I wish Genesis chapter 1 ended after Genesis 2:3. But since chapter and verse breaks are not inspired (they were standardized in the 13th and 16th cent. respectively) I will not spend too much time worrying about it.
When I read Genesis chapter 1, I read about an overview of all creation.
When I read Genesis chapter 2, I read about the relationship of the creation to story to man and man’s relationship to that creation.
Genesis chapter 1 is a
Wait a second, maybe that is why Genesis 2 begins with:
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
Genesis 2:1-3, English Standard Version
Genesis chapter 2 is about mans relationship to creation and thus to the creator…
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant,
Exodus 20:8-11, ESVor your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
The theory that God created this world in 6 literal days just a few thousand years ago, is a belief that is seen as foolish by much of the world (around 40% of the United States believes in a literal Creation by God less than 10,000 years ago), even many in Christian circles (less 40% have absolute belief in the Genesis creation account but 78.4% claim to be Christians). The attacks to this theory often come through scientific arguments, but I believe that the attacks on what happened at creation are even more visible elsewhere. And that place is RELATIONSHIPS!
Scientists have been blamed for trashing Genesis 1 & 2, but the real trashing of the creation account is ALL OF US, because the great theme of the creation accoun is not how many days God made the earth or how many years ago that was, the great theme of the creation story is: Relationship.
Relationship with God
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” –Genesis 1:26-28
The IMAGE language of Genesis 1 is relationship language. I am a parent and since the day both my boys have been born one of the most common conversations, especially with new people we meet is the conversation of, “Oh he looks just like you!” “He looks just like his dad.” “Oh but I see some of his mom in him too.” Why do people say these things? Why do we have this conversation over and over again? Because we like the idea that someone looks like us, someone is like us, someone is from us. Why do we like this idea? Because it holds with it the idea that there will always be this person to be in relationship with! I believe, and I see the totality of scripture supporting this idea, that God was saying with each statement of image, “this is my child who will always be mine.” So when we do not reflect the image of God by being loving, (1 John 4:8), we are in fact rejecting the creation story and trashing the creation story.
Another area in the creation account where God illustrated the relationship idea between God and man is in what happened after the 6 literal days, it was God’s lack for creation on the 7th day that emphasized relationship with Him.
“1 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. 2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” –Genesis 2:1-3
The Sabbath was specifically established as a day of relationship, primarily relationship with God to delight in God (Isaiah 58:13-14). When we do what we want on the Sabbath that is not something done in communion with God, or when we don’t keep the Sabbath (both of these are the exact same thing, not keeping the Sabbath at all is just as much a denial of God’s day as doing things that are not in accordance with Relationship to God on the Sabbath) we are trashing and denying the creation story, the creation account.
Basically what I am saying is this. Folk can blame the evolutionists all they want for destroying the validity of the Bible. And people can condemn the certain scientists all they want for weakening the belief in God’s literal creation.
But by being unloving and by not honoring the Sabbath. You and I, we are equal to the evolutionists in the destruction of God as Creator and in creating doubt in people’s minds for the infallibility of scripture.