Genesis 2: A second creation story?
So, if Gen. 1:1 says "in the beginning God created," and then Gen 2:4 says "This is the account of the creation of the earth and heavens," do we have two separate events, or two versions of the same story?
Three things that might help: First of all, it doesn't make sense to have two separate events. So, this must be two different versions of the same event. Secondly, the focus of Genesis 1 is on the totality of creation. Genesis 2 focuses on humanity and the special duties that God gives. Apparently, the Jews has two perspectives on creation: universal and then human-specific.
Thirdly: the book of Genesis is divided into 12 clear sections, 11 of which begin with the phrase "This is the account of." The number 12 is special for the Jewish religion (note 12 tribes of Israel). So, Genesis 2:4 starts the second full section of the book. If Genesis 1 is the account of creation. Then Genesis 2 begins the account of humanity in the Garden. So, Genesis 2 shows how man was specifically created, with duties and limitations. Genesis 3 follows with the rest of the story--how humanity failed to fulfill duties and over-stepped limitations. The second creation story leads set up the story about the Fall of humanity in Genesis 3.
So, there is a functional difference: Genesis 1 introduces God's creative power; Genesis 2 introduces humanities role within the created order. Both stories related God's power and purpose. However, Genesis 2 moves the story away from a universal perspective to a very local perspective.
Did you notice that man is created before plants and animals in Genesis 2? Some of the order is different. How does this affect you understanding of the stories? I think, again, the Genesis 2 focuses on humanity, so man was created first. Genesis 1 focuses on creation, and shows the priority of humanity based on their creation last. Also, the male and female creation is discussed differently, and in more detail. This does not mean that the accounts do not go together. However, they are different.
In truth, God communicates his power, our dependency on him for everything good, and the lofty place that man had in creation. Both stories present these truths from different perspectives. We have four Gospels in the New Testament and 2 creation stories in the Old Testament. And the truth can be found in each one.
Three things that might help: First of all, it doesn't make sense to have two separate events. So, this must be two different versions of the same event. Secondly, the focus of Genesis 1 is on the totality of creation. Genesis 2 focuses on humanity and the special duties that God gives. Apparently, the Jews has two perspectives on creation: universal and then human-specific.
Thirdly: the book of Genesis is divided into 12 clear sections, 11 of which begin with the phrase "This is the account of." The number 12 is special for the Jewish religion (note 12 tribes of Israel). So, Genesis 2:4 starts the second full section of the book. If Genesis 1 is the account of creation. Then Genesis 2 begins the account of humanity in the Garden. So, Genesis 2 shows how man was specifically created, with duties and limitations. Genesis 3 follows with the rest of the story--how humanity failed to fulfill duties and over-stepped limitations. The second creation story leads set up the story about the Fall of humanity in Genesis 3.
So, there is a functional difference: Genesis 1 introduces God's creative power; Genesis 2 introduces humanities role within the created order. Both stories related God's power and purpose. However, Genesis 2 moves the story away from a universal perspective to a very local perspective.
Did you notice that man is created before plants and animals in Genesis 2? Some of the order is different. How does this affect you understanding of the stories? I think, again, the Genesis 2 focuses on humanity, so man was created first. Genesis 1 focuses on creation, and shows the priority of humanity based on their creation last. Also, the male and female creation is discussed differently, and in more detail. This does not mean that the accounts do not go together. However, they are different.
In truth, God communicates his power, our dependency on him for everything good, and the lofty place that man had in creation. Both stories present these truths from different perspectives. We have four Gospels in the New Testament and 2 creation stories in the Old Testament. And the truth can be found in each one.
posted by Randy Rogers at
12:51 PM
9 Comments:
I could almost hear, here, a
'focus', rather than 'day', which might help to remove 'us' from the perspective of our easily found thus generally preferred, but parametered temporal thinking.
Ah yes--the limitations of parametered temporal thinking. Yet, how can we avoid it? I think the limitations of time do not do justice to these stories. They happen when time was almost non-existent. Yes, the evening and the morning were the first day. And yet, the events recorded are bigger than time--the scope is universal. I guess time seems meaningless when one considers the vastness of the creation event.
But that holds today as well. When I enjoy an event, time flies by without meaning--until I return to my place of limitation and say, "It is time to go."
I wonder what Einstein would say about that?
There is a class[mathematics,(officially traditionally considered an art) of course] at MIT where they teach the effect of spiral observationsic on our perception of time. I am unsure of most of the rules concernig this new approach to understanding the past and perhaps envisioning something of the future, but it does involve what you, as well as most, including me, have referred to as 'time flies by' due in part that when we are at a point in time, which of course we always are, for now, looking forward(filling in our weekminders and calendars of upcoming events) we see along the length of the spiral and so are influenced in what we can see by its curve, the mouth of the spiral having no set place other than in our imagination or heart and God's mysterious hand and generally we think we have plenty of time, but when we look back at the past we see across the spirals at the center which seems much closer than it is.... This is not a complete description by me and certainly not convincing. Somewhere in the formula if you inject a denominator of 7 you get some very startling parallels to the ages of the Earth and man.
I bring this up because it was developed by Einstein, but left untended as not understood, perhaps even thought to be jibberish, and only recently has it been given much practice or even thought.
Thanks
Robert
Randy you asked about parameterd temporal thinking: 'Yet, how can we avoid it?'
By reading the bible and praying and acting on God's voice. The Hindu might say by focusing on the center.
Robert
yes focus seems to reflect an infinite capacity where day limits the potential to 24 hours or at best era of time.
...please where can I buy a unicorn?
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