12
January 1931
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
Structure in Scripture Genesis I: The Basis o f Bible S truc tu re
B y N orman B. H arrison ( Minneapolis, Minn.)
All Rights Reserved.
TJiis is the second in a series of articles furnished by Rev. Norman B. Har rison, D.D., pastor of Ol iver Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, Minn. A special offer (on page 20) is made for the benefit of friends who wish to re ceive all of Dr. Harrison’s messages on this subject. — Editor.
the start—are the garden, the river, the tree of life, etc. What was lost in the first is regained in the last. So we venture a restate ment in these terms: I. Introduction Para dise lost (Gen. 1-3). II. The Story —Progress of redemption (Gen. 4 to Rev. 20). III. Conclusion —Paradise i regained (Rev. 21, 22 ). This sets forth a very important fact, often lost
E arth ’ s R eclamation I. Creation . ........................ .... .. . . (Gen. 1:1) And c h a o s ...................................(Gen. 1 :2) calling for II. R ec lam a tion ................................ (Gen. 1:3-31) 1Sun Lights -vMoon (14-19) ( Stars clamation 1. Light versus darkness (3-5) 4. 2. Waters (6-8)
(9-13) 5.
3. Earth
Waters—filled (20-23) Earth—filled (24-31)
a. Separated
6.
a. Creature life b. Man over all from seas b. Made fruitful III. R e s t ................................................. (Gen. 2:1-3)
ENESIS 1 is not, s t r i c t l y speaking, t h e story of crea
tion. That took place in a far, dateless past and is dismissed with one majestic sentence: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The narrative that follows nowhere makes mention of the creation of matter. Verse 2, however, describes a state of chaos and darkness suggestive of a spiritual struggle having taken place, such as Scripture elsewhere intimates. (This verse should doubtless read: “And the earth became waste and void.” ) Hence, the necessity for reconstruction. One cannot read this chapter without being strongly impressed by its style—-so methodical, so structural. It breathes an atmosphere of order and design. It is our first intimation, here at the outset, of a structural scheme in Scripture. It is, in fact, the key. Or, may we say, it is the artist’s sketch, preceding the fuller details that follow. T hreefold A nalysis of t h e B ible To see this, we must make a survey of the entire Bible. Has it a central, unifying purpose? What is it about? Evidently it is the story of redemption. Any Study that would lay bare its structure, its architectural “theme,” must be undertaken from this standpoint. Here it is : I. Introduction —Creation marred by sin (Gen. 1- 3 ). II. The Story —Redemption from sin (Gen. 4 to Rev. 20). III. Conclusion —New creation without sin (Rev. 21, 22 ). Three chapters are occupied with sketching the set ting for the story; two sum up its triumphant results; be tween these is the meat of the Bible narrative. It is im possible to escape the evidence of design in it all, made more evident by the purposed correspondence between the introduction and conclusion. Compare their opening sentences: Gen. 1 :1: “God created the heavens and the earth.” Rev. 21 :1: “A new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away.” Other correspondences, showing that the narrative has reached a designed goal—the finish that perfectly matches
sight of, namely, that man is not alone the object and goal of redemption; that his very home and environment, hav- suffered in the “fall,” must share in its benefits. Says the apostle: “Because the creation itself also shall be deliv ered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of 'the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Rom. 8:21, 22). So God’s preview of redemption in type, in picture form, back in Genesis 1, in the manner and method by which He renewed, reclaimed, reconstructed, recreated the primeval world, furnishes the working plan to be followed throughout the Bible. G od ’ s W eek of R edemption How did human life come to be lived by weeks? Gen esis 1 is the only explanation. At the beginning, God set the clock to run in this simple cycle of seven days. But, we may ask, how long is a week? Genesis 1 has six days, marked off by intervening nights, in which He worked. They are followed by a seventh, not of work but of rest, unbroken by any night. These six work days, giving way to a hallowed rest day, take on their intended significance when we turn to chapter 3 and find that labor and sorrow are the curse of sin (Gen. 3 :16-19). Man, then, cannot expect to real ize the experience indicated by this unbroken rest day un til the curse of sin is removed. But we must take account of the fact that creation, like man, had its original estate for a period or “day” of undetermined duration, until darkness engulfed it. From this marring, recovery is sought through the six work days; the goal is reached in the rest day that follows. (Note how Gen. 2:1 corresponds to Gen. 1:1, just as Rev. 21:1 does, as we have seen. Thus the law of the octave appears in revelation as well as in nature, both in the symbol and in the thing symbolized.) What we have, in effect, is this: First Day —Creation and its marring. S ix Days —Work of reclamation. Eighth Day —Unbroken rest. Here are three connotations of the week: six days, constituting a week of work; seven days, the normal week
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