Seven Days

(Genesis 1:1-2:3)

EDEN TO ZION VIDEO SERIES

Transcript

Introduction to the Torah

We begin with Genesis, the first of the Five Books of Moses referred to as the Pentateuch, or Torah, Hebrew for “teaching” and in biblical contexts, "Instruction" or "Law".

The Torah is the first of three groupings that constitute the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), called the Tanakh, an acronym for Torah, Nevi’im (the Prophets), and Ketuvim (the Writings, which includes everything else).

These five books were written throughout the time in the wilderness, in the middle east, between the world they left behind in Egypt and entering the promised land, approximately 1400 BC. It is astonishing to think these handful of books that began the bible, which founded western thought, was written around three and half thousand years ago.

Each book of the Pentateuch is called by the opening word or phrase that began the scroll it was written on. Genesis is called Bereishit, ‘In the beginning’. It was originally called Sepher Maaseh Bereishit – “The Book of the Act of In the Beginning.” When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek in 250 BC, they called it Genesis (Geneseos), meaning ‘origins’ or ‘beginnings’. It was titled, “The Book of Origins.” Although, the Greek for Genesis was a translation from the Hebrew toldot which is frequently translated as generations.

Genesis

Genesis reads like a story, beginning with creation and the garden of Eden, and ending with the death and burial of Joseph.

Eden, Babel, Noah’s Ark, Abraham, are known the world over. And it is not because it is a book of heroes. It is incredibly honest about the depravity of man, shortcomings of leadership, family tensions – jealousy, sibling rivalry, deception, fertility despair, heartbreak, a psychological eye-opener, that sets the tone for the rest of the bible. Ancient national texts would omit negative connotations to paint the rulers, culture, and lifestyle in bright light, thus the ruthless honesty of the Torah lends it credibility.

Genesis answers the questions of life - how did we get here, what is the purpose of living, why do we die, why do we wear clothes, why is there suffering, why there are many nations with many languages, and so forth. Genesis tells us what went wrong, and the foundational message of how it can be set right.

Consider that as a percentage of history, from creation to the cross, Genesis covers ~60%. From creation until the present day, all of history, Genesis covers ~40%. Over 2300 years of history. The remaining books of the Torah cover around 120 between them. Genesis provides the cosmic context of the Patriarchs. It is the foundational book of the foundational unit, which is why all eight major New Testament writers refer to the book of Genesis. It is referred to throughout scripture more than any other book. Over 200 quotations or references are in the NT. Jesus and the apostles refer to the people and events of Genesis as real people and real history.

It is a book of history. It was originally ordered after the prologue, with a heading the, “History of heaven and earth”, followed by ten headings the “Family history of Adam”, the “Family history of Noah,… down to the “Family history of Jacob”. Each heading describes “what became of” the creation or the person. The “Family history of Terah” focuses on “what became of” him, namely Abraham. The “Family history of Isaac”, mainly concerns Jacob, the “Family history of Jacob” concerns the twelve tribes and in particular Joseph, and so on.

The narrative begins with universal scope and narrows its focus to an individual who is a type of Messiah.

As well as family division it can be viewed as a two-division structure:

Genesis 1:1 to 11:9: Origin of world and nations. With four major events: Creation, Fall, Flood, nations.

Genesis 11:10 to 50:26: Origin of the people of Israel. With four significant people: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph.

Some divide the narrative into three major origins that narrow in focus.

Chapter 1 : origin of the World;

Chapters 2-11: the origin of the nations;

Chapters 12-50 the origin of Israel;

Genesis truly is a book of origins. It records the origins of: the universe, lifeforms, man, marriage, clothing, occupation, purpose, sin, death, language, nations, culture, government, religion, covenants, Sabbath, blood sacrifice, salvation, prophecy, peace, war, election, faith, grace, mercy, judgement, music, …and much more.(see Ariel’s)

It can also be helpful to describe the form of Genesis this way:

Chapters 1-2 is defined as ‘good’. Chapters 3-11 is the cause and effect of sin, and God’s mercy throughout judgement. 12 is the critical juncture with the call of Abraham, and from there on out describes God’s dealings with him and his descendants. Up to chapter 36 we are faced with a distinction between Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, from Lot, Ishmael, and Esau, respectively. God binding his reputation to the former. Who do we identify with, it asks? Chapters 37-50 the story of Joseph who is distinct from them all.

There is an overall theme of blessings and curses. Climaxing in, “A right relationship with the Seed of Abraham [that] will bring blessings, but a wrong one will result in cursings.” (Fruchtenbaum)

Its purpose is about the sovereign creator of all; the covenant keeping God of Israel; the historical and theological basis of Israel as the chosen people.

The Son of God, appears, as the Lord walking in the garden, as the promise of salvation (Gen 3:15), as the Angel of God (Gen 16:7, 16:13, 22:11-12, 31:11-13), and as typology through figures such as Adam, and Melchizedek.

I will quickly touch on the remaining books of the Torah.

Exodus

Called by the first words on the scroll: “These are the names”.

Exodus begins with a “a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph” (Ex. 1:8), the deliverance of and raising of Moses, and speedily into the demonstration of God’s mighty power through national deliverance from slavery, the sea crossing, creation of Israel as a nation at Sinai, to the Lord descending upon the newly construction tabernacle in the wilderness.

Robert Alter describes Exodus as “a national epic.”

The pressure of events shape the people, which forms identity and purpose, yet they still required a collection of instructions covering all of life, that form an institution.

Leviticus

The first words on the third scroll we call Leviticus are: “And he called”.

The 27 chapters consists of Israel’s laws regarding offerings, sacrifices, and the festivals.

Leviticus is the centre piece of the Torah, that includes blood atonement.

Pawson would show how Genesis and Deuteronomy as book ends, had universal implications, Exodus and Numbers either side focuses on the national aspect, and Leviticus the tribal.

Numbers

The Book of Numbers, the fourth scroll begins, “In the wilderness”, which is appropriate as it covers the 40 years the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness toward the promised land.

It contains a census of the people of Israel, which is why we call it Numbers; further laws, the grumbling against leadership, hostile peoples, hopes and disappointments, judgement, and prophecy – the Oracles of Balaam.

Deuteronomy

“These are the words”, Deuteronomy begins. The name Deuteronomy is from two Greek words meaning “second law.” Not that it was a second law, but a second giving of the law.

Deuteronomy is a recapitulation of themes and grand story of Torah, giving more weight to the three previous books, as an apt conclusion. Those born in the wilderness wouldn’t have experienced all of the journey, so looking over the Jordan, before his departure, Moses addresses the people of Israel with the message of this book that will impact the hearts and minds of the younger generation who will enter the land. It also describes the transition of national and priestly leadership.

Deuteronomy contains striking lists of blessings and curses in the final chapters.

Summary of Torah

The Five books of Moses should be considered as a compound one.

Those who say Moses couldn’t have possibly written all of the Torah focus on two reasons. Firstly, the history of Genesis which includes creation through to the Joseph’s death ends hundreds of years before his birth. Secondly, Deuteronomy ends with the death of Moses. This is easily explained. In that period documents of family generations were important and passed down. God will have preserved the history through oral tradition and possibly pictorial writing, adding to Moses extreme clarity of thought. As students of the scriptures who believe in divine inspiration, we learn that, “He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.” (Ps. 103:7); He proclaims what the “Lord had commanded” (Deut. 1:3). “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (Ex. 33:11). It’s possible that Moses compiled as master editor the bulk of Genesis, but equally God could have dictated the creation account, and prophecy of his own death. The prophets often used past tense, the “prophetic perfect”, a literary technique to signify the certainty of future events.

Plus, Jesus and the biblical authors said Moses wrote it (Matt 8:4, 19:8; Mark 12:26; Luke 16:31, 24:27, 24:44; John 5:46; 7:19, 7:22; Acts 3:22, 15:1, 38:23; Rom 10:5, 10:19; 1 Cor 9:9; 2 Cor 3:15).

Alter says, “these Five Books are chiefly an account of the origins and definition of the nation from its first forebears who accepted a covenant with God to the moment when the people stands on the brink of entering the Promised Land” (Robert Alter).

Israel is central to the narrative beginning with the foundational books: The election of patriarchs and the exodus of a people unto the formation of a nation.

With that said. Let’s open the first scroll, “In the beginning”.

Day One

Something Spoken from Nothing

The story of history begins with seven ancient Hebrew words, in English: “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.” God who exists eternally “from everlasting to everlasting” (Ps 90:2), spoke the universe into existence. The English word universe is testament to those first seven synoptic words: Uni meaning one or single, together with the word verse, meaning a spoken sentence – a single spoken sentence.

God’s word is plenty powerful to create the universe. By implication God creates out of nothing by His Word (see also Ps. 33:3-9; Ps. 148:5; Prov 8:22-27). God speaking into existence, is prophetic of the momentary future, with power to make it happen immediately. It tells us he’s a God who both speaks and acts. He speaks and it is done. He “calls into existence the things that do not exist.” (Rom. 4:17). I thoroughly enjoy learning from books, but there is power in the spoken word. Indeed, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words” of scripture (Rev 1:3).

Accompanying the spoken word of God the Father, Isaiah would later reveal that God declared, “it was my hands” (45:12) too. Whose hands? God the Son, pre-incarnate Jesus who according to John was equally involved in creation saying, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3). Paul agreed, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth” (Col 1:16; cf. Heb. 1:2).

Verse one to verse two moves speedily from God’s cosmic view to the surface level of the earth, the focal point of his creation. The mighty Spirit (ruach) of God alongside, “hovering over the face of the waters” poised in power to help and sustain.

In the beginning (time–past, present, future), the One God, Father, Son, and Spirit, created the heavens (space–height, width, depth) and the earth (matter–solid, liquid, gas), which ought to come into existence simultaneously. The triune God conceived the trinity of trinities of existence in ways we cannot fathom, but in a way, he wishes to express in plain terms.

