Genesis 1: Creation

GENESIS 1 STRUCTURE
    │
    ├─ v. 1       BEGINNING      → God creates heavens and earth
    │   └─► The absolute starting point of everything
    │
    ├─ v. 2       PROBLEM        → Formless, empty, dark
    │   └─► Not evil, but INCOMPLETE
    │       Creation needs ordering
    │
    ├─ vv. 3-13   FORMING        → Days 1-3
    │   ├─► Day 1: Light separated from dark
    │   ├─► Day 2: Waters above separated from waters below
    │   └─► Day 3: Seas separated from land + vegetation
    │       │
    │       └─► SPACES created
    │           But spaces are EMPTY
    │
    ├─ vv. 14-31  FILLING        → Days 4-6
    │   ├─► Day 4: Luminaries fill the light/dark
    │   ├─► Day 5: Fish/birds fill sea/sky
    │   └─► Day 6: Animals/humans fill land
    │       │
    │       └─► SPACES populated
    │           Creation now COMPLETE
    │
    └─ v. 31      EVALUATION     → "Very good"
        └─► Not just "good" (6x before)
            But "VERY good" with humanity in place

THE FIRST VERSE OF THE BIBLE
    │
    └─► "In the beginning God created
         the heavens and the earth"
        │
        ├─ בְּרֵאשִׁית (bereshit) — "In beginning"
        │   └─► No article ("the")
        │       Absolute beginning
        │       Nothing before this
        │
        ├─ בָּרָא (bara) — "Created"
        │   └─► Only GOD is subject of this verb
        │       Not reshaping existing material
        │       Bringing into existence
        │       │
        │       └─► Used 3x in Genesis 1:
        │           v. 1 (heavens/earth)
        │           v. 21 (sea creatures)
        │           v. 27 (humanity — 3x!)
        │
        └─ אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) — "God"
            │
            ├─ Plural form, singular meaning
            │   └─► Not polytheism
            │       Majesty, fullness, intensity
            │
            └─► Three things established:
                │
                ├─ 1. There WAS a beginning
                │      Universe not eternal
                │
                ├─ 2. God PRECEDES it
                │      He's not part of creation
                │
                └─ 3. He CREATED it
                       By will, not accident

THE INITIAL STATE (v. 2)
    │
    └─► "Now the earth was FORMLESS and EMPTY,
         DARKNESS was over the surface of the deep,
         and the SPIRIT OF GOD was hovering over the waters"
        │
        ├─ תֹהוּ (tohu) — formless, chaos, wasteland
        │
        ├─ בֹהוּ (bohu) — empty, void
        │   │
        │   └─► Together: "formless and void"
        │       │
        │       └─► Not EVIL
        │           INCOMPLETE
        │           │
        │           └─► Days 1-3 address FORMLESS
        │               Days 4-6 address EMPTY
        │
        ├─ Darkness over the deep
        │   └─► תְהוֹם (tehom) — "the deep"
        │       Primordial waters
        │       Chaos needing order
        │
        └─► Spirit of God HOVERING
            │
            ├─ מְרַחֶפֶת (merachefet) — "hovering, brooding"
            │   └─► Same word in Deut 32:11
            │       Eagle hovering over its young
            │       NURTURING presence
            │
            └─► Before creation: God is PRESENT
                Not distant
                Intimately engaged

THE FIRST COMMAND (v. 3)
    │
    └─► "And God SAID, 'Let there be LIGHT,'
         and there was light"
        │
        ├─ Creation by SPEECH
        │   │
        │   ├─ God doesn't labor
        │   ├─ God doesn't struggle
        │   └─► God SPEAKS, reality OBEYS
        │       │
        │       └─► "And God said" appears 10x in Genesis 1
        │           │
        │           └─► 10 creative words
        │               10 commandments later
        │               Words that CREATE ORDER
        │
        └─► Light BEFORE the sun
            │
            └─► The sun comes Day 4
                Light comes Day 1
                │
                └─► Light is not dependent on sun
                    God Himself is the source
                    │
                    └─► Rev 21:23: "The city does not need
                                    the sun... for the glory
                                    of God gives it light"

