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This article will be published
in the MB Seminary Spring 2009 edition of In Touch.
A Quick Glimpse into the Book of Genesis,
or Why
Should We still Bother?
Pierre Gilbert
Genesis is one of the most
remarkable books of the Bible. In respect to its role in the Pentateuch,
as David J. A. Clines has brilliantly pointed out in his book, The
Theme of the Pentateuch, Genesis 12-50 unfolds how God will fulfill
the first part of his promise to Abraham to make him “into a great
nation” (Gen. 12:2). After a dizzying roller coaster ride during which
the likelihood of a sustainable offspring often seems to dive out of
control, God comes through. In the end, it is a small but solid tribe of
seventy people that moves to Egypt (Ex. 1:5). The lesson is clear: God
delivers on his promises, but he does so in a way that fully integrates
human agents into the process.
In chapters 4-11, the author
gives us a broad sweep of God’s dealings with humanity as a whole. It is
not a pleasant history. Because of the First Two’s disobedience, death
and chaos became intimately intertwined with human nature thus giving
rise to murder, violence, and evils of all kinds. But God’s commitment
to humanity is infinite and his grace outrageously beyond humanity’s
sin. Again, the lesson is clear: the grace of God always exceeds our
capacity to sin.
Chapters 1-3 are something else. As the renowned assyriologist Jean
Bottéro has forcefully underlined, these chapters reflect the most
revolutionary and unique concepts found in the ancient world. The
Genesis creation story is without equals. It essentially provides all of
humanity with a true and accurate window on ultimate reality. It reveals
who God really is. It attributes intrinsic value and ultimate purpose to
human life. As I demonstrate in my recent book, Demons, Lies &
Shadows. A Plea for a Return to Text and Reason, by challenging
pantheism, it provides the theoretical foundation and framework for the
development of science.
We are now entering a very
dangerous period of history. The myth of evolution has literally robbed
human existence of all ultimate significance. Postmodernism is
aggressively and gleefully negating the very possibility of meaning and
purpose. Secular humanism is viciously eroding the very notion of
intrinsic human worth and dignity. Western civilization is literally on
the edge of an ideological abyss.
It is my conviction that Genesis
1-3 has something critical and vital to offer in order to help us avoid
or at least mitigate the disastrous effects of the ideological hurricane
that is even now upon us. I believe the time has come for the Church of
Christ to rediscover the life-giving power of the creation story and to
spread its theological DNA with courage and resolve. Those three
chapters have in the past transformed cultures. In this time of
confusion, it can, coupled with the preaching of the Gospel of Christ,
transform our culture again.
Pierre Gilbert is associate professor of Bible and
theology at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary and
Canadian Mennonite University. He lives in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.
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