A LONANG Commentary on Genesis 1-11

In this commentary, I’m not trying to duplicate what other commentaries on Genesis have said from a theological perspective. In fact, I generally make no claim to be a theologian, nor that my writings consist of theology. I am a lawyer, and I write as a lawyer. When I examine and interpret the scriptures, I use a legal analytical style and a legal method of interpretation. In other words, I use the same hermeneutic to interpret both legal documents and scripture. It is my hope that such an analytical style will lead to some insights about scripture that might not otherwise be apparent.

For that reason, this commentary is not an attempt to duplicate other commentaries on creation vs. evolution, or the evidence for creation or the science of creation. I will leave scientific matters generally to the scientists to discuss according to their areas of expertise. My concern is with the legal effects of creation, of which there are several, and to the extent I find them inadequately addressed by others, I will address them here. I will, however, touch on matters of cosmology, which is concerned with the origin, history, structure and purpose of the universe, as such considerations have numerous direct impacts on the relationship between God, man and creation, and therefore, the laws and government of the universe.

I will, however, make two disclosures concerning my starting assumptions which will guide everything I will say. First, I read Genesis as literally as possible, meaning that I understand the first eleven chapters to be historical, an accurate description of what happened, and at no point will I assume any of the narrative is merely or primarily mythological or allegorical. That there may be symbolic implications from some of the narrative, I do not deny, but these only flow from first reading the scriptures literally. It is my conviction that there are no factual or logical barriers to understanding Genesis literally, and any so-called obstacles to reading the text literally merely shows that some people didn’t try hard enough.

Second, because of the first point, I am a six-day creationist, and a young earth proponent (less than 10,000 years old in total). And yes, there are legal consequences which flow from that, as we will see.

My intent is to explore Genesis in view of the laws of nature and of nature’s God. The law of nature simply being the will of God impressed upon the creation when it was made, being eternally existent and an intrinsic part of the nature of the world (and universe) so long as it exists. This will of God is part of the so-called General Revelation of God, being non-verbal in nature, but particularly focusing on that aspect of the creation that reveals rules, or laws, of human behavior, the consequences of violating such laws, and the nature of God and His kingdom government. These laws of nature are fixed, uniform and universal. That is, such laws apply for all time, to all people, everywhere in the universe. The laws of nature are unchangeable and eternal.

Whereas the laws of nature’s God are part of what some people call Special Revelation, that is, the verbal revelation of God as written in the scriptures of the Holy Bible. But again focusing on the verbal rules, or laws, of human behavior, the consequences of violating such laws, and the nature of God and His kingdom government. These laws were delivered by way of several divine covenants, three of which are revealed in Genesis – the Adamic, Noahic and Abrahamic covenants. However, it is my intention at this time to examine only the first eleven chapters of Genesis, which excludes the Abrahamic covenant from present consideration.

The Adamic and Noahic covenants and laws, for example, are of tremendous importance. For they, like the laws of nature, apply for all time, to all people, everywhere in the universe, binding Jews and Gentiles to the same degree. This is because of the fact that everyone on earth today is a descendant of both Adam and Noah, and the covenants delivered to each of them was made binding on their descendants from the very beginning, as I will show. Together, the laws of nature and the laws of nature’s God (not just the first two divine covenants, but the subsequent ones as well) comprise the entirety of God’s laws – there are no laws of God apart from these. A consideration of these laws of God will entirely guide my examination of Genesis.