This series calls on readers to put Genesis in context. Today's post covers Israel's telling of the creation of the cosmos in Genesis 1. Special attention is given to ancient cosmology and the unique theological claims made by Israel about YHWH. My wife and I are anxiously awaiting closing on a new house in Germantown, TN. It's a short sale that needs a lot of work. It's basically in a state of chaos. We have big plans for redoing the floors, knocking down walls and expanding the living room, painting everything, and just generally decorating and making the place our own. Yes, there is a messy house there, but we have plans to order it and make it our home. In many ways, this is also the story of Genesis 1. In the Ancient Near East (I'll call it ANE), there are some standard forms used to explain the origin of the cosmos, whether it’s Babylonian, Ugaritic, or the older Sumerian writings. Israel, too, joins this crowd as Genesis 1 has much in common especially with the Babylonian text Enuma Elish. Genesis 1 speaks in the same categories, answers the same questions, and ‘breathes the same air’ as Enuma Elish (or the other ANE cosmologies). Genesis 1 is firmly settled in its ancient context—with strong similarities as well as sharp differences. I think both are important. One example of this is the presence of watery chaos in the ANE cosmologies and in Genesis 1. It’s common form for the gods to conquer chaotic sea monsters or rival water gods. That’s simply part of how you describe creative work in that ancient context—this is true of Sumer, Canaan, Babylon, and even (in a unique way) Israel. In the case of Enuma Elish, the god Marduk (who happens to be the patron deity of the city of Babylon, Israel's oppressors) violently conquers Tiamat, the goddess of the sea. The purpose of these creation stories, in their ancient contexts, isn't so much to explain the origins of matter, energy, and the space/time universe. The Babylonians needed an explanation for how Marduk (a young god) came to power in their (very old) pantheon of many gods. They answered that Marduk came to power violently, through struggle, and then used his conquest to form and shape creation. (It’s no surprise, then, that the Babylonians were violent, power hungry, and oppressive to Israel and others in the region.) Step by step, in a long epic, Marduk establishes light, divides the waters, forms the land (out of Tiamat's carcass), establishes luminaries, creates humans, and then takes his seat in his temple, resting. By this creative work, Marduk is crowned the “Lord of gods” in Babylon. How does Genesis 1 compare? The similarities and the differences of the watery chaos are striking. First, the water is still present in Israel's creation story. It's called "the deep" (Gen 1:2), or tehom in Hebrew (which many scholars say is linguistically connected to Tiamat). The waters are even there before Day 1. But notice that the water is not threatening, as they were with Tiamat! There are no chaotic sea monsters to defeat (in Gen 1 at least; cf. Psalm 74:13), in fact he creates them, too (Gen 1:21)! The difference is as striking as the similarity with the other stories—there is no struggle to conquer the deep, or even to tame it; the spirit of God hovers over it. YHWH has no rival! Second, prior to creation the world is in a state of disorder. YHWH has no enemy to defeat, but there is still chaos needing function. The cosmos is tohubohu--chaotic--tohu means formless and bohu means empty. So, how does YHWH establish his reign over the chaos? Again, He acts effortlessly; with only a word He creates from chaos. He orders the cosmos on Days 1-3. He takes what was tohu (formless) and gives it structure. Then he takes those empty (bohu) structures, and on Days 4-6 He fills them with creatures. On Day 7 God rests. Step by step, in a concise presentation, YHWH establishes light, divides the waters, forms the land, establishes the luminaries, fills creation, creates mankind, and then rests in His temple. YHWH makes the cosmos his home. That last part should give you pause because it often goes unseen, unless you're looking with ancient eyes. As Prof. John Walton says, any ancient reader would recognize YHWH entering his temple to rest--which is important because they considered the temple the control center for the cosmos. This helps us see the purpose behind the creation stories in Israel's ancient world. Think of it like this: when you take a new job, are you more concerned with who you report to and where his/her office is, or are you asking instead about the company's ribbon cutting ceremony and its historical development? Israel, too, answered more about "who/why?" in creation, than "what?". They wanted to know who was in charge, not when/how it was founded, as many modern Christians ask of Genesis. Genesis speaks in its ancient context, not ours. Put another way, the ANE stories (Genesis included) deal with functions, not materials. Much like the new construction project on my new house--I'm describing the work of making a house our home. I'm giving order, purpose, and function to a big mess (though mine's not watery), and then I'm filling and decorating it (I use "I" here loosely. Read: Kelsey). There are many other similarities and differences from other ANE cosmologies, but the point is clear: YHWH alone is God. In context, Genesis 1 is a not-so-subtle critique of the theology and worldview of Israel's neighbors. More still, it's a unique declaration of Israel's God, YHWH, and His sovereignty and creative power. Amazingly, the Israelites who were coming out of Babylonian exile still had the faith to declare that their God alone was Creator. YHWH is not threatened, is never rivaled. He creates effortlessly, beautifully, and powerfully with only His Word. Praise be to the One true God! Join the conversation in the comments! Please make effort to show the fruit of the Spirit in tone, purpose, and content.
5 Comments
B. Turner
9/23/2013 01:23:10 am
Thanks Smith. Great addition to my Monday morning!
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Kyle W
9/23/2013 03:20:36 am
Your first two posts have been great! Your writing style makes it so interesting and enjoyable to read. Couple of questions/comments:
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Smith Hopkins
9/23/2013 02:23:45 pm
Kyle,
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Phil G.
9/23/2013 02:57:58 pm
We are studying this very text in our small group right now. Thanks for the great insight! Can't wait to read future post!
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Smith Hopkins
9/23/2013 03:00:24 pm
Great! Let me know if I can help you out. The plan is to post every Monday, covering a few chapters of Genesis each week for a while. Maybe it will fit with your studies.
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CHAUNCEY Smith HopkinsThis blog focuses on topics related to Christianity and ministry. Archives
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