://www.newadvent.org/bible/gen001.htm). Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning God created heaven and earth) in itself stands out as one complete description of creation. The rest of the story (Gen 1:2-2:4a) constitutes the second creation story presented as having taken place in six days.

Genesis 1:1: An Introduction or complete creation story?

 “In the beginning God created heaven and earth”

 Genesis 1:1 as a faith declaration on the role of God in the creation of universe, can be vied as a complete story in its own right and as an introduction to the six days of creation. However, to conceive of Gen 1:1 as a story on its own leads one to conclude that the concept of God as creator of heaven and earth was a commonplace story. This being the case the inspired author may have intentionally left out the details. Verse 1 would therefore have served as an exhortation and conclusion. It is as though the author is saying to his audience that: …You know the story well of how in the beginning God made heaven and earth. That is the truth we ought to continue believing…

Genesis 1:1 as an abridged creation story could be an indication that the author was probably trying to respond to an audience searching for answers about the universe. Here then, the inspired writer professes what they have always believed that … In the beginning God created heaven and earth. Because he does not have much information about the origin of the “heavens”, the author in the next verses leads the audience through familiar creation of the earth stories. God the all-powerful originator of everything simply commands and things come to be as He wants. The switch to “earth” also seems to indicate the Geo-centric interpretation of the cosmos was prevalent.

We will probably never know whether the Priestly writer intended for the story to be read as two different creation stories. Gen 1:1 – 2:4a forms one story which can structurally split into: introduction (Gen 1:1), body (Gen 1:2-2:3) and conclusion (Gen 2:4a).

Closely examined, the opening phrase “In the beginning…” seems to presuppose the existence of an eyewitness during the creation, which is not the case here. The author is like a storyteller talking about the beginnings for which he need not have witnessed but crafted as a vehicle for the intended message. The point of interest here is the beginning of history, NOT the beginning of God’s activity. God, as St. Augustine of Hippo would put it, “is a being who lives outside time and he created the universe together with time.”

The Hebrew rendering of God in Gen. 1:1 is Elohim which according to Gordon (2003 in www.karaites.info) can take plural and singular usage. He suggests that the plural usage could denote majesty but in some cases it is used in numerical sense. The usage in Gen. 1:1 depicts majesty NOT the numeric connotation. Later on in the New Testament times, the writer of John 1:1 (written in the late 80s early 90s AD) would borrow the same phrase (In the Beginning) to illustrate the role of the Word (logos) in the creation: …In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

The writer of John Gospel identifies the WORD (logos) as the God of (Gen.1:1). Already at this stage the doctrine on the Trinity seems to rear its head: God the father who commands and things come to be; God the Son, the creative word of God and the Holy Spirit that divine wind (referred to in Gen 1:2) that hovering over the chaos to give it order.

It is therefore fair to say that using carefully chosen words “… in the beginning God created heaven and earth …” the author of Genesis just about summarises his teachings that everything that is, owes its beginning to God.

The term “created” here is used in a functional sense that is, bringing something to material existence and is used exclusively for God’s creative activity. (See also Gen. 1: 21, 27; 2:3).

The precise meaning of the “heavens” is not clear but could be referring to the earth’s atmosphere, the material existence or even all creation visible and invisible. The “earth” on the other hand may be referring to land, country or the world and could have been used to highlight the author’s geo-centric perspective.

In Gen1:1 therefore, the inspired author is asserting that the heavens and earth owe their existence (beginning) to God. The beginning of the universe, described here may perhaps be referring the beginning of functioning earth (see, Walton 2009), rather than the beginning of matter. It is an assertion that creation has a (functional) beginning point which does not necessarily disagree with the Big Bang Theory.

Genesis 1:2 describes the state of the earth as a formless void (formless and void) with darkness everywhere. As Sailhamer (op. cit.) correctly observes, the author seems to narrow the scope of his narrative from the universe (Gen 1:1) to that of the land (Gen 1:2 ff). From then on, the author seems to follow a set pattern presenting his work in narrative blocks of divine creative activity punctuated by the refrain consisting of the words“…evening and Morning…” This is repeated through the six days of creation but not referenced (perhaps intentionally) on the seventh day.

