The Book of Genesis in the Bible - Essay Example

Genesis The question of the creation of the world has been one of the most commonly discussed issues among Christians in the Christian religion. The book of Genesis in the Bible entails the formation of life and the beginning of life as part of God’s Creation. This has influenced various generations since the creation of man and the world at large. This aspect has made Christians of different generations think up means by which they elucidate the work of creation from a Biblical perspective. The first verse in Genesis chapter one says that, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (New International Version, Gen.1.1). This Biblical assertion triggers in the mind of every Christian that there is given beginning for everything that exists on earth. It makes it clear and easy to believe that God had a plan for His creation since He decided to begin with the heaven and earth. Each step made by God in the process of creation was typically methodical. Verse two of chapter one says that, “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters” (New International Version, Gen.1.2). This case provides the way God is really powerful. Both the first and second verses have created the impression that God has no definite beginning. This is because everything started from his creation. He could even see what to do even before light was created. This further implies that whatever God did was meant to be a blessing to the product of His work of creation, especially to human beings. This is seen in the case where he commands that, “Let there be light: and there was light” (New International Version, Gen.1.3). The creation story in the Christian religion is unique from other religions and scientific interpretations. In essence, various aspects or happenings found in Genesis have been attracting the attention of scientific institutions. In this regard, some institutions seem to oppose some creation stories while others aim at providing some geological and biological evidence about the stories of creation and Noah’s Flood (New International Version, Gen.9.16). The various scientific explanations and mythologies of creation and Noah’s flood have been presented in the world today, but are often accompanied with their inconsistencies and fallacies in the attempt to disagree with the Christian Bible. Nevertheless, the flood happens due to Gods anger towards human beings. The book of Genesis says that, “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans” (New International Version, Gen.9.21). This implies that natural happenings are not only by chance but because God’s will. The Bible presents the Creation of man as a blessing, and this has been passed on from one generation to another. Man was created on the sixth day of creation. As depicted in Genesis, the creation of man was completely unique from the rest of God’s creation. The beginning of life started in the waters. While this assertion is lightly absorbed by many Christians, scientists have actually supported the Christian Bible for this claim. Geologists and biologist have tried to prove that life started from simple to complex structural forms and that the fishes were the first to evolve. Scientists and various institutions today believe that human beings are as a result of ultimate evolution in that they form the most complex and the most advanced of all life forms on the planet. Reflection on the Bible makes it clear about this, although evolution is not a point spoken in the Bible. It is pointed out in Genesis chapter one verses 20 to 23 that “God commanded, ‘Let the water be filled with many kinds of living beings, and let the air be filled with birds.’  So God created the great sea monsters, all kinds of creatures that live in the water, and all kinds of birds. And God was pleased with what he saw” (New International Version, Gen.1.20-23). Due to this notion, it has been known over many generations that life started from the waters and not on land. This was even before scientific institutions were intelligent enough to discover this conception. The bible seems to influence various scientific aspects and norms just as seen in Genesis. Generations have come to know that God loved whatever He created and loved it dearly. Today, scientific have made people believe that life started in the seas, but the Bible affirms the same stipulations. The chapter of Genesis in the Bible has made this notion be passed across generations for a very long time since the Bible was written. Chapter one of Genesis clarifies that life emerged on land after it had started in the waters. God commanded that “Let the earth produce all kinds of animal life: domestic and wild, large and small” (New International Version, Gen.1.24-25). The scientific norms and deduction do not seem to hold in this case since the Bible provides that this trend occurred as a result of God’s command. People have believed that the Biblical trend of creation was aimed at providing a perfect living environment for human beings. Further in Genesis chapter one, it is confirmed that “… God made them all, and he was pleased with what he saw” (New International Version, Gen.1.25). The Bible has always developed a Christian culture and beliefs that God is perfect in what He does. He is always pleased in His work. The notion of man as a special creation is has been held for many generations in the past, and the same is likely to be held for many generations in the future as long as the Christian religion remains strong. The book of Genesis brings this out in a clear way. In chapter one, it is asserted that God said, “And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small” (New International Version, Gen.1.26) Generations have confirmed this Biblical clarification regarding the special nature of human beings. They are intelligence and powerful over everything else created by God. This comes out as a result of God’s blessings to human beings, an aspect that has been passed across generations, which has also shaken up established institutions as well as cultural beliefs and norms. From a broader perspective of the Book of Genesis, Christianity upholds the belief that God is in three aspects: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The book of Genesis puts this in vivid way, as the story of creation unveils. Genesis Chapter one verse 26, which says, “And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us” shows