IN THE BEGINNING. (MAKING OUR BEGINNING)

" IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, " GENESIS 1:1. A FAMILIAR SENTENCE! TAKE HOLD OF YOUR BIBLE AND PLACE BETWEEN THE FINGERS OF YOUR LEFT HAND THE PAGES THAT OUTLINE WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE ABRAHAM APPEARED ON THE BIBLICAL STAGE (THAT'S GENESIS 1:1-11:26). NOW HOLD BETWEEN THE FINGERS OF YOUR RIGHT HAND THE PAGES THAT REPORT WHAT HAPPENED BEYOND THAT POINT. THAT'S THE REST OF THE OLD TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT AS WELL. YOU WILL HAVE ABOUT TEN PAGES IN YOUR LEFT HAND, AND ABOUT A THOUSAND IN YOUR RIGHT. WHAT IS THE POINT OF THIS LITTLE EXERCISE? ABRAHAM WAS THE FIRST OLD TESTAMENT "CHOSEN PEOPLE."
 HE LIVED AROUND 1850-1750 B.C. THE BIBLE DEVOTES ONLY ONE PERCENT OF ITS PAGES TO WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE ABRAHAM'S CALL, SHOWING WHERE ITS MAJOR INTEREST LIES. IT WOULD BE WRONG TO TO CONCLUDE FROM THIS THAT THE BIBLE IS NOT PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD PRIOR TO ABRAHAM. THOUGH THE PRE-ABRAHAM HISTORY IS WRITTEN UP ONLY IN A SKETCHY AND CURSORY WAY, IT IS NEVERTHELESS WRITTEN UP IN A CAREFULLY STRUCTURED WAY. MANY OF BIBLICAL SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT THE FIRST ELEVEN
CHAPTERS OF GENESIS CONSTITUTE ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THEOLOGICAL STATEMENTS IN THE BIBLE. WHY? BECAUSE THEY MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE READER THE PURPOSE GOD HAD IN MIND WHEN HE CALLED ABRAHAM AND BROUGHT THE CHOSEN PEOPLE INTO BEING. THE OLD TESTAMENT TELLS OF GOD MAKING COVENANTS WITH ABRAHAM (GEN 12:1-3), DAVID (2 SAMUEL 7), AND WITH ISRAEL AR SINAI, EXODUS 19-20. THESE COVENANTS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE NARRATIVE. AMONG OTHER THINGS, GENESIS 1-11 STS OUT TO SHOW THAT THE GOD WHO MADE THESE COVENANTS IS THE CREATOR HIMSELF!  FURTHERMORE,, IT EXPLAINS WHY GOD INVOLVED HIMSELF IN THE HISTORY OF THE HUMAN RACE.
WHAT LIES BEHIND GENESIS 1:1-2:4a? HOW LONG DID CREATION TAKE PLACE? HOW LONG WAS THE DAYS REFERRED TO IN GENESIS 1 DOES NOT SET OUT TO ANSWER SUCH QUESTIONS, THEY SUGGEST THAT, WE STAY AWAY FROM CLOCKS AND CALENDARS, FOR THE WRITER'S CONCERN WAS THEOLOGY RATHER THAN CHRONOLOGY. THE BASIS CONCERNS STATES CLEARLY AND MAJESTICALLY ISRAEL'S FAITH IN THE ONE TRUE GOD, THEE MODE OF CREATION, AND THE CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOD AND HIS CREATION. SECONDLY, IT SERVES AS A REMINDER THAT THE CREATOR HIMSELF MADE COVENANTS WITH ABRAHAM, ISRAEL, AND DAVID. FINALLY, IT STATES ISRAEL'S ATTITUDE TO THE BELIEFS OF NEIGHBOR NATIONS IN HE ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN WORLD