 Genesis 1:2 – 2:4a: The Six Day Creation Narrative

Genesis 1:3 – 31 is a six day creation account characterised by repetition of certain phrases: “God said…”; “God saw that it was good”; “Evening came …” Although the narrative explicitly describes six days of creation plus one day of rest, two subtle patterns seem to be embedded in the narrative depending on whether one is looking at the creative activity or the outcome.

From the point of view of creative activity it is possible to put the different days in three main categories based on the nature of action. In category one, encompassing Gen 1:3 – 9, God’s creative role takes form of dividing or partitioning elements. He divides the light and darkness (Gen 1:3-5); he creates a firmament to divide the waters under and above; and concludes by separating land and seas (Gen 1:6 – 10).

Having completed the work of dividing, the author in category two (Gen 1:11 – 31), presents a picture of God adorning or putting his creation to their respective places on earth: He causes the earth to bring forth vegetation (Gen 1:11 – 13); He puts lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and lets them be for signs; seasons, and for days and years (Gen 1:14 – 19);. The creator turns his attention to the waters causing them to bring forth the creeping creature that live and fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven. In the final days, he commands the earth to bring forth the living creature: cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds (Gen 1:20 -25). He concludes by creating man (male and female) to have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth and every creeping creature that moves upon the earth (Gen 1:26 – 31).

The other of subtle pattern splits creation into two: the coming to being of the immovable as described in the first three days of creation (Gen 1: 3 -11), as opposed to the second part where moving things are brought into being (Gen 1: 12 – 31).

Genesis 1:2

Having asserted in verse 1 asserted that “……God created the heavens and earth”, in verse 2 the author’s tone suddenly seems to change to focus on the pre-creation condition of the earth which he describes a being: “…a formless and void (“a vast waste”) darkness was over the deep and the spirit of God (breath of God) hovered over the waters”.

The pre-creation state according to the author is very much symbolised by chaos: the earth is hidden beneath cosmic waters, could not be seen, and thus had no “form”; there was only darkness; turbulent wind swept over the water. God’s creative power is depicted as bringing order into the chaos. As in Gen 1:1, the author does not explain the terms he uses presumably because they are known to his audience: Darkness, the deep, the Spirit of God, etc. The phrase “…the spirit of God hovered (swept) over the waters”, may be referring to God’s protective care that keeps the evil powers (chaos) under control. By using the expression “… darkness was over the deep and God’s spirit hovered over the waters” the inspired author could already be hinting at the question of evil in the world which he deals with in Genesis 3. It is as though he were telling his audience that the evil forces you see around shouldn’t worry you because God has everything under control.

Genesis 1: 3 – 11: Creation as dividing

Gen 1; 3 – 9 constitutes the first three days of six day creation narrative. The inspired author describes God’s creative role in terms of dividing or separating the different elements of creation. In day one, He creates the light (Gen 1:3) and goes on to separate the light from darkness (Gen 1:4). As though to declare his ownership and authority, he gives each an identification mark: He calls the light Day, and the darkness Night … (v5).

Besides distinguishing between God and creature (the creature is not God and the creature did not come out of God), the phrase “God said” (Gen 1:3) describes the creative power of God’s word that brings beings out of nothing. It also seems to be an implicit acknowledgement of the functional concept of God’s creative act in the sense that he is as referring to the organisation of existing matter. The functional connotation seems to be justifiable from how the author refers to water in v2 “… and the spirit of God hovered over the waters”. There is no reference to water being created but rather it is there. God’s spirit hovers over the water. The result is order.

In verse 4 God is described as having created the “light” again using his creative word. The usage of the word “light” here may be symbolic of purity Light is a biblical symbol of life, purity, and truth; and it (light) is there well before the sun as source of light is created. The only other reference to light without the sun appears also in Revelations 22:5. The phrase “God called” in Gen 1:5 (also in Gen 1: 8, 10) ought to be seen as a proclamation of ownership. As it were, by naming his creatures, God not only shows ownership but also control over them. He is proud of his creation and willingly puts his signature on it.

On the second Day God the divider made a firmament or firm ceiling (Gen 1:6) to divide the waters from the waters. The purpose of the firmament is to divide the waters below from those above (Gen 1:7). God called the firmament, Heaven (Gen 1:8).

On the third Day God’s attention is focused on the waters below the heavens. He gathered them together into one place and “let the dry land appear” (Gen 1:9), which phrase bears similarity to the holy hill account in the Egyptian cosmology. He called the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, he called Seas (Gen 1:10).

