The beginning of the Torah (the Pentateuch) is probably the most mysterious text of all the Scriptures. In an extremely succinct manner it communicates to the reader the most amazing feats, in which Elohim (the Hebrew term used for “God” in Genesis 1) creates the world out of nothing.
The lack of detail in this narrative can be attributed to the fact that the author of Genesis is not trying to explain in a scientific way how the Creator does the work of creating each of the elements, but rather the fact that there is a Creator. That the world did not come “out of nothing” but that a Higher Being who pre-existed the world was the author of all that we see and experience with our senses today.
Having established that, it is interesting to consider the way in which the work of creation is communicated to the reader. There is a specific order that emerges from the first words expressed; “let there be light…”.
In the following infographic we can appreciate the thematic connection connecting the first 3 days of creation with the following 3 days, leaving the seventh day as unique in its category. This scheme can be appreciated in the seven arms of the menorah, which was in the Tabernacle.
The first portion of Scripture covers a great deal of history. From the days of creation, through the expulsion from Eden, the first murder in history, all the generations up to Noah, and the spiritual state of mankind that precipitated the flood, which is developed in the next portion.
As we progress through these chapters, we learn that man’s propensity to sin is something that manifested itself from the beginning, and even though the Creator had not yet delivered His Law to mankind, there was always a parameter of righteousness, which is used as the lens through which we analyze these events.
