One of the most interesting ideas in my recent reading was John Walton’s discussion about “the beginning” in Genesis. His argument challenges something many modern readers assume about the creation account.
Most people today approach Genesis with questions about material origins. We want to know how the world physically came into existence. We ask scientific questions about mountains, oceans, trees, and the formation of the earth.
But Walton points out that the original audience was focused on something different.
He explains that the ancient readers of Genesis were primarily concerned with order, not material construction. As he writes, “They were very interested in how each component functioned in the cosmos to bring about order and achieve the purposes of the creator(s).”¹
That shift in perspective changes the way we read the creation account.
The Questions We Ask vs. the Questions the Text Answers
Modern readers often approach Genesis trying to prove the mechanics of creation. We want to understand the science behind how everything formed. We ask questions about processes, timelines, and physical development.
But those are not necessarily the questions Genesis is trying to answer.
Walton notes that scientists today focus on mechanisms rather than purpose. In other words, science asks how something happens. Genesis is addressing a different set of questions entirely.
As Walton explains, “Their attention to material origins does not address the who-and-why question. They are interested in mechanisms rather than in an agent, such as God, or his purpose.”²
Genesis, on the other hand, answers the questions science is not asking. It explains who created the world and why it was created.
Recognizing this distinction helps us approach the text with a better understanding of its purpose.
Order in the Creation Account
This perspective becomes especially clear in the early days of creation described in Genesis 1.
For example, the first few days focus on organizing the cosmos rather than producing new material elements. Walton and Carson both point out that the early days of creation emphasize structure and function within the world.
Carson explains that these days produce “organization of the material cosmos—nothing material is produced. Day three is similar: dry land emerges, and plants are set to growing. Organization and function combine to establish order as people are being provided with the basis for food.”³
In other words, the focus of the passage is not primarily about bringing physical matter into existence. Instead, the text highlights the way God orders the world so that it functions properly and supports life.
The emphasis on food provision also shows how creation is structured with humanity in mind. God is establishing an ordered environment that will sustain the people He creates.
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Why This Changes How We Exposit Genesis
Understanding this principle has a major impact on how I approach exposition.
Instead of approaching Genesis as a passage that I need to defend scientifically, I can focus on the theological message the text is communicating. The creation account reveals God as the one who establishes order, purpose, and provision within the world.
This perspective forces me to step outside my own assumptions and read the passage through the lens of its original audience.
When we approach the text this way, we’re no longer trying to force Genesis to answer modern scientific debates. Instead, we’re asking what the author intended to communicate to the people who first received the text.
Walton ultimately points out that the full purpose of this ordered cosmos becomes clearer when we reach the seventh day of creation. He explains that understanding the ordering of the world requires asking what it is ordered for.
As he writes, “To understand the purpose behind this ordering of the cosmos, that is, to answer, ‘For what is it ordered?’ requires moving to day seven. But for now there is reason to suggest… that the account is more about order than about material.”⁴
Recognizing this framework helps us read Genesis more faithfully. It reminds us that Scripture was written within a particular historical and cultural context, and understanding that context helps us interpret the text more accurately.
Footnotes
- John H. Walton, Wisdom for Faithful Reading: Principles and Practices for Old Testament Interpretation (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2023), 95.
- Ibid.
- Ibid., 96–97.
- Ibid., 99.
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