Genesis 1: 11 – 31: Creation as an act of Adorning

Having completed his task of diving immovable objects of creation and approved of them, God (Genesis 1:11-31), begins to fill the earth with living creatures thereby fulfilling the purpose of the division. Prophet Isaiah would later amplify the purpose in the words “…the Lord who created the heavens, he is God, who formed the earth and made it (he established it); he did not create it in vain, he formed it to be inhabited’ (Isaiah 45:18).

The description is rhythmic with each day being marked with God’s speech followed by its outcome and closing with God’s confirmation and approval of his creation in the words – God saw that it was good”. In day three, (Gen 1:11) He commands the earth to bring forth vegetation: “… Let the earth produce vegetation, seed bearing plants, fruit trees bearing fruit with seed each according to its kind upon the earth” … At God’s command (Gen 1:12) … “The earth produced vegetation, seed bearing plants, fruit trees bearing fruit with seed each according to its kind.” God’s approval is conferred in the words: And God saw that it was good. The end of the third day of creation is defined in verse 13 “…the evening and the morning were the third day.” Evening and morning are used as transition points between day and night.

The same pattern of description is repeated in days four and five. In Gen 1:14 -15, the divine command is given: (Let there be light made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night … and to give light upon the earth), followed in verses 16 – 18 by explanation of the outcome and purpose … God made two great lights: a greater light to rule the day; and a lesser light to rule the night … and to divide the light and the darkness.

In day five the divine ordinance (Gen 1:20 – 21) causes … the waters to bring forth creeping creature having life and birds … Until this point God’s seal of approval was indicated by the words “… And God saw that it was good”. Now this is followed with a blessing (Gen 1:22): “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the waters of the sea and let the birds increase on the earth.” In this the blessed writer is declaring that the propagation of species is divinely approved.

The sixth and last day of creation according to the Priestly author is about adorning the land and is divided into two parts. In the first part (Gen 1:24), God commands the earth to bring forth the living animals according to their kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds the beasts of the earth according to their kinds … In verse 25, as throughout the previous verses, God approves of his creation … “God saw that it was good.” The blessing “Be fruitful and multiply…” is omitted but instead the narrative moves to the second part of day six when God creates humankind.

In Gen 1:26 the author presents the majestic uni-plural God (see also Gen 3:22; 11:17; Isaiah 6:8) as consulting with himself to discuss the creation of mankind and the purpose mankind: “… Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, over the birds of the air, over cattle, over wild animals, and over creeping things that crawl along the ground.” In contrast to the previous commands and their outcomes, this text is constructed differently. Rather than a series of spoken commands, in this case the picture is of God, seemingly in community (as portrayed in the words: “let us make…”) creates mankind.

Whether by intention, the author seems to be contrasting biblical and Babylonian creation account of Enuma Elish, which depicted the origin of the world as a product out of a struggle between opposing powers. According to this Babylonian account, the earth assumed its form when Marduk, the god of light, appeared and split in two the body of the primordial dragon. From this sundered body heaven and earth came to be. Thus the “firmament” and the earth were produced from the sundered body of the dead dragon, but from its blood Marduk fashioned human beings. So unlike the continual antagonism of deities in the Enuma Elish, Genesis uses the PLURAL expression of majesty to emphasise harmony.

Clearly the creation of mankind is special and for a purpose which is defined well before being created, namely to have dominion over the rest of creation. In Gen 1:27 we are told that Mankind is made in the image of God. Unlike other creatures that came to be through divine utterance, man is created in the image of God. This is emphasised by stating it three times, once in verse 26 and twice in verse 27. Equally important is the fact that mankind is created, and is therefore emphasised by stating it three times: “…God created man to his own image: in the image of God He created him: male and female He created them”. The inspired writer concludes makes a wonderful play of words man. Man is created.

The blessing that follows (Gen 1:28) also constitutes the conferring of responsibility: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and all living creatures that move upon the earth.” In that simple phrase “Be fruitful and multiply” the biblical author professes abundance in volume and in diversity as a mark of the creation. God, in what seems to be a one-sided address to his creatures confers upon mankind permission to eat of the other creatures (Gen1:29), while the land animals will have plants for their food (Gen 1:30). God is concerned to fill each of the three spaces. The narrative ends with God conferring his seal of approval on his creation (Gen 1:31) in the words: “…God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.” It is worth noting that each day (apart from the second day) God seal of approval is marked in the words “God saw that it was good.” At the conclusion of the sixth day (Gen 1:31), God exalts everything that has been made as very good. And with that ended the sixth day’s work: “… evening and morning were the sixth day.”

