Genesis: The Creation

1. Introduction.
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
(Psalm 19:1) These words encourage us to look up and appreciate the universe's divine
design. In Genesis: The Creation, the universe is created by God's voice, which shapes
light, land, and life with flawless intention. This story not only explains how the world
began, but it also demonstrates humans’ responsibility in God's massive creation. This
story will look at the themes and deeper meanings of Genesis, explaining how it
connects us to the Creator and His plan for the world.
2. Main body.
a) Unlocking Difficulty:
 Heavens
o Conceptual Definition: The heavens refer to the expanse of the sky and
outer space, including celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars.
o Operational Definition: In the text, "heavens" is used to describe the
firmament (expanse) created by God to separate the waters above and below
(Genesis 1:6-8).
 Creation
o Conceptual Definition: Creation refers to the act of bringing something into
existence.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning, God created the
heavens and the earth" it is the divine process by which God forms the
universe and everything within it.
 Earth
o Conceptual Definition: The earth is the physical world, including land, water,
and all living organisms.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:1-10, "earth" initially refers to the
formless and void state before creation. Later, it is the dry land that appears
after the waters are gathered.
 Formless
o Conceptual Definition: Formless means lacking shape, structure, or order.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:2, the earth was described as "without
form," meaning it existed in a raw, unstructured state before God brought
order through creation.
 Void
o Conceptual Definition: Void means empty or lacking substance.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:2, "the earth was without form and
void," indicating that before creation, the world was barren and uninhabited.
  God's Spirit
o Conceptual Definition: God’s spirit refers to the active, invisible power and
presence of God,
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:2, "the Spirit of God was hovering over
the face of the waters," indicating God's active role in shaping and bringing
life to the world.
 Firmament
o Conceptual Definition: The firmament (or expanse) is the sky or atmosphere
that separates different waters. In ancient cosmology, it was viewed as a solid
dome holding back celestial waters.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:6-8, God creates the firmament to
divide the waters above (clouds, upper realms) from the waters below (seas,
rivers). He names it "Heaven."
 Celestial Bodies
o Conceptual Definition: Celestial bodies refer to natural objects in space,
such as the sun, moon, stars, and planets. They are essential for measuring
time and seasons.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:14-19, God creates the sun ("greater
light") to rule the day and the moon ("lesser light") to rule the night, along with
the stars. These serve as markers for time and guidance.
 Dominion
o Conceptual Definition: Dominion means authority or control over something.
Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:26-28, humans are given dominion
over all living creatures, indicating their role as caretakers of creation.
 Humanity
o Conceptual Definition: Humanity refers to human beings as species.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:26-27, God creates humanity in His
image, giving them dominion over all living things and charging them with the
responsibility to fill and rule the earth.
 Stewardship
o Conceptual Definition: Stewardship means responsible management and
care for something entrusted to someone.
o Operational Definition: In Genesis 1:28-30, God commands humans to have
dominion over the earth, which implies stewardship—using resources wisely
while caring for nature and other creatures.

b) Author’s background: Even though some modern scholars have proposed that
Genesis was written by multiple anonymous authors and editors, Genesis and rest of
the Bible is traditionally attributed to Moses.
Who is Moses?
  A central figure in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.
 His role as a leader of the Israelites and a lawgiver makes him one of the most
significant figures in religious history.
 He is considered the author of the five books of the Bible also known as
Pentateuch. (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
c) Setting: The setting of Genesis: The Creation is both massive and earthly. In the
beginning, the world had no shape and was completely empty, covered in darkness and
water. As the story goes on, everything starts to take form—the sky, land, seas, and all
living things are created in a clear order. This change from disorder to structure shows
how God carefully planned and formed the world.
d) Characters:
 God – The central figure, the Creator who brings order out of chaos.
 Man (Adam and Eve) – Humanity, created in God's image and given authority
over creation.
 Living Creatures – Animals of land, sea, and sky, each created according to its
kind.
e) Plot:
 Exposition: The narrative begins where the setting of the story takes place—"In
the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." The earth is "formless
and void," and darkness covers the deep while God's Spirit hovers over the
waters.
 Rising Action: God begins the creation process, bringing light, separating land
and water, creating vegetation, celestial bodies, animals, and finally, humankind.
The passage follows a structured six-day creation process:

Day 1 - Creation of light, separating day from night.