SEPARATION AND NAMING (vv. 4-5)
    │
    ├─ "God SAW that the light was GOOD"
    │   │
    │   └─► טוֹב (tov) — "good"
    │       │
    │       ├─ Not just "functional"
    │       └─► Aesthetically pleasing
    │           Morally right
    │           Exactly as intended
    │
    ├─ "He SEPARATED the light from the darkness"
    │   │
    │   └─► הִבְדִּיל (hivdil) — "separated, divided"
    │       │
    │       └─► Key action in Days 1-3:
    │           SEPARATION creates ORDER
    │           │
    │           ├─ Day 1: Light from dark
    │           ├─ Day 2: Waters above from below
    │           └─ Day 3: Sea from land
    │
    └─► "God CALLED the light 'day'
         and the darkness he called 'night'"
        │
        └─► NAMING = AUTHORITY
            │
            ├─ In ancient world, to name = to rule
            └─► Darkness isn't destroyed
                It's BOUNDED
                It has its PLACE
                │
                └─► Even darkness serves God's order

THE REFRAIN (v. 5b)
    │
    └─► "And there was EVENING,
         and there was MORNING—
         the FIRST day"
        │
        ├─ Evening BEFORE morning
        │   └─► Hebrew day begins at sunset
        │       Darkness → Light
        │       │
        │       └─► The pattern of redemption:
        │           From darkness TO light
        │
        └─► יוֹם אֶחָד (yom echad) — "day one"
            │
            └─► Not "first day" (ordinal)
                "Day ONE" (cardinal)
                │
                └─► Unique phrasing
                    Sets the pattern for all that follows

THE SECOND DAY (vv. 6-8)
    │
    └─► "Let there be a VAULT between the waters
         to SEPARATE water from water"
        │
        ├─ רָקִיעַ (raqia) — "expanse"
        │   │
        │   ├─ From root "to spread out, hammer out"
        │   └─► The visible dome of the sky
        │       Separating waters above from waters below
        │
        └─► Vertical ordering:
            │
            ├─ Waters ABOVE (clouds, rain)
            ├─ EXPANSE (sky, atmosphere)
            └─ Waters BELOW (seas, rivers)
                │
                └─► SPACE for life created
                    Between the waters

THE MISSING PHRASE
    │
    └─► Day 2 is the ONLY day without:
        "And God saw that it was GOOD"
        │
        └─► Why?
            │
            ├─ Rabbinic explanation:
            │   Separation without completion
            │   Waters divided but not gathered
            │   Work CONTINUES into Day 3
            │
            └─► Day 3 has "good" TWICE
                Completing Day 2's work
                Adding Day 3's work

FIRST ACT: LAND APPEARS (vv. 9-10)
    │
    └─► "Let the water under the sky be GATHERED
         to one place, and let DRY GROUND appear"
        │
        ├─ Waters GATHERED = Seas
        ├─ Dry ground APPEARS = Land
        │
        └─► "And God saw that it was GOOD"
            │
            └─► First "good" of Day 3
                Completes Day 2's separation work

SECOND ACT: VEGETATION (vv. 11-12)
    │
    └─► "Let the land PRODUCE vegetation:
         seed-bearing plants and trees...
         according to their various KINDS"
        │
        ├─ The land PRODUCES
        │   │
        │   └─► תַּדְשֵׁא (tadshe) — "bring forth, sprout"
        │       │
        │       └─► God empowers creation to CREATE
        │           Not just passive recipient
        │           Active participant
        │
        ├─ "Seed-bearing" — self-replicating
        │   └─► Built-in fruitfulness
        │       Life perpetuates life
        │
        └─► לְמִינוֹ (lemino) — "according to its kind"
            │
            └─► Appears 10x in Genesis 1
                │
                ├─ ORDER: Kinds are distinct
                ├─ CONTINUITY: Like produces like
                └─ DESIGN: Not random mutation
                    Purposeful categories

DOUBLE GOOD (v. 12-13)
    │
    └─► "And God saw that it was GOOD"
        │
        └─► SECOND "good" of Day 3
            │
            ├─ Day 3 is uniquely fruitful
            │   Two creative acts
            │   Two evaluations
            │
            └─► The land is now:
                ├─ Separated (from seas)
                ├─ Named (land/seas)
                └─ Productive (vegetation)
                    │
                    └─► Ready for inhabitants

