Page 20 - Through New Eyes

I

12 THROUGH NEW EYES

The Language of Visual Appearance
Genesis 1 is written in terms of visual appearances, not in
terms of scientific analysis. Genesis 1 speaks of “lights” in the sky,
not of “sun and moon.” It says that these lights function as sym-
bols and as clocks ( 1 :14). Ancient science was concerned with the
proportions of earth, air, fire, and water in these heavenly bod-
ies; modern science is interested in them as nuclear furnaces,
sources of heat energy, and the like. Modern science is surely
closer to the mark, and nothing in Genesis 1 contradicts its
observations on this point, but this chapter in the Bible is con-
cerned with a different aspect of these heavenly bodies. Simi-
larly, while modern science separates lizards, insects, and
rodents into three different groups, Genesis 1 lumps them
together as “creeping things” (Genesis 1:24) — again the language
of appearance.
The language of appearance accomplishes two things in
Genesis 1. First, it gives a true description of the world as it is. It
is not merely poetic to call the sun a “great light,” for the sun is a
great light. Nor is it merely poetic to refer to “creeping things,”
because the animals thus designated do, in fact, creep on the
ground. Thus, provided we do not try to press the language of
Genesis 1 into some scientific mold, ancient or modern, there is
no reason not to take it literally.
At the same time, however, the language of visual appearance
in Genesis 1 serves to establish a visual grid, a worldview. By
writing in terms of visual appearance, the Bible sets up categories
of visual imagery. Unfortunately, modern readers often have
trouble with this. We who live in the post-Gutenberg information
age are unfamiliar with visual imagery. We are word-oriented,
not picture-oriented. The Bible, however, is a pre-Gutenberg in-
formation source; while it does not contain drawings, it is full of
important visual descriptions and imagery. This visual imagery
is one of the primary ways the Bible presents its worldview.
There is nothing to indicate that Genesis 1 is nere~ symbolic. At
the same time, however, by using the language of visual appear-
ances, Genesis 1 sets up a worldview grid that is used later on in
Scripture for symbolic purposes.
For instance, Genesis 1 sets up certain categories of animals.
They are as follows: monsters, sea creatures, winged birds, cat-