The Creation Stories and the Spread of Sin in Genesis: A Theological Perspective, Study Guides, Projects, Research of English Literature

Download The Creation Stories and the Spread of Sin in Genesis: A Theological Perspective and more Study Guides, Projects, Research English Literature in PDF only on Docsity! 1 The Old Testament: Part Two - Genesis – Chapters 1-11 The 46 books of the Old Testament are usually divided into four parts: the Pentateuch (meaning five books), the historical books, the Wisdom books, and the prophetic books. The Pentateuch is the name given to the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. These are considered foundational books in Israel’s history. Genesis—Beginnings The first book of the Bible opens with the words: “In the beginning….” Genesis is a book about beginnings: beginning of the natural world, beginning of humans and human culture, beginning of sin, suffering and death, and beginning of Israel whose story dominates the rest of the Old Testament and, in a sense, the rest of the Bible. Structure. The 50 chapters of Genesis are usually divided into two parts. Part One: Chapters 1-11 - Creation and the Spread of Sin. These chapters are called primeval history because the events that occurred thereat happened before recorded time. Part Two: Chapters 12-50 - The Patriarchs. These 39 chapters are usually subdivided into the story of Israel’s first fathers and mothers: the story of Abraham and Sarah (chs. 12-25): the story of Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob and Rachel (chs. 26-36) and the story of Joseph (chs. 37-50). Chapters 1-11: Primeval history These opening chapters of Genesis deal with stories we are all familiar with: creation of the world, Adam and Eve and their fall from grace, Cain and Abel, the Great Flood, and the Tower of Babel. The stories narrated herein raise many questions.  When was the book of Genesis written?  Why are there two creation stories that seem to be at odds with each other?  Did God really create the world in six days?  If Adam and Eve only had sons, whom did they marry?  What is the purpose of genealogies in the Bible?  Did people live for several hundreds of years during the time we call primeval history?  Did the Great Flood really take place?  What is the meaning of the Tower of Babel story? When was the book of Genesis written? Even though the historical events in Genesis (chs 12-50) took place between 1800 B.C. and 1300 B.C., the final form of the book did not appear until around the time of the Babylonian exile (sixth century B.C.). Why two creation stories? In chapters 1-2 of Genesis, we find not one but two creation stories. Why do these two creation stories differ from each other? Biblical scholars in the past 100 years have been able to detect four different historical traditions or sources in the first five books of the Bible. The short name for the four traditions is JEPD (Jahwist, Elohist, Priestly, and Deuteronomist). These four traditions are a bit like the four Gospels in the New Testament which are four versions of one story. (For more on the four sources theory, google JEPD.) When the final editor was writing the book of Genesis, two accounts of creation were in existence. Rather than choosing one account of the creation, he decided to include both accounts because they had long been treasured in the community, and each emphasized particular religious truths. Neither of the two creation stories were intended to tell us how the world was created. The author’s interest in chapters 1-11 of Genesis was not scientific but theological. Its purpose was to convey important religious truths about the beginnings of the world, man’s fall from grace, the spread of sin, and the development of different peoples and tongues. Both creation stories have some common elements: one Creator makes the universe by shaping and organizing everything within the confines of time and space to make sure every creature belongs in it and nothing is destroyed. Among all the creatures, humans are given a special place. Each of the creation stories has distinctive features as well. We will now look at these two beautiful stories. Features of the first creation story (1:1-2:4)  The first creation story has a poetic quality to it. Each day begins with the words: “Then God said: ‘Let...” and ends with the words: “Thus evening came and morning followed...” This made the story easy to memorize at a time when oral tradition was the primary way for history to be passed on from one generation to the next.  The first creation story illustrates the power of God’s word. When God speaks, things happen. When God says: “Let there be light,” light comes into existence” (1:3). We see the power of God’s word in the ministry of Jesus. For example, in John 11:43, Jesus says: “Lazarus, come forth!” and Lazarus rises from the dead. 2  In the first three days of creation, God separates things: darkness from light, the waters above (rain) from the waters below (ocean), the dry land from the waters below (see diagram below). In days 4, 5 and 6, God decorates the world he has made with sun, moon and stars, with birds in the air, fish in the sea, and humans. In the first creation story, God is imaged as an artist.  The creation of man is seen as the crescendo or climax of God’s creation. The man and the woman are created “in the image and likeness of God.” Like God, humans have a mind with which they can think and make decisions. When they behave in godly ways, they are very much like God. Man is given dominion over all creation—not to abuse or misuse but to use in a way that would please the Creator. On the sixth day, we find God looking at all that he has created and finding it very good. On the sixth day, God is full of smiles as he looks upon all he has created. He is probably wearing his “Life is Good” t-shirt. Creation and the material universe are good. Pondering its beauty should lead us to praise the Creator as the psalmists do. We humans at our core are very good. “We are wonderfully made,” as Psalm 139:13-14 testifies.  Finally, God blesses the seventh day and thus makes it holy. He rests on the seventh day. The author’s purpose here is to convey to the people of his time and to us the importance of taking a break from human labor and taking time to worship the Creator. Features of the second creation story (2:4b-25)  This creation story has an agricultural context. Most of the action happens in a garden—‘a garden of delight’ (2:8).  The image of God in this story is that of a potter when it comes to the creation of the man, and a sculptor when it comes to the creation of the woman. The God of this story is much closer to the earth and to the man and woman.  Whereas the first story ends with the creation of the man and woman, the second creation story begins with the creation of the man.  The man is formed from the clay of the earth and the breath of God. The former speaks of man’s relationship to the earth and his closeness to the animal world, whilst the latter speaks of man’s closeness to God. The description of God blowing the ‘breath of life’ into the man signifies man’s participation in the divine nature of God and his call to be in communion with God.  The naming of the animals by the man is a Semitic way of inferring that he has power over the animal world. Notice the man does not name the sun, moon, stars, day and night, because he does not have power over them.  Since none in the animal world is judged to be a suitable partner for the man, God creates the woman. The man is incomplete without the woman. The woman is created from the rib of the man, which is intended to demonstrate the closeness and solidarity between the man and the woman. The term helper does not imply inferior assistant but rather a genuine partner that comes to the aid of the other. The man and the woman are equal partners in life’s journey.  The second creation story ends with a reference to marriage and sexuality. Marriage and human sexuality are two goods created by God. ‘Naked and unashamed’ (2:25) is a way to speak of the beauty of the human body. After they sin, the man and woman become ashamed of their bodies and cover them up. The two creation accounts proclaim that light, darkness, sea, sun, living creatures, human beings, and all of creation bear the mark of our God. The glory of God lies within each of these creations. Sometimes God’s glory is visible and at other times it is invisible. Creation was not an accident. God orchestrated it. God is the originator, sustainer, and redeemer of all creation. Genesis 3: Paradise lost through an act of disobedience. At the end of Genesis 2, all is rosy in the Garden. The man and the woman are at peace with their Maker and with each other, and are enjoying all the pleasures of Paradise—they even have their own little nudist colony. Their only restriction is that they must not eat the forbidden fruit from the tree in the middle of the Garden. This is a reminder to them that they are creatures and not the Creator, a reminder that following the laws of God is key to their ongoing happiness. Enter Satan in the form of a serpent. As we read Genesis 3, we may wonder if we are to believe in a talking serpent. Speaking of this chapter, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (309) states: “The account of the Fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man.” The story is considered a masterpiece of psychological insight into the nature of temptation. In other words, this is the way the evil one or the sinful tendency within us causes us to turn our backs on God. One reason the serpent is used to symbolize Satan is because people of ancient times attributed extraordinary wisdom to that animal.