When we pick up with the book of Exodus, the Israelites are under heavy oppression in the land of Egypt (1:11). God sends Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt with the message: “I AM has sent me to you.” (3:14-15). Since the events in Genesis would have been the only “Bible” these Israelites would have known, what should they have learned from those events that would have prepared them to accept Moses’ message and to follow Jehovah God? That is the focus of this study on Tuesdays for the next few weeks.
In our first lesson, we pointed out that Genesis was the “Book of the Fathers” for that generation. It might have existed in some written form for the sake of that generation; it might have simply been in an oral form. But Moses is the one who is credited with the current form.
As we try to dive into the meaning of the text for its primary audience (Israel in and out of Egypt), we observe that the text is “part of the biblical polemic against paganism” (Nahum Sarna, Understanding Genesis, 3). There is nothing mythological about the creation account.
On the nature of God, ask yourself What would Israel learn of the nature of God from Genesis 1? This is in contrast to the famous, and perhaps most important, pagan mythology of the creation, the Enuma Elish. There is no origin for God Himself. There is no cosmic war between deities. Mesopotamian myths involved goddesses in prominent roles. Genesis lacks them.
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On the non-human creation, while the Egyptians seemed enamored with various entities and animals, even worshiping them, Genesis 1 is clear that God created everything. Among the Egyptians, there is the Sun god (Re), Nun (the abyss), Geb and Nut (earth and sky). Moses does not use the word “sun” in 1:14-19, using a euphemism: “greater light.” Thus, there can be no “holiness” among the animal creation nor weather itself. All was created by God.
On the human creation, there is no physical connection between the world of God and that of humanity. They are two separate entities. Humans are not divine, not even the king. This suggests humanity’s value to God. All are equal in His eyes.
We briefly consider some lessons for the present generation… God is eternal, outside of time, sovereign and the creator. Everything was produced to reproduce after its own kind. Humans are uniquely made in the image of God.
Next week, we’ll take a closer look at the creation of humanity.