FILLING DAY 1 (vv. 14-15)
    │
    └─► "Let there be LIGHTS in the vault of the sky
         to SEPARATE the day from the night"
        │
        ├─ Day 1: Light/Dark SEPARATED
        └─► Day 4: Light-BEARERS installed
            │
            └─► The SPACES of Day 1
                Are FILLED by Day 4

THE PURPOSE OF LUMINARIES (vv. 14-15)
    │
    └─► "Let them serve as SIGNS to mark
         SACRED TIMES, and DAYS and YEARS"
        │
        ├─ אֹתֹת (otot) — "signs"
        │   └─► Navigation
        │       Omens (in ancient world)
        │       Markers of God's work
        │
        ├─ מוֹעֲדִים (mo'adim) — "appointed times"
        │   │
        │   └─► SAME WORD for Israel's festivals
        │       Passover, Tabernacles, etc.
        │       │
        │       └─► The cosmos is a CALENDAR FOR WORSHIP
        │           Not objects of worship
        │           TOOLS for worship
        │
        └─► Days and years
            └─► Time-keeping for human life
                Agriculture, history, memory

THE GREATER AND LESSER LIGHTS (vv. 16-18)
    │
    └─► "God made TWO GREAT LIGHTS—
         the GREATER light to govern the day
         and the LESSER light to govern the night.
         He also made the STARS."
        │
        ├─ NOT NAMED: "sun" and "moon"
        │   │
        │   └─► Why avoid the names?
        │       │
        │       ├─ Shemesh (sun) = Babylonian god
        │       ├─ Yareach (moon) = worshiped in ANE
        │       │
        │       └─► POLEMICAL: They're just "lights"
        │           Not gods
        │           CREATURES serving the Creator
        │
        ├─ "To GOVERN" — מֶמְשֶׁלֶת (memsheleth)
        │   └─► Delegated authority
        │       Under God's rule
        │       Regulating day/night
        │
        └─► "He also made the STARS"
            │
            └─► Almost an afterthought!
                │
                ├─ Stars = major deities in ANE
                └─► Here: brief addition
                    "Oh, and the stars too"
                    │
                    └─► De-divinizing the cosmos
                        They're just God's handiwork

FILLING DAY 2 (vv. 20-21)
    │
    └─► "Let the water TEEM with living creatures,
         and let birds FLY above the earth
         across the vault of the sky"
        │
        ├─ Day 2: Sea/Sky SEPARATED
        └─► Day 5: Sea/Sky FILLED
            │
            ├─ Waters → Fish, sea creatures
            └─ Sky → Birds

THE GREAT SEA CREATURES (v. 21)
    │
    └─► "So God CREATED the great creatures of the sea"
        │
        ├─ בָּרָא (bara) — "created"
        │   │
        │   └─► Second use of bara in Genesis 1
        │       (First was v. 1)
        │       Special creative act
        │
        └─► תַּנִּינִם (tanninim) — "great sea creatures"
            │
            ├─ Elsewhere: "sea monsters," "dragons," "serpents"
            │   (Job 7:12, Psalm 74:13, Isaiah 27:1)
            │
            └─► POLEMICAL again:
                │
                ├─ ANE myths: Sea monsters = chaos gods
                │   Tiamat (Babylon), Leviathan, Rahab
                │
                └─► Genesis: Just Day 5 creatures
                    Made by God
                    Under His authority
                    │
                    └─► The "monsters" are PETS
                        Nothing threatens God

THE FIRST BLESSING (vv. 22-23)
    │
    └─► "God BLESSED them and said,
         'Be FRUITFUL and INCREASE in number
         and FILL the water in the seas,
         and let the birds increase on the earth'"
        │
        ├─ בָּרַךְ (barak) — "blessed"
        │   │
        │   └─► FIRST BLESSING in Scripture
        │       │
        │       └─► What does blessing DO?
        │           │
        │           └─► Empowers FRUITFULNESS
        │               Enables MULTIPLICATION
        │               │
        │               └─► God's blessing = generative power
        │                   What God blesses MULTIPLIES
        │
        └─► "Be fruitful... increase... fill"
            │
            └─► Same command given to humans (v. 28)
                Sea/sky creatures: Prototype
                Humans: Climax

PART 1: LAND ANIMALS (vv. 24-25)
    │
    └─► "Let the land PRODUCE living creatures
         according to their KINDS"
        │
        ├─ בְּהֵמָה (behemah) — "livestock"
        ├─ רֶמֶשׂ (remes) — "creatures that move along the ground"
        └─ חַיַּת הָאָרֶץ (chayyat ha'aretz) — "wild animals"
            │
            └─► Three categories of land animals
                All "according to their kinds"
                All declared GOOD
                │
                └─► But something MORE is coming...

