Genesis 1-11: Biblical Worldview

Matthew Peavy
Professor Ed Hindson
BIBL 105
25 January 2014
Biblical Worldview Essay Genesis. This word means “beginning.” This is a fitting title to a book whose pages record the beginning of everything-the beginning of creation, man, sin, family, and civilization. There is one topic that Genesis does not deal with, the beginning of God. Why? God has no beginning, and in a sense, the Bible is God’s autobiography. The more I read and study God’s word, the more I realize it was written supernaturally. My goal in this paper is to describe what Genesis 1-11 teaches regarding the natural world, human identity, human relationship, and civilization, and how these topics have affected my worldview by taking a journey through the pages of the
most powerful book known to mankind, the Bible. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” Genesis 1:1.
Lots of people get hung up on this verse. Think about it for a moment, the heavens and the earth, how does He create this? If one cannot grasp verse 1 this presents a problem, in that one cannot grasp the verses that follow. Did He really create the natural world in just six days? It’s just not scientific! Folks, remember the book in your hand doesn’t claim to be scientific, but there is no proven scientific fact that contradicts anything written in this book. “Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; Isaiah 40:21-22. If you really search your heart and even go over the logic of the creation, it makes since that only a supernatural, all knowing, loving God could create such perfection. This passionate belief is the foundation of my worldview and of who I am as a person today. Because of Genesis 1, I live my life under the certainty that everything is created for a specific purpose. God made every creature and every plant to play their part in the extravagant story of the world, just as everything that happens in life is a perfect piece of the
puzzle. God’s resolute creation of the heavens and the earth extends to those He also created in His image.
Our human identity is found in Christ our creator, savior, and redeemer. “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them,” Genesis 1:27. Once you believe in creation of the natural world, everything else falls into place like the creation of humans. In Genesis 2:7 the bible says, “ And the Lord formed man of the dust of the ground.” Here the Hebrew term for creation (formed) is pictorial in nature, describing the work of the potter; thus the “dust of the ground” should be understood as clay (Jeremmiah) . The image of God as a potter molding us into what He wants is a glimpse of His love and grace (Romans 9:21). God breathed the breath of life into humans, rather than giving them life like the birds of the air thus distinguishing from animals. So as you can see , we are not created with error. God handcrafted everyone of us in His image. The God I serve doesn’t create junk. The perfect creation of man and woman and husband and wife, furthers my worldview. There is a God and I was created in His image for a
purpose. Everything made since and was going along good until that act of disobedience in the garden. Before Adam and Eve sinned, they were in perfect relationship with God; they walked and talked with Him daily. Can you imagine? There minds were not cloudy with the business of life or the falsehoods of who God is. They possessed the greatest thing, spiritual life! God had created an institution of relationship, not only between Him and human but also between man and woman. That institution was marriage. Godly marriage is a glimpse of how a relationship should be. Marriage unified Adam and Eve physically, emotionally, spiritually, and publically. Those four components create a Godly relationship that produces everlasting joy. “And Adam said, this is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh, Genesis 2:23a.” This is a Hebrew expression meaning “Exact counterpart” (Jeremmiah). As we journey through life we should strive to be one with God in our relationship. We should also realize that we are to operate as one in the body of Christ following the instructions given in Genesis and in Ephesians 4:2-6, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” If we strive to practice this kind of love in the world today souls can be won in our area. It still amazes me that today, after all the years of history written in this book of betrayal against God, we continue to turn our backs against Him. After seeing the pages of history over and over again were the children of Israel fall because of unfaithfulness, we still feel as if it want happen to us. Is that arrogance or ignorance? We can see that these types of action have brought about our civilization. From Adam and Eves fall to the day of Noah, man begins proofing that in order to survive they had to relay on God and those that refused paid and awful price, eternal death. The first separation of civilization came with Cain, “ So now you are cursed from the earth, Genesis 4:11a. Cain is mention three times in the New Testament, (Heb. 11; 1 John 3:12; Jude 11). He is a just one example of the effects of sin on the world. From Cain we go to Noah’s days. We no that in Noah’s days the world wipes out civilization and we start fresh. From there we go to the decedents of Noah after the flood, Japheth (Gen 10:2-5), Ham (Gen. 10:6-20), Shem (Gen. 10:21-31). So we see Civilization again, proving that with God’s help we can make it, but than we get to Babel. God curses the people of the city to speak all different languages and from there they create different groups of civilization. It has been proving to me through scripture that we must follow Gods command s as a culture or evil will run wild. Does that sound familiar? This has shaped my view of community and culture in my life. In conclusion all the things that I have talked about from the natural creation, human creation, human relationships, and civilization all change the way we look at the world. As Christians it is important that well peal back the pages of history and learn for ourselves where we come from. It’s important that we allow the spirit of God to direct us so that we can view the world through his eyes. Love God and Love people.
Works Cited
Jeremmiah, Dr. David. The Jeremiah Study bible. Worthy Publishing, 2013.