The first two pages of the Bible – Genesis chapters 1 and 2 – are criminally under-appreciated, even among believers.
In some circles, the account of life’s origins given there are treated as a children’s story, far too fanciful for anything outside of the Cradle Roll classroom. Perhaps in reaction to such views, others stridently defend the biblical account of creation, making scientific and philosophical arguments to prove its truthfulness. If those are the options – if Scripture’s beginning can truly only be used to entertain children or to engage in scholarly debates – no wonder so little time in the public and personal life of the church is spent there.
Yet, that’s a mistake.
When God first breathed out Genesis 1 and 2, it seems highly unlikely His primary focus was providing our generation with material for producing coloring sheets or debating Bill Nye the Science Guy. Sure, it is great for that, too; but God was doing something so much more.
He was revealing His design to us.
In our dismissal or defense of a literal six-day creation, we often miss that. We miss the stunning orderliness of God creating light, sea and sky, and earth and vegetation, mirrored by the subsequent creation of sun, moon, and stars, fish and birds, and animals and man. While questions like how there could be light before stars can make for intriguing discussions, they typically come at the expense of noticing the incredible intentionality in God’s actions.
Because when God first created life, He had a purpose for all of it. He spoke, His creative intentions were fulfilled, and everything was good. Once completed, it was so very good that God settled in and enjoyed it, blessing it and making it holy with His presence. Those opening pages of the Bible show us how God wanted things to be – and it’s beautiful.
That provides a foundation for everything else. For understanding Scripture, as Tim Mackie and Jon Collins of The Bible Project do such a good job of highlighting. The imagery, vocabulary, and themes from those opening pages echo through the rest of the Bible. It also provides a foundation for our lives. Rather than a cosmic accident or impossible coincidence, God gives us a view of life that has meaning and purpose. He shows us His intentions – and the goodness of them.
In our present age, when good is individually – and often contradictorily – defined and we grapple with chaos and meaninglessness, we need a source of truth greater than ourselves. We need a foundation more solid than our own confused thoughts and conflicting feelings. To experience true goodness in our lives, we need to know and to live by God’s design for them.
Discover God’s design for your life in our sermon series Real Men and our Bible study Ladies Night.