The first chapter of Genesis is one of the most studied passages of the Bible thanks to evolutionist/creationist debates. In the midst of those debates we must be careful about how we handle the sacred text of Scripture. It is quite dangerous to ask a passage of Scripture to answer questions that it never intended to answer.
Genesis 1, while certainly inspired for a modern audience, was not written to a modern audience. In other words, while Genesis 1 may offer us answers in the midst of a debate about the age of the earth, we can be almost certain that the inspired ancient authors did not have such a debate in mind when writing.
The question we must ask, then, is what did they have in mind when writing? What are the questions that Genesis 1 are answering? Is Genesis 1 really trying to answer a when question? Even if it does answer that question, is that that primary question it is answering for its readers? I suppose that could be possible. However, it’s more likely, as is evidenced by clues in the text, that Genesis is much more concerned about Who than when. The theological thrust of Genesis 1, I believe, is not about how old the earth is, rather it is about Who the Creator Is.
So, what does Genesis 1 have to say about who God is? The text makes it clear that the God of the creation sovereign, and he is good. These two things do not always go together. Many times, in fact, good is absent from power. This is seen through the rising and falling of empires throughout the course of human history. This is seen through nation raising up to subdue other nations under human leadership.
Genesis, by way of contrast, tells us that God is, yes, a powerful King, but also a good King.
God is is not a dictator, he is a “let there be” God. The phrase, “let there be” (or some variation of the phrase), appears approximately six times throughout the passage. In order to bring order out of chaos God does not issue a series of commands as if he were a hard-nosed monarch or a super-nanny bringing order to a disorderly home. God does not use imperative, commanding language; rather, he uses permissive, freedom language. In fact, the only thing that God subdues in creation is the chaos, the darkness.
God uses his power to subdue evil so that freedom may reign.
God is not a prohibition God, he is a permissive God. This does not mean that creation can do whatever it wishes (this is made clear in Genesis 3). Rather this means that God wishes for the free and creative flourishing of life to spread under his good and living giving reign.
In God’s Kingdom there is freedom.