Document 14977989
God’s Purpose is carried out through human purpose.
Authority is vested in the author.
“For us, but not to us”
Message transcends culture, but form is culture-bound.
We must take our place in His audience.
We must see
the world
the way the text sees the world
Whose cosmic geography?
We must see
the text
the way the ancient
Israelites saw the text
No scientific revelation (
heart
)
Observation of natural cause and effect does not remove God from the picture (Ps 139:13)
In the ancient functional focus, “existence” is defined by having a function (role and purpose in ordered system), not by having a material structure
Genesis 1: provides an account of functional origins, not material origins
Genesis 1: about God bringing order (functionality) into the midst of non-order (non-functionality)
It is fruitless to ask what “things” God created on any given day, for the text is not concerned about the existence of matter
Naming and separating are acts of creation
Not about building a house, but making a house a home
Days 1-3: Functions Proclaimed
Basis for time (light not an object)
Basis for weather and space for existence
(space not an object)
Basis for food provision (dry land emerges; plants sprout)
Days 4-6: Functionaries Installed
Lights for signs, celebrations, days, years (not considered objects)
Fish and birds (teem and fill our world)
Animals to fill the world and people in his image to subdue and rule
In the ancient world, gods rest in temples and temples are constructed for deity to rest in
People may be climax of six days, but “ rest ” is the climax of the creation account
“Rest” is the main goal of creation
Resting expresses having control over an ordered system
engagement , not disengagement
Rest God gives resolves “ unrest ”
Gudea Temple Cylinder
The word “day” suggests it should be a 24-hour period.
Discussion often concerns the age of the earth.
If the 7 days is like a temple inauguration, then objects are not necessarily being made in those seven days.
If the days are concerned with bringing order rather than making things, the seven days has nothing to do with the age of the earth.
Importance of the literary introduction (2:4)
Ref Relation
5:1
6:9 synoptic sequel
10:1 sequel
11:10 synoptic
11:27 sequel
25:12 sequel
25:19 synoptic
36:1 sequel
36:9 synoptic
37:2 synoptic
All examples of synoptic relationships concern brothers
If sequel, people in
1st account not necessarily Adam &
Eve
2 nd account does not need to fit into day 6
proposal: archetypal functions
Everything in Gen 2 regarding human origins is first and foremost archetypal
The “forming” accounts are most relevant to Adam and Eve as archetypes rather than as individuals
dust/rib are archetypal issues
Not chemistry or sculpting
Dust = mortality (Gen. 3:19)
Immortal people would not need tree of life
Photo: Brian McMorrow
“For he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust”
(NIV)
• Every human is formed from dust
• Being formed from dust does not describe material formation
• First man of dust and all from dust (1
Cor. 15:47-48)
• Being formed from dust would not preclude being born of woman
• Egypt: King formed on potter’s wheel
• Not material origin but identity
“Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh”
Architectural term: one side of a pair
Tardemah : deep sleep
Visionary state: Unresponsive to human realm and correspondingly responsive to communication from the divine realm
Abraham in Genesis 15 (Eliphaz, Daniel)
Womankind from the side of mankind to be helper
That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh
Serve and Keep (Gen. 2:15)
“Helpmeet” – Eve to help Adam in sacred task
As priests they are representatives of all humans
Disorder of sin entered through them and permeated the cosmos such that all other humans are subject to that disorder
If the details of the “forming” apply to the archetypes, we have no information about the forming of the individuals
Archetypal identity does not negate the existence of the individual —Adam and Eve are individuals, but more importantly are archetypes.
Appropriate question is not “Is this really what happened?” but “Is this what people really are?” (focus on identity, not event)
If Genesis 2 has an archetypal focus, there is no biblical account of material human origins
Does not mean that common descent is true, only that it would not contradict the biblical record
Special, direct creative work of God is found minimally at functional level
Endowing with image of God
Creation of spiritual being
Designating as priests
Order connected to sacred space
Non-order remained after creation
People given task of expanding sacred space and order (subdue and rule)
Presence of God brought life
Serpent as chaos creature promoting disorder
People wanted to be the center of order
Sin brought disorder
Cast from sacred space into less ordered realm
