OK, here’s another one of those ah-ha! thoughts that I think has helped me understand the Bible.

Exodus Before Genesis

It used to bother me when I heard people say that the story of the Bible doesn’t try to prove the existence of a Creator. It just assumes his existence when it starts, “In the beginning, God…”

Along the way, I heard the philosophical implications of this approach. For example, we have different options we can thoughtfully consider. Whether we like it or not, and even if many questions remain unanswerable, we will decide for ourselves whether it makes more sense to assume:

1. A Creator does not exist
2. It doesn’t matter whether a Creator exists, or,
3. There must be a Creator with personality and power greater than our own

If we take into account whether we’d prefer to believe or not believe in such a God, we can then judge for ourselves which assumption best fits what we see with our own eyes.

But at some point there was an ah-ha! that helped me. When, according to the Bible’s own story, was Genesis written? If Moses wrote Genesis through Deuteronomy, he would have done so after Israel was delivered from Egypt by a series of miraculous events.

From Moses’ point of view, the first words of Genesis were not just whimsical or wishful thinking. They had a geographical and historical context. Their faith was no blind leap. The events of the Exodus had already taken place. He and his people had already seen with their own eyes evidence of a Provider who showed his ability to care and provide for them in ways that would have been difficult for them to deny.

Collectively, like the authors of the New Testament that would follow, they were not just believers, but eyewitnesses.

Now what about you? Would you be willing to share with us one of those Ah-Ha! moments that has given you a better understanding of the most important book ever written?

Or, if my Ah-ha! confuses you, what would you like to ask? I’ve found that sometimes the most helpful insight comes out of a willingness to ask the most honest questions.

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