Many say that God created the world out of ‘chaos’.
I DISAGREE and this is why.
1. Scripture clearly states that all things are made by God ( John 1:1-4; Ps 145:8 )
2. It reduces God’s preeminence over all of reality. Because it implies that there is a reality that exists apart from God’s creative act.
3. It also reduces God’s absolute claim over all that he has made. This includes us! If God made me out of chaos, I am not a product of God’s perfect will and power, but a combination of what was there for God to play with and his subsequent creative act.
Now you may ask: If God created everything, did he create ‘chaos’?
NO. Isaiah 45:18 says that God did not create chaos.
This confusion in my view, has come from how we understand the Hebrew words ( tohu and bohu ) which are ‘often’ translated as ‘formless and void’. These words often have negative connotations in the O.T. as it describes Israel’s vain idol worship or places where there is no life and most often under judgement. You can see why people don’t want to say that God created chaos and opt for a pre-existing chaos.
But, if you imagine God as an Artist it becomes easy to understand. Imagine making something with play dough.
- Make a dough and play with it.
- Think of what you want to make and start giving it a form.
- Complete it by filling it in with specific details.
So, on Day 1-3 God makes a ‘formless and void’ material reality and starts giving it a form. Then, on Day 3-6 he starts to fill this material world with plants, stars, animals and people in it ( Genesis 1 )
GOD IS GOD!
He is the Lord of everything in our world and not just some parts of it.
He is the Sovereign Creator who creates out of freedom, without any constraints.
This is so important because without this truth, we cannot appreciate God’s desire to reclaim his world!
I think you ought to give a report on this at staff meeting. 🙂
report??
Thanks Jenny, very helpful. I am speaking on Genesis 1 this weekend to the students so anything which helps is gratefully received.
So if I’m reading you right, Jenny: you’re suggesting that rather than there being a ‘gap’ between Genesis 1.2 and 1.3 (with some kind of cosmic battle or something), we should see vv1-2 as the big picture that then gets filled in the rest of the chapter?
Yes.
I am not denying that there might be a ‘time’ gap. ( I haven’t really thought through the literal 7 day or not discussion ( Though it created a noise online whilst we were at college. I didn’t read any of it. I am not in a position to comment on that. )
But there is NO gap in terms of v2 not making sense and therefore something happening for v 3 to happen.
Yes.
The key is to hold v 1 & 2 together I think. They are both QAL. Some say that v 1 is the title verse and v2-31 fills it out but if we do that then the formless and void becomes a pre-existent thing.
Thanks, Jenny. That’s helpful.
The temporal reading of the supposed ‘gap’ is a fairly modern invention (developed in response to what seems to me to be a fairly modern debate).
But, as far as I’m aware, some key thinkers in the early church held that there was another kind of ‘gap’ here — one that had everything to do with an initial cosmic battle/conquest of the forces of chaos.
What you’re suggesting is a persuasive alternative to this. I think Bill Dumbrell might head in a similar direction to you — but without the lovely analogy from your experience as an artist!
Nice work.
Chris, where can I find B. Dumbrell’s ideas?
Yes, you are right I was talking more of the modern ‘gap’
Who are the initial cosmic battle defenders?
Thanks Jenny,
I’m preparing to speak on Genesis 1 in a few weeks. Very helpful article – and discussion.
Hi Jenny,
For Dumbrell’s ‘take’ see the chapter on Genesis in The Faith of Israel — he reads v2 as dependent on v3 and so establishing the ‘forming and filling’ framework that determines how the rest of the chapter unfolds.
I think Origen is often cited as an early church ‘gap’ theory guy. But, from what I can tell, what he says is pretty debatable.
Likewise, Irenaeus says some things in Against Heresies IV.38-41, that could be extended to suggest that the chaos/formlessness of Genesis 1.2 (together with the presence of the snake in the garden in Gen 3) is a hint that creation bears the scars of an ancient angelic war. But that’s a long stretch from some pretty sketchy and tentative comments.
Hi Jenny, I have always thought your theological knowledge would mesh well with your creative interests and gifts. Many thanks for your insights. N
Thanks for the encouragement N!
you rock, jennyihn. AND rock was formed and created by god. and so were you. and so was i. thank you!
Amen.