Creation Theology

[nebula]

When God opened the Torah with the Creation account, what was His purpose? Was He concerned with making His people acquainted with the heavens and the earth, or was He concerned with acquainting His people with Himself?

 

I believe His heart is for the people to know Him. Thus, I believe that explained the workings of Creation in such a way as for the people to understand Him.

 

So what if we stepped aside for a moment away from time frames and whether or not the Pinwheel Galaxy was created on the fourth Day and looked at what is God conveying to us that He wants us to know about Him?

[nebula]

My belief is that God is telling His people, "This is how I turned the darkness into a new dawning!" more so than "Look at what I can do in 24 hours!"

Here is why.

 

While the last interpretation may give you a sense of the bigness of God, it also makes Him seem, well, "out there", unapproachable. The first gives a sense of the nearness of God, like the gentle hands caressing an injured bird an healing its wings. Instead of God's magnificence being the "big power", His magnificence is being the healer, the deliverer, the restorer - like we see Jesus when He walked this earth.

When darkness is surrounding me and my life is in chaos, I don't need the Great Cosmic Being who created a septillion stars and innumerably more planets in 24 hours, I need the God who is attached to my chaos, darkness, and void, and will bring me into His light, make order of the chaos, and bring new life out of the void.

 

 

Knowing God for His power did not make the people fall in love with Him. In fact, they kept disrespecting His power time and time again (grumbling, complaining, disobeying).

 

So what would be the most likely scenario of what was in His heart - another description of His power, or a description of His love, healing, and deliverance, traits that would more likely draw His people to love Him?

[alphaparticle]

Right, these are interesting thoughts. Insofar as I believe God create an infinite amount of 'stuff' in no time,it doesn't seem to be of essential theological significance to me, vis a vis God's nature, whether or not creation happened in 24 hr cycles. I get the idea from Genesis 1 that there was an orderly creation, that God was completely in control the entire time, and so on.Now the question is, why are they reported in that particular way, and that is the question I wonder about. I see the potential for both Big Bang cosmology, broadly speaking, and evolution, to be reflected in the ordering of creation in Genesis.

[nebula]

Now the question is, why are they reported in that particular way, and that is the question I wonder about.

Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

Genesis 1:2 - The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

 

Jeremiah 4:22-23 - For My people are foolish, They know Me not; They are stupid children And have no understanding. They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know." I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void ; And to the heavens, and they had no light. (Read in context)

 

 

Genesis 1:3 -  Then God said, "Let there be light "; and there was light.

 

2Cor 4:6 - For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 9:2 - The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light ; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.

 

 

Genesis 1:4 - God saw that the light was good ; and God separated the light from the darkness.

 

1 Peter 2:9 - But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light ;

 

 

 

And so forth. (I could make the effort to continue, but that would take a lot of time, but I hope you get the idea.)

[Guest shiloh357]

When God opened the Torah with the Creation account, what was His purpose? Was He concerned with making His people acquainted with the heavens and the earth, or was He concerned with acquainting His people with Himself?

Why does it have to be either/or?   Why can't it be both/and??

[nebula]

When God opened the Torah with the Creation account, what was His purpose? Was He concerned with making His people acquainted with the heavens and the earth, or was He concerned with acquainting His people with Himself?

Why does it have to be either/or?   Why can't it be both/and??

 

Why would He be concerned with people being acquainted with the heavens and the earth?

[Guest shiloh357]

 

When God opened the Torah with the Creation account, what was His purpose? Was He concerned with making His people acquainted with the heavens and the earth, or was He concerned with acquainting His people with Himself?

Why does it have to be either/or?   Why can't it be both/and??

 

Why would He be concerned with people being acquainted with the heavens and the earth?

 

For one thing, God left man to be stewards of creation.   God, according to the Bible cares about His creation and tells us that He even named all of the stars.  The Bible says that God has left His signature on creation as  means of creation glorifying Him.   Why wouldn't God, on those grounds alone, want us to be familiar with the design of creation as it is that design that reveals His nature and being to us?   

 

Our location in the Milky Way galaxy puts us in the best place to be able to explore outer space.  Anywhere else in the galaxy and we would be able to see nothing.  We are on outer edge of the galaxy that lets us see out into space and witness the phenomenons that God has placed there for us see.   The universe is a theatre of His glory.  Why would he not want us to be acquainted with it?

[nebula]

For one thing, God left man to be stewards of creation.   God, according to the Bible cares about His creation and tells us that He even named all of the stars.  The Bible says that God has left His signature on creation as  means of creation glorifying Him.   Why wouldn't God, on those grounds alone, want us to be familiar with the design of creation as it is that design that reveals His nature and being to us?   

 

Our location in the Milky Way galaxy puts us in the best place to be able to explore outer space.  Anywhere else in the galaxy and we would be able to see nothing.  We are on outer edge of the galaxy that lets us see out into space and witness the phenomenons that God has placed there for us see.   The universe is a theatre of His glory.  Why would he not want us to be acquainted with it?

 

Sure! But if that was the purpose of Genesis 1, to me it seems what is written is severely lacking valuable information on the matter.

 

 

In any eventy, I was hoping this thread could focus more on what theology people have gained out of Genesis 1, not to fall into the same old arguments. Wouldn't that be a nice switch?

 

I don't mind if you share your interpretations of things like yom, but please with it explain what theological revelation(s) you gain from it, as I did.

[a-seeker]

Right, these are interesting thoughts. Insofar as I believe God create an infinite amount of 'stuff' in no time,it doesn't seem to be of essential theological significance to me, vis a vis God's nature, whether or not creation happened in 24 hr cycles. I get the idea from Genesis 1 that there was an orderly creation, that God was completely in control the entire time, and so on.Now the question is, why are they reported in that particular way, and that is the question I wonder about. I see the potential for both Big Bang cosmology, broadly speaking, and evolution, to be reflected in the ordering of creation in Genesis.

Hi AP,

 

I believe I have given you my answer to your question "why is Genesis structured the way it is" once before.  

 

I have given it elsewhere so many times that I am beginning to realize nobody really cares.  My final question is, "Why?"

 

Is it not interesting?  Has it been proven (on historical grounds) wrong?  Does it contradict anything else in the Bible?

 

clb

[Fez]

 

When God opened the Torah with the Creation account, what was His purpose? Was He concerned with making His people acquainted with the heavens and the earth, or was He concerned with acquainting His people with Himself?

Why does it have to be either/or?   Why can't it be both/and??

 

Why would He be concerned with people being acquainted with the heavens and the earth?

 

Exactly! He was concerned with acquainting His people with Himself!

 

That's what the bible is about! 

 

He gave us inquiring minds, that much is obvious from these threads.....