A Daily Genesis

Genesis 1:1

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The author of Genesis is currently unknown; but commonly attributed to Moses. Scholars have estimated the date of its writing at around 1450-1410 BC; which is pretty recent in the grand scheme of Earth's geological history-- a mere 3,400 years ago. Since Moses penned Exodus (Mark 12:26) it's conceivable that he also penned Genesis; but in reality, nobody really knows.

Genesis may in fact be the result of several contributors beginning as far back as Adam himself; who would certainly know more about the creation than anybody, and who entertained no doubts whatsoever about the existence of a supreme being since he knew the Creator himself like a next door neighbor. That would explain why the book begins with an in-your-face theistic account of the origin of the cosmos, rather than waste words with an apologetic argument to convince agnostics that a God exists. I mean: if the complexity of the cosmos-- it's shape and all of its forms of life, matter, and energy --aren't enough to convince the agnostic; then the agnostic is pretty much beyond reach.

As time went by, others like Seth and Noah would add their own experiences to the record, and then Abraham his, Isaac his, Jacob his, and finally Judah or one of his descendants completing the record with Joseph's burial.

Genesis is quoted more than sixty times in the New Testament; and the Lord himself authenticated its Divine inspiration by referring to it in his own teachings. (e.g. Matt 19:4-6, Matt 24:37-39, Mk 10:4-9, Luke 11:49-51, Luke 17:26-29 & 32, John 7:21-23, John 8:44 and John 8:56)

[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 1:1a . . In the beginning God[/B]

The word for "God" is from the Hebrew [I]'elohiym[/I] (el-o-heem'). It's a plural word and means, ordinarily: gods. 'Elohiym isn't really the creator's personal name, but an abstract deistic term that pertains to all sorts of gods, along with, and including, the supreme one.

The "beginning" is mentioned again at 1John 1:1 which I believe safe to assume compliments John 1:1-2

[B][COLOR=#ff0000]†.[/COLOR] Gen 1:1b . . created the heaven and earth--[/B]

The word for "heaven" is from the Hebrew word [I]shamayim[/I] (shaw-mah'-yim) and means: to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the plural (heavens) perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve). So the word "heaven" is ambiguous and can mean the breathable air in our planet's atmosphere as well as the stratosphere and the vast celestial regions of space. Shamayim corresponds to the "air" in the Navy SEAL acronym that stands for Sea, Air, and Land.

The Hebrew word for "earth" is [I]'erets[/I] (eh'-rets) which is yet another of the Bible's many ambiguous words. It can indicate dry land, a country, and/or the whole planet.

Anyway; Genesis 1:1 merely reveals the origin of the cosmos without going into detail. It's a "Once upon a time" sort of statement with a story to follow.

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