GENESIS 23
The Creation is one of 117 woodcut
illustrations by Lucas Cranach the
Elder in Martin Luther’s Bible of- It shows a benevolent God
looking down on his creation, with
Adam and Eve at the center of
the Garden of Eden.
the word of God is understood to
be powerful and dynamic, able
to pronounce blessing, judgment,
and forgiveness. If God’s word can
speak the whole universe into
existence, then God’s word can
bring hope to exiles in Babylon
or provide wise advice for ordinary
life. The creation of the world by
God’s word stands behind the
repeated invitation throughout the
Bible to “hear the word of the Lord.”
The second message is that,
while Genesis speaks about the
creation of the physical world and
all living things, it is also about
creating a rhythm to life. Along
with the daily rhythm of night and
day, there is a weekly pattern of
six days of work followed by one
day of rest and a seasonal cycle
marked by the creation of sun,
moon, and stars. Throughout the
Old Testament, these daily, weekly,
and yearly rhythms are enshrined
in Jewish religious practice, with
daily prayer, the weekly rest on the
Sabbath, and an annual cycle of
religious festivals. While it would
later become theological orthodoxy
to speak about creation ex nihilo
(out of nothing), here in GenesisGod’s act of creation is understood
as the giving of order and purpose
to the chaos of “the deep.”
The third message of the story
is that God’s creation is “good,”
even “very good” (Genesis 1:31). ❯❯See also: The Garden of Eden 26–29 ■ The Fall 30–35 ■ The Flood 40–41 ■ Entering the Promised Land 96–97 ■
The New Jerusalem 322–29The heavens declare
the Glory of God; the
skies proclaim the
work of his hands.
Psalm 19:1US_020-025_Let_there_be_Light.indd 23 21/09/17 11:25 am