| Basic interpretation principlesOne
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| | shiftThis truth would have had a profound
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| important principle of biblical
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| | effect on the former slaves of Egypt.
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| interpretation is to try to understand
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| | They had lived in a world in which
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| Scripture from the point of view of the
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| | virtually every object was a spiritual
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| original audience and then use that as a
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| | being, whose will had to be accommodated,
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| stepping stone to work out what it means
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| | whose wrath must be placated. But when
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| for us. Along with this original audience
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| | the one true God revealed His nature
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| principle is the principle of original
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| | through Moses, including His relationship
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| intent: what did the author intend to
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| | to all that He had made, the world
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| communicate to that original audience?If
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| | shifted. All of those objects were
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| we ask these two questions of chapter 1
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| | drained of their spiritual significance.
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| of Genesis, the story of creation, we may
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| | Now they were only objects, things that
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| find the answers surprising. The prophet
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| | human beings could handle and manage
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| Moses is presumably the author of
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| | without fear.
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| Genesis, the first of the five books he
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| | Yet the new world that stood in place of
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| wrote while the children of Israel were
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| | the old was not bereft of its spiritual
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| wandering in the wilderness of Sinai.
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| | dimension. All of the power, the mystery,
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| These people, the original audience, had
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| | and the majesty of the Egyptian pantheon,
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| just emerged from 400 years of slavery in
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| | the Hebrews learned, belonged to the one
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| Egypt. Joshua 24:14 explains that many of
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| | true God, the king of the universe. And
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| them had been idolaters there.Pantheon of
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| | furthermore, and herein lay the good
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| godsThe Egyptians had a god or goddess
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| | news, The Almighty cared about them, and
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| for virtually everything: the sun, moon,
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| | He was ever faithful and
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| stars, crocodiles, flies, cats, the
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| | reliable.Theological foundationGenesis as
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| Nile--all of these and more were
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| | a whole serves to lay the groundwork for
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| considered divine and were worshiped. But
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| | the Law of Moses that is revealed in
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| Genesis 1 explains that neither the sun,
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| | Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
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| nor the moon, nor the stars, neither that
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| | Deuteronomy. Nothing in the Law is more
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| water nor the sky, nor any plants, nor
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| | foundational than what is expressed in
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| fish, birds, beasts, or creeping things
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| | the Shema, accepted for thousands of
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| are divine.
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| | years as the credo of Judaism and
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| To paraphrase the significance of
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| | acknowledged by Jesus Himself as the
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| Genesis 1 for the original audience, it's
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| | "Greatest Commandment":Hear, O Israel,
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| as if Moses said, "All that you have been
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| | the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love
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| worshiping the true Creator spoke into
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| | the LORD your God with all your heart and
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| being in the beginning. He alone is
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| | with all your soul and with all your
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| worthy of homage; He alone is God, and
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| | strength.
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| king over all of His creation."A world
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