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A Tale of Two Creation Accounts -tmp(Gen 2:4)

Upon entering {{Genesis 2:4}} we encounter another problem. Why is the writer of Genesis giving us a second creation account? Didn?t he just cover all of creation in the first section? Why introduce this section with those same words?

Underscore those similarities. God created. Heavens. Earth. So much so that some have approached this section as being written by a different author completely (mind you this is an oversimplification since there?s several other reasons why they believe this).

But if we take a moment to look at the differences we?ll be struck by something the author is purposefully emphasizing to underscore this new bracketed section. Section 1: God created whereas section 2 this is the account of God?s creations. Genesis 1 dealt with the days of Creation whereas {{Genesis 2:4}} states the day when the Lord God created. Genesis 1 names God ?elohim? whereas Genesis 2:4 names God ?Yahweh Elohim? or Lord God. {{Genesis 1:1}} is God creating the heavens and the earth and Genesis 2:4 is the account of the heavens and the earth.

That ?accounts of the heavens and the earth? bit has a very similar ring to the ?the generations of? families listed in the book of Genesis. So much so that this becomes a structural pattern throughout the entire book: Heavens and Earth ({{Gen 2:4}}), Adam ({{Gen 5:1}}), Noah ({{Gen 6:9}}), Shem, Ham and Japheth ({{Gen 10:1}}), Shem ({{Gen 11:10}}), Terah ({{Gen 11:27}}), Ishmael ({{Gen 25:12}}), Isaac ({{Gen 25:19}}), Esau ({{Genesis 36:1,9}}) and Jacob ({{Gen 37:2}}).

So as we enter into this section we?re immediately impressed by what the author is focusing on. He?s not planning to rehash the account of the first section but planning to give us some details in relation to the heavens and the earth in relation to the Sovereign (in its kingly form as Royalty over Subjects) Lord God.

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