Like some of you, I started in Genesis on Memorial Day. In my reading each day, I made a note or two of some of the ideas that captured my thoughts. I didn’t necessarily intend to pass them on. There are exceptions to every intention. Here is what I was thinking after reading Day 1.

Genesis 1-9

Reading these chapters, one little question gnawed at me.

That’s it? All we know of undated history is condensed and packed into these brief chapters? I’ve got a lot of questions, too numerous to list here. Why didn’t God tell us more? On the other hand, maybe I should be thankful He didn’t. I suppose He could have written a thousand pages just on the phrase “in the beginning.”

That’s it? No proof? No source notes? No footnotes? Where did Moses get his information? How do we know “urban legend” wasn’t mixed in with the centuries old “oral tradition” before Moses wrote it down?

That’s it? All of the important theological truths are presented in story rather than propositional statements? God’s existence isn’t explained, He is assumed. That can’t be good. Instead of labeling man “sinner” when he eats from the forbidden tree, his work becomes a hardship, he is banished from his home, and his body is covered with skins from dead animals. Other than that, everything (for all humanity) only goes from bad to worse. The genealogies Moses included have probably initiated as many moans as each funeral which followed the phrase “and he died.” That’s not a pretty picture. Redemption is promised by description. The promised redeemer “bruises the head of a serpent,” while the serpent is only able to “bruise the redeemer’s heel.” What’s that all about? Faith is illustrated by building a boat then going inside. That appears reasonable to us, until you discover it was a zoo inside and outside it had never yet rained on the earth.

That’s it? That’s it! Go figure.

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