On December 24th,
1968, the crew of Apollo 8 orbited the Moon.
More people were watching on their televisions than had watched any
broadcast before. The three crew members
opened up a King James Version of the Bible, that had been given to them by the
Gideons, from Genesis 1. Not everyone
was impressed. Madalyn Murray O’Hair,
the founder of American Atheists, responded by trying to sue the United States
government, saying that it was a breach of the First Amendment. Her lawsuit was dismissed.
The
triune God creates everything with order and faithfulness (1:1-2:3)
There were other creation stories
in the Ancient Near East. Indeed, God
gave this beautiful creation story to refute the errors of Israel’s
neighbours. For example, in the other
creation accounts creation comes after a great struggle between the gods. However, here we have one God who simply
speaks things into existence. While
other nations worshipped the sun and moon, our God created everything,
including the sun and the moon.
There is a special Hebrew word (bara) used of the creation of heavens
and earth (1), humankind (26) and the great sea creatures (21). Why would special attention be given to great
sea creatures? In the Canaanite myths
there was a sea dragon who was the enemy of the god Baal, but here God is
telling us, ‘I am sovereign over all creation and did not need to do battle
with anyone in order to create.
In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God was there is the beginning, he has always
existed. God the Father took the initiative in creation; verse 2 also
tells us that the Spirit was involved—the Spirit of God was hovering over
the waters; and the New Testament tells us that the Son was his Father’s
agent in creation—all things were created by him and for him (Colossians
1:16).
Now the
earth was formless and empty. What does God
do with this formlessness and emptiness? He gives it shape and he fills
it. We see this described in stages. Days 1-3 have to do with shape and
days 4-6 have to do with filling. So, on
day one, we have the separating of light from darkness, creating day and night;
then on the corresponding day, day four, we have the filling of day and night
with the sun and the stars. On day two,
we have the separating of the above from the water below, creating the sky and
sea; then on the corresponding day, day five, we have the filling of the sky
and sea with birds and fish. On day
three, we have the separation of the land from the water, creating the earth;
on the corresponding day, day six, we have the filling of the land with
livestock.
The sun and moon
are lights as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and there is
significance in the fact that the phrase ‘God saw that it was good’ occurs
seven times—for seven is associated with perfection, fulfilment, and
completion. Imagine if God had created a
world without order. Where one season did not necessarily follow another,
day and night were unpredictable in duration, and where gravity varied all the
time. We would not be able to live in such a world. It is this ordered way of working that
enables us to make scientific experiments.
One of the repeated phrases in this creation story is and God said
... and there was. When a king or ruler issues decrees things happen.
What an awesome figure God is; he brings matter out of nothing simply with
a word.
Anthologist, Desmond Morris, has referred to humankind as ‘naked apes’,
but the Bible affords us far greater dignity, we are the pinnacle of this
creation—after humankind nothing more is made. And we are made in ‘the image of
God’. We reflect something of God’s nature in a way that nothing else in
creation does.
While each
of the first six days end with the description—and there was evening and
there was morning—the first [or whichever] day, the seventh day
doesn’t. That day continues. In a sense God has rested ever since. The job has been perfectly done, there is no
more to do—everything is as it is intended to be. ‘The seventh day is a picture of God and
humanity enjoying perfect rest together in an unspoiled world.’ Which leads us on to chapter two.
The creator provides (2:4-25)
We move from a wide-angle explanation of creation to a zoom-lens
look. We are brought to a garden. In chapter one we have ‘Elohim’ (‘God’),
in chapter two we have ‘Yahweh Elohim’ (‘LORD God’). ‘Yahweh’ is the covenant name of God. It is God in relationship with his people.
The LORD God formed the man from the dust of
the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man
became a living being (7). Here is an image of startling intimacy! We have been
designed in intimacy by God for intimacy with God.
Eden (literally ‘bliss’) is a place of diversity—the LORD God made
all kinds of trees grow out of the ground; it is also a place of beauty and
provision—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food (verse
9). The LORD God took man and put him
in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it (15). ‘Human fulfilment includes the human
creativity of work, and the Garden is the place for mankind to find that
fulfilment’ (Atkinson).
Man was to live in Eden under God’s rule, “You are free to eat from
any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of
good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
The LORD God said, ‘It is not good for man to
be alone. I will make a helper suitable
for him’ (18). A suitable helper
literally means ‘a help as opposite him’.
In other words, she is made of the same stuff but is different from
him. She is equally made in the image of
God, but she is a compliment to him.
Being a helper implies that she encourages and assists, but it does not
imply inferiority—for the same word is used of the God who helps his
people. Adam delights in her!
The creator is rejected (3)
Sadly, our world is not like Eden. We live in a world that is not
in harmony with God, not in harmony with our surroundings and where people are
not in harmony with each other. What went wrong? Genesis 3 gives
the answer. The chapter begins by
introducing us to the serpent.
The serpent seeks to damage the relationship between humanity and God. He starts by misquoting God’s word: “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” God had actually said that they could eat from any, bar one. Then he denies God’s word: “you will not surely die”. Finally, he slanders God’s character, ‘God is selfish. He just wants to stop you becoming like him.’ His methods have not changed. He still tries to persuade us that God’s commands are not for our good and he still tries to convince us that God’s character is not trustworthy.
‘For God
knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like
God, knowing good from evil’ (5). He is tempting them to
rebellion. To live independent of
God. To set their own standards. To be your own god. The root of sin is not letting God be God. ‘I did it my way.’
Eve takes and eats, and gives it to Adam, who was with her. Where was
Adam? Adam was right there by her
side. What should Adam have been
doing? Adam should have been reminding
her of the command that God had given to him.
He has abdicated his responsibility!
What is the result? The result is
alienation for God. There is hiding,
shame and fear. Watch Adam pass the
blame. He says, ‘the
woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate
it." She denies
her responsibility, too. "The
serpent deceived me, and I ate." Toil,
strain and pain are now a part of the experience of our lives.
However, God does not give up on humanity. The LORD God says to the serpent: I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your offspring and hers.
He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel (15). The ‘he’ and ‘his’ is singular. So, the rest of the Old Testament is a search
for the descendant of Eve who will crush the serpent’s head. Next week, we will begin our search for the
serpent-crusher.
Conclusion
The Bible is not a book about you.
It is a book about Jesus. As the
Jesus Storybook Bible states, ‘every story whispers his name.’ The point of the Bible is not to fix your
life, but to fix your eyes upon him. The
Bible is not a self-help manual. It is
the portrait of a king. He is the agent
of creation who was with God and is God.
He is the one who will crush the serpent’s head. And when you look to him your life will
change. When you live in him you will
discover your purpose for being on this planet.
As we read through Genesis, we will fix our eyes on the author and
perfecter of our faith. Then we will
discover what it means to live life in its fullness.
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