This might be your first introduction to what has become my favorite bible study….ever. It has also been the most painful, disappointing, and ultimately divisive study I have taken part in. Genesis 1-5:1 has been my “frienemy” over the last year. I have dedicated hundreds of hours to reading, meditating, translating, outlining, comparing and searching the law and Jesus’ words in relation to this short passage. More of my focus has been on 1-3 with a clear division of that time between chapter 1-2:4 and 2:5-3. I will likely take you through several of the fruits of my meditations on these passages in the coming months and years, Lord willing, but today I want to focus on one that has been most fruitful…and confusing. Take it for what it is with that in mind.
I am convinced that Genesis 1 is the end, not the beginning, of the Bible. It is a summary of all that we will read beginning in Genesis 2:4. As a good biblical summary, it is a pattern of instruction. I would go as far as to say it is not just “a” pattern, but “the” pattern of sound instruction. Let’s be a bit more specific: Genesis 1:1-2:4 is the pattern for teaching, the standard for teaching, and is written to teach us how to teach any and every subject, create and recreate any and every project, and should be studied in such a clear way with all of the Christian body that this pattern is transmitted as designed in order for the gospel (the subject of the whole Bible) to be opened up and understood as it should be. Those are some pretty strong words for the first chapter of the Bible, right?
WHAT GENESIS 1 IS NOT
I would argue that contrary to many evangelical and liberal teachings, Genesis chapter 1 is not about whether or not evolution is true. I think I could argue for either way to be honest. It is not about the Big Bang, though we might see evidence of such an event coming from the ex nihilo response to God’s command.
GENESIS 1 IS THE SEEDBED OF THE BIBLE
There are a lot of subjects that find their “root” in the creation account for sure, but if we zoom out and see the big picture, which is what I take this portion of Scripture to be, we see it is about relationships and life and blessing. It is the work of God, in action to be studied and reviewed and reenacted by its readers, to know God and be known by Him. Everything we need to know is there. The rest of the Bible puts flesh on it. Matter of fact, all that needs to be known about God is found through the point of days 1-3. Days 4 and on through the rest of this text are the proper response and foundation for replicating what God has made known. There is also an abundance of “Christian hedonistic fuel” to be stored up in the seedbed of the Bible.
SEEDS IN THE SEEDBED
Let me list a couple of quick bullet points of “seed subjects” we find in this passage:
- God is the sole creator of all that is
- God is eternal
- God is authoritative
- God’s words do what they say
- God’s words are authoritative
- All authority in the universe is created and established by God for His purposes
- God finishes what He begins.
- Light obeys God’s word and drives out darkness
- Time is a tool for God and exists within His creation without authority, but is instead a tool for authority
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There is a 3 part process to creation prior to replication and organic multiplication
- A leader is called forth to do the work that will be needed
- The form, or outline of the project in every way imaginable is decided and arranged thereby creating boundaries
- Authorities are set in place by gathering what is needed, removing what is a hindrance, and bringing forth life
- This plan could be further drilled down as to how one does this and I will likely address it soon, but one last aspect is that this plan exists for the purpose of creating, sustaining, and replicating life.
- The numbers are important as they are steps and point to God in the relationships
- It is written in the form of an example for gardening because God is a “gardener.” What I mean is this is written in such a way to teach a child about the basic knowledge they will need to have in life to understand God and man through the process of gardening.
- This gardening process is found to be true of at least three dimensions: Gardening the earth, gardening a man’s heart, and gardening a nation/society. Keep in mind gardening is a process from planting to cultivation and replication.
- We see the Trinitarian God at work in creation and reflected in creation in several places and through the steps. This Father, helper, child relationship is arguably present in God as He speaks, the way He creates, and the creation itself.
- Father is the speaker; Son (Helper) is the word that flows out, and the Spirit is the breath or power that naturally comes with it.
- Three days: Day 1 is clearly the Father calling forth a helper; Day 2 has the Holy Spirit over the water ; Day three shows what the Light and Spirit have formed
- The creation has several trinities whether it be heavenly authorities like the sun, moon, and stars or the yielder tree plant (husband), seed bearing plant (wife/helper), and the seeds also being born after their kind. There may be an argument for light, water, and dirt as well.
