Bereshit - Genesis 1:1-6:8
Genesis 1:1-6:8
In the beginning God…
The start of the Bible begins with God hovering over “the waters.” While no one can claim to know what this truly means, we know that this is the start of the very first 7 in the Bible. Before time and space, God existed - his name meaning “I exist because I exist” or “the self-existing one” (haya aser haya, literally “I am because I am” or “to become that which is to become”). That is, God is the only being who needs nothing else in order to exist: no air, no food, no water, no physical space, no passage of time to grow or develop within, nothing. He just is, he always has been, and he always will be. Since before time began, he was. Before the space to exist within could be found, he was. When all of time and space ends, still, He will be. This is partly why God, the Father, is considered to be silent and invisible: he exists beyond the concept of noise or sight. He is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere. He inhabits every moment, in all places, forever. Jesus, conversely, gives God his voice, through the Spirit that they share, and makes God’s will, reality. Jesus is the bridge between God and man, the spirit allows us the same level of deep connection with God as Jesus had and has. More on that in the Trinity or blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
Colossians 1:15 (NIV) The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn Over all creation.
Creation
The bible outlines the story of creation in seven literal days. Some contend that the word “yom” can mean “period of time” - which is true - however, the bible clearly states in all but the second day that there was morning and there was evening each day, implying that they were literal 24-hour periods of time, not an indiscriminate one that could have meant millions of years of life, death, and evolution.
The days are firstly 3 days of separation then days of creation 3. Finally, God rests.
- Separation of light and darkness
- Separation of water and sky
- Separation of earth and sea then creation of plants
- Creation of the sun and moon
- Creation of birds and fish
- Creation of beasts, cattle, and man
- Sabbath; God rests
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There are a few things to call out in this.
First, we see the passage of time in the Hebrew mindset with the repeated phrase “there was evening and there was morning…” which may feel backwards to a western-minded bloke such as myself. The way Hebrew time is kept is that a day begins at dusk and completes at the following day’s sunset. That is, when the sun goes down, the day is done.
Next, we see the repeated phrase “and God saw that it was good.” This is repeated daily except on the 6th day, in which God saw that it was “very good.” After all creation was complete, it wasn’t just “good,” it was perfect in God’s eyes.
The Creation of Woman
Chapter two recounts the 6th day but leans into the creation of man. Firstly, God gave mankind dominion over all of the plants and animals - even having Adam (the first human) name everything one-by-one. After encountering every sort and kind of plant, creature, and object, no suitable partner was found for him. Though he was made in the image of God, Adam needed a helper; someone to balance him, challenge him, and partner with him work on earth. God started with the most basic unit of all creation (light, information) and ends with the most complex and most beautiful, woman. Only after she is created does God call his work completed.
The Fall of Man
In the rest of chapter two, the Garden of Eden is described in detail. It is a paradise, a perfect place for Adam and Eve to live in harmony with God and each other. They are given one command: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This command is a test of their obedience and trust in God. God told them that eating of this tree would result in their death, as they would no longer be allowed to eat of the tree of life. They could know good and evil OR live forever, but not both. Once they knew evil, their days would be numbered.
Chapter three describes the temptation of Eve by the serpent, who is later identified as Satan. The serpent deceives Eve into eating from the forbidden tree, telling her that she would not die but would become like God, knowing good and evil. Eve eats the fruit and gives some to Adam - who was with her, and he also eats it. Their eyes are opened, and they realize they are naked, feeling shame for the first time. I feel like the fact that Adam was with Eve is often neglected in the telling of this story. Man and woman were to hold each other accountable, acting as partners. This was the first letdown in a relationship and it would mean a death sentence, literally.
Later that evening, God walks in the garden, looking for Adam and Eve. When they finally show themselves, He confronts them. Adam blames Eve, and Eve blames the serpent. As a result of their disobedience, God pronounces curses upon them: the serpent will crawl on its belly, Eve will experience pain in childbirth and desire for her husband, and Adam will toil for his food from the ground. They are banished from the Garden of Eden, losing their perfect relationship with God and each other.
God then kills an animal and uses its skin to make clothes for Adam and Eve. They are now “covered” (the word “kippur”, often translated “atoned for” in Hebrew). While they do not, therefore, have to immediately die, mankind is then barred from the garden and left to fend for themselves.
Cain and Abel
The first child we know is borne of Adam and Eve is Cain; the second, Abel. Cain grows to become a farmer and Abel a shepherd. Both present offerings to God but Abel brings the best of his flock. Cain, also, brings offerings to God but God only favors Abel’s offering. Cain is bothered, wondering why his is not accepted. God tells him that if he does well, he will be accepted, but if he does not do well, sin is crouching at the door, waiting to pounce on him. Cain, however, does not heed God’s warning and instead lures Abel out into the field and kills him.
God calls out later, asking Cain where Abel is. This is the icon scene of “how should I know, I’m not my brother’s keeper.” God calls out Cain’s lie and curses him to wander the earth. Cain states that it’s too much and that he’ll be killed to which God says that anyone who places hands on Cain would receive 7 times the punishment. Cain is then sent further east, where he builds a city and his family becomes skilled workers in bronze and iron.
This is reminiscent of the Greek god, Hephaestus, who was the outcast son of Zeus and Hera and god of blacksmiths and metalworkers. In my view, all myth has a basis in Christianity and the truth found in the Bible. This is but one example.
Then we get a list of Cain’s descendants. More on this in a sec.
Adam’s Decedents
Adam and Eve have another son, Seth, who is born after Abel’s death. Seth is seen as a replacement for Abel (his name literally meaning “compensation”), and through him, the righteous line continues. This line is often called “the patriarchs” of the bible. In Chapter 5, Adam’s descendants, through Seth are listed. While many are curious about Enoch, and the can of worms that entails (Nephilim and Watchers1), “did he die,” and the like. We’ll leave that be for now.
Perhaps the other most interesting tidbit here are what the names mean. In order, the patriarchs spell out God’s plane for salvation.
| Name | Literal Meaning | Interpretation of Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Adam | Red Earth / Man (there are two meanings) | Man |
| Seth | Compensation | Substituted |
| Enosh | Man | Mortality |
| Kenen | Posession | Posession |
| Mahalelel | Praise of God | Praise God |
| Jared | Descended | Shall come down |
| Enoch | Dedicated | Didcated |
| Methuselah | Man of the dart2 | Either “his death shall bring” or Man yielding a weapon |
| Lamech | Powerful / Wild man | The boastful |
| Noah | Rest | Rest |
Turning that into a something of a sentence:
Man substituted their mortality for a possession. The praised of God (Jesus) shall come down, dedicated to His cause. That man (Jesus) will send out a weapon (The Word) that brings us, boastful men, true rest!
Maybe it’s a stretch, but I think it makes a passage that can often be glazed over into a beautiful picture of God’s plan for salvation through Jesus. The names of the patriarchs tell a story of redemption and hope, showing that even in the midst of sin and corruption, God has a plan to restore humanity to Himself. I choose to believe that God places these genealogical records in the Bible to show us the authenticity of it’s content but also to show glimpses of his plan - or fulfillment of it - over all of history.
A second line of Adam is also give, that of Cain. Let’s compare the list of patriarchs against the next list of descendants, those of Cain.
| Name | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|
| Adam | Red Earth / Man (there are two meanings) |
| Cain | Posession |
| Enoch | Dedicated |
| Irad | Fleet |
| Mehujael | Smitten of God |
| Methushael | Who is of God |
| Lamech | Powerful / Wild man |
| Lamech > Jabal | Stream of water |
| Lamech > Jubal | Stream |
| Lamech > Tubal-cain | Thou will be brought of Cain |
As a sentence:
Man, God’s possession which was to be dedicated to Him, instead became a fugitive, smitten by God because he thought himself to be God. Powerful, wild men will stream forth from Cain.
Lamech claimed himself to be 10 times worse than Cain, boasting that he had killed a man and that the curse of Cain (7x) would be 70x for anyone who killed him. What stands out to me is how it gradually becomes more and more sad, still bound to Cain’s sin, and removed from God. Ultimately, Lamech boasts of his sins. This, to me, is a story of being unable to forgive one’s self and the result of unashamed sin (for more on that, see Human Depravity).
Corruption of Man
Chapter 6 then resumes the narrative, starting with Noah. Again, Nephelim1 are mentioned and it talks of how God chooses to set a limit on man’s days - 120 years. Toward the end of this section, we find the truly heart-breaking feeling that God has - a deep regret for creating what was once perfect.
And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, ”[…] I am sorry that I have made them.” Gen 6:6,7b
However, the very last verse of this portion ends with hope:
But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Gen 6:8
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Footnotes
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Nephelim are the half-human, half-angel beings that are the result of the “sons of God” (angels) mating with the “daughters of man.” The Book of Enoch, an extra-biblical text, goes into more detail about this but the bible speaks little of them. As such, I find them to be more of a distracting rabbit hole than useful truth. While I am not opposed to discussing them, I prefer to focus where the Bible focuses. For now, just know that I believe them to be the origin of the giants mentioned later in the bible and the inspiration for the demi-gods spoken of in various other religions and mythologies. I’ll discuss them a bit more in a focused study on Nephilim and Watchers. ↩ ↩2
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There is some debate around the exact meaning of this name. Most agree that the name is a conjunction of metu (man) and shelah (dart, missile, or weapon). That is, his name was effectively “metu-shelah” (Anglicized to Methuselah), which would translate to something like “man of the dart”. Others say it is a combination of mot (death) and ushelah (to bring) to give us mot-ushelah (again Anglicized to Methuselah), meaning “his death shall bring.” This is somewhat spiritually reinforced by the fact that he lived until the flood; his death marking the end/death of the world of the day. To me, either works as the idea is still a man and something that brings death; either death itself or a weapon. ↩