Genesis 1:1-2:4

This opening chapter of Genesis offers an account of the origin of our world, however, this chapter is not meant to be taken literally. Instead, it is meant to help us appreciate the beauty and wonder of God’s creation and show us the personal relationship each of us shares with God. For example, as God creates each part to the world, the goodness of each creation is emphasized by ending with “and God saw that it was good.” This asserts the fact that each aspect to God’s creation that we encounter in our daily lives is something that should be appreciated rather than taken for granted. The description of the creation of humanity in this passage also reminds us of how it is our job to care for the rest of God’s creation. In the chapter, it says, “…and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” This line is not saying we own the earth and everything on it, rather, it is showing us that we have a responsibility to care for and love the beauty of the world around us. This emphasis on the goodness of the world around us and our role in caring for it can help us to realize how beautiful God’s creation truly is. This passage also accentuates the personal relationship each of us shares with God by showing his love for humanity. Humanity is the last thing God creates in the passage before finally resting on the seventh day and up to this point, each thing God has created has been followed with the quote “and God saw that it was good,” but after the creation of humanity (his final creation) is the line “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” It was not until God made humanity that his work was complete, showing the important relationship we have with God. This is also why God rests on the seventh day. Again, this does not literally mean God created the world in six days and then rested on the seventh, but instead, it emphasizes the idea that humanity is the final and most important aspect to God’s creation by showing once we have been made, “…the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.” The first chapter of Genesis is not a historical account of how the world was created. Instead, it exemplifies the vital role humanity has in caring for our world and the personal relationship we each share with God, which can help us to obtain a better foundation in our own faith.