PART 2: THE DIVINE DELIBERATION (v. 26)
    │
    └─► "Then God said, 'Let US make mankind
         in OUR image, in OUR likeness'"
        │
        ├─ SHIFT in pattern:
        │   │
        │   ├─ Before: "Let there be..." (command)
        │   └─► Now: "Let US make..." (deliberation)
        │       │
        │       └─► God pauses
        │           God deliberates
        │           Something UNIQUE is about to happen
        │
        └─► "Let US... OUR image... OUR likeness"
            │
            └─► The Divine Plural
                │
                ├─ Option 1: Plural of majesty
                │   └─► Royal "we"
                │
                ├─ Option 2: Divine council
                │   └─► God with angelic hosts
                │       (But angels don't share God's image)
                │
                └─ Option 3: Trinitarian hint
                    └─► Father, Son, Spirit
                        In eternal communion
                        │
                        └─► John 1:1-3: "In the beginning
                                         was the Word...
                                         through him all things
                                         were made"

THE IMAGE OF GOD (v. 27)
    │
    └─► "So God CREATED mankind in his own IMAGE,
         in the IMAGE of God he created them;
         MALE and FEMALE he created them"
        │
        ├─ בָּרָא (bara) — "created"
        │   │
        │   └─► Third use in Genesis 1
        │       Used THREE TIMES in this verse alone
        │       │
        │       └─► v. 1: Creation of cosmos
        │           v. 21: Creation of sea creatures
        │           v. 27: Creation of humanity (3x!)
        │           │
        │           └─► CLIMAX of creative acts
        │
        ├─ צֶלֶם (tselem) — "image"
        │   │
        │   └─► Elsewhere: physical statue, idol
        │       Here: REPRESENTATIVE
        │       │
        │       └─► Humanity as God's "idol" in creation
        │           Not to be worshiped
        │           But representing Him
        │
        └─► דְּמוּת (demut) — "likeness"
            │
            └─► Similarity, resemblance
                │
                └─► What IS the image of God?
                    │
                    ├─ STRUCTURAL view:
                    │   Reason, morality, spirituality
                    │   Capacities that REFLECT God
                    │
                    ├─ FUNCTIONAL view:
                    │   To RULE as God's representatives
                    │   Kings put images in territory
                    │   Humanity = God's image in creation
                    │
                    └─ RELATIONAL view:
                        Capacity for relationship
                        With God and with others
                        │
                        └─► All three are likely TRUE:
                            │
                            ├─ We are LIKE God (nature)
                            ├─ We REPRESENT God (function)
                            └─ We're made FOR God (purpose)

MALE AND FEMALE (v. 27b)
    │
    └─► "MALE and FEMALE he created them"
        │
        ├─ זָכָר (zakar) — "male"
        ├─ נְקֵבָה (neqevah) — "female"
        │
        └─► Three truths:
            │
            ├─ 1. BOTH bear God's image
            │      Not male only
            │      Not female only
            │      TOGETHER imaging God
            │
            ├─ 2. Sexual differentiation is CREATED
            │      Not accident
            │      Not curse
            │      By design
            │
            └─ 3. Distinction is GOOD
                   Part of "very good" (v. 31)
                   Complementarity, not competition

