Reading Scripture Covenantally (Lesson 3)

Theologians put tremendous weight on the creation account in Genesis 1:1-2:3 and not without reason, as the origins of creation sets the foundation upon which to build a Christian worldview.  To Moses’s original listeners, the creation account would have been understood as true history, not as allegory or metaphor.  If we are to interpret this passage rightly, we too need to understand it as historical truth.  Moses’s listeners, moreover, would have recognized that the Genesis account stands in contrast to other ancient cosmologies, which saw creation as the result of many gods, indeed, even as the result of the gods’ sexual activity.  Such a creation would have been seen as inherently imperfect.  The biblical account, however, revealed only one God creating the world, which came about through the power of His word and was inherently good.  The Psalmist says

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. ⁷ He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. ⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. ⁹ For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.  (Psalm 33:6-9)

Contemporary discussion of the creation account tends to focus on how the Days of Creation relate to modern scientific theories, and while that question has some merit, if we are to read Scripture covenantally then we need to recognize that it is not the right focus.  Since Deuteronomy is the apex of the Pentateuch and the narratives of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers are the historical backdrop to it, Genesis needs to be read in light of Moses’s purposes for Deuteronomy.  There, Moses sought to highlight to God’s people that the LORD who saved them from slavery is the God with whom they are in covenant.  So, in reading the creation account covenantally, it behooves us to focus more on God than on the creation.  The LORD who saved His people in the Exodus also created heaven and earth, and for this reason, He alone ought to be worshiped and glorified above all things.  This is who Israel’s savior is, and their relationship with Him, in turn, defines who they are as a people.

God created the world not because He needed it, but, as the Confession of Faith says, “for the manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness” (WCF IV.1).  The creation account lays out three things about God: first, it establishes that the LORD is our covenantal suzerain; second, it describes the realm—that is, all of creation—over which He rules; and lastly, it shows the nature of His rule.  Recognizing these three aspects puts into perspective man’s proper place as a creature, albeit an exalted one, serving as a viceregent to God, in communion with Him and wholly dependent upon Him.  What this means concretely requires closer examination.