Continuing blogging through The Lost World of Genesis One, Walton’s “Propoosition 7” takes us to the heart of his understanding of the Genesis account of creation in seven days. Walton begins by comparing how he believes ancient readers would have understood Genesis 1 with typical modern understandings, and writes “The difference is the piece of information that everyone knew in the ancient world and to which most modern readers are totally oblivious: Deity rests in a temple, and only in a temple” (p.72). For this reason, Walton argues that Genesis 1:1-2:3 should be understood as a temple text, a point he will elaborate further in subsequent chapters. In this chapter, he provides ancient Near Eastern parallels, and clarifies that “rest” in this context is not “taking a nap” but dwelling and settling into the routine of normalcy that follows on a construction project.
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