Genesis 1:1-2:4a

The Narrative Lectionary begins the Year 4 cycle with this lesson.  The Revised Common Lectionary includes it for Holy Trinity Sunday (Year A); it is also part of the Easter Vigil
 
Summary:  In Genesis 1 order is not a bad thing.  The enemy seems to be a lack of structure, authority and clarity.  To be brought into God's creative task, namely, to be reestablished in his image, is to be brought into the task of organizing creation.  This is likely surprising because much of the creative task of today's world seems to be the breaking free of authority.  

Fragmented or autonomous living is not the intention of God's creation.  I do not argue, nor do I think Genesis 1 justifies, huge systems that simply promote uniformity if not excessive consumption of resources.  Yet, Genesis 1 does speak against an understanding, particularly 21st century American, that autonomy is the goal of the human, if not even the spiritual human.

2020 note:  It is strange to read my previous comments about authority and order given the complex context of this summer, when we've had three months of battles over authority vs individual rights regarding COVID and race.

Key Words/Concepts:

ברה (b-r-h, "create", Genesis 1:1, 1:27, 2:3)  The Bible uses many words to describe God's creative activity in Genesis 1.  Surprisingly, many of the words are common verbs that Adam, other humans and the rest of creation do:  speak, name, divide and bring forth.  This is not the case with "barah."  Only God can create, not just in Genesis, but throughout Scripture. The use of verbs throughout chapter 1 suggests there is something co-creative about creation, but yet God's creative capacity as the creator stands beyond any other entity in creation.

As a side note, in Psalm 51, when David prays for a new heart, the verb is "barah", suggesting that a new heart is only possible from God.

רףה (r-ph-h, "bear fruit", Gen. 1:22, 28).  I like this verb because it reminds me of Jesus' injunction to "bear fruit."  But in this particular story, I find it helpful to remember that just as God tells humans to be fruitful, he also commands the birds and fish the same way.  Creation is not simply our domain!  

 

צלמ (ts-l-m, "image", Gen 1:26,27).  What does it mean, after all, that we are in the image of God?!  Tomes have been written about this.  A few comments

• There is no simply linguistic analysis that will solve this debate, as in, this is what this word originally met.  You can't undo 3,000 year of reflection on this with one look in a Hebrew dictionary!
• Genesis 1:26 isn't the only data on what it means to be in the image of God.  Even if one does not look at all of Scripture, certainly one needs to consider all of Genesis 1, seeing  who God is and then reflecting on what being in that image might mean.
  
• My suggestion is that the image of God is less about an individual capacity but rather a collective capacity -- let us make humankind in our image -- does not read like a statement about one human.
• When used elsewhere in the Old Testament, it often refers to idols of gods.  It is helpful to consider that idols were believed in themselves to have power -- to be portals to the gods and even their eyes in the world.
• What might this mean then for us to be THE God's idols, the God's portals and sentinels in the world?  The NET captures discussions about this topic very well, crouching its discussion within the confines of the book of Genesis:  The "image of God" would be the God-given mental and spiritual capacities that enable people to relate to God and to serve him by ruling over the created order as his earthly vice-regents.

משל (m-sh-l, "rule", Gen 1:18 as verb; 1:16 as noun).  There are a whole series of words relating to power and authority in these verses.  Many of these words are poured over and often critiqued in a post-colonialism world. 

First, it is helpful to consider the string of actions here -- the purpose of the power of the sun and moon:

to give light upon the earth

to rule over the day and over the night

and to separate the light from the darkness

This rule is not harsh, but is intended to provide order and life.

I appreciate how TWOT (Bible works) gives a helpful insight on this verb: "There is no specific theology to be drawn from the meaning of the word. Yet the passages cited and the seventy or so others not cited demonstrate the importance of the principle of authority, the absolute moral necessity of respect for proper authority, the value of it for orderly society and happy living and the origin of all authority in God, himself. Authority is of many degrees and kinds. It has various theoretical bases. It originates in God. Man has no authority at all as man but simply as God's vice regent."

While our society today may be very afraid of power in the hands of super governments and super corporations, there is an instinct in the OT, certainly in Genesis, that anarchy is not a good thing.  Indeed, creation is a story of God providing order over chaos.  Of course ancient humans needed to subdue creation.  "It was a jungle out there."  But of course too, the total destruction of habitat for countless animals was also not desired either.

"Us" - Let us create mankind in our image.  There are a number of ways to think about this verse.  One possibility is that the "us" reflects the Trinity; another is that the "us" is the "royal we"; another is that the "us" reflects angels, ie, the heavenly court.  I don't think we will ever solve this linguistic and theological conundrum.  However, I offer another idea and that is that God is saying to the rest of creation, let's create out of you something in my image.  Elsewhere in Genesis 1, God invites creation into participation in the act of creation.  Given that humanity comes from genetically and is dependent biologically on the rest of creation and that creation has already been involved in creation itself, I think this makes sense.

כבש (c-v-sh, "enslave", Gen 1:28)  In every other Biblical instance this word means some kind of conquering, subduing, enslaving or possibly even raping.  This is difficult for us as modern readers because we do not want to understand our relationship to the earth as one of enslaving it.  While the word rule (רדה, Gen 1:26-1:28) is slightly less problematic, we cannot escape כבש!   My thoughts are

• Farming before technology was difficult work.  Clearing and plowing fields would have felt like an act of battle in many ways against the forces - the ground, the weather, the insects, the other animals.  In this context, that kind of combat verb might have made sense.
• Second, everything that God tells the humans is governed by them being in God's image.  The kind of rule and even dominion that we are to offer is to reflect God's intended rule.
• Third, there is a parallel structure in Genesis 1, with days 1 and 4; 2 and 5 and 3 and 6 corresponding to each other.  This means that our ruling is previously modeled by the moon and sun, providing organization and order.

רדה (r-d-h, "rule", Gen 1:28)  This word means to rule.  It can refer to royal rule (Psalm 72:8, 110:2) or even oversight at a construction site (1 Kings 5:30).  It can be both helpful but also cruel (see Leviticus 25:43 or Ezekiel 34.4).  It is in itself not problematic as "c-v-sh."  Again, see comments above on image and enslave.

 

נתנ (n-t-n, "give", Gen 1:17, 1:29) The final statement of God about creation is that it is a gift!