Genesis 1-3
Indeed, Jesus is the one without whom nothing exists (Col. 1:16). He is “the firstborn” of creation by his resurrection (Col. 1:15, 18). Darkness, water, and the deep (Gen. 1:2) suggest an uninhabitable world, which in the Old Testament is associated with opposition, battle, and even demonic presence. Thus, there are consistent images in the Bible of the sea being subdued as signs of God’s bringing a new and redeemed order to his world (see 1:2; 7–9; Ex. 14:19–30; Jonah 1:12–15; Mark 4:37–39; Rev. 21:1). God’s Spirit consequently demonstrates his redeeming presence from the very beginning (Gen. 1:2). There are no aspects of creation, including those of disorder and malevolence, over which God is not ultimately bringing a redemptive order. Matthew’s mention of the dove in the account of Jesus’ baptism (Matt. 3:13–17) may also echo back to the Spirit hovering over the face of the waters. The verb “hover” suggests the movement of a bird. Such an appearance of the Spirit over God’s Son indicates that Jesus has come with God’s power and prerogative to renew creation.
1) the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and of their descendants outside of the garden; (2) the evil of humanity before the flood (6:9–9:29); and (3) the arrogance of humanity at Babel (11:1–9).
This final episode of turning from dependence upon God introduces the reader to the ancestors and relatives of Abraham (11:10–26), through whose descendants, and supremely through Jesus Christ, God would redeem the world for all who choose to depend upon him. Indeed, at each stage in the history of Genesis there is the hope of redemption in the midst of humanity’s failures: (1) Enoch walked with the Lord and was taken up to heaven; (2) Noah, a second Adam through whom humanity would get a second start, walked with God and was instrumental in saving humanity, being appropriately named God’s “comforter” despite his and his family’s sin; and (3) Abraham, despite his flaws, acted in faith and became the father of the faithful.
The prominence of light on days 1 and 4, together with the repetition of “evening and morning” and “day,” highlights the temporal dimension of God’s creation. In his kind condescension, God establishes time. Throughout history and particularly at the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, God himself enters time. He is the Lord of time and of the Sabbath (see Gen. 2:1–3). In the new creation, the light of the sun will be nothing compared to the radiance of God’s presence (Isa. 60:19; Zech. 14:6–7; Rev. 21:23). Darkness and water, though a part of God’s world, have negative associations with chaos—yet God is in absolute control. Jesus’ calming of the storm demonstrates his own divine identity, manifesting not only his power but also his gentle concern for his followers (Matt. 8:26–27).
