Saints Sergius and Bacchus Chapel
Palm Springs, California
Program Lectures (Lent)
In this section, we see the Yahwist holding chaos—represented by the desert wasteland—at bay and bringing plants, animals, and humans into the lush garden of creation, not just to enjoy it, but also to work with God in the maintenance of its richness and beauty.
Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. On the seventh day God completed the work he had been doing; he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.
Now, before we charge ahead into verse three of Genesis, let’s take a look at the early history of Israel where the Book of Genesis was composed.
Last session, we talked about the conceptual framework in which all myth exists. Every myth is a story that serves a purpose. It can be used to celebrate events or heroes, to model ideal behavior, or to explain the origin of things.
The first three chapters of Genesis have burrowed their way into our popular culture more than almost any other passages in the Judaeo-Christian Scriptures.