Genesis Chapter 1 And 2 Summary

Presented by Dr. Carol Dempsey, the lecture on creation is definitely worth paying close attention to. Earth’s creation is strongly rooted in theological teachings. The book of Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, describe the many events that took place through God’s spoken word in a period of seven days. The two chapters of Genesis also speaks of a connectedness and unity among that which is divine, human, and non-human. Dr. Dempsey presents the idea that, “Creation is a series of interdependent relationships.” The creation of Earth, while a seemingly fast process, is so critical to understand when pondering the ways in which we live our daily life, and how we conduct it in relation to the environment that we are in, and the environment that we belong
In Gen 2:15, God settles the human being in the garden “to till it and keep it.” In “Restoring Creation for Ecology and Justice,” A Report Adapted by the 202nd General Assembly of Presbyterian Churches (USA), “tilling” and “keeping the Earth” is interpreted through an ecological lens as “Tilling’ symbolizes everything we humans do to draw sustenance from nature. It includes not only agriculture but mining and manufacturing and exchanging, all of which depend necessarily on taking and using the stuff of God’s creation. Keeping’ the creation means tilling with care–maintaining the capacity of the creation to provide sustenance for which tilling is done.” In this day and age it is so easy to see the abundance of the resources that our environment provides and take advantage of it without reciprocating/restoring the environment for further production of resources. We (the consumers and God’s people) should see the abundance of resources as a blessing and in return take care of it to maximize its supply for years to come. By taking care of the land and having the mind set of giving back to the environment that provides for us, we will ultimately be taking care of what God has created, and the environment will in turn do what God created it to do. However, author Elizabeth Johnson acknowledges in her work, Women, Earth, and
Dempsey’s lecture, we as living beings of the planet are called to live in unity with not only each other, but the environment that provides for us as well. We (both the living and nonliving) all have a common divine origin, God, and a common natural origin, the ground. All of creation is categorized as being of the same entity, belonging to one another. Ultimately these commonalities exhibit the underlying idea of stewardship and what it means to take care of all that has been provided by God. However, as explained, the stewardship model “misses the crucial aspect of human interdependence upon that which we steward.” We must recognize that aside from being a part of God’s creation, we are to also take care of what he has given us, for its own sake and goodness, for without it, we will not be able to