The universe then had a beginning. Contrasting Mesopotamian creation stories written prior to the account of Moses, the God of the Bible has no beginning. While science struggles with answering how non-life can arise from nothing, and how life came from non-life, Genesis 1 answers with – a creator. God is the First Cause. This declares that life has meaning. A creator creates for purpose. Without a creator God there is no meaning. Life on earth is not down to random chance.

Genesis provides the necessary “need to know” breakdown of the six days in which he created. The order of which is to teach us his ways, plans, and the very essence of who He is. Too often, do I hear the false dichotomy that the creation story is about the who or the why not the how. If this is true, why is he awfully specific about how he created it? The how is tremendously important. If you miss it, you miss the character he is portraying of himself and the roadmap of the grand narrative ahead. The authorial intention was theological and historical – who, why, how, and so what.

No Room for Magic

If you study commentaries on Genesis 1 with any sort of depth, it will not be long before you come across Mesopotamian mythology, that I just alluded to. This ancient literature includes Assyrian, Babylonian, and Sumerian, creation epics such as the Atra-Hasis and Enuma Elish. They supplied religious and political backbone to societies, describing mythical gods and elevating heroic people to legendary status.

Pagan epics portray gods within the forces of nature. From the first verse, the bible sharply distinguishes God as pre-existent creator of nature leaving “no room for magic in the religion of the Bible.” (Sarna) When God speaks, he is not performing magic, which like the pagan worldview is a “nature-god” manipulating nature through “voice”, but a God independent of nature that is subject to his every breath. Those who foolishly succumb to the seduction of dark magic, call upon demons to manipulate nature. They fail to recognise that they themselves are being manipulated by the evil one. All of this remains within a closed-system: creation calling upon creation to manipulate creation to impress creation. The bible pulls away from the idolatry of magic, and points to the self-existent Creator God who doesn’t just move things around, manipulating will, but creates from nothing.

Misinterpretation of Verse Two

Without Form and Void

Verse two is frequently misinterpreted. It does not convey chaotic scenes as if God brought about an unruly situation through which he calls to order.

Firstly, the Hebrew expression, “The earth was without form and void [tohu va-vohu]” simply means that God had created the raw materials which for a moment were somewhat shapeless and unpopulated. Not wild and disorderly. The land being material mass was in some basic form positioned under the water, and therefore not void as in empty space. Furthermore, the only other use of this expression found in Jeremiah 4:23 refers to the uncultivated and uninhabited land of Israel. Thus, the translation “without form and void” speaks of a mass in a stage that is not yet fully formed and prior to it being fruitful.

The Face of the Deep

1. Connection to Ancient Epics

Secondly, commentators place weight on supposed symbolism within the closing words of the verse: “darkness was over the face of the deep.” Leaning on ancient extra-biblical influence, they point to the dark, deep water, connecting it with disorder, evil sea monsters, and specifically Satan. The Israelites may have been aware of antecedent pagan creation epics, such as the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation myth, and legitimate connections between the “deep” water and Satan can be drawn throughout the scriptures, however on this occasion it does not fit the context.

Briefly, the word “darkness” although symbolic of evil is not always meant that way. Light had not be created yet - does that mean God who is holy was not there. No, it is simply picturing the moment – it was dark.

Let’s turn to the word “deep” waters.

a. Tehom as Tiamat

i. Tehom is not personified

It has been claimed that the deep of Gen 1:2 (Hebrew: Tehom) is a form Tiamat, the name of the Assyrian/Babylonian goddess of salt-water associated with chaos. Sarna writes, “It must be remembered… this combat myth, once fully developed, appears in a very attenuated and fragmentary form in the biblical sources and the several allusions have to be pieced together into some kind of coherent unity.”[1] He goes on to say, “the Hebrew term Tehom is never used with the definite article, something that is characteristic of proper names.” Hamilton concurs: “The deep of Gen. 1 is not personified, and in no way is it viewed as some turbulent, antagonistic force.” Again Wenham, declares: “the word [Tehom, for deep] תהום is not an allusion to the conquest of Tiamat as in the Babylonian myth.”

ii. Satan did not rebel during creation week

If you crowbar a rebellious persona into verse 2, you are saying the rebellion of angelic beings occurred during the creation week. But as we will discover, Satan and the host of heaven are obedient to God until after the creation week. God said to Job, “when I laid the foundation of the earth... all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:3,7; c.f. Luke 2:13-14).

b. Without a persona, is God battling waves of the deep?

i. God is Hovering – caring/affection not battling.

If the source of this so called chaos is not a persona, is God battling the forces of nature that he’s just created and in control of? Sarna says “all notion of the connection between creation and cosmic battles was banished from Genesis with extreme care. The idea of strife and tension between God and nature is unthinkable. To emphasize the point, the words ‘and it was so’ are repeated after each divine fiat.” The Spirit of God is described in verse three as “hovering over the face of the waters”, not battling with evil chaos. “Hovering” is applied elsewhere in scripture as parental affection and covering (Dt 32:11).

Wenham says, “there is no hint in the biblical text that the deep was a power, independent of God, which he had to fight to control.”

ii. Contradiction of terms – Pagan worldview vs Biblical

Furthermore, the concept of God dwelling with chaotic matter before the completion of creation would be a “contradiction of terms.”(Hamilton). The God of the bible is a God of order not chaos. It is not in his character to bring about a natural state of watery chaos: order is natural, chaos is cursed nature.

Job 38[:4-11] describes the precision and care of creation like an architect and craftsman. It refers to laying “the foundation of the earth”, “its measurements”, a “stretched the line upon it”, a “cornerstone”, “the sea with doors”, “clouds its garment” (4-9). This not a builder who dumps a load of material on site before he starts forming it, and people walking past thinking “wow, that looks a chaotic mess”. No, this an engineer who is carefully measuring, laying the foundations, furnishing etc. He shaped the mountains (Proverbs 8:25), “he established the fountains of the deep” (Proverbs 8:28) “he marked out the foundations of the earth… like a master workman” (Proverbs 8:30).

The ancient epics are written from a pagan worldview of the cosmos whereby the underlying themes are of conflict of a multiplicity of gods linked to powers of nature. A pantheon of gods contending for alpha-god, one lording power over the others through violence. The Enuma Elish, describes antagonistic forces that accounts for the specific formation of creation. Sarna says: “The book of Genesis has no direct reference to the notion of creation in terms of a struggle. Indeed, the very idea is utterly alien to the whole atmosphere of the narrative.” Satan has inspired false creation accounts to suggest he was there as forces of nature before his time hoping to be credited for the form of the cosmos. We should guard from these falsehoods.

c. Ancient Epics Influence on Moses and polemical response

Educated in Pharaoh’s household, Moses must have been familiar with ancient creation myths. But even if he knew nothing of them, today some would still comment on the similarities and assume he borrowed aspects, or was referencing a hidden meaning in pagan literature, because the Hebrew bible was written afterwards. The reality is that Satan twisted the truth to manipulate people groups. Later Moses is given the truth directly from God, not a partial adaptation of Satanic versions - it polemically rebuts and exposes the folly of them. In fact, the whole creation account like much of scripture is a polemic of ancient, present, and future societal thought void of God.

We should read ancient myths in light of the bible not the other way around. We do consider the availability of non-biblical ancient texts, but the chronological order does not matter in the same way biblical books relate. The Bible is not attempting to compete with comic books, but rather cutting through twisted narratives with truth. There is no conflict, no rivals of the supreme creator. The ancient Hebrews will have viewed the oceans as terrifyingly deep and turbulent. But is not that the point? Moses is saying these terrifying waters were once orderly created by our God and who is still in control.

Personally, I think the influence of ancient creation epics on the human author is overplayed, and the inspiration of the divine author underplayed.

2. Biblical motifs

In terms of biblical motifs, there are dubious connections, as well as clear-cut ones.

a. Mis-connections

i. “the deep that crouches beneath”

Two phrases are popularly connected with the “deep” of Genesis 1:2, raising sinister associations. Firstly, “the deep that crouches beneath” of Genesis 49 is in the context of Jacob blessing his sons, in particular Joseph.

“by the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.” (Genesis 49:25)

He is not blessed by a wicked persona of the deep but blessed from all ends of creation. Hamilton translates it “the bounty of heaven above, the bounty of the deep that crouches below, the bounty of breast and womb”

Similarly, the same phrase used in Deuteronomy 33, is in the context Moses blessing the twelve tribes, in particular the tribe of Joseph.

“And of Joseph he said, ‘Blessed by the Lord be his land, with the choicest gifts of heaven above, and of the deep that crouches beneath’” (Deu 33:13).

Again, the tribe is not blessed by a wicked persona of the deep. Peter C. Craigie explains, “The deep lying beneath is a poetic description of the subterranean waters which were believed to be the source of springs and rivers, which in turn watered the land and contributed to its fertility.” The deep was counted as a blessing.

ii. “the deep gave forth its voice”

Another phrase called upon in support of the chaos theory, (as I call it), is from Habakkuk 3. The context is a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, which poetically pictures Jesus as the returning warrior:

“The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their place” (Hab 3:10-11a)

Here Habakkuk personifies aspects of creation, so some say nature is the picture of God’s enemies. But verse 8 is evident that the Lord is not angry at the river or sea. Habakkuk is depicting nature’s subjection to Jesus upon his return. His commands move mountains, the sea roars – it “gave forth its voice”, the sun and moon obedient as in the day of Gibeon. Michael Rydelnik would agree. In fact I believe this is talking about the second version of the red-sea crossing to come.

We can safely dismiss those passages as support for the chaos theory.

b. Legitimate Connections

i. Rahab, Dragon, Sea

The Bible speaks of Rahab (distinct from the prostitute of the Canaanite city of Jericho) who is behind the powers of Egypt (Ps 87:4; Is 30:7) and is connected with the dragon and the deep sea who are defeated by the Lord in an eschatological battle (Psalm 89:8-10; Isa. 51:9-10; Job 9:13; 26:12–13).

ii. Leviathan, Serpent, Sea

There is a figure called “Leviathan the twisting serpent” connected with “the dragon that is in the sea” (Isa. 27:1; c.f. Ps. 74:13-14; Job 3:8). Revelation speaks of a beast with seven heads that rises out the sea. (Rev 13:1). In chapters 12 and 20, it says the great dragon, the ancient serpent, is the devil and Satan (Rev 12:9, 20:2).

