Dear Gentle reader,
So we find that the first verse of Genesis simply states the fact of the original creation, and leaves it there, in the dateless past. As hard as we may seem to think that thee ought to be more information God has not seen fit to provide more (but only little glimpses of a greater narrative than we are provided. One can only surmise but that is truly all we can do. Verse two tells of a chaos which came later. And then we have the six “days” which follow the re-formation of the earth with a view to its becoming the habitation of man. What brought about this cataclysm which laid the earth “waste and void” we can not tell with any certainty. Scripture does seem to give a certain veiled indications that it had to do with a pre-Adaminte rebellion and Judgement of Lucifer and associated angel-beings Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? (Isa 14:9-17)
Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee. Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. (Eze 28:12-18)
where the language certainly transcends any merely local or temporal limits. See also Job, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.(Job 1:6-7). It is not my present purpose to go into these things here, but we have other ancient documents that give the basics of the creation story.
What I do want to re-emphasize is that these six days in this first chapter of Genesis do not describe the original creation. No where in scripture are they said to be an account of the original creation. During the first four days no creative act is recorded. It is only when we come to the animals and man that the Hebrew word for “create” is used (verse 21 and 27)
Note: your Strongs concordance will give this word ( בּרא baw-raw'
A primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes): - choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).) For those of you interested in following this rabbit trail.
In a word these six days give account of a new beginning; but they are not the first beginning. Once this is clearly appreciated the supposed conflict between Genesis and geology dies away.
In chapter 2 the creation of Adam and first condition of Adam are described. There are four stages- production, provision, probation, progression. The act of production is narrated in verse 7. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Gen 2:7) Man is formed of the “dust of the ground”
Science has proved that the substance of his flesh, sinews, and bones, consists of the very same elements as the soil which forms the crust of the earth and the limestone that lies embedded in its bowels. But from that mean material what an admirable structure has been reared in the human body.
Yet he is inbreathed of God with the “breath of lives” Notice the word man became a living soul. A poor translation for it implies that we have a soul but in fact we are a soul! Read again the seventh verse and think about what is being presented man created out of the dust of the earth, God breath into him the “Neshamah” (the breath of lives). Behold Adams littleness and his loftiness! -his earthliness and heavenliness.
Next, in verse verses 8-14, we see the divine provision for man. It was provision in perfection and profusion.
Next, in verses 15-17, we see man placed under probation. Man’s liberty was to be conditioned by loyalty. Amid many provisions there was just ONE prohibition. Finally, note the progression as indicated in verses 18-25. Point by point there is a forward movement. We can see this in the relation between man and the animals; in the calling forth of the latent faculty of speech; and supremely in the provision of Eve for that deeper need of Adam, and in that perfect bliss of Eden. Thus there is production in the likeness of God; provision for the body, probation for the mind and progression to the point of heart-satisfaction. In these four stages we see the man the servant, the king the husband.
Next time we will take a look at what we call the FALL.
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