THE BLESSING AND MANDATE (v. 28)
    │
    └─► "God BLESSED them and said to them,
         'Be FRUITFUL and increase in number;
         FILL the earth and SUBDUE it.
         RULE over the fish... birds... every living creature'"
        │
        ├─ Same blessing as Day 5 creatures
        │   BUT with additional mandate:
        │
        ├─ פָּרָה (parah) — "be fruitful"
        │   └─► Multiply, have children
        │
        ├─ מָלָא (mala) — "fill"
        │   └─► Spread across the earth
        │
        ├─ כָּבַשׁ (kavash) — "subdue"
        │   │
        │   └─► Strong word: conquer, bring under control
        │       │
        │       └─► Not exploitation
        │           CULTIVATION
        │           Bringing order from wildness
        │           │
        │           └─► The earth needs TENDING
        │               (Genesis 2 will show this in Eden)
        │
        └─► רָדָה (radah) — "rule, have dominion"
            │
            └─► Royal term
                Reign, govern, exercise authority
                │
                └─► BUT: Rule as GOD rules
                    │
                    ├─ God's rule is GOOD
                    ├─ God's rule brings FLOURISHING
                    │
                    └─► Human dominion should mirror divine dominion
                        Stewarding, not exploiting
                        Serving, not abusing

FOOD PROVIDED (vv. 29-30)
    │
    └─► "I GIVE you every seed-bearing plant...
         They will be yours for FOOD"
        │
        ├─ God PROVIDES
        │   Humanity doesn't scramble
        │   Food is GIVEN
        │
        └─► Original diet: VEGETARIAN
            │
            ├─ Plants for humans (v. 29)
            ├─ Green plants for animals (v. 30)
            │
            └─► No death, no predation
                │
                └─► Hints at the PEACE of Eden
                    That prophets see RETURNING:
                    │
                    └─► Isaiah 11:6-7:
                        "The wolf will live with the lamb...
                         the lion will eat straw like the ox"

THE FINAL EVALUATION (v. 31)
    │
    └─► "God saw ALL that he had made,
         and it was VERY GOOD"
        │
        ├─ Not just "good" — טוֹב (tov)
        └─► "VERY good" — טוֹב מְאֹד (tov me'od)
            │
            └─► First and only "very good"
                │
                ├─ Creation is COMPLETE
                ├─ Humanity is in PLACE
                ├─ Everything is as God INTENDED
                │
                └─► No flaw
                    No deficiency
                    No death
                    No shame
                    │
                    └─► This is the world as it SHOULD BE
                        Before Genesis 3 ruins it

GENESIS 1: FROM CHAOS TO COMPLETION
    │
    ├─ BEGINNING (v. 1)
    │   └─► God creates heavens and earth
    │       Before this: nothing
    │       After this: everything
    │
    ├─ PROBLEM (v. 2)
    │   └─► Formless, empty, dark
    │       Spirit hovering — ready to act
    │
    ├─ FORMING (Days 1-3)
    │   ├─► Day 1: Light/Dark — TIME created
    │   ├─► Day 2: Sky/Waters — SPACE created
    │   └─► Day 3: Land/Seas + Plants — HABITAT created
    │       │
    │       └─► SPACES ready for INHABITANTS
    │
    ├─ FILLING (Days 4-6)
    │   ├─► Day 4: Luminaries — fill Day 1
    │   ├─► Day 5: Fish/Birds — fill Day 2
    │   └─► Day 6: Animals/Humans — fill Day 3
    │       │
    │       └─► Humanity as CLIMAX
    │           Image of God
    │           Ruling creation
    │
    └─ COMPLETION (v. 31)
        └─► "Very good"
            Creation EXACTLY as intended
            Ready for Day 7: REST

WHAT GENESIS 1:1 ELIMINATES
    │
    ├─ ATHEISM: "In the beginning GOD"
    │   └─► There IS a God
    │
    ├─ POLYTHEISM: "God created"
    │   └─► ONE God, not many
    │
    ├─ PANTHEISM: "God created the heavens and earth"
    │   └─► God is DISTINCT from creation
    │       Not identical with it
    │
    ├─ DUALISM: "God created"
    │   └─► No eternal evil counterpart
    │       God alone is eternal
    │
    ├─ MATERIALISM: "In the beginning"
    │   └─► Matter had a BEGINNING
    │       It's not eternal
    │
    └─ NIHILISM: God saw it was "good"
        └─► The world has MEANING
            PURPOSED by a Person

THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD
    │
    └─► God SPEAKS, reality OBEYS
        │
        ├─ No struggle with chaos
        ├─ No battle with monsters
        ├─ No effort or strain
        │
        └─► Just: "Let there be..." → there was
            │
            └─► Contrast with ANE creation myths:
                │
                ├─ Babylon: Marduk fights Tiamat
                │           Makes world from her corpse
                │
                ├─ Egypt: Multiple creation stories
                │         Often involving conflict
                │
                └─► Genesis: Peaceful sovereignty
                    God speaks
                    It happens

