1.14 – Dominion

Genesis 1:1 – 2:4 describes God and his creation of the Earth.  Contrary to the scientific, methodological approach that is sometimes used to explain the origins of the Earth, this understanding portrays the creation of the Earth as a much more personal, intentional process by God.  On the first day, God introduces light to differentiate with darkness, creating night and day.  On the following three days, he brings about the sky, the land, the seas, the sun, the stars, and vegetation.  On the fifth and sixth days, God introduces life to his fresh, new environment.  First, he brings about a variety of animals, and then lastly, he brings about humans to his newly created Earth.  From this account, it seems as though God cultivates the perfect environment for humans to flourish, providing them with food, water, light, and the other necessities to survive.  God seems to invest a lot in humankind, as he emphasizes how they are created “in his image” and have “dominion” over all other living and moving creatures.  Because of this, I feel as though this puts a certain expectation and responsibility on humankind.  Because God invests so thoughtfully into the creation of Earth and humankind, and provides us with so many resources, I think it creates a certain interconnection and loyalty between God and mankind, inspiring them to follow his word.  The seventh day, I think, has a sort of connection to this relationship between God and the people.  After finishing his creation, the reading describes God taking a day of rest which becomes the Sabbath.  The day of the Sabbath is a day of reflection and is time in which people can take a step back and reflect on their actions and relationships with God, and assess whether they are living in accordance with God.