Why Are There Two Creation Accounts?
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Day Seven – After He was done, God rested from all the work He had done. “God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it He rested from all his work of creation” (Genesis 2:3). In this we see God’s institution of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8, 10).
The Creation Narrative: Part Two
Genesis 2:4-25 serves as a more detailed and specific account of day six of creation — the creation of man and woman and the Garden of Eden.
Verses 4-6 relate how no shrub or plant had yet grown, “for the Lord God had not made it rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground.”
Verses 7-8 explain how God created man and gave him a place to live and work. “Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. The LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there He placed the man He had formed.” We are seeing more intimate details of God’s creation.
In verses 9-14, the Lord gives us even more specifics about the environment in which He had placed the man. We read of what God caused to happen — trees that were pleasing to see and bearing good food grew.
Included in the description are two trees that would have great bearing on Adam as the federal head of humanity — the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (see Genesis chapter 3). God then tells of the rivers He created and named that flowed out of Eden, the gold of Havilah, and other precious minerals.
Verses 15-25 narrate the account of what God did with and commanded Adam:
There is no real difference. What we witness is a postscript to the creation account, as if God has pulled back the curtain, so to speak, so we can see more specifics.
These supposed differences can be compared to looking at an orange in its whole, from the outside. When it’s opened, we see more of the details of its makeup. We see the beauty of the intricately created fruit. We smell its citrussy essence, and, when we have a bite, we get to enjoy its sweetness and nutrition. In the same way, we read that the Lord God created man in His image (male and female), and He created the place where they were to reside — the Garden of Eden.
What we’ve seen is a closer look at what God created, and not a different “creation story” as so many wrongly believe. It’s very kind of the Lord to give us closer look at His care for His creation.
A profound beauty is found in Genesis 2:4-25. God interacts with His creation by walking in the Garden and communing with Adam and Eve. After God breathed life into Adam, even after the Fall (Genesis 3), God does not hide Himself from them (although they attempt to hide themselves). God does not remain aloof from His creation.
If we encounter someone who insists the Bible has two different creation accounts, we can point them to the Bible and share the beautiful descriptions of who and what God placed in His new creation. Then we can direct them to Genesis 3, the Fall, and how the Lord God makes a promise of a Redeemer who will reconcile man to Himself. This, of course, is our Savior and Lord — Jesus Christ.
If you want to see other significant Bible references to the creation account, read Psalm 33:6-9, Psalm 104, Job 38, and Nehemiah 9:6. As you read the Old Testament, look carefully for references to Jesus and the gospel. He’s everywhere in Scripture because it’s all about Him.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Vieriu Adrian