DAYS 1-3: FORMING          DAYS 4-6: FILLING
    │                           │
    ├─ Day 1: Light/Dark   ←→  Day 4: Sun/Moon/Stars
    ├─ Day 2: Sea/Sky      ←→  Day 5: Fish/Birds
    └─ Day 3: Land         ←→  Day 6: Animals/Humans

APPLICATION
    │
    └─► Tohu (formless) → FORMED (Days 1-3)
        Bohu (empty) → FILLED (Days 4-6)
        │
        └─► God takes chaos and makes COSMOS
            Takes void and makes FULLNESS
            │
            └─► He can do the same with my life

CREATION PARTICIPATES IN CREATING
    │
    ├─ v. 11: "Let the LAND produce vegetation"
    │   └─► Land produces, not just God alone
    │
    ├─ v. 20: "Let the WATER teem with creatures"
    │   └─► Water teems
    │
    ├─ v. 24: "Let the LAND produce living creatures"
    │   └─► Land produces again
    │
    └─► God gifts creation with GENERATIVE POWER
        │
        └─► He doesn't micromanage
            He empowers
            He blesses and things MULTIPLY

WHAT DOES "IMAGE OF GOD" MEAN?
    │
    ├─ I used to think: Reason, morality, creativity
    │   └─► Things that make us "god-like"
    │
    └─► But the CONTEXT suggests: FUNCTION
        │
        └─► v. 26: "Let us make mankind in our image...
                    SO THAT THEY MAY RULE"
            │
            └─► The PURPOSE of the image
                is DOMINION
                │
                └─► Ancient kings put IMAGES (statues)
                    in territories they ruled
                    │
                    └─► The image REPRESENTED the king
                        │
                        └─► Humanity = God's IMAGE in creation
                            REPRESENTING Him
                            RULING for Him

"MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM"
    │
    ├─ BOTH are image of God
    │   └─► Neither alone exhausts the image
    │       Together imaging God
    │
    ├─ Sexual distinction is CREATED
    │   └─► Not fallen
    │       Not accidental
    │       By design, before the fall
    │
    └─► Distinction is part of "VERY GOOD"
        │
        └─► Not just tolerated
            CELEBRATED
            Essential to fullness of image

THE WORLD BEFORE THE FALL
    │
    └─► "Very good"
        │
        ├─ No death
        ├─ No disease
        ├─ No natural evil
        ├─ No shame
        ├─ No predation
        │
        └─► This is the world as GOD INTENDED
            │
            └─► Genesis 3 will ruin it
                │
                └─► But Revelation 21-22 will RESTORE it
                    │
                    └─► "Very good" → Fall → "Very good" again
                        │
                        └─► The arc of Scripture:
                            Creation → Corruption → Redemption → Restoration

GENESIS 1 IS NOT:
    │
    ├─ A scientific textbook
    │   └─► It's THEOLOGICAL cosmology
    │       Answering WHO and WHY, not HOW
    │
    ├─ Competing with science
    │   └─► Different questions, different methods
    │       "How did life develop?" vs
    │       "Why does life exist at all?"
    │
    └─► What it IS:
        │
        ├─ Polemic against ANE myths
        │   └─► One God, not many
        │       Creation by word, not combat
        │       Sun/moon are creatures, not gods
        │       Humanity has dignity, not slave-status
        │
        └─► Foundation for everything else
            │
            └─► If Genesis 1 is true:
                │
                ├─ The world has MEANING
                ├─ Humans have PURPOSE
                ├─ God is GOOD
                └─ Evil is an INTRUDER, not original

THE RHYTHM OF CREATION
    │
    ├─ Days 1-6: Work
    │   └─► God creates
    │
    └─► Day 7: Rest (Genesis 2:1-3)
        │
        └─► God rests—not from exhaustion
            But from COMPLETION
            │
            └─► The goal of creation is not WORK
                The goal is REST
                PRESENCE
                COMMUNION
                │
                └─► Hebrews 4:9-10:
                    "There remains a Sabbath-rest
                     for the people of God"