lose the wonder of this. Functions are
far more important than materials.
We should not be surprised to find that the three major functions introduced in the first three days of Genesis 1 are also
prominent in ancient Near Eastern texts. These texts have already
been cited in chapter two. Note again the three lines near the
beginning of Papyrus Insinger:
Likewise in Marduk's creative activity in Enuma Elish tablet
five:
• Lines 38-40: night and day
• Lines 47-52: creation of the clouds, wind, rain and fog
• Lines 53-58: harnessing of the waters of Tiamat for the purpose of providing the basis of agriculture, piling up of dirt, releasing the Tigris and Euphrates, and digging holes to manage
the catchwaters
But these functions feature prominently not just in other ancient cosmologies. In Genesis, after the cosmos is ordered, a crisis
leads God to return the cosmos to an unordered, nonfunctional
state by means of a flood. Here the cosmic waters are let loose
from their boundaries and again the earth becomes nonfunctional. What follows is a re-creation text as the land emerges
again from the waters and the blessing is reiterated.' Of greatest
interest, in that context God makes the Creator's promise in Genesis 8:22:
Here we find the same three major functions in reverse order: food,
weather and time, never to cease. The author is well aware that these
are the main categories in the operation of this world that God has
organized.
In this chapter we have attempted to establish, first, that functional concerns rather than material ones dominate the account.
Indeed the only appearance of what might be considered material
in these three days is the firmament-the very thing that we are
inclined to dismiss as not part of the material cosmos as we un derstand it. In contrast the functions of time, weather and food
can be clearly seen in the text and recognized as significant in
ancient Near Eastern cosmologies. More importantly, we can see
that the prominence of these three functions is common to the
ancient world. Perspectives on the material universe will vary
from era to era and culture to culture. It would be no surprise then
that God's creative work should be proclaimed relative to those
issues that serve as the universal foundation of how people encounter the cosmos.
We should not worry about the question of "truth" with regard
to the Bible's use of Old World science. As we mentioned before,
some scientific framework needs to be adopted, and all scientific
frameworks are dynamic and subject to change. Adoption of the
framework of the target audience is most logical. The Old World
science found in the Bible would not be considered "wrong" or
"false" as much as it would just offer a perspective from a different
vantage point. Even today we can consider it true that the sky is
blue, that the sun sets and that the moon shines. But we know
that these are scientifically misleading statements. Science, however, simply offers one way of viewing the world, and it does not
have a corner on truth. The Old World science in the Bible offers
the perspective of the earthbound observer. One could contend
that there are some ways in which it is more true that the earth is
the center of the cosmos. This does not mean to suggest that there
are many truths, but that there are many possible different perspectives that can each offer truthful information. The way any
culture describes the makeup of the material cosmos may vary
considerably from how another might. A century ago the idea of
an expanding universe would have seemed ludicrous, while today
the steady-state universe has fallen into disfavor. This is all part of
fine-tuning cosmic geography.
God did not give Israel a revised cosmic geography-he re vealed his Creator role through the cosmic geography that they
had, because the shape of the material world did not matter. His
creative work focused on functions, and therefore he
far more important than materials.
We should not be surprised to find that the three major functions introduced in the first three days of Genesis 1 are also
prominent in ancient Near Eastern texts. These texts have already
been cited in chapter two. Note again the three lines near the
beginning of Papyrus Insinger:
Likewise in Marduk's creative activity in Enuma Elish tablet
five:
• Lines 38-40: night and day
• Lines 47-52: creation of the clouds, wind, rain and fog
• Lines 53-58: harnessing of the waters of Tiamat for the purpose of providing the basis of agriculture, piling up of dirt, releasing the Tigris and Euphrates, and digging holes to manage
the catchwaters
But these functions feature prominently not just in other ancient cosmologies. In Genesis, after the cosmos is ordered, a crisis
leads God to return the cosmos to an unordered, nonfunctional
state by means of a flood. Here the cosmic waters are let loose
from their boundaries and again the earth becomes nonfunctional. What follows is a re-creation text as the land emerges
again from the waters and the blessing is reiterated.' Of greatest
interest, in that context God makes the Creator's promise in Genesis 8:22:
Here we find the same three major functions in reverse order: food,
weather and time, never to cease. The author is well aware that these
are the main categories in the operation of this world that God has
organized.
In this chapter we have attempted to establish, first, that functional concerns rather than material ones dominate the account.
Indeed the only appearance of what might be considered material
in these three days is the firmament-the very thing that we are
inclined to dismiss as not part of the material cosmos as we un derstand it. In contrast the functions of time, weather and food
can be clearly seen in the text and recognized as significant in
ancient Near Eastern cosmologies. More importantly, we can see
that the prominence of these three functions is common to the
ancient world. Perspectives on the material universe will vary
from era to era and culture to culture. It would be no surprise then
that God's creative work should be proclaimed relative to those
issues that serve as the universal foundation of how people encounter the cosmos.
We should not worry about the question of "truth" with regard
to the Bible's use of Old World science. As we mentioned before,
some scientific framework needs to be adopted, and all scientific
frameworks are dynamic and subject to change. Adoption of the
framework of the target audience is most logical. The Old World
science found in the Bible would not be considered "wrong" or
"false" as much as it would just offer a perspective from a different
vantage point. Even today we can consider it true that the sky is
blue, that the sun sets and that the moon shines. But we know
that these are scientifically misleading statements. Science, however, simply offers one way of viewing the world, and it does not
have a corner on truth. The Old World science in the Bible offers
the perspective of the earthbound observer. One could contend
that there are some ways in which it is more true that the earth is
the center of the cosmos. This does not mean to suggest that there
are many truths, but that there are many possible different perspectives that can each offer truthful information. The way any
culture describes the makeup of the material cosmos may vary
considerably from how another might. A century ago the idea of
an expanding universe would have seemed ludicrous, while today
the steady-state universe has fallen into disfavor. This is all part of
fine-tuning cosmic geography.
God did not give Israel a revised cosmic geography-he re vealed his Creator role through the cosmic geography that they
had, because the shape of the material world did not matter. His
creative work focused on functions, and therefore he
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