Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

V. Creation of the Material World
A. THE SCRIPTURAL ACCOUNT OF CREATION
Other nations, as well as the Hebrews, had their accounts respecting the origin of the
material universe, and of the way in which the original chaos was changed into a
cosmos or habitable world. Some of those accounts reveal traces of similarity with the
Biblical record, but contain even more striking dissimilarities. They are as a rule
characterized by dualistic or polytheistic elements, represent the present world as the
result of a fierce struggle among the gods, and are far removed from the simplicity and
sobriety of the Biblical account. It may be advisable to preface our discussion of its
details with a few general remarks.
1. THE POINT OF VIEW FROM WHICH THE BIBLE CONTEMPLATES THE WORK OF CREATION. It
is a significant thing that the narrative of creation, while it mentions the creation of the
heavens, devotes no further attention to the spiritual world. It concerns the material
world only, and represents this primarily as the habitation of man and as the theater of
his activities. It deals not with unseen realities such as spirits, but with the things that
are seen. And because these things are palpable to the human senses, they come up for
discussion, not only in theology, but also in other sciences and in philosophy. But while
philosophy seeks to understand the origin and nature of all things by the light of
reason, theology takes its starting point in God, allows itself to be guided by His special
revelation respecting the work of creation, and considers everything in relation to Him.
The narrative of creation is the beginning of God’s self-revelation, and acquaints us with
the fundamental relation in which everything, man included, stands to Him. It stresses
the original position of man, in order that men of all ages might have a proper
understanding of the rest of Scripture as a revelation of redemption. While it does not
pretend to give us a complete philosophical cosmogony, it does contain important
elements for the construction of a proper cosmogony.
2. THE ORIGIN OF THE ACCOUNT OF CREATION. The question as to the origin of the
narrative of creation has been raised repeatedly, and the interest in it was renewed by
the discovery of the Babylonian story of creation. This story, as it is known to us, took
shape in the city of Babylon. It speaks of the generation of several gods, of whom
Marduk proves supreme. He only was sufficiently powerful to overcome the primeval
dragon Tiamat, and becomes the creator of the world, whom men worship. There are
some points of similarity between the narrative of creation in Genesis and this
163