There is symbolic connection with Rahab, the dragon, Leviathan, and Satan, and the deep sea. But this is post-creation days, post fall of man and fall of Satan. We shouldn’t pry Satan back into Gen 1:2 and call it chaos. Quite the opposite. It was calm and majesty, though powerful. Later Satan would stir up chaos, be associated with the deep, that God will one day tame again. I don’t see a foreshadowing of chaos to order in Genesis 1 – it cannot be.

Hamilton asserts: “The biblical writers deliberately use these mythical allusions not in the setting of creation, but in the context of redemption. There is no evil inherent in the world that God has made. Where is evil conquered? In creation? No! Rather, evil and chaos and disruption are conquered within time, in the redemption of God’s people.”

3. Conclusion

So, in Genesis 1:2 the Deep is not personified; Satan is still obedient at this point; As we’ll find out in a moment, if Satan is linked to sea-monsters – sea-monsters were not created until day five; the Spirit of God is depicted as affectionately covering the waters; It’s a contradiction of terms; It’s a polemic of pagan accounts; there are fewer dots throughout the scriptures than we often connect; and legitimate biblical motifs should not be fired back into creation account with a pagan arrow.

Verse two of creation is the continuation of a beautiful picture of God perfectly and lovingly, ordering materials, not subduing chaos. A plain reading of verse two means that He creates materials in basic form and then shaped and ordered them ready to be populated.

I appreciate I’ve laboured the point, but many people are misinterpreting and running with it, and publishing books and videos, we should correct each other where necessary.

The relationship of verses 1-3

Various views have developed as to how to translate the first three verses. The original Hebrew (and early Aramaic) manuscripts were written not only without vowels (as common in modern Hebrew) but without punctuation too. The key question is, how does verse one relate to the text that follows?

The first three verses can be seen to flow together as one spoken unit depicting the continuous and rhythmic process of creation. For some time Jewish interpreters have read the first three sentences as one long sentence. For example, the first two verses can be seen composed of dependant clauses, with verse three as the main clause. It can therefore be translated:

“In the beginning of God’s creating the sky and the (dry) land—while the land was (still) uninhabitable and unproductive, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters—God said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light.”[2]

Robert Alter also translates the three as one: “When God began to create heaven and earth,…”

As Hamilton points out, “the result is an unusually long, rambling sentence”. What’s more, is that Alter’s translation of verse one (and similar constructions), as Hamilton puts it “is the equivalent of the first two lines of Enuma elish”. Considering the creation account is a polemic, I doubt God would render it almost identically. It opens the door to something existing before verse 1 (such as chaotic matter dwelling with God – which I trust we’ve debunked), rather than creatio ex nihilo: creation out of nothing. There is no doubt in my mind, that creation had an absolute beginning as a direction creation of God, which is described in verse one.

Discussion pivots around whether the opening word bereishit is in the absolute state, is an intermediate noun, or the constructive state, which determines its trajectory.

Translations are determined somewhat by theology. To a degree they are an interpretation. There are those who hold various theologies that require a time gap to be inserted between verse one and two. Some require of a long-time gap to fit their theory of evolution. Others desire a short time gap (within the day even) for the fall of Satan to take place, appealing to Ezekiel 28 – Fruchtenbaum takes this position for example, though he does affirm 24 hour days. I will demonstrate in a future session why I don’t believe Ezekiel 28 is referring to Satan, but also that passage is referring to Garden of Eden, which had not been created at this stage and the earth was entirely under water – hence formless and void. Neither gap is necessary. Some translators are genuinely pursuing the truthful construct, influenced by their theological assumptions, others seeking to vindicate their own pet theories. Rydelnik argues, “it is impossible to infer any historical “gap” between any of the clauses in these three verses.”[3]

Reviewing the historical positions, Gordon Wenham explains to some length the reasons he prefers to translate verse 1 as the, “main clause describing the first act of creation. Vv 2 and 3 describe the subsequent phases in God’s creative activity.” He notes that this was, “the standard view from the third century B.C.” In agreement, Hamilton suggests verse one should be translated as an independent clause (a main clause, and therefore its own sentence) with the traditional breaks providing three verses, and this fits the overall style of the chapter. As does the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) and most English translations favour the three-verse division, which should be read chronologically, viewed as activity within the first day of creation, without insertion of our own ideas.

What is evident, is a musical and poetic tempo to the creation account. “God is the soloist; the narrator is the accompanist.”(Hamilton) But do not confuse the artistic nature with a pleasant story detached from reality. Genesis is history. It may not be a science textbook (and thank goodness as they change), but it is scientifically accurate. And its precision of word placement has dazzled commentators for millennia.

Light

On day one of history, having brought about a starting point that ticks forward, and a volume in which he placed raw materials consisting largely of water, God spoke and created light, positioning it from an all-encompassing brightness to become more focused. This separation of light from darkness means God can now see the beauty of the light.

Before the separation, God saw and declared the status of the light as “good”. If you insert chaos before this, you are forced to insert two additional status points into the creation account, namely, good and then chaotic bad, before God declared it good. Personally, I’ll stick with God’s quality-controlled declarations.

Jewish rabbis coined the Hebrew expression, Shechinah Gory, which means “he caused to dwell,” denoting the presence or dwelling of the Lord God on the earth. Could it be said this light signified the Shechinah Gory? The intention of God from the moment of his first recorded words, was to dwell on earth with people, the status of which would be good.

Light would become symbolic of life, deliverance, the law of God, communing with God, the essence of God (Ex 10:23; Psalm 56:14; Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 9:1; Prov 6:23; John 1:4–5; 1 John 1:5).

Paul would go to say: “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ”. (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Echoing the creation account, John writes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5). In the first chapter of John’s Gospel Jesus is, “the Word” (3), “the Light” (4), the “only Son from the Father” (14). Two chapters later he says, “the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19) Works done unto the Lord are done with the inner light and under the light of Messiah, and declared good. It was His light in the first place, and so He takes the credit for any of our “good” works.

Through Isaiah God says, “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” (Isa 45:7). Interesting that God declares the light good before it is separated from darkness – prophetic of the future story – light was universal and declared good, before darkness entered the world when light would become distinct and limited. That does not mean the reality of darkness in and of itself is wicked, but that he created light and darkness to set up symbols to represent well-being and calamity or good and evil or blessing and judgement etc. There is no calamity in the creation account, but symbols that would help demonstrate spiritual, moral, and divine realities.

Isaiah for example would later write: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1). A hint to the light of Messiah who will rise upon Israel.

The separation of light from darkness is the first of five separations, all of which speak of light or water. The process of separation is “synonymous with divine election (Lev 20:24; Num 8:14; Deut 4:41; 10:8; 1 Kgs 8:53)”.[4] Later, Israel would learn to distinguish between or separate “the holy and the common… the unclean and the clean” (Lev. 10:10). Light is elected to live under and be guided by; the waters above (aside from encapsulating the universe) include the rain that provides drinking water. To divide and distinguish, means he is the law giver. Created laws that uphold the divisions. Who dare confuse them?

In an expression of his supreme authority God gives light and dark the names, day and night. Naming is part of the separating, defining roles and purpose.

Creation happens in light. God does not require the sun to illuminate his work. The creating of light anticipates the creation of the heavenly lights. The formation of light created a shadowy darkness upon one side of the matter preparing the way for sleep patterns, agricultural cycles and so forth.

Sleep patterns are a gift from God giving us rest. For one third of our lives we are unconscious to the world around us. They remind us that we are weak without the Creator and Sustainer of all. In his mercy he curtails the day’s accumulation of sin, “my shepherd… makes me lie down… He restores my soul” (Ps 23:1,3), to rest our mind, tongue, body. We lie down each night only to be raised in power and strength.

On the first day we read there was “evening and morning”, so the unformed earth had begun to spin in some fashion at this point. Rotating eastward means the Sun would rise in the east. The scriptures point to a spherical earth. Solomon wrote: “The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises” (Ecclesiastes 1:5). Isaiah indicates God’s dwelling in relation to the sphere or circle of the earth: “It is he who sits above the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). God set the Earth's axial tilt which may have been somewhat less than the 23.4° today, that would generate seasons.

Evening came before morning because the darkness preceded light. This set forth the pattern of the day beginning with evening before the morning. Unlike days in the Gregorian calendar which start and end at midnight, God’s calendar days are determined by sundown to sundown, hence the morning is really in the middle of the day. God worked in the day and not at night. This sets up the pattern for the working week.

A literary pattern can be seen throughout genesis 1 that describe the stages of each creation.

1.       Announcement: “God said”;

2.       Commanding word: “let there be”;

3.       Fulfilment: “and it was so/and there was”;

4.       Description of execution: “and God separated/made/set” “so God created”;

5.       Approval: “God saw… good”;

6.       Naming or blessing: “and God called/blessed”;

7.       Concluding formula with day number: “there was evening and morning, day…”

It is conceivable this seven-fold pattern was followed throughout each creative work, or each day of creation, though only verses 3-5 (on day one) include all stages of the seven standard formulae in simple sequence. The seventh day did not include creative acts but if a different kind of seven-fold formulae was employed, we would have 7 x 7 = 49 stages which should make us think of the Jubilee and Pentecost. We can see several similar elements including: 1. Announcement of ceasing from work: “God finished his work”; 3. “that he had done” (x3); 4. Description of implementation: “and he rested/God rested”; 6. Blessing: “So God blessed”; 7. Day number (x3): “the seventh day”; 4/5. Description of execution and declaring it holy: “and made it holy”;

This is something I’ve pondered, but I’m not aware of anyone making the connection - We could be seeing something that isn’t there, but it’s certainly interesting and would be unsurprising from the God of logic, maths, time, and musicality.

