A biblical pattern

    I'd like to get feedback on this. Here's a pattern I see in the bible. First, Genesis 1:

    • Begin: the earth is formless and void and dark.
    • Day 0: God said: "Let there be light!"
    • Day 1: Divided the Light from the Darkness
    • Day 2: Divided the Sky from the Water
    • Day 3: Divided the Land from the Sea
    • Day 4: Filled the Light and Darkness with Sun, Moon, stars
    • Day 5: Filled the Sky and Water with Birds and Fish
    • Day 6: Filled the Land with Animals and Humans
      (anticipation of something new - humