The meaning of Biblical Accounts of creation

THE MEANING OF BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS OF CREATION

1. God worked as a spirit e.g. in the beginning the spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
2. God created the universe all alone.  He is the sole creator.
3. He created by word of mouth and out of nothing and substance.
4. He created human beings in his own image and likeness.
5. God put man in charge of the creation and man is to take care of it.(Gen 1:26, 28)
6. After each work of creation, God emphasizes on the goodness of creation and always ends with “And God saw that it was good”.
7. God gave people/human beings understanding, namely; of good and evil and man had to make a choice.
8. The dignity of a woman is emphasized. She is portrayed as a companion to man and both are equal before God and are also complementary.
9. God is depicted as a God of order.
10. He created the earth with a plan e.g.  He created light first to be used by human beings.
11. The seventh day is set aside by God as a holiday or sacred for rest and worship.  

Comparison between the two accounts of creation: 

Similarities

1. In both, God is portrayed as the only sole creator.
2. In both, man is portrayed as a special creature; Man was created in God’s image and likeness and there was nothing else created in that way.
3. Both outline the creation of the living and non-living things i.e. heaven, man, plants and animals etc.
4. In both, Man shares in life with God.  God breathed life into man’s nostrils and created him in his own image.
5. In both cases, the earth was empty, formless.
6. In both cases, Man is given special privileges and responsibilities and is to multiply and fill the earth.
7. In both stories, God existed before creation.
8. In both mankind is created into full sexuality (male and female).

Differences

1. The creation of the firmament, the sun, the moon, stars, fish and creeping animals is only mentioned in the first story.
2. The planting of the Garden of Eden and the making of the river is only mentioned in the second story.
3. The creation in the first account is out of nothing (word) but out of substance in the second account e.g. the creation of man.
4. In the first account, creation took place for six days and God rested on the seventh day (Sabbath) while there is no mention of duration and the Sabbath day in the second story.
5. The first account is God-centered i.e. God is pictured as the one doing the work of creation while the second account is man-centered i.e. man is created first and the rest of the creatures are then made to serve the needs of man.
6. Marriage is meant for procreation in the first account (Genesis 1:38) while it is meant for companionship in the second story. (Genesis 2:23 – 24)
7. In the first account man was created last but in the second account man is created first.
8. In the second story there is mention of the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil which is not mentioned in the first account.
9. In the first account God affirms the goodness of all that he created but this is lacking in the second account.
10. The privileges and responsibilities given to man are more emphasized in the first account.  (Genesis 1:26 – 30)
11. In the second account human beings are forbidden to eat the fruits of the tree in the middle but in the second, they can eat all plants yielding seeds and none is forbidden.

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