Day Two

On day two God created an expanse separating “the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse” (1:7). In this way God “stretched out the heavens” (Job 9:8, c.f. Isa 42:5, 44:24, 51:13; Jer 10:12, 51:15; Zech 12:1) and laid the foundations of the earth, thus, defining “the water planet” with space between it and the outer cosmic waters. When NASA announces discoveries of water deposits on other planets, it should come as no surprise to those who understand that not only “the earth was formed out of water and through water” (2 Peter 3:5) but the entire cosmos.

This vast space between earth’s waters and the outer waters of the universe are called heavens plural. Deuteronomy describes the expanse as the “heaven and the heaven of heavens” (Deut 10:14). Our atmosphere would be the inner or first heaven (sometimes translated sky) in which the birds fly (Gen 1:20; 2:19; Dan. 2:38). The expanse we refer often to as space, a secondary heaven. And an outer or third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2) beyond that, which I’m sure God keeps clear from our telescopes – as we’ll find out, for good reason, God dwells there. The “waters above” which are not mentioned again, encapsulate the “three-story”[5] universe.

In separating the waters God moved from a compressed expanse and stretched it out to create a plurality of heavens.

Isaiah 42 says he “created the heavens and stretched them out” (Isaiah 42:5)

Chapter 44 says “who alone stretched out the heavens” (Isa 44:24)

Ps. 104 says “stretching out the heavens like a tent” (Ps. 104:2)

Stretching like a tent – a cosmic tabernacle readied for God to dwell within.

The use of Hebrew word for expanse throughout the scriptures is particularly interesting:
“an expanse like the outward appearance of awesome ice” (Ezekiel 1:22 LEB)
“an expanse, shining like awe-inspiring crystal, spread out” (Ezekiel 1:22 ESV)
“shine like the brightness of the expanse” (Dan 12:3 LEB)
“Can you, like him, spread out the skies [expanse], hard as a cast metal mirror?” (Job 37:18 ESV)

I prefer the word expanse but can be translated as firmament or vault. The LEB translates the expanse in Genesis 1 as a “vaulted dome” (LEB).

The Hebrew word rakia comes from the Hebrew root raka which means to spread out (or stretch like we just read in Isaiah) or trample, stamp out, beat out:

“They hammered out thin sheets of gold” (Ex. 39:3)
“made into hammered plates as a covering for the altar” (Num 16:38)
“gilded leafing plating” (Num 16:38 LEB)
“a goldsmith overlays it with gold” (Isa 40:19)
“Beaten silver” (Jer 10:9)

Proverbs 8 reads: “When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above” (Prov 8:27-28a). God defines the circle or spherical shape of the water planet, and then firms up the heavens.

The expanse then, is connected with firming up, working hard like metal, polishing it bright, shiny, like a mirror, or ice crystal. The outer waters God separated could be a canopy of water that encapsulates the universe. An encapsulated expanse with a shimmering, hammed, outer layer of ice.

It is these kinds of insight that help build your worldview of the comic tabernacle we dwell within.

The separation of waters is the second separation after light. The vertical parting of waters to bring forth new creation foreshadows the horizontal parting of the waters on day three and in turn, the parting of the waters in Exodus account, which in turn foreshadows a future separation of waters unto the formation of a special creation.

With the outer heavens in place, God’s heavenly abode from day two and onwards is now a possibility.

The approval aspect of the seven-fold formulae is missing in the passage. Perhaps as Wenham suggests because the waters were not fully separated until the following day. Or could the heavenly temple be in the process of being built and wasn’t appropriate for an approval mid-build?

God is pictured as a potter, spreading out the sky (Job 37:18), and next he will spread out the earth (Ps 136:6, Isa 42:5;44:24). The author moves from heavens throne to the abode for man to reflect on earth. All the elements are ready to be shaped.

Day Three

“And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.” (Gen 1:9)

On day three God gathers the waters on our planet together to “let the dry land appear.” This is the third separation – the water parting for new creation on the land.

It does not mean the dry land was all in one place with one sea that surrounded it - verse 10 says “seas” plural. There were shapes of continents and islands for man to explore. There is a spreading out, creating mountain ranges and valleys, some of which would become lakes, and so forth. Although it would look somewhat different from our post-flood world today.

Scripture is adamant that God alone created: Isaiah says, “who spread out the earth by myself” (Isa 44:24; cf. Isa 42:5).

The tools we use, the jewellery, cars, phones, planes, it is easy to forget the work of God in these first few days of creation. God has enriched the earth with elements, metals, precious stones, for man to discover, make and build with, and fill the earth with His glory.

Naturally, we tend to focus on the land but we mustn’t forget the seas. In the context of creation Psalm 33 says – “He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.” (Ps. 33:7). It’s his storehouses to do as he pleases. Seas are like giant reservoirs, storehouses that God can use to bless people and judge people. A deep world for fish life, and mankind to explore.

The bible refers to ocean springs:

“Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?” Job 38:16

“he established the fountains of the deep” (Prov 8:28)

It wasn’t until the 1960’s that man discovered springs on the sea floor. It seems that God also houses giant stores of water under the sea floor to use as and when he pleases.

Psalm 104 poetically depicts aspects of creation. Verse 6-9 describes the spreading out the earth:

You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
At your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you appointed for them.
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they might not again cover the earth. (Ps 104:6-9)

God covers the earth with a garment of water. A garment protects, provides, and is designed to precisely fit. The relationship between land and sea is not out of control, prominent in modern thought. The land is rises or sinks to its appointed place. The seas have set boundaries.

The land and water work together to support life:

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. (Ps. 104:10-13)

The land he calls earth. The waters he calls seas. The naming reveals God’s continual and direct authority over. This is the last time he will name anything. From here on he will cease to name. Man will be given that authority to name.

After this first work on day three, once again, he declares his creation as good.

In a second creative act, God commands a covering for the earth with “vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit”. He clothes the earth with greenery. This covering also provides a home with food in abundance. There is essentially three divisions of vegetation – grass and grain, herbs and vegetation, fruit trees. Although because the first listed is a broader term for vegetation, followed by two types or representatives that are then defined/qualified, some argue only two divisions are referred to.

The plants and trees that are self-propagating are edible for man. Hamilton says, “The former bear their seeds externally and the latter bears theirs internally, inside the fruit.” God has given them the capacity to reproduce. I’m inclined to go with three divisions, two of which are then made distinct because they qualify for cultivation and consumption, as man is the focus. Also grass and grain and such like must have been created at some point, so it makes sense here within the broader term of the first mention on day three.

They would “sprout… each according to its kind”. Ten times the word kind is used in Genesis 1 – God is dogmatic about distinctions between kinds. Within vegetation there is distinct separation of kinds. DNA would allow for variation of species, but each is limited to its kind, or family group.

Psalm 104 says:

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are very great!
You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
covering yourself with light as with a garment (Ps 104:1-2a)

God covers himself with “light as with a garment” and he does unto men as he does to himself. He covers above their heads with a garment of light and there surrounds with a garment of water, and a garment of vegetation.

For the third time in the week, and for the first time a second approval of the day, he declares his creation good.

Creation Symmetry

There is a pattern and symmetry to the creation week signalling that both context and form of the text matters.

The first three days provide the realms to be occupied over the following three days. Day one provides universal space (which will be expanded on day two) to be occupied on creation day four. Day two provides the atmospheric heaven and ocean realms for the flying and sea creatures on day five. And finally, day three provides the earthly/land realm to be occupied on day six.

Within the symmetry there is also a connection between the materials of creation. Light created on day one is assigned to the heavenly lights on day four. The air and water created on day two necessary for life forms on day five. Vegetation on day three will be food and furnishing for man and animals created on day six.

We can see also that the first half of the working week has four creative acts and so too the second half has four creative acts. What is more, day one and day two each has one creative act followed by day three with two creative acts. In the same pattern, day four and five each has one creative act followed by day six with two creative acts.

It reveals something about authorial intention. Musical rhythms of the creation account are precise and behold ordered beauty, and beauty of order.

Wenham notes the chiastic pattern through the first section of the creation week – 1:1:2:3. Although the English verse 1:1 begins “God,” “created,” “heavens and earth”, the Hebrew is ordered, “created,” “God,” “heavens and earth.”  And at the end of the week, it is reversed: “heavens and earth” (2:1), “God” (2:2), “created” (2:3). A reflection within the wording – illustrating the reflection of man and his kingdom, to God and the heavenly kingdom.

Seen in the creative acts, the text also revels two poles, heaven and earth, like heaven coming to earth and remaining entwined.

So we have starting at the top with day 1 down to day 6:

heaven
heaven
earth
heaven
earth
earth

Day Four

Day four is halfway of the week – with three days either side.

The space that was created on day one, which was then expanded on day two is now filled with a beautiful array of galaxies.

On day four God creates the sun (taking up the task from the light on day one), moon, and stars placing them in the mid-heavens to be seen on earth. As well as the immediate bodies that circle the earth, God created all the planets and their constellations. Genesis categorises them together as “lights” or luminaries. This group together functions a threefold purpose: “to separate the day from the night”; “be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years” (Gen 1:14); to Illuminate the earth - “to give light upon the earth.” (15)

Verses 17-18 is a clear summary: “And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.” (17-18)

We see a three-fold function that is reflected from verse 14 to 18: divide, rule, give light, each mentioned twice, mirroring one another.

Within the function of ruling there are three categories: Heavenly signs, festal seasons, days and years. Signs can be further categorised.

In Genesis 1 the sun is referred to as the “greater light” and the moon is referred to as the “lesser light”. Hamilton explains that the Hebrew names for sun and moon are “very similar in other Semitic languages” often representing mythical divinities. Therefore, God refuses to name them (at least in the Genesis record) and following suit the author does not use the typical Hebrew words for sun and moon found elsewhere in the OT. The message is clear. Man is not to personify or deify them. Contrasting creation myths of the day of authorship, the created lights should point to the creator. They are not to be worshipped or be served by man, but to serve man.