- Days 4-6 point to a replication. Having followed an odd break in day three which seems to be divided in half, lights replace a single light (think of Lazarus Day 4 resurrection as opposed to Jesus Day 3 for a minute) and life fills the creation in several forms (nations/entities/authorities) all under a single dominion of God.
- Rest is attained eternally on Day 7
- Blessing is established in covenant form by the giving of the Word of God on Day 6.
- The image and likeness are established as a division of glory in mankind through two forms of reflection to come and men are established as children of the triune creator God.
- The glory of God, His reflection, is embedded in all that is created.
- Periods of darkness and light are evident in the creative work and plan of God to bring forth, sustain, and cultivate and replicate life. Both serve their purposes.
- God is speaking to all He creates from the point of conception and beyond. Man is directly spoken to and blessed as are the authorities and all life.
- The creation, in its replication, naturally reflects the God that has created it. Man, who is elevated by the particular reflection in image and likeness, will include the ability to garden in word and deed in the same ways.
- God, as gardener, shows us the method for completing the cultivation of life with a literary work re-enacting how God has cultivated the earth into a garden including using mounds of dirt to protect the seeds He is planting and applying water in a hole he has dug to plant it into.
- The pattern for the biblical reality that the Bible brings forth life in two ways is clear: If you listen and meditate on it and therefore honor your parents, you will have a long and prosperous physical life. But seeing the reality of the spiritual establishes the duality of what we are reading. This is about God making Himself known to us and revealing who He is. Therefore, the physical exists to point us to the eternal and spiritual realities that supersede them.
- We are expected to replicate the process. Days 1-3 are God, Days 4-6 are offspring. Then there is a specific charge to do what has been illustrated. In a sense the word is written in such a way to teach us that God has modeled what He expects us to do in word and deed. We may not have seen it, but the words are written in such a way that we should be able to close our eyes or put our hands in the dirt, so to speak, and follow His example. Being seen and speaking are thus established as necessary for life. Naturally, looking/seeing and hearing/being heard are crucial to reflecting God. Action is always occurring in each of the acts of transmitting or receiving and in the actions that naturally flow out of them (another trinity).
- We have a relationship with God initiated by Him for His purposes and this overflows in blessing to us.
- There are roles and to some extent we take on more than one. Sons can become fathers. Daughters bear children and go from child to helper. This is deep. Men will be referred to as plants, animals, and heavenly powers (think the son and King of Tyre for instance). Ephesians 5 can transform in the light of this pattern to expose responsibilities and realities of roles.
- This process is ongoing. Even the weird way the 1st verse starts out tells us this.
- God accomplishes His purposes and is never frustrated.
- If what I believe is true, then this portion of Scripture includes, to an extent, the reality that the entire Bible encompasses including what we end up with after “the fall of Adam” and the rise of the “second Adam” and His bride in the new creation. Revelation thus ends where the Bible begins. Note the reversal of words at the end of the section beginning in chapter two and the odd way the creation account changes. I could spend hours on this, and might just do that some day, but consider it for what it is.
- Therefore, the gospel is the good news from God arriving in our ears and before our eyes through the perfect image bearer who is both a helper to the Father and one with the Father and Spirit who is the light and the word who ushers us out of darkness through a series of days and nights into eternal rest with our Father as we walk in His footsteps, so to speak, by imaging and reflecting Him through the carefully created and pointed time period set before us to do so.
- WHEW! What a mouthful. Glad I let that out! Process that and see what happens.
- There is so much more here its ridiculous, but hopefully that gives you something to chew on….literally and spiritually.
So back to the title of the blog: God Got It Wrong the First Time….or Did He? I do not believe God got it wrong. We did. He got it exactly right and we are experiencing it right now. He foretold what was happening and what was done. It was written in such a way that we begin a journey. We go out looking and listening and acting. Life is a guarantee for all who find themselves on this journey. We are broken as is revealed shortly thereafter, but through the use of talking and seeing and acting, we have the power to restore what is broken as God completes His perfect creation that is to come through the means He has sent beforehand to accomplish that restoration and keep His plans right on time.
For additional meditation you might google the gardening process that saved the Pilgrims , the roles and responsibilities in Ephesians 5, and the process for beginning a project (or life following in the footsteps of the GodMan Jesus Christ who is the perfect image of God) in Luke 14.