Day 2 - Formation of the firmament, dividing the waters.
Day 3 - Emergence of dry land and vegetation.
Day 4 - Creation of celestial bodies to govern time.
Day 5 - Introduction of marine life and birds.
Day 6 - Creation of land animals and humankind.
 Climax: The creation of humanity. God makes man and woman "in His image"
and gives them dominion over the earth. This is the pinnacle of creation, as
human beings are the only ones made in God's likeness and are directly
addressed with a purpose.
 Falling Action: God blesses humanity, instructs them to "be fruitful and
multiply," and grants them stewardship over all living things. He also provides
food for humans and animals, ensuring sustainability.
  Resolution: God sees everything He has made and declares it "very good." The
creation process is complete, and the world is in harmony. This leads into
Genesis 2, where God's rest on the seventh day finalizes the narrative.
f) Themes:
 Divine Power and Authority – The creation story highlights God's supreme
power and authority over all things. He speaks, and the universe comes into
being. "And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3).
This pattern of instant fulfillment after divine command supports the idea that
God's word is both creative and absolute.
 Order and Harmony – An intentional plan is seen in the orderly, organized
process of creation, which includes light, land, plants, animals, and humans.
“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31). This
highlights the importance of harmony in existence and emphasizes a universe
ruled by order rather than chaos.
 Humanity’s Role and Responsibility – Being created in the image of God and
given with dominion over the planet, humans have no equivalent among the rest
of creation. "Let us create man in our image, after our likeness; and give him
dominion over the sea's fish, the birds of heaven, the livestock, and the entire
earth" (Genesis 1:26). This suggests accountability rather than simply dominance
by portraying people as stewards of creation.
 Goodness of Creation – The passage repeatedly states the true worth of
creation.
“And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). By highlighting
the idea that the world was created in a condition of goodness, this theme rejects
later accounts of sin and corruption.
g) Language:
 The language in Genesis: The Creation is formal, poetic, and repetitive. It uses
symbolic and figurative expressions to describe the creation of the world, such as
“Let there be light” and “God saw that it was good.” The repetition of phrases like
“And there was evening, and there was morning” emphasizes the structured
sequence of creation.
 The text also uses simple yet powerful words to make the story clear and
memorable, reflecting its role as a sacred and foundational narrative.
 Genesis: The Creation is written in prose, but it still contains poetic elements,
such as parallelism, repetition, and rhythm. These features help emphasize key
themes and make the text more memorable for oral tradition.
 Quotable Quotes:
o “Let there be light.” (Genesis 1:3) – Represents divine intervention and the
beginning of order.
o “God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:31). - Highlights the inherent
goodness of creation.
 Genesis: The Creation
1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form
and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was
hovering over the face of the waters.3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was
light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the
darkness.5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was
evening and there was morning, the first day.
6-7
And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate
the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that
were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8
And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning,
the second day.
9
And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place,
and let the dry land appear." And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the
waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11
And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees
bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was
so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own
kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God
saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day
from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and
let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was
so. 16 And God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser
light to rule the night--and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens
to give light on the earth,18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the
light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and
there was morning, the fourth day.
20
And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly
above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." 21 So God created the great sea
creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according
to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was
good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the
seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 23 And there was evening and there was
morning, the fifth day.
24
And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--
livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it
was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the
livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to
its kind. And God saw that it was good
26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the
livestock and 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 And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful
and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea
and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
29
And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face
of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And
to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that
creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green
plant for food." And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold,
it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
3. Analysis and Interpretation:
The book highlights the intentionality and purpose of God by presenting a well-organized and
structured creation. Repetition of sentences like as "And God said..." and "And it was good"
emphasizes the idea of God's power and goodness by indicating a purposeful, authoritative act
of creation. One interpretation is that the story conveys a religious worldview where God is the
ultimate source of order and life. The contrast between darkness and light, chaos and order,
suggests a movement from nothingness to purposeful existence, which reflects broader human
concerns about meaning, origins, and morality. The seven-day plan not only shows the creative
process but also presents a routine of work and relaxation, which is essential to the human
experience. Human responsibility and dignity are given greater meaning when people are
portrayed as bearing the image of God. Additionally, the focus on humanity's special place in
creation emphasizes our moral and ethical obligations to the environment and other living
things.

4. Conclusion:

Genesis: The Creation is a narrative that outlines the relationship between God, humanity, and
the universe. It is not only a historical or biblical account; it emphasizes the intentional and
orderly process by which God brought all things into existence through creative power that
highlights the goodness of creation. Humanity's role in the image of God and its stewardship
over the earth establishes an understanding of human dignity and responsibility. The structure
of the seven-day creation, culminating in a day of rest, introduces the concept of the Sabbath,
highlighting the importance of rest and reflection.

The Genesis creation story remains relevant today because it continues to influence
discussions about religion, environmental ethics, and humanity's place in the universe. It
presents a world made with order, meaning, and purpose, regardless of whether it is taken
literally or metaphorically.

References:
The Holy See. (n.d.). The Book of Genesis
https://www.vatican.va/archive/bible/genesis/documents/bible_genesis_en.html
Evangelista C. (2022, May 16). HEBREW LITERATURE [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WBgvAM5_E4
Genesis 1 (GNT). (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?
search=Genesis%201&version=GNT
Creation. (n.d.). Answers in Genesis. https://answersingenesis.org/creation/?
srsltid=AfmBOoovAsZX-NGW9dDZrrr_YWPI3CkWSgNXYOOZDjseb7jiET7glLox
Genesis 1. (n.d.). [Video]. Bible Project. https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/genesis-1/