While it names the stars, it does so as an aside or anti-climax: “—and the stars.” This contrasts the Babylonian creation myth that held the stars as the highest rank followed by the moon then sun – the opposite order. God is making a polemical point – these myths are false. The Genesis account is the truth. Worship none but me.

The vastness of galaxies would not only instil an awe and fear of our creator but also be a tool for telling the story and attest to God’s active part in redemptive history. In his loving kindness, foreknowing that sin would wreck his relationship with man, he set the stage of creation with the capacity to signpost his plan of restoration.

These lights in space which “he gives to all of them their names” (Ps. 147:4) form what we call today the zodiac from the Greek words living-circle (or circle animals). The zodiac contains fixed pictures in the sky controlled only by God’s “laws of the heavens” (Job 38:31-33). There are twelve main pictures in the constellations that show throughout the year that would be “signs” for those on earth. In his infinite wisdom, each formation a picture-story, signalling a message of the necessary steps of episodes before ultimate redemption, “declaring the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10). The twelve pictures that form a continuous circle around the earth are: a woman, a pair of scales, a scorpion, an archer, a goat-fish, a man holding a cauldron, two fish, a lamb, an ox, twin boys, a crab, and a lion. The story to watch for then, begins with a woman, and ends with a lion.

As the earth is set in motion, these stick pictures swipe from east to west. In the day, the sun illuminates the atmosphere, clothing the picture, obscuring the stars during the day. Due to precession, the constellations shift a tiny amount each year relative to our seasons. It is a divine clock with built in precession. From the beginning God is speaking, broadcasting across the skies for all humanity. Excuses will be found wanting.

That man and Satan have since twisted the meaning of the pictures in the sky (such as horoscopes), Christian’s today are wary of any messages in the stars. I want to make it abundantly clear – stay away from horoscopes and such like – it will poison you. At the same time, like all reactionary theology, we’ve made the mistake to say the sky means nothing. For this reason, we are missing God’s biggest billboard, aired nightly. Listen to the words of David’s psalm: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.”( Ps. 19:1-2) Genesis is clear: they are to serve us with signs that point to his blueprint.

Consider these words in the book of Job:

“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades
or loose the cords of Orion?
Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth [constellations] in their season,
or can you guide the Bear with its children?
Do you know the ordinances of the heavens?
Can you establish their rule on the earth? (Job 38:31-33)

Within the subdivision of Signs, we could say there are three categories: Daily/nightly signs – zodiac at night, daily navigational use, and they are a sign of Israel’s perpetuity (Jer 31:35-36). Irregular but perhaps more expected signs - rainbow, storms. Special celestial signs - that mark an imminent event such as in Isaiah 38:7-8 when the lord gave a physical sign in the lights to signal he was about to fulfil a promise, or the sun stopped shinning when Jesus was on the cross (Luke 23:44-45), or the list of celestial eschatological signs.

As well as signs, the planetary systems make for seasons, and days and years – commentators agree days and years are connected and in the same grouping.

“Days” mean the earth, that spins on an axis, will rotate once in 24 hours. “Years” means the earth rotates around sun once a year. These lights/planets could now generate seasonal weather conditions, and mark time. Psalm 104 says,

He made the moon to mark the seasons;
the sun knows its time for setting.
You make darkness, and it is night, (ps. 104:19-20)

The seasons means agricultural cycles and the capacity for festivals. In facts seasons can be translated as “appointed times” or “fixed times” – which causes us think of the appointed feast days and periods given to Israel. Paul Beauchamp suggests that “by mentioning ‘fixed times’ [seasons] on the fourth day of creation, the author is hinting that Wednesday was often a day on which great festivals, and in particular, New Year’s Day, always fell.” If the original Jubilee calendar is considered it is a possibility.

God set the world in Motion from the season of new life, Spring. It would become the biblical new year given to Israel – The first of Aviv or Nisan (Ex. 12:1).

We take the makeup of the universe for granted. Imagine if there was no day or night, the weather the same each day, with no seasons, no rise and fall of tides from the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. It would be incredibly difficult to discern time, and daily, monthly, and yearly cycles. That God created it as such, confronts us with the fact that time is ticking, and we experience seasons, physically, agriculturally, spiritually, and it will not always be like this. They teach man about the cyclic nature of history (not in a Greek sense) but in a way God can teach us through foreshadows throughout redemptive history. Seasons teach us that pain and dark times are temporal, and the new life will come if we patiently endure. That a day is coming which will be unique, a fixed day that “will be a day unlike any other.” (Zech 14:7)

I don’t know about you but pictures of the galaxies provides me with a deep sense of awe. David as a shepherd boy would lay in fields watching the stars at night and would later write: “You have set your glory above the heavens… I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place” (Ps. 8:3).

All separation is done by day four – the mid-point. Separation distinguishes one from another, it means in God’s awesome power, he divides, selects, chooses, and prepares the way for new life, blessing, cultivation, responsibility.

First, we noted the black and white of day and night in day one. Then the blue of skies and seas, along with the browns and reds of the earth (littered with a glittering of metals and stones). The green clothing of the earth with grass, veg, trees. And now the greys of the moon, and yellow sun and stars to complete the rainbow. Man will soon add to the colour mix.

Day Five

For the sixth time of the week, day five begins with “God said” - He created the sea creatures and birds. Day five corresponds with day two. The vertical separation of the waters producing the sky, provides space for birds to fly, and the waters below the dwelling for the sea creatures.

Although translated birds, these flying creatures includes birds, bats, flying insect, pterodactyl and so forth. These fly “across the expanse of the heavens.” Or “across the face of the vaulted dome of heaven.” (LEB). Fly across the expanse, firmament, the vault – across the vault as the backdrop – the distant ice dome if you please. Of course, the outer dome is impossible to see, our atmosphere the inner heaven provides the colours of a painting.

The aquatic creatures are categorised into two groups – Firstly, large creatures: mammals or reptiles which includes whales, shark, crocodiles, large snakes, and “marine dinosaurs like the plesiosaur.” (Rydelnik) Sometimes translated as “great sea monsters” (NASB), the literal translation is “the great reptiles.”

These great creatures, as awe inspiring as they may be should not be worshiped. Other cultures worshipped great creatures such as the crocodile and the Leviathan (Is 27:1; Ps 74:14). Genesis is clear, “God created the great sea creatures” (1:21) to display his skill and might.

We touched on these great sea monsters who would become symbolic of beings who rebelled against God but in the same way light and dark are symbols, nothing was corrupted or competing for power at this time.  Hamilton asserts: “Genesis 1 does not even hint of a battle. The tannînim [sea monsters] are simply large creatures of the water and are created by God.”(p 130). Again, these powerful creatures do not depict chaos or battle. There was harmony. Psalm 148 says “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps” (Psalm 148:7).

To behold an awe and later a fear of these powerful creatures that could easily destroy us, apply then an infinite multiple to those emotions about the heavenly One who is infinitely more powerful and majestic and of whom the sea creatures are called to praise.

The second category were the shoals of smaller fish and creeping life along the bed. Pslam 104 says, “Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great (Ps. 104:25). An abundant realm for abundant life.

Again, they are created “according to their kinds” – distinct family kinds with variation of species but limited to their own kind. One kind cannot become another kind.

Having inspected and declared “it was good”, for the first time God speaks to somebody. Here we observe the first blessing (v22) telling them to be “fruitful and multiply”. The ESV uses the word “swarm” three times delivering an overtone of multiplication and fertility. He blesses and orders in that sequence. The blessing involves the capacity to reproduce and the order being the expansion of life that God sees as good.

Day Six: Land Animals

On day six God begins with creating the land animals. Three main groups of cattle (livestock – large domesticated quadrupeds), creeping and crawling things (mice, reptiles, insects, etc.), and all other beasts (wild animals) of the earth.

“Let the earth bring forth” suggests these living creatures were created out of the ground. The higher animals on day six and Adam were made from the ground, but for Adam the process will differ.

The term livestock indicates a tame group of animals which would remain with a tame nature throughout the generations – God’s provision and foresight even beyond sin.

Wild animals does not mean they have an aggressive disposition but an independence as opposed to tameable animals, useful for everyday tasks.

The creation of land animals includes all extinct animals including the dinosaur kinds. Our minds can rush to images of Jurassic Park, yet we must remind ourselves that God’s creatures lived in relative harmony and would not be hunting each other (or man) for food.

These land animals do not receive a direct blessing followed by an order or command like the flying and water creatures. It is reserved only for the first day of creating animate life (on day five) and human life (on day six). Perhaps the blessing of man covered the works of day six, or that man would be responsible for the population growth to ensure they were a help and not competition for dominance of the land.

The psalms once more show God has not haphazardly spread the earth out but made a fit for everything:

The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
The high mountains are for the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. (Ps 104:16-18)

Again, there is a reflection/ chiastic order within the passage:

Livestock and creeping things
  beasts of the earth
  beasts of the earth
Livestock and creeping things (“everything that creeps”, ESV)

Patterns within patterns, layers of literary beauty.

Before turning to the creation of Man. God declares his work as “good.”

Day Six: Man

Man is the climax of creation. The distinctiveness of humanity is emphasised. The earth was the focal point of his creation, and now man is the focus of his creation upon the earth.

Trinitarian creation of Man

The triune nature of God is seen in the creation of man.

Unlike his previous creative acts, in verse 26 there is an announcement in the first person God’s intention: “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). “Let us”, “in our”, “after our”. These plural pronouns make perfect sense when you understand the Godhead to encompass three persons.

Those who question the doctrine of the trinity, must ask who God was speaking to if not himself. At least six different explanations have been given, including, a mythical chief god speaking to lesser gods; God speaking to the earth; God singular speaking of himself and within himself in a plural of majesty; Self-deliberation of God; God speaking to the heavenly courts made up of angelic creatures; and of course, the proper Christian explanation, that “us” and “our” refer to the plurality of the Godhead.

I trust we do not need to refute the first four, so we’ll deal with the heavenly court.

