Here is a quick paraphrase of Genesis 1 – 3. What does the creation story (without discussing evolution vs 7-day creation) tell us about ourselves and our relatioship to God and the world?
There was a time when God created earth and sky
There was chaos and darkness, but Breath and Life were in conversation
And from it God spoke for light – light is day and dark is night.
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the first day.
God spoke to the waters, calling for sky
The water birthed vapors into space – colliding, collecting, clouding
Between water and water-child the sky gathered
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the second day.
Then God aimed to dry the land
Its razor broke the surface parting waters with earth
God spoke Life into the earth raising vegetation and trees and all things green
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the third day.
God saw still a disorder in the light
God spoke light into organized orbs – the lords of day and night
Dwelling in Space, in the created expanse of sky, were Sun, Moon, and Stars
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the fourth day.
God saw fertility in the water and sky
And spoke life into the seas – the great whale; the minute bacteria
And spoke life into the air where birds now fly
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the fifth day.
God spoke living creatures out of the earth
Then God designed a new animal – “In Our own Image,” God designed
Formed from dirt, filled with Spirit-breath, the human creation awoke
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the sixth day.
Earth and sky were created and blessed
And their inhabitants within it
The seventh was a day sanctified and consecrated
A day of rest; for God rested from the work of creation.
Now man and woman were made as husband and wife
Pure, naked, and unveiled – they communed unashamed.
The serpent interrupted and spoke to them, concerning
Forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil
“Attempt a taste and you shall not die – the eye of God should be your eye”
They were coaxed and thus persuaded
They then were burdened by their lacking
So that their nakedness brought shame, then hiding
God sought community with them, but they denied God for their shame.
Hence, outside the garden their home became.
-jonathan
Justin
Jonathan
These verses tell us explicitly what our purpose in creation is: to seek a relationship with and honor God. We’re God’s most beloved creation, and all God wants is to have a personal relationship with us.
This is a great start. Here are some questions to narrow the discussion a hair:
What does God say of creation AND WHY?
How do we respond to God’s labels and value-statements?
What did God say of people AND WHY?
What is our response to this?
There are more things that can be discussed from this passage, and I encourage any of those things – but, if you can’t decide what questions to consider, these are a good place to start.
Well, speaking primarily of the last few days, i think God put an exorbitant amount of trust in us humans. After He created all of these marvelous things He created us last, on the 6th day, to look after, and expend rationally, this universe while he took time to rest. And because he created us in His image i think it is our duty to also display this type of faith in Him.
Interesting thought. So, because God created us, and did such so that we (humans) are part of the continuation and sustainability of creation, we recognize that God is putting some faith in us. Now, realizing this, our response should include returning faith to the Creator. We of course participate and contribute to creation with the best of our ability, but we also recognize the necessity of God the Creator in this process and respond by trusting and hoping for God, “who began a good work in [us] [to] carry it on to completion,” (Philippians 1:6) which (in this context) began in the creation narrative.