The Creation Text: Studies In Early Genesis

Introduction to a series of excerpts from a new book

From its outset, Genesis enthralls with the vast scope of its subject matter. The creation account conveys the origin of the universe, Earth and life upon it, the origin of humanity, sin, forgiveness, justice, and evil. It introduces God the Creator and humanity the destroyer. What might that pristine world have been like? Just how was it that Adam and Eve made the fateful choice to eat the forbidden fruit?

Although the subject matter is well-known, the first four chapters of Genesis have received far too little critical analysis. Study of the text of early Genesis is repeatedly hampered by three persistent problems, one external to the text, and two internal. The external problem has to do with the physical outworking of the creative program. When did it all happen? How long were the days? How does Genesis relate to current science (or conversely, how can science be accommodated in the light of Genesis)? These are issues external to the text; the text does not address these matters. I take the Hebrew account of early Genesis as is, hence the title, The Creation Text. I have set aside consideration of external matters to focus solely on the text itself. These external issues are ultimately insoluble. As people speculate about how the Bible and Science ought to match up, careful analysis of the Bible text goes largely ignored.

That brings us to the two internal issues: lack of appreciation of the structure, and persistent misconceptions or partial truths that have achieved widespread acceptance but don’t hold up under careful inquiry. As to appreciation of the structure of the text, early Genesis holds a unique place among ancient creation accounts. It is succinct, ordered, strictly monotheistic, prosaic, teleological (moving toward a goal), sequential, and reverential. It carries much content in few words because the text relies not only in the meaning of the words themselves, but in their arrangement: in the sequences, the dyads and triads, the opposites, the apposition, and the series. For instance, the creation of Adam, climactic as it is, gains even more focus when you realize it is the culmination of several uses of the words for “earth” and “ground.” Also, a keen eye for the structure reveals a latent meaning of “the image and likeness of God.” Placing Gen 1:1-2 in the overall structure of Genesis as a whole shows that the Prologue to the creation account is to be read as a genealogical statement. One of my main goals in writing the book is to unpack the structure of early Genesis.

Early Genesis is one of the most familiar sections of Scripture, but many common ideas about these chapters don’t wear well under close, critical examination. Some examples:

  • The Bible does not describe Adam and Eve’s created nature as “very good.”
  • They did not pass blame after they sinned.
  • Genesis 2 is not a repeat of the general creation account given in different terms.
  • The serpent did not question God or cause Eve to question God.
  • There is not nearly enough appreciation for the subtleties and complexities of the temptation process. The placing of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil off limits is not a mere test of obedience; it establishes the basis upon which Adam can form a proper relationship with God.
  • The Cain and Abel account has far deeper significance than the material content of each brother’s offering.
  • The consequences of Adam and Eve’s transgression are different from the punishment God had originally stated.

I do not shy away from reshaping or rejecting ideas that lack support within the text itself, especially when alternative interpretations harmonize better with a basic understanding of Bible truth.

For the next several months, God willing, The Tidings will publish excerpts from The Creation Text. The book runs about 350 pages and contains 49 studies. Some of the studies focus on a specific theme, some cover one verse, and others cover a few verses. All of Genesis 1-4 is treated in great detail. Some other studies cover broad themes running the entire book of Genesis. The content is primarily exegetical and ex positional, but there are also devotional and exhortation sections.

With great thankfulness and gratitude to our Heavenly Father I have been able to complete this work that reflects some 30 years of investigation of early Genesis and many years of writing. I hope you will find these studies stimulating and challenging. Whatever you decide concerning my position on certain issues, I hope this book will raise your awareness of the magnificence and inspiration of the Genesis creation account.