The Origin of the World in the Book of Genesis

The Origin of the World in the Book of Genesis

The origin of the world has been a topic for discussion since the early days of theology. We can all see this matter around us; the sun, moon, trees, and wildlife, but where did it all come from? The first book of the Bible, Genesis, gives two separate explanations for this phenomena. In Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 the first account of creation is given, and in Genesis 2:4 through the end of chapter two the other explanation for creation is described. These two stories depict creation in different ways, but the underlying story in Genesis 1 and 2 are fundamentally the same.

In the first story of creation, Genesis 1:1 to 2:3, creation is depicted in a very orderly manner. Everything from how the universe was created to the making of humankind is laid out on a day-to-day agenda. The story consists of seven days, and thoroughly describes exactly what God created on each day. The second story does not have a certain laid out pattern as to the order of creation. It does state basically the same points of creation as in the first story, but it does not put everything in such a strict pattern of events. Both stories begin by describing what the universe was like before the time of creation. The first version depicts a “formless void” or basically a shapeless space. It is suggested that there is water in this space, because it is stated that “a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.” The second version says “In the day that the Lord God made the Earth and the Heavens…” suggesting that there wasn’t anything in the universe until God created it. This version also says that the water came from beneath the earth to “water the whole face of the ground.” Whereas, in the f...

... middle of paper ...

...l beliefs of Christianity and Judaism. God is the creator of all things, and for this we owe him our deepest respect and gratitude.

In conclusion, the first two chapters of Genesis give an explanation for the existence of the universe. Even though the way in which the world is created differs from chapter one to chapter two, the fundamental principles behind the two stories are the same. I believe that this is the main point that the writers of the Bible are getting across to show that we should dedicate our lives to God, because he has given us life. Life is precious, so we should do our best to give back to God all that we are capable of in order to show our gratitude for this precious gift we have received. Even though we may fall short of perfection at times we should still strive to please God, and show him that he has truly created something beautiful.