Genesis 1 has been used to support the orthodox view of creation ex nihilo a Latin phrase meaning “out of nothing”. The idea that the prime or unmoved mover must have created the world out of nothing came from Aristotle’s Metaphysics. New Testament proof texts include:
Quote:
John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word…”
Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.”
Rev. 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created.”
However, the Bible contains evidence of an earlier tradition in which the cosmos is the result of YHWH overcoming preexisting chaos represented as a sea monster.
Quote:
Isaiah 27:1 On that day the Lord with his cruel and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.
Isaiah 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord!
Awake, as in days of old,
the generations of long ago!
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
who pierced the dragon?
Psalm 74:13-14 You divided the sea by your might;
you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
Psalm 89:10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.
Job 26:13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.
Job 41:1 “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook,
or press down its tongue with a cord?
Job 26:12 By his power he stilled the Sea;
by his understanding he struck down Rahab.
These verses suggest a reading of Genesis 1 in which the first three verses represent YHWH overcoming primeval chaos i.e. “tohu va vohu” translated “without form and void” in the KJV. The gap creation theory [e.g. G.H. Pember] is an attempt to reconcile the creation ex nihilo with the earlier tradition.
The earlier creation story has implications for the problem of evil [POE] insofar as evil can be identified with pre-existent chaos and God is seen as a hero vanquishing chaos and thus bringing order to the universe. Although beaten back by God, evil is still latently present and may break into history. The people of God must combat it heroically following the example of God. Reason and science and morality can be identified with the order that God brings to chaos. But, this narrative also suggests that God while supremely powerful is less than the omnipotent creator of everything since chaos pre-existed and God had to subdue it to create the universe. What do you think?