Genesis Chapter 1

The second verse says, “And the earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). After creating man God says, “…fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the Earth” (Genesis 1:28). Is this the root of the warlike tendencies of man, an explanation of the inherent desire to compete and conquer that dictates the fate of all men beginning with Cain and Abel?

. The waters above the expanse, however, are never accounted for. In other words, if God had to form a separation in a mass of water, he created a surface that couldn’t pre-exist, therefore, how was God’s spirit on the surface of anything? How can anything be above the water, if there is only more water above the water? I’m not sure if this is faulty logic or merely the incapability of the authors to grasp the concept of “infinite”. If the earth at that point were entirely water, there would be no such things as an earthly “surface”. Thus, his first instruction to man is to dominate other men.

The third question is that of the creation of man and God’s decree of man’s purpose. After further consideration, I suppose one can assume that the water above heaven can be accounted for by rain and other precipitation, but as it is never actually addresses, I am curious nonetheless. God thereby orders man to subdue and rule over the fish, birds, and more importantly every living thing that moves on the Earth, which includes other men.