In Genesis, God created the world.
And then he did it again.
And again?
Yep, creation occurs and reoccurs in different forms throughout Genesis. There are—count 'em—two creation accounts, in Genesis 1:1-2:4 and 2:4-25. Then, after some pretty mucky beginnings, God sort of re-creates things in Chapter 9, when Noah and his family repopulate the world after the flood.
You might be asking, which creation story is the real one? We'll shoot one right back at you: does it matter? By providing three origin stories, Genesis portrays the world in three different styles or modes or fonts or keys... you get the point. Each version makes its own music, and it's up to us to appreciate the symphony.
Questions About Creation
- How do the two creation accounts at the opening of Genesis (1:1-2:4; 2:4-25) compare? Which one is more exciting?
- Which is more relatable?
- If the two creation stories are different, how can they be understood as literal stories about God's creation of the world? And if they aren't literal, then what's the point?
- How does the story of the flood (6-9) echo and allude to the two stories of creation (1-2)? Why the mirroring?
- What is different about life before and after the flood?