Genesis 1:1–4, 26–31

Bible Studies for Life
Assistant Professor of Religion, Samford University

Why Am I Here?
Genesis 1:1–4, 26–31
Knowing about our origins helps us understand our place in the world. The first chapter of Genesis introduces not only the first book but, indeed, the entire Bible. This remarkable passage reveals not only humankind’s origins in God but also the energizing truth that because we have been made in the divine image, we are invited to participate in God’s creative and providential work in the world.

In the last century, many used this passage as ammunition in the war between religion and science, and it is ironic that a passage that speaks so gracefully and poetically of God’s bringing order to the primordial chaos would be the source of such conflict. Most of Israel’s neighbors in the ancient world had stories that explained their beginnings, and it should not surprise us that the creation accounts of Genesis draw upon images and language that were common in this ancient milieu and not upon those of modern science. Indeed this fact teaches an important truth — God cared enough about ancient peoples to reveal truth in a language they would comprehend.

More importantly, reading Genesis in this ancient context also helps us see how Israel differed from her neighbors. For instance, unlike the Babylonian “Enuma Elish,” Genesis makes no attempt to explain God’s origin or relation to other heavenly beings. God simply is, a powerfully sparse notion that coincides with the later revelation of the divine name (Ex. 3:13–14). Furthermore, in the “Enuma Elish,” humanity seems to result from divine sloth: the gods needed someone to do the work they didn’t want to do, a notion that devalues both the divine and the human and contrasts sharply with the theology of Genesis.

Our Good Beginning (1–4)
God’s singular role as Creator is here emphasized by use of the Hebrew verb bārā, meaning “created.” Throughout the Old Testament, God is always the subject of this verb. Its usages encompass many senses but always refer to uniquely divine activity: the creation of the heavens and earth, the restoration of Israel following the exile (Isa. 41:20) or the redemption of the penitent soul (Ps. 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God”). There are some things that only God can do.

The canvas upon which the Artist will paint the masterpiece of creation is pictured as a dark, watery chaos that lacks definition and purpose (“formless void”). The image is powerful and later will be used by the prophet Jeremiah to describe his vision of the withdrawal of God’s providential care over the people of Judah as a result of their sinfulness: “I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light” (Jer. 4:23). Just as God orders the physical world by setting the limits of the heavens, earth, waters and land, so too the moral world that human beings inhabit is defined by God.

Finally the manner of God’s creation is noteworthy. In contrast to the “hands-on” approach described in Genesis 2:7, here God is pictured as speaking creation into existence. In Hebrew culture, the spoken word was afforded great power; once unleashed, it could not be retracted, which explains the importance of blessings and curses in Israel’s story (e.g., Gen. 27:33, 37–38). In Isaiah, God’s word is described as being like rain and snow that come down from heaven and accomplish the purpose for which they were sent (Is. 55:10–11). In the New Testament, the Gospel of John draws upon this to interpret Christ and His relation to God (John 1:1–5).

Our Godly Nature and Purpose (26–31)
The crowning act of God’s creation is humanity, made in God’s own image. The meaning of the plurals in verse 26 (“us” and “our”) is unclear but likely connotes a heavenly court (cf. Isa. 6:8, Job 1:6) and regardless must be read in conjunction with the singular of verse 27. What it means to be made in God’s image has also been fodder for much theological debate. In the most immediate context, it may be associated with the dominion granted by God to newly formed humanity. With power comes responsibility — human dominion over the rest of God’s creation should be conceived of as stewardship rather than ownership, care-taking rather than exploitation.