that ‘God’ is not a single supernatural being. This aspect has for long been the central aspect in Biblical teachings within the Christian religion. Essentially, the creation story is based on the scriptures in Genesis 1 and 2. The notion that God has neither a beginning nor an end is clear to every Christian. According to the Christian Bible, God always existed, he roamed on the unformed universe and waters and within seven days, he created everything in existence. While scientists do not have a proof of who God could be, they also believe that the forces of nature have the same characteristics. In fact, the vastness of nature is beyond human imaginations and so does the power of God to Christians. The chronological order of creation and the realistic time duration seem to create different views among scientists, especially those trying to disagree with God’s power in creation. Although God’s creation happens in 6 days, proponent of this Biblical view believes that God can really do greater things within even a shorter time. The Book of Genesis specifies that on the first day, he created light and darkness. On the second day, he separated the waters from Earth and created Heaven; thus it is said “Let the water below the sky come together in one place, so that the land will appear” (New International Version, Gen.1.9). On the third day, he created plants on the dry land. On the fourth day, God made the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night’. He made the creatures of the sea and the sky on the fifth day. On the sixth day, God made man. On the seventh day, he rested and declared that day ‘a Sabbath day’. To the opponents of these chronological assertions in the Bible, the six days depict vast ages. Christians strongly believe that God accomplished all that in six days by theorists could consider each day to represent several thousands or even millions of years. The first humans to be created were Adam and Eve with Eve being as created from Adam’s rib. She was to give company to him, since God saw that it was not good for man to stay alone. It is said that “the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh” (New International Version, Gen.2.21). The humans were given authority over all creation, including authority to name the other living things. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat the fruits from the middle tree; however, the serpent used the woman and caused the humans to eat from the tree of knowledge, though God had forbidden it to them. This made God drive them to toil by themselves outside His garden. The Lord “the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken” (New International Version, Gen.2.23). This aspect shows how humans go against God, but they receive the respective punishment. It shows the beginning of sin and suffering as it has been the case across generations. They bore two sons and from then humanity began. This aspect is a Christian perspective of how the human race came to be, as opposed to the scientific institutions that support evolution. The Christian creation story may have inconsistencies, but the religion and faith requires that Christians have to belief in everything said in the Bible. Inconsistencies may be present in the Genesis story of creation because it is a story based on faith of God having existed since eternity. It is not clear where the superior being, God, came from. Nevertheless, Christians do not need to question the power of God. Furthermore, not even scientist can understand the vastness of nature, like the case of the universe especially regarding its beginning and end. Therefore, scientists have not successfully established the origin of God, or if God exists at all since He is said to have existed before everything else (New International Version, Gen.1.1). The humanist approach of the creation theory can be considered as an institution whose influence is also attributed to the Genesis creation stories and the stories about the emergence of the human races. This institution has been influenced by Biblical stories of creation to an extent that it involves explanation of supernatural occurrences leading to creation. Christians would always attribute such supernatural occurrences to the power of God. This can further be attributed to the allegations that the study of creation is the point at which theology and science meet. Generally, it is important to note that different people of the world believe in diverse creation theories, but Christians hold their faith to the creation stories provided in the Bible. The differences in beliefs are based on one’s cultural as well as religious backgrounds. The aim of the creation stories is to explain the genesis of life and how Earth was formed. Both scientists and astrologers have joined hands towards researching the one key theory, which closely described the creation of everything in place. Typically, no particular creation story is fully acceptable by all the people of the world apart; the different theories have inconsistencies, which determine their credibility amongst different people. Nevertheless, each of the myths upheld by the various institutions and religious norms, aims to explain the beginning of creation. The central argument conveyed is for the creation to occur, we had to start somewhere. Despite the fact that each of these institutions tackling the story of creation and the origin of life in general has inconsistencies, and thus people cannot suspend their rationality concerning religion, especially the Christian religion. The inconsistencies simply prove that religion operates on different standards that may not necessarily be proved just like science. Nevertheless, various scientists have tries as much as possible to prove or disapprove some Biblical happenings especially those mentioned in the Book of Genesis. The book of Genesis has however been a great way of conveying the power of God as depicted by the eternal existence of God (New International Version, Gen.1.1). Such stories have been considered as basics to the Christian faith. This aspect makes it important for the key stories pointed out in the Book of Genesis to be passed from one generation to the other, especially due to their impact on moral values and respect to God. Works Cited New International Version. [Colorado Springs]: Biblica, 2011. BibleGateway.com. Web. 30 Sep. 2014. Read More