The Big Idea: Our God existed from the beginning and created all things.
Learning Goal: Learners will recognize that the God of the Bible made them to be a special part of a wondrous creation.
Biblical
The Genesis story takes two forms: first, the creation of the heavens and earth in a series of six days followed by a day of rest; and second, the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. These two stories contradict one another at times, and if Genesis were submitted for publication today as a brand-new manuscript, it would probably go through much revision.
The first creation story (Genesis 1:1-2:4) is a methodical story beginning with the chaos of a dark, formless void that in six days becomes a flourishing, diverse earth with living creatures of all kinds. This creation account moves from confusion to order in a logical sequence by the command of the all-powerful God. The source of this writing is generally attributed to the Priestly writer, or “P.”
The second creation story (2:4-25) begins with the creation of a human from the dust of the ground. Here, too, God is the creator. But God is personified-planting a garden, breathing into the nostril of the human being-which playfully allows for errors in creation. The source of this creation story is ascribed to the Yahwist writer, or “J.”
Despite their literary differences, both of these creation stories point to one thing: God is the creator, and we are part of God’s good creation. Boundaries between creator and creation have been set; there is order in the world between God and humans, humans and animals, and in the interrelationships within humanity.
Theological
The creation stories of Genesis tell us who we are and where we came from while still acknowledging the deep mystery of God. Some things just can’t be explained, even with a really good story. What we do know is that we were created in God’s own image (1:27) and that “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (1:31).
Although God created us for good, it did not take long for humanity to push the boundaries. Genesis reveals a world where humans’ less-than-perfect decisions have consequences. God does not control us, nor can we control God. Rather, we are called to live faithfully and responsibly within our relationship with God the creator.
Human beings have been given a special place in God’s creation, but it comes with a burden: Men and women share the task of being conscientious stewards of the earth and all creation. Humans need one another and should not take the gifts of creation for granted.
We also need boundaries! The stories of the people in Genesis read like stories about small children testing the boundaries set by parents. There are consequences for going beyond, but there is also grace in forgiveness.
Many teenagers can relate to the story of Adam and Eve pushing the boundaries that God gave them. Like a good parent’s discipline, boundaries are given out of love to protect and preserve.
For teenage learners struggling with normal adolescent anxieties like acne and awkwardness, it also may be helpful to lift up that we are created in God’s own image, created to be good. Our lives are to be lived as a reflection of the image of God.
Historical
The Bible is a story of a living people passed on through the ages largely by oral tradition. Most cultures throughout human history have had some sort of creation story; Judeo-Christians are no different. In fact, our creation stories share similar themes. Universal foundation stories help us understand what it means to be human and where we came from in a divine sense. Genesis reads like a family history of the people who will be the nation Israel. The central points include that God loves us, God alone created us, and chaos will not win.
Contemporary/Cultural
The two versions of the creation story show us that the Bible should not be read as a science or history book.
The issue of creationism has been distorted in contemporary thought, polarizing hard science against religious meaning. The writers of these biblical words lived in different worldly understandings and could not have foreseen the unfortunate modern battle that has pitted faith against fact. The earth is undoubtedly billions of years old; our religious ancestors could not have known such geological and anthropological facts, nor particularly cared as it relates to our relationship with God the creator.
What is important is our understanding of creation: God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good!