Firstly, God created alone, and the created account is uninterested in angelology, so it could not be referring to the heavenly council. Frauchtembaum makes the point that when the angelic court is consulted, scripture tells us so, such as 1 King 22:19-23. If God was including a number of angelic creatures in the plural, then man would also be made in the image of them too. Angelic creatures radically vary in terms of appearance, capability, purpose, and so forth, therefore it is a guessing game who God is including, which then determines our reflected image.

The following verse underscores the process saying, “in his own image, in the image of God.” Here we see a use of him/his, rather than our/us. This shows the unity in the Godhead. But also making it abundantly clear man is created in the image of God (Elohim) and not the divine council (who are created beings).

Some may argue God was announcing to the divine council, rather than about them, therefore not including angelic beings in the plurality. But again, there is no clear reference to the council, and the account is starkly uninterested in angelology.

In terms of how aware Moses was of things he wrote – The creation account is unique – I would appeal to dictation from God, Moses did not have to completely understand each and every point of meaning and significance. Having said that, Moses had already mentioned the Holy Spirit in verse 2, so he could have been aware there were at least two persons in the Godhead, just from the text alone. The Israelites could have understood this, but they could not have grasped a heavenly council at this stage.

Hamilton explains: “most plausible to me, is the explanation that sees in the ‘us’ a plural of fullness or plurality within the Godhead.”

God the Father announced to the Son and Spirit, the Son created as a potter, and the Spirit helps, sustains, and invades man.

The creation of man is an extension of God’s love. If there is no plurality within the Godhead, who was loving who before creation without the company of three persons?

Created in the image of God

God moves from “Let there be” to “Let us make.” Humanity is the only creation act that is described as not just a verbal command but a physical creation. Something special is about to take place.

Genesis 1 provides a summary in one verse of God creating mankind:

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them. (v27)

Genesis two then gives more details about the steps creating the male and female. We will follow this pattern and look at the details of the following chapter in the session/section on the Garden of Eden.

“the image of God” is only used four times in the OT. The same Hebrew word for image can mean physical image or model or picture (1 Sam 6:5; Ezek. 16:17; Num 33:52). In Gen 5:3, Seth the son of Adam is “after his image”. “Image” in the Septuagint (the earliest Greek translation of the OT) is eikon which is where we get the word icon. God was the original icon, and Adam would be the original human icon.

The phrase “image of God” was used to call kings in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.[6] It “described the King’s function and being, not appearance”.[7] In some sense God is saying there is a royalty about all of mankind. The Israelites who had recently left Egypt would understand this first man is to be the royal king. We will return to this later.

Genesis one is the only place where the two nouns, image and likeness are connected in OT.

Much has written to decipher the precise meaning of “image” and “likeness” and how they are related. They have been explained as distinct aspects. Some have said “image” is referring to the physical, natural aspect; “likeness” the spiritual and mental. Others have argued the opposite. It appears impossible to categorise them separately. Perhaps that is the point. The biblical worldview does not conform to the dualism: the natural and spiritual are entwined.

To avoid confusion, the word “likeness” is added as a modifier. Likeness adds limiting clarity. We are not an exact image, but an image somewhat in the likeness of God. Adam is not begotten from God, an exact reproduction of God, or a God in anyway, but made in the “likeness” thereof. “in the likeness” adds detail to “in the image”. The Hebrew “in the likeness” is similar to “according to, after the pattern of.” It parallels with the tabernacle to be made “after the pattern” (Ex 25:40; 25:9). It could be translated, “according to our likeness”. To be like, to resemble, to bear witness of. We are proof there is a God. You want proof of a God, you are proof. And he made us to tabernacle with and in.

We’re not exactly the same, we are like him. Man sees, hears, speaks, rests on the seventh day like God. Yet we can only make and not create like God, and our bodies die unlike God, but our spirit lives for eternity like God. Likeness conveys not merely physical attributes.

What is clear is that man is set apart.

How are we like God’s image?

Firstly, there is the spiritual aspect that man is made in the image of. The identity of a man is his soul, which is spirit, meaning once created we are eternal beings.[8] Man’s body is not only home to his spirit but designed to receive the Spirit of God. A three-in-one reflective of the trinity.

Secondly, we do not discount the physical aspect. We are not bodies, but we have bodies, and the human body is made in the image of God. He has chosen to relate to us in a man-shaped body and he has made us in the image of such. Man’s upright posture sets him apart from all life on earth. Original man stands before God, a dignified, regal, and righteous reflection.

Thirdly, we bear an image of God’s morality. Original righteousness was the status of man in those first days after creation. John Wesley explains: “Original righteousness is said to be that moral rectitude in which Adam was created. His reason was clear; and sense, appetite, and, passion were subject to it. His judgement was uncorrupted, and his will had a constant propensity to holiness. He had a supreme love of his Creator, a fear of offending him, and a readiness to do his will.”[9] Man has been gifted with a conscience to discern good from evil. Conscience: Con meaning with, science meaning knowledge, suggests that we act “with knowledge” of God’s universal laws imprinted on our hearts. Man, as the image bearer is accountable to the true image for his actions.

Fourthly, mental capacity. We are blessed with reason (including the abstract – philosophical etc), logic, creativity, ability to learn and as Grudem says, “develop greater skill and complexity in technology, in agriculture, in science, and nearly every field of endeavour.”[10] Man is self-conscious, has a sense of shame, and will. Man has an awareness of the future. All these things set us apart from animals.

Lastly, man is relational. He is given “the capacity for fellowship with God through prayer” (Hamilton), instinctive or intuitive feeling we call emotions, humour, musicality, and communication – speech, facial expression and recognition, sign language, literature.

The bearing of the image of God indicates a profound oneness of mankind. All reflect in equal measure as precious beings before our creator.

Perhaps above all, to image God, is a status. Man represents God on earth. And as representatives we utilise our ability, because of our status, for God’s purposes and mission.

Creation of Male and Female

While animals come in many kinds, man in one united kind.

Mankind has only every existed as mankind and will only ever be mankind. Wenham asserts, “what God has distinguished and created distinct, man ought not to confuse (Lev 19:19; Deu 22:9-11). Order, not chaos, is the hallmark of God’s activity.” We must be willing to “accept his degree” (p21), putting aside our philosophical, and scientific presuppositions.

In Genesis 1 only mankind is separated by sexuality. While animals are divided into male and female, it is not mentioned in the creation story but only later in Noah’s time (6:19).

Made from the same building block, so to speak, as animals (DNA), the degree to which we are uncommon is vast. A friend of mine once said "why do people say animals are like humans, they're so intelligent... when was the last time you saw a dog flying a helicopter."

That verse 27 begins with a creation of image bearers, and closes with reference to both male and female, makes clear that both sexes bear his image. Hamilton explains: “God created in his image a male ʾāḏām and a female ʾāḏām. Both share the image of God”. Their sexuality is a gift from God. Foreshadowing the blessing of fertility.

Between the first man and woman, house the richest DNA to produce everyone on earth: every colour of eye, hair form, skin tone, build type, etc. Free of genetic imperfection, unquestionably beautiful beings, with the greatest capacity of image-bearing ability of mankind that has ever lived. Contrary to the evolutionary narrative that depicts early man as primitive, the first man and women were the most naturally sophisticated, well-formed, untapped talent to ever live. It would be downhill from here.

Racism must stare deeply into the fact that everyone on this planet has descended from the same stock. We are, in a real sense, one big family. It should compel us to “not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18).

The creation of woman is last because of “divine recognition of the human need for companionship.”[11]

Pagan epics depicts a beginning whereby male and female powers begat gods. The truth is that in the beginning God, who is without female counterpart, created mankind with distinctions between male and female.

Blessed, Commanded, Provision

After the initial announcement, the second sentence of verse 26 immediately provides the purpose of his creation in man, and then after the creation of man in verse 27, the following verse as if to sandwich it in, sees God bless and commission them:

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” (Gen. 1:28).

Purpose of Marriage

As one, the man and woman were first blessed and then as a team given a two-fold assignment: Procreate and exercise dominion. But it is not simply about having kids and ruling. The purpose being primarily about the expansion of righteous life, multiplying good fruit. Thus, God’s glory would be extended around the globe. To multiply and fill the earth means God has global plans.[12] Sex is not sinful within marriage but commanded.

Unlike the animals who received a blessing on day five, as image-bearers, they are to be “fruitful and multiply” representing God. It cannot be overstated that the fulfilment of first blessing given to man is connected with the life of the human seed.

Wenham makes a bold statement about this joining of man and woman:

“Here, then, we have a clear statement of the divine purpose of marriage: positively, it is for the procreation of children; negatively, it is a rejection of the ancient oriental fertility cults. God desires his people to be fruitful. His promise makes any participation in such cults or the use of other devices to secure fertility not only redundant, but a mark of unbelief (cf. Gen 16; 30:14-15).”[13] Strong stuff from Wenham.

Blessing from God is a theme of Genesis – animals (1:22), mankind (1:28), seventh day (2:3), Adam (5:2), Noah (9:1), the patriarchs (12.3, etc.). Today we speak of man’s success, but a biblical worldview speaks of God’s blessing.[14] Of course, the general principles of daily decisions add up, but look at the patriarchs: Infertile, yet able to conceive a nation; foolish actions, yet gained great affluence.

Order or Command

This assignment or order is regarded as the first of the 613 commandments of ancient Jewish tradition. Perhaps, the order should not be seen as a command as such, in which one breaks, otherwise would we not have to count the order accompanied with the blessing to the animals on day five as a command? – yet they are not moral creatures to break a command. The order is bound to the blessing. John Sailhamer explains: “Since the introductory statement identifies them as a “blessing,” the imperatives are not to be understood as commands in this verse. Moreover, the imperative, along with the jussive, is the common mood of the blessing.”[15] Either way, God blesses them and tells them to run with it as opposed to running contrary to it.

Blessing empowers the order

What’s more, is the blessing empowers the order. There is an implicit promise that God will help them to carry out the order. Originally man was “able not to sin” and “able to sin”.

The Israelites would read the blessing as “something very real, possessing the enormous creative power of God”.[16] Blessing was to “set free” man to fulfil God’s purposes. They are commanded but in doing so will be blessed.

The “image of” in 1:27 is connected to “be fruitful” “multiply” “subdue”, “have dominion” of 1:28. The image carries the abilities, gifting, mental capacity, will, etc that distinguishes man from animal to enable him to be successful in mission.

This reminds me of the New covenant – God empowering, and giving you the ability, the spiritual capacity, a heart to fulfil his commands. I’m not familiar with anyone else that has made that connection, but you can see the parallels. And we’ll look more closely to see that God does make a covenant with Adam in the Garden.

Regal representative

To the exercise dominion is a royal duty, a royal assignment. Verse 28 includes “subdue” which is a stronger word than “let them have dominion” in verse 26. As if force is implied if necessary. This does not mean that man was allowed to kill or eat the animals they are to dominate. Man is to subdue both the earth and its creatures, of the air, sea, or land.

That man was regal, an image bearer of God, the focus of creation, blessed and gifted, given authority to subdue, contrasts the ancient mythical creation stories, where man was considered an addendum and maintenance of land as an undignified existence.

Man’s purpose was to rule over the animal world on God’s behalf as the image, and in the image of God. It is directly because he is created in his image that they are to have dominion. Nature is to be subjected to the man-king. Man is to be king over nature. Man is God’s vice-regent on earth. As male and female they would rule as one. The complementary way in which that looks we will address later.

Man is no evolutionary accident – he is dignified, powerful, purpose-driven. His status of bearing the Image of God means it is precious, not another evolutionary step. God’s royal representative means, man’s life is sacred. To murder a man would be to attempt to murder God. To purposely maim a man is to assault God. To mortally wound a man, then, requires the ultimate punishment (Gen. 9:5-6).

Assignment of Food

God began with blessing the couple, then provisions to populate, subdue and have dominion, and finally diet.

On day three God created vegetation, which now corresponds to day six, providing food:

“And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” (1:29)

Gen 1 doesn’t say man cannot eat meat. God would soon kill animals (3:21); their son would sacrifice sheep (4:2-4). But for now, they were to have a fruit and veg diet because death is a foreign concept.

Animals too were given a vegetarian diet:

“And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.”” (1:30)

God provides for and sustains his creation:

You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine
and bread to strengthen man's heart. (Ps. 104:14-15)

The pagan epics describe man providing mythical gods with food.

In closing, “And it was so.” (1:31)

Approval

As if to sign off on his work, now man was created, having inspected “everything that he had made” God deemed his creation as “very good.” Not simply good, but the uniqueness of day six is emphasised in very good – the completion of all creation is perfect and in harmony. There is no sin, no disobedience from any of his created beings.

Some idolise creation, while others count the natural as evil. Both extremes contrary to the biblical worldview that sees God as the only one worthy or worship and his creation as originally good.

Seeing his good work induces worship of the creator. Creation bears witness, even through the layers of evil.

God’s good creation demands good stewardship, void of exploitation and abuse.

Parallels with Israel

By looking at the original good state, with special creation in a’dam, the garden, blessing, commands, we can see the patterns and how it sets up God’s dealings with Israel.

Land, seed, blessing – themes of the Abrahamic covenant.

God’s original intention to bless all of humanity – is seen in the covenant. (Gen 12:1-3)

To multiply and bear good fruit – “multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven” (Gen 22:17)

To subdue and have dominion – conquer and take possession of the promised land (Gen 15:7).

When we look at chapter 2, we will see more of the resemblance between Adam and Israel.

Broader Purpose

In terms of the broader purpose: It’s not that God was lonely or required fellowship. Perfect love existed for eternity past within the trinity (John 17:5,24). God created for his pleasure and for his glory, (see Col 1:16, Rev 4:11, Isa. 43:7). As a creative God it is gives him pleasure to create, and as a loving God it gives him pleasure to extend his love beyond himself to us, enabling newly created beings to have a relationship with him. Thus, God created mankind, both male and female “in his own image” (Gen 1:27) to serve, glorify, worship, know and adore him.

Far from unimportant, each of us are of profound significance in the eternal glorification of our creator. Man has a sense of dignity as the culmination of God’s infinite wisdom (Ps. 104:24) and skilful work of creation. Our purpose then is fulfilling the reason for being created: to glorify Him. And in His presence “there is fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11). To know and delight in His character draws out extravagant rejoicing in Him, and Him over us.

His plan for an extended family of love, joy, peace and perfection was off to a good start.

Psalm 8, written by David looks back to creation and man’s role and purpose, and it begins as ends the same: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Ps. 8:1,9). This is man purpose – to make his name majestic in all the earth. And actually, this psalm doesn’t just look back to Adam but ultimately points forward to the second Adam, Messiah.

In Closing

The sixth day then begins:

26a        Announcement in the first person of God’s intention

26b        Purpose of man’s creation: to rule the earth

27          Creation of man

28          Blessing on man: to breed and rule the earth

29          Assignment of food to man

30                                                             and to the animals.(See Wenham)

All of the seven-standard formulae are included.

Four divine speeches – v24,26,28,29 – twice as many as any other day. Akin to twice as much manna on the sixth day for the sabbath (Ex 16:22-29). Not simply good, but very good.

The scriptures tell us that throughout the creative process there was “rejoicing” (Prob. 8:30,31; Job 38:7) of heavenly beings, and the LORD God “rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the children of man.” (Prob 8:31)

Which leaves us with one question. What language did they speak? What language did God speak to them? According to Jewish tradition, this Adamic language was an early form of Hebrew, because the names Eve (isha), and Woman (chava), only make sense in Hebrew.[17]

Very possibly. The universal scope leaves us to wonder.

Day 7

While chapter 1 covers the days of creation, the narrative flows into the seventh day, naturally ending at 2:3.

The Host of Heaven

Verse one begins: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” (1:2)

The narrator is zooming out, to cause a sense awe and wonder of the fresh heavens and earth.

Both heavens and earth have hosts. The phrase “host of earth” doesn’t appear in scripture, but we know it refers primarily to mankind. Whereas the “host of heaven” (1 Kings 22:19) does appear elsewhere and refers to the angelic creatures. There is debate over the meaning of verse one. Some say it only refers to the men of the earth, others only the angels of heaven. I think both – it’s a summary of dwelling places, half the universe apart, and the creatures that fill them. Yes, the focus of chapter 1 is on the earth, and it is uninterested in angelology, but I think it is a passing comment. We’re not looking at that, but yes, at some point throughout the week I created them also.

God rested from his work

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” (2:2)

When it says “God finished the work” – it’s not that he continued his work into the seventh day finishing it off. It is speaking of the previous day’s work.

While man was the climax of creation, day seven is the climax (or high plateau) of the creation week.

There was silence before creation, now on the seventh day of history there is stillness and quiet in the universe. The powerful vibes of creation became calm. The thunderous noise ceased. The universe complete and perfect, readied to extend the glory of God.

God rested from his “work”, which in Hebrew depicts a craftsman. Not that God was in physical need to recover, but in sense of ceasing from his skilled labour.

Sarna explains the form and oneness of the week: “the Sabbath, or divine cessation from creation which, to Torah, is as much part of the cosmic order as the foregoing creativity.”

This day of quiet is to be sanctified.

Set Apart

Once his skilled labour was complete, “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy” (2:3).

The days before he declared “good” or “very good” and blessed animal kinds and humankind. Now he blesses the seventh day. Following the pattern of purpose, the blessing is concerned with the expansion of life and the extension of God’s glory. Life and the ministry of displaying God’s glory across the globe is entirely dependent upon the blessing of God, and not upon our days of work.

Only this day is sanctified (made holy), which means “to set apart”. The character and composition of explanation of day seven is different – it is set apart. Wenham notes: “The threefold mention of seventh day, each time in a sentence of seven Hebrew words, draws attention to the special character of the seventh day.”The seventh day of resting is to be set apart from the sixth days of craftsmanship. Time itself is categorised as regular time, and sacred time.

The cosmos was created as a macro temple – we saw how he stretched out the heavens like a tabernacle. Consider too the temple language when God speaks to Job about the creation of the earth:

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,” (Job 38:4-6)

The cosmos was made good, unstained, beautiful, with the earth set apart from all planets to reflect the heavenly glory. Now universal time is separated between common and holy. A holy cyclic period from sundown (Friday evening) to sundown (Saturday evening).

Why is it special? Because God says so – it’s part of the ordained order.

How can a day be holy? God in essence is holy. To be declared holy means to be chosen by God for purpose. The seventh day is the first thing to be “made” or declared Holy.

How can a day be blessed? We are familiar with individual or people groups receiving blessing, or the work thereof, but here, we have a day with no work that is blessed. Wenham says there is a “suggestion that those who observe the Sabbath will enjoy divine blessing in their lives.”[18]

Purpose of Sabbath

The term “Sabbath day” is absent from this passage, so as not to confuse this holy day with the similar sounding pagan festivals.[19] The Sabbath would become the only ritual in the ten commandments. As an explanation of the commandment to “remember the Sabbath day” (Ex. 20:8), the passage refers to the days of creation calling the seventh day the first Sabbath: “For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore, the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Ex. 20:11). A primary reason then, for creating in six regular days was create the pattern for man’s productivity followed by rest on the seventh.

God stopped to reflect on what he had made, he works redemptive history through this seven-day pattern, and immediate blessing signposts a future day of blessing.

The Sabbath makes man reflect, and ask the biggest questions: Where have I come from? – the creator; Who am I? – made in the imagine of God; What is the purpose of my life? – to glorify God; How should I live and what is the product of the working days of my life?

The Sabbath is not a reward for hard work. Our blessings are credited only to God. In stopping work, man is mirroring God and so affirming there is a Creator, the God of Israel. It is a reminder that we are not God, and that our work always remains incomplete. It is a time of family refreshing (Ex 31:17). A reminder that we are creatures of not just of space, but of time. It shifts us from production to presence. Our minds should project forward to the greater time of rest.

Hebrews says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” (Heb 4:9-10). It teaches Israel that he doesn’t leave his work unfinished, and that those who he calls to salvation, he will deliver. And we will see later how the Sabbath is of more significance to the people of Israel.

Jesus would go to say, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) Which would mean that Jesus, “the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:28)

Are we required to keep the Sabbath?

So then, God began with creating time, and finished with time. But are we required to keep the Sabbath?

There was no apparent command for all to keep the sabbath.

No indication it was a weekly thing going forward. As stated, “’sabbath’ is not to be found, only the cognate verbal form shabat, meaning, ‘to desist form labour.’” (Sarna) “It is not used as a noun or a proper name for the seventh day until the Exodus, because only then is the command to keep the Sabbath actually given.” (Fruchtenbaum) (Ex. 20:11; 31:12-17). Again, the choice of words is to “dissociate the biblical sabbath from Near Eastern practice would perhaps be present in the threefold repetition of the phrase ‘seventh day.’” (Sarna)

The creation pattern sets up the institution for further revelation. We see in Exodus, that one month before God institutes it at Sinai, it is already adhered to (Ex. 16:5,22-30). In the ten commandments – “remember to keep” – assumes they already do.

Adam may have been given some instructions as an expression of God’s law, but it wouldn’t have necessarily included observing the Sabbath. There is no mention of keeping the Sabbath in the Adamic covenant. The seventh day pattern would be a model for Israel to later follow rather than a creation ordinance required for all.

Being familiar with the Sabbath whether we keep it or not is fundamental to one’s worldview. Desisting from work on the sabbath in recognition of God’s declaration that it is holy, means man imitating his creator’s pattern.

My understanding is that those under the New Covenant are not required to keep it – but ‘not required’ doesn’t mean we shouldn’t and there is good reason to do so particularly if you are Jewish which we’ll look at when we come to the Exodus account.

Six thousand years on and the seven-day week is observed all around the world today, and the Jewish people with those who join them continue to rest each Sabbath.

Seven Day Prophecy

Throughout the scripture numbers find significance. In the creation account, 3, 7, and 10 are prominent. 3 speaks of who God is, 7 is the perfect number, and 10 speaks of wholeness and completion.

The threefold mention of seventh day. Two halves of the week. Three occasions it states he created (1:1,22,27), three occasions he made (7,16,25), three occasions he blesses (1:22,28; 2:3), 10 divine announcements, “God said”, 10 mentions of kinds.

None more so than the number seven.

The seven-day pattern echoes throughout the scriptures and the number 7 being used hundreds of times often representing completeness or divine perfection. Even in this section of genesis alone, there are 7 paragraphs for 7 days, 7 acts of creation preceding the creation of humanity with a verbal expression “God said, ‘Let…”, “God saw” that his creation was “good” seven times, fulfilment “And it was so” 7 times, during the separation of waters on day two and three, water is mentioned 7 times, seven times either naming or blessing follows an act of creation, light (or) and day (day) occur 7 times in the first paragraph, the first verse is made up of 7 Hebrew words, the second verse is a multiple of the first with 14 Hebrew words, and there are more.[20] And of course, 7 days.

Wenham says, “although there are ten announcements of the divine words and eight commands actually cited, all  the formulae are grouped in sevens.” 35 times God (Elohim) appears, 21 times the word earth, and so forth – all multiples of 7.

God is underscoring the goodness, wholeness, and mathematical precision of the home He made for humanity. With literary beauty, concept, and motif, it puts to bed argument that suggest Genesis was an accidental compilation, recorded without supreme thought and insight, or direct influence from the Creator.

Setting up Jubilee calendar

The formation of the heavenly lights, namely the sun and moon, along with the seven-day pattern provide the basis for the Jubilee calendar, God’s calendar which is instituted through Moses. Throughout the scripture we will discover the use of 7 days, 7 weeks, 7 years, and 7 millennium.

7 weeks, (7 times 7), is the period between Passover and Shavu’ot. 7 weeks of years (7 times 7 years) again is 49 plus the Jubilee year (if you add the year), thus the jubilee calendar is made up of 50-year units. So, the calendar is made up of blocks of 7’s and 50’s or 5 lots of ten.

Prophetic Timeline

As we will see, these seven days of creation, are not just musical and rhythmic beauty, and mathematical prowess, they are also a prophetic timeline with the end of the age in sight.

6 days of working, plus the seventh day of rest, represent six thousand years, plus the millennial rest to come. Peters second epistle, and Hosea indicate this reality, and this was understood by the majority of the church fathers. I quote many of them in the video Count The Patience.

In this way also he is “declaring the end from the beginning” (Isaiah 46:10)

It is why the last chapters of Revelation have many parallels with the first few chapters of Genesis.

Some commentators add that the activity within the creation days, also correspond somewhat to the six millennial, as defined dispensations of time. Light and separation from darkness on day one, is connected with the first Adam, living almost to the end of the first millennia. Separation of water on day two, with Noah and the flood. The trees and fruit of day three, with Exodus, Abraham, and Torah. The two lights of day four, with the first and second temple. The fish and birds of day five, with destruction of the temple, and nations dominating each other. Man’s creation of day six, with the Messiah who will finally come at the end, and the earth will receive rest on the seventh day.[21]

The seventh day of rest fits perfectly (if you pardon the pun), but it’s difficult to nail down the other six for my liking. There may well be general connections, but I don’t see dispensations of time – I’m not a dispensationalist. I think it speaks more descriptively of man’s response to God, than God dealing differently with mankind. What’s more, only the seventh day is “set apart” which is consistent with the two-age model of this age, and the age to come, which is found throughout the scriptures.

24 hour days

We will demonstrate in the next section that these creation days are ordinary days.

I will include many quotes from contemporary scholars that are ranked as some of the best in their field on Genesis and show the authors intent could only be understood as 24-hour days.

Genesis wasn’t written for modern scientists; it was to be understood by former slaves and children.

It is a matter of scriptural authority.

Conclude section

To conclude this section.

Traditional Rabbinical insight, often ignored in casual study, can be of interest. The Midrash informs us that the first letter of the Hebrew is aleph and second beth. God did not begin the Bible with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet – why “aleph stands for aror, the Hebrew for (curse).” Instead he began it with beth – which “stands for bracha, the Hebrew word for (blessing)”. God began the creation, the bible, with blessing.

Unlike ancient creation epics, the biblical account of creation is apolitical with, as Sarna says, “no [direct] allusion to the people of Israel, Jerusalem, or the Temple. It does not seek to validate national ideas or institutions. Moreover, it fulfils no cultic function.” It is not attempting to prop up a pagan ancient dynasty or culture, it is universal in scope. Lending credibility to the account.

The style of Genesis 1 is beautifully written, orderly, profound, with symmetry, it’s mathematical, yet straightforward, universal, a child can understand – it says something about our God.

“Gen 1 is not typical Hebrew poetry” it is not pure priestly theology as some have suggested, “There is no ‘hymnic element in the language’ (von Rad)”, it “is not normal Hebrew prose either” (Wenham). It is a majestic literary composition, meticulously detailing the work of the all-mighty Creator, setting up the chain of events that leads to patriarchs, and Exodus.

We’ve spent significant time on the first chapter and following three verse because the creation account is fundamental to the biblical worldview.

Genesis 1 features as the first article of Christian creeds, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;”

We see the oneness of God, the plurality within the Godhead, the distinction of God creator from his creation.

It speaks of His power and wisdom and wonder.

God is without peer and competitor, sovereign and without resistance.

He is creator, lawgiver, the cause of all.

The goodness of creation reflects the creator.

He commands into being, he speaks and nature obeys; he acts, executes, lovingly moulds, and sustains; he fulfils what he has said; he examines and approves good; he names and blesses; he created, defines and marks time;

Man is set apart, ordered, tasked, given covenant, companionship, responsibility, rest. Man can fellowship, obey, be a blessing.

Israel would now know who they worship, (and all those who seek to know him) – the creator of heavens and earth - what separation, his blessing, his word, his approval, his naming and so forth looks like/means.

It refuses all other worldviews and makes men stand in fear.

Psalm 33 says:

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm. (Ps. 33:8-9)
Our response is Fear and Awe.

Isaiah 42 is home to such a stunning summary of creation in one verse of: “Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it:” (Isaiah 42:5). Stretched vertically, spread horizontally, blessed invasively with spirit.

Before we move the story into the garden, next time we will show how the creation days are the antithesis of evolution.

[1] Sarna, Understanding Genesis, p.2

[2] Rydelnik, M. A., & Vanlaningham, M. (Eds.). (2014). Genesis. In The moody bible commentary (p. 35). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

[3] Ibid., p.36

[4] Wenham, WBC 1, p.18

[5] “Gen 1-11 seems to imply a “three-story” universe” - Hamilton, NICOT, Genesis, p.59

[6] Ibid., 1.35

[7] Wenham, WBC 1, p.30

[8] Soul and spirit is used throughout the bible interchangeable.

[9] John Wesley, The Doctrine of Original Sin, (1757) Part 8, paragraph 1

[10] Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, p.192

[11] Sarna, Understanding Genesis, p.2

[12] Even if you argue earth is meant as local, once the local land is full, it would spill over into further lands and eventually fill the globe.

[13] Wenham, WBC 1, p.33

[14] see Deuteronomy 8:17-18

[15] Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative, p.96

[16] Eli Lizorkin-Eyzenberg, Becoming Israel, Jewish Studies For Christians, Tel-Aviv, Israel, p.6-7

[17] Midrash (Genesis Rabbah 38)

[18] Wenham, WBC 1, p.36

[19] Hamilton, NICOT, Genesis, p.142-143

[20] See Umberto Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Jerusalem: Magnes, 1996, 1:13–15

[21] See Fruchtenbaum, Ariel’s Commentary, The Book of Genesis, p.56-57