Jan 14

The story of Genesis establishes the Israelites’ belief in one, all powerful God. Their declared belief in monotheism and denial of polytheism sets them apart from the prevailing system of belief in the region at the time. For example, the Sun and the Moon are not deities themselves; they are the one true God’s creation. The purpose is not to provide a scientifically accurate portrayal of how mankind came to be, but rather to establish in writing the key characteristics of their God and for the Israelites to set their faith apart from their polytheistic neighbors. The story is formatted in a series of repeated phrases and actions. For example, “God saw that is was good” portrays the Lord as methodical and intentional, forming the universe step by step, and once He approves each aspect of creation, moving onto the next. However, God does not simply create and step back. God assigns duties to His creation, such as by telling humans “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” This shows that God is not simply a passive creator, but takes an active role in determining the destinies of His creation. Mankind does not have as central a role as in the second creation account, however, it does establish mankind as God’s counterpart. “God created humankind is his image” does not necessarily mean physical image, but it does indicate humankind’s role as a representative of God on Earth, responsible for caring for creation. As for the seventh day, the Lord does not require rest from tiredness since He is infinitely powerful, rather this represents God’s completion and approval of creation. Also, by writing this into the story of creation, it establishes the extreme importance of respecting the Sabbath.