Pastoral Musings

Where The Chaos?

Genesis 1:1-3

Our text tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, and that the earth was formless and empty. Some commentators today tell us that this passage is parallel to, or borrows from, certain Ancient Near Eastern myths which speak of the gods organizing the earth out of some sort of primordial chaos.

Certain ANE myths seem to speak of a watery chaos in which battles were waged between the gods. The Enuma Elish presents Tiamat as being some sort of sea creature/goddess with whom Marduk, god of Babylon waged war and won. There is, however, a vast difference between the unordered pandemonium of chaos in the ANE myths and the deep that is mentioned in the Genesis creation account.

The first thing that we need to recognize is that the unorganized chaos that was filled with upheaval and battle existed before the gods of the ANE myths. In Genesis the deep is created by God, thus distinguishing Him from the gods of Babylon, Egypt, etc.

As one studies the Enuma Elish, he finds that Marduk’s claim to fame and exaltation is due to his defeating Tiamat, the chaotic monster/goddess. It was as a result of this that he was elected by the other gods to be the high god. The glory of the God of the Bible is that He existed before all things and is Lord of heaven, earth, and all things. The Genesis creation account shows that there are no other gods than the God of the Bible.

There is also an Egyptian myth of a dragon which tried to conquer the sun god each night, but did not prevail. Our text shows that the darkness covered the deep, but there were no dragons. God spoke and light came into being. Instead of a life or death struggle with monsters or gods, there is simply a creation filled with darkness, and into this darkness God speaks and sends light with only a word.

The deep of the Genesis creation account is not chaotic. Though unorganized at first, it was not filled with gods and monsters. It was and calm, quiet, and empty earth which was covered with water. It seems that the Spirit of God hovered over the waters brooding, nurturing, and organizing; but not conquering, as there was no opposition to the work of the Creator.

The story, as it is told us in the Genesis creation account, shows us a creation and a God who is vastly different from the creation stories and gods of the ANE myths. The God of Genesis is the eternal, timeless, uncreated Creator who is Lord and Maker of all the universe. That is in contrast to the gods who are made from the bodies of other gods, gods who die or are killed, gods who battle among themselves, and gods who inhabit, or battle with the chaotic forces.

Looking at the Genesis creation account and the watery deep that covered the whole earth at the first of the creation, we find it quite calm and uneventful other than the creative work of God. This prompts the question, “Where the chaos?” The answer? It can be answered that it is in the ANE myths, but definitely not in the Genesis creation account.

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“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

As Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the thing that was foremost in his mind was that Israel worship YHWH. For them to worship YHWH, they would have to know Him. For this purpose Moses leapt right into describing the nature of God.

We have already seen that the statement, “In the beginning God created”, shows us that there was a beginning to time. It also teaches us that God is before, above, and Lord of time.

Not only did God create time, but He also created space and matter. He created the heaven and the earth. Not only do we have time, but we have space and matter. Time, space, and matter are the creation of God.

The Ancient Near Eastern myths presented their gods as the products of matter. The ANE gods were not necessarily eternal, but had beginnings. They were often the products of the procreation of the gods. Some were created by other gods. The God of Israel, however, is the Creator of all things. He is before matter. He is above matter. There is nothing upon the face of the earth that should be considered a god, because the Creator is God of matter.

Moses understood this very well, because he wrote a song of praise to the LORD which said, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:1–2) Moses’ aim was to show Israel this truth so that they would recognize that YHWH is so vastly superior to the gods of the world that there is truly no comparison between them. They are made of matter, yet YHWH is God and Lord of matter; thus He is God and Lord of all things.

Today there are many who wish to present the Genesis account of the creation as being comparable to the ANE creation accounts, or even as having borrowed from them. Once we understand that the God who created all things is shown as so vastly superior to the gods of the world, we must reject this notion of parallelism and borrowing. There is simply no true comparison between the ANE myths and the Genesis account of creation, just as there is no comparison between the gods of the world and the Creator of all things.

Not only is this so, but there are those who wish to deny that the Genesis account of the creation is a historical narrative. We are told that we should not take it literally, because it says nothing about science. Once again, this is a notion that the text bids us to reject. Why? We must reject it because it makes a bold scientific statement that says God is the Creator of matter.

If we accept Genesis 1:1 as making a theological statement that God is Creator of matter and greater than the gods of ANE cultures, we must also embrace the whole of the Genesis creation narrative as speaking historically about God and His creation. To do otherwise is to be arbitrary, seeking to speak to the Scriptures instead of allowing Scripture to speak to us.