Thus far it can be said that Genesis 1 is a story of God’s intervention to: create matter from nothing (Gen 1:1); produce light (Gen 1:3); develop the firmament (Gen 1:6); separate the seas from land (Gen 1:9); produce vegetation (Gen 1:11); cause the heavenly bodies (Gen 1:14); produce aquatic; and bird life (Gen 1:20b); call into being the land animals (Gen 1:24); and to create man and make him ruler of the earth (Gen 1:26). All these nine interventions are described as having taken place in six days.

As to whether the usage of word “Day” in Genesis 1 should be construed as referring to “one 24-hour day” or “span of time” (period) is a subject of scholarly discussion. Karl Barth (in Earle N, 1994) prefers to interpret it as referring to 24-hour days. Gerald Schroeder (in Earle N, 1994) on the other hand takes it to mean “cosmic time,” in which time is relative to the expansion of the universe after the big bang.

In all Genesis 1 is neither a scientific account of creation nor a description of secrets about primordial history. It is NOT a chronology of creation. Its purpose is to reveal God as Creator who is different than his creatures. We cannot overlook the fact that in this story the Priestly author seems to back monotheism against those who worshipped stars, seas, etc. He therefore goes on to explain that those things as NOT deities but creatures of the true God. From this perspective, the story can be seen as a demonstration of the God of Genesis 1 as the only true and all powerful God who rules over the chaos “god” (he hovers over the chaos to bring in order Gen.1:2); has power to command the ocean “god” (Gen 1:6, 9).

Each day of creation therefore represents a dramatic dismissal of more deities – light and darkness (day one); earth and sky (day two); land and water (day three); sun and moon and stars (day four); fish and birds (day five), animals and mankind (day six) – as mere creatures that have no power except that appointed by the Creator God. In the words of Cardinal Ratzinger (1995): “The world is not, as people used to think then, a chaos of mutually opposed forces; nor is it the dwelling of demonic powers from which human beings must protect themselves. The sun and the moon are not deities that rule over them, and the sky that stretches over their heads is not full of mysterious and adversary divinities. Rather, all of this comes from one power, from God’s eternal Reason, which became — in the Word — the power of creation.”

Genesis 2:1-4a: Day of rest

Genesis 2:1-4a concludes the priestly author’s creation narrative with what seems to be an intended description of the institution of the Seventh Day as day of rest – there is no reference to it as a day of worship. How ‘rest’ is to be understood, in its application to all of creation, including time, how it is informed by the concept of ‘finished’ and how it embraces the ‘blessing’ and ‘hallowing’ of creation are principles to be explored. As God is happy and at peace with creation he can afford to rest on the seventh day with the world securely in God’s hands.

References

  1.  Gordon N, (2003) “Elohim: Plural or singular?” www.karaites.info
  2. Heller M: “The origins of the universe in science and philosophy”, Peter Harrison Planetarium, 27 May 2009
  3. http://carm.org/when-was-bible-written-and-who-wrote-it
  4. Ratzinger, J: “In the Beginning…. A commentary on Genesis 1-3”: A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall (Eerdmans, 1986, 1995)
  5. Sailhamer J; (1984) Genesis 1:1-2:4a, Trinity Journal 5 NS (1984) 73-8
  6. Earle N (1994); “The Battle over Genesis 1”: http://www.gci.org/bible/genesis/sixdays
  7. Rogers, A: “Let Us Make Man: A Trinitarian Interpretation” http://www.answering-islam.org/authors/rogers/genesis_1_26_trinitarian.html
  8. Utley B.: How it all Began Genesis 1-11 Bible Lessons International, (e-book) 2009 (see http://archive.org/details/HowItAllBeganGenesis1-11)
  9. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08045a.htm.
  10. http://home.earthlink.net/~ronrhodes/Inspiration.html
  11. The text of Enuma Elish is translated by E. A. Speiser in J. B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 2nd revised edition (Princeton, 1955), 60-72.