Understanding Genesis #1: the creation narrative

In this study, Rob leads a look at Genesis 1 and the creation account. What is the meaning of the waters? 

See notes below: 

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Notes:

Rev 21:1

Rev 17:1, 15

Ps 69:1-4

 

1:1-2 Preface: initial conditions before Day 1

1. ‘Heavens (sky) and the Earth (land)’
2. Earth/land was formless and void (2)
3. Spirit (Ruach) was hovering over the waters

1:3-5: Day 1: Light and Darkness

1. ‘And God said’ (3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29)
2. Separates the light and the darkness

1:6-8: Day 2: Sea and Sky

1. 1:6: ‘Let there be an expanse’ (firmament): basic idea is ‘spreading out’
2. 1:7 Waters below the expanse from waters above it
3. 1:8 Expanse: ‘heaven’ or ‘sky’

1:9-13: Day 3: Land, Sea, Vegetation

1. 1:9 Dry land and seas formed
2. 1:10 Land called ‘earth’: this is the last time God names anything
3. 1:11: Vegetation: (only 2 kinds of vegetation: cp 1:29-30)
4. 1:12 ‘According to their kind’

 

1:14-19: Day 4: Light Bearers in the Heavens

1. 1:14: ‘Let there be lights/luminaries’: use of ‘greater light’ and ‘lesser light’: are probably an attempt to avoid the names ‘sun’ and ‘moon’; which were used for various deities

 

1:20-23: Day 5: Sea animals and Birds

1. 1:21: 2 kinds of creatures live in the water:

1. Large: ‘great sea monsters’ tannin: also used of sea creatures who opposed God (Ps 74:13-14; Isa 27:1; 51:9)
2. Smaller fish

 

1. 1:22-23: God blesses them: ‘Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the seas . . . earth’

 

1:24-31: Day 6: Land animals and Man

1. 1:24: 3 categories of land animals

1. ‘Cattle’: large quadrupeds which are domesticated
2. ‘Reptiles’: lizards, snakes
3. ‘Beasts’: corresponds with the Heb. ‘living thing’: every kind of wild animal

 

1. 1:26: Creation of man

1. Change from ‘let there be . . .’ to ‘let us make . . .’
2. Repetition of ‘God created man . . . He created them . . . male and female He created them’

 

3. Addition of ‘subdue and rule over’
   1. ‘Let us make man in our image’
   2. ‘Let them rule’: After spelling out man’s relationship with God, Gen 1 now explains man’s relationship with the rest of creation

 

1. 1:29-30: Every plant and tree for food

 

1. ‘It was very good’

 

2:1-3: Day 7: Rest  

1. 2:1-3: completed

 

1. 2:3 God blessed the 7th day