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Often much is made of the so-called parallels between the Genesis account of creation and various Ancient Near Eastern texts. This is an attempt to consider a few things concerning the Enuma Elish and the Genesis account of creation.

When on high the heaven had not been named,

Firm ground below had not been called by name,

Naught but primordial Apsu, their begetter,

(And) Mummu-Tiamat, she who bore them all,

Their waters commingling as a single body;¹

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ” (Genesis 1:1)

The Enuma Elish opens with the heavens and the earth, while Genesis opens with God. The gods of Enuma Elish are not so much creators and distinct from the universe as they are begetters. Apsu begat the heavens and the firm ground, we are told. Mummu-Tiamat “bore them all.” On the other hand, the Genesis account tells us that first there was God, and He created the heavens and the earth. Instead of the world that we see being a part of God, it is made by Him. It is not derived from His substance, but was created ex nihilo.

Enuma Elish also speaks of multiple gods which had a beginning. Genesis presents to us one God who existed before space, time, and matter.

 

In the chamber of fates, the abode of destinies,

A god was engendered, most able and wisest of gods. (80)

In the heart of Apsu was Marduk³⁰ created,

In the heart of holy Apsu was Marduk created.

He who begot him was Ea, his father;

She who bore him was Damkina, his mother.²

 

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ” (Genesis 1:1)

Marduk, the god of the Babylonians, was considered to be both created and begotten. The God of Genesis, however, is seen as creating, yet not created. He is before time, space, and matter.

O Marduk, thou art indeed our avenger.

We have granted thee kingship over the universe entire.

When in Assembly thou sittest, thy word shall be supreme.³

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. ” (Genesis 1:1)

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ” (Genesis 1:28)

Marduk is established by the gods as the ruler of the universe, while the Creator God of Genesis is supreme by merit of being the Creator of all things and before all things.

 

When Marduk hears the words of the gods,

His heart prompts (him) to fashion artful works.

Opening his mouth, he addresses Ea

To impart the plan he had conceived in his heart:

“Blood I will mass and cause bones to be.

I will establish a savage, ‘man’ shall be his name.

Verily, savage-man I will create.

He shall be charged with the service of the gods That they might be at ease!

The ways of the gods I will artfully alter.

Though alike revered, into two (groups) they shall be divided.” (10)

Ea answered him, speaking a word to him,

Giving him another plan for the relief of the gods:

“Let but one of their brothers be handed over;

He alone shall perish that mankind may be fashioned.⁴

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. ” (Genesis 1:26–28)

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. ” (Genesis 2:7)

Here the contrasts are again great. Marduk and the gods determine to create man. Man is savage and will be used to serve the gods that they will not have to work so much. Not only so, but man will be made by one of the gods dying. The God of Genesis creates man out of the dust of the ground, and honors him by making him reflective of the greatness of his Creator.

 

“Most exalted be the Son, our avenger;

Let his sovereignty be surpassing, having no rival.

May he shepherd the black-headed ones, his creatures.

To the end of days, without forgetting, let them acclaim his ways.

May he establish for his fathers the great food-offerings; (110)

Their support they shall furnish, shall tend their sanctuaries.

May he cause incense to be smelled, … their spells,

Make a likeness on earth of what he has wrought in heaven.

May he order the black-headed to revere him,

May the subjects ever bear in mind to speak of their god,

And may they at his word pay heed to the goddess.

May food-offerings be borne for their gods and goddesses.

Without fail let them support their gods!⁵

The gods of Enuma Elish must be supported by their creatures. They must eat. They must have relief. The God of Genesis is seen as being before time, space, and matter. Thus it is that He is recognized as needing nothing from man. Sacrifices to Him will only be acts of worship, not because He has need.

These are just a few observations that can be made concerning the differences between the Genesis account of the creation and the Enuma Elish. While there are indeed parallels between the accounts, the differences are of such degree that there should not be as much comparison between Genesis and Enuma Elish as there should be contrasts.

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It seems that the going thing for many is to draw parallels between the Genesis Creation account and various myths from the ancient Near East.

I have not read much from the ancient Near East, but what I have read seems to be more dis-similar than similar.

Why the parallelism/parallelomania?  Are there truly parallels to be found that show these similarities, or is it a sort of wishful thinking on the part of those finding the parallels?