Creation study guide - Book ends
Creation study guide - Book ends - Solve the alleged contradiction between the first and second accounts of creation.
Creation study guide - Book ends
Read: Ge 1:1 - Ge 2:7
Observe: A-BCD-BCD-A or is it A-BCD-A-BCD-A?
Objective: Eliminate the alleged contradiction that the first and second accounts of creation speak of a different order of creation.
You may wish to meditate on the issue before moving ahead
There are two ways to cast doubt on the reliability of the Bible. Scoffers, mistakenly called skeptics [1], use overt methods to cause confusion: out-of-context references, intentional misinterpretations, ignoring changes over time, etc. Theologians cast doubt on the Bible by providing poor answers to questions, leaving gaps in understanding concerning challenges to the Bible.
The scoffer makes the claim: "The Book of Genesis begins with two contradictory creation accounts (1:1-2:3 and 2:4-3:24). In the first, God created humans (male and female) after he finished making all of the other animals. In the second, God made one man ("Adam") and then created all of the animals in order to find a helpmeet for Adam." [2]
The scoffer has imposed the boundaries for the first and second accounts of creation in his parenthetical reference: (1:1-2:3 and 2:4-3:24).
Many answers by theologians ignore the central point, or provide excuses for not believing the skeptic.
Dr. Ross in his book Navigating Genesis suggests that the second account is only speaking about the vicinity of the garden, not of the whole earth. As the reader looks back at Ge 2:5, he is not convinced that it was ntot speaking of the whole earth, and his doubt about the Bible remains or increases.
The Christian apologetic site, Answers in Genesis ignores Ge 2:5 and addresses Ge 2:19. Their answer is correct, but insufficient since it still leaves the question of Ge 2:5.
In this study, you will properly identify the division between the two accounts of creation, which will eliminate the alleged contradiction, and the doubt that accompanies it: (1:1-2:5 and 2:6-3:24) NOT (1:1-2:3 and 2:4-3:24).
As a bonus, your solution will eliminate doubt on 'open questions' created by the imaginary contradiction.; though we will not address them in detail.
In literature there are many ways to enclose text within text. A simple way is to use parentheses ( these are parentheses) to set text apart. The ancient Hebrews authors loved inclusio. Inclusio is type of bracketing, or enveloping by placing similar material (or words) at the beginning and the end of a section.
Ancient Babylonian tablets which predate Abraham, used verbal bracketing as a way to indicate when an account was finished. This was necessary because clay tablets were small; a story may run across two or more tablets. When the original tablets were transcribed on papyrus (while in the library in Egypt), they still signify the contents in the literary envelope.
When speaking of rhyming we use letters to indicate the rhyme pattern; such as AABBA for lymerics.
We use similar notation for an inclusio as A-B-A where A is the pattern which is at the beginning and end of the section; B is the content enveloped by the inclusio. Other Patterns may be indicated within the inclusio such as: A-BCD-BCD-A or A-BC-D-CB-A.
The inclusio of Genesis 1 is complicated because there is another pattern within it. Instead of a simple ABA pattern, it appears as ABCDABCDA.
There are apparently three A's if 'heavens' is defined as A. But if A is defined as 'heavens and earth', then the pattern is ABCDBCDA. The apparent middle A is not legitimate since it is forced; 'heaven' and 'earth' are mentioned but separated by other words.
The author tells the reader that the Final A points to the A in Ge 1:1 rather than the illegitimate A when he defines the final A; he points to the beginning A.
He describes the first A: "Ge 2:5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and [there was] not a man to till the ground."
The illegitimate A is after the plants of Day 3 had sprung up.
Without being able to discern God's intended meaning, we have several 'open' questions concerning God's revelation.
- 1. Is there a creation mentioned in Ge 1:1 and a second creation mentioned in Ge 1:2 and following. See Gap theory
- 2. Are there seven levels or layers of creation between God and man, as per the Gnostic and Islamic doctrines, or is there only one creation with two natures:Heavenly/spiritual and earthly/physical?
- 3. Is there a contradiction between the creation account of Genesis 1 and that of Genesis 2?
Ge 1:1 Answers to 'open' questions
1. Is there a gap between Ge 1:1 and Ge 1:2 where a whole other creation is implied? No. There is one story from Ge 1:1 - 2:5. Ge 1:1 is the introduction, v1:2-2:3 is the text. Ge 2:4,5 is the conclusion.
2. Are there seven layers of creation? No. The double pattern suggests that there is one creation with two aspects. The two aspects can be discerned by reading more closely.
- In the first BCD things were formed by separation. The light was separated from the darkness. The waters above were separated from the waters below. The ground was separated from the water. In the second BCD there was life formed from the elements previously separated.
- The word 'lights' מאור is 'from מ light אור'. Birds and fish were from water. Other animals and man were from the ground. There were three stages of separating the primary 'elements' of light, water and ground, and three stages where those elements produced living things.
- In later studies, each day of creation will be revealed to be a picture of Christ. There are seven pictures of Christ, represented by days. 'Day' in Hebrew is yom יום : the intention of God in creation י made clear ו by the finished work of the son ם.
3. Since Ge 2:5 is the description of the last -A in Ge 2:4, it is not the beginning of the second account of creation. There is no contradiction. The contradiction was invented by placing Ge 2:5 at the beginning of the second creation account.
Now that the proper boundary of the two accounts of creation is known, it is easy to see that there is no contradiction.
As you consider the Answers in Genesis solution for Gen 2:19, there is a foundation for their presupposition that there is a writing style change. Since there is a change of authors in the two accounts [3], a writing style change is anticipated.
The patterns observed above are not merely poetic or literary novelties. They have intended meaning. When coupled with consistent metaphor, the meaning is made clear. Consider the following symbols: Heaven שמים consists of Spirit or fire (light) ש, water מים, and desolation (dry ground) שמם. The pattern of H-L-W-G begins to tell us how to use notarikon; the practice of dividing words into smaller parts. The doctrine of creation is derived from the parts of the word 'heaven'.
The word 'heaven' was used first in Ge 1:1, and then it was parsed out in the rest of the chapter. The first sequence of heaven, light, water, ground parses the word 'heaven'; showing how light, water, and ground were separated from heaven. The second sequence further explains how each element produced life.
Light as a symbol of Holiness produced the 'lights in the firmament', the 'lights of the world', the children of Abraham who were described as the stars.
Water as a symbol of the word of God produced fish, or 'every word which proceeds from the mouth of God', and birds; symbolizing those who live in the spirit represented by air.
The dry ground produced two kinds of life. In the first sequence if brought forth grass, herbs and fruit with it's seed; each being a symbol of the incarnate God, Jesus Christ; the firstfruits of creation. The second produced things that lived on the earth, the cattle (his sheep), the creeping things; a revelation of the marriage through the cross. It also produced man and his bride; symbols of Christ and the church.
The details in these patterns will be examined more closely in the next lessons as each day יום is a clarification ו of the intention of God; his creation י being fulfilled by the son ם.
References
- ↑ A true skeptic demands evidence for a propositional statement before belief; many so-called skeptics are really just lazy and do not look for evidence, nor accept any evidence.
- ↑ https://skepticsannotatedbible.com/contra/accounts.html
- ↑ Ancient-Records-Structure-Genesis, P.J. Wiseman
