The beginning of the beginnings

The great sprint champion, Usain Bolt, purportedly said that you go off on the B of the bang. And so, we look, during Bible Month, at the book of Genesis. In the Hebrew the word genesis word translates as ‘rasheet’ or beginnings. Throughout the multitude of chapters we actually have two themes. The first part of Genesis is from Chapters 1-11, in which we get to hear the stories of creation (more than one) and of the formation of the Israelites. The second part, chapters 12 onwards, we hear of the story of Abraham and his family. It also emphasises that humans are, on the whole, deceptive and unwilling to follow the right way. Our objective throughout Bible Month is to find that connection between Creation and how to live. Looks fairly easy, yeah? 😉

When was it written?

For much of my youth, I wholeheartedly believed that Moses had written Genesis and it did actually tell of the creation of not only the Earth but the whole universe. Studying Astrophysics at University starts to really impact upon that belief, I can tell you. Literalists might see that we have the creation of everything occurred within 7 days, albeit that the definition of a ‘day’ can then be manipulated so that it fits better with scientific understanding – but it really doesn’t. There was a famous legal case (Scopes) in a small town in America where a biblical scholar prosecuted a school teacher all about evolution. The ramifications still resound amongst rural America to this day.

This is the first book of our Bible, the first book of what we might call the Hebrew Scriptures. In fact, we have to be careful that we imagine this as a book, and not a scroll. This is an important aspect to remember. The ‘book’ of Genesis is the first scroll of the Torah, part of the Jewish Tanakh (Torah or law or Instruction, Prophets or Nevi’im, and Writings or Ketuvim). Genesis, as with other books of the Tanakh, have been ‘incorporated’ into our Scriptures.

There are far older ‘books’ for many Biblical scholars would strongly argue that Genesis was formed from the writings from at least 4 different groups of authors. We have the JEDP authors. They would be Jahwist/Yahwist, the Eulogist, the Deuteronomist, and the Priestly author of Leviticus. If Moses were to have written the Torah, his premature death before he arrived into the promised land causes complications. Genesis also includes aspects of older myths from different civilisations. Hence, it is strongly suggested that Genesis was collated between 5-4th C before the birth of Jesus. Many of the books of the Prophets are dated far earlier than that.

What could be a summary of Genesis?

Overall, it is about creation, sin and re-creation. Many people have dipped their toe and affected our perception of all three aspects, so I’d encourage us to look afresh and not be constrained at what’s been taught previously.

Where to start?

Well, at the beginning of course! But we have two creation stories which seemingly follow each other in Chapters 1-2.

It all seems to start in an eery dark chaotic mess, and to which all turns out fine in a beautiful garden. Notice that ‘the earth was formless and empty – and darkness covered the deep water‘ – it had already been created.

Day One

Let there be light, and the creation of day and night.

Day Two

God separated the waters of heaven and the earth, neatly creating sky. This might well an understanding of heaven as separated from earth. Often we might read in our older Bibles, of the firmament, a dome that keeps prevents us on Earth from accessing heaven.

Day Three

The land appears from the singular ocean. From this new land vegetation would emerge, which would bear seeds : creation permitting new growth and new life.

Day Four

“Let light appear in the new sky to separate the day and the night” This appears to be the sun, the moon, and the stars. Where did the light come from on Day One?

Day Five

The waters were not forgotten as they were now be filled with fishes, the sky would also have birds.

Day Six

Animals and livestock (the ones we could manipulate to give us food and tend to the earth) were now present. Then humans were created, in God’s image. They, like the animals, the fishes and the birds, could now ‘be fruitful and multiply’.

Day Seven

And God then rested.

Now to the alternative perspective

Here, God made the earth and the heavens. The earth was dry. Then either springs or a mist appeared and this watered the whole land. From that dust, God created Adam or in the Hebrew Ho-adam, and breathed life into Adam. God formed a garden for Adam in which fruit could be harvested, but also a tree of life and one of knowledge of good and evil. A river which flowed through the garden separates into four tributaries (the Pishon where gold is found; the Gihon, possibly irrigating the land of Cush or what we might call Ethiopia; the Tigris, and the Euphrates). With all the animals formed, a helper was also formed, called woman.

No daily separations are evident. The order is very different and it is very male orientated. So much so, that we might see a few causes of concern in the modern world.

Is the woman really a helper and systematically linked in hierarchy with man?

It’s idyllic

Yes, but a serpent – not a snake – appears on the scene. This serpent was made of God, and was declared as good. It asks the woman a question about the trees at the centre of the garden. Does it not tell of what is truth? The woman takes the fruit and shares it with the man, and they feel shame for how they look. Being naked is a biblically theme for being powerless. There are ramifications for both of them.

Where does fault arise here?

How do we resolve the differences between the two creation myths?

They are cast out of the garden, into an area yet to be described. There they have sex where upon Cain and Abel are eventually born. Cain and Abel don’t agree on everything – well they are brothers. Cain is deemed to show anger, and he then takes out his anger by killing his brother.

Is this the first death in the Bible?
Is this the first sight of Sin?

Shame and Guilt

Both humans felt that shame that they were naked. Jesus consistently confronted the religious leaders referring to them as hypocrites. This word means false actors, or that they portray qualities that they don’t really have.

We all have experienced such emotions. So how do we feel when others display those emotions such as shame or guilt?

How might we walk alongside those Adam’s and Eve’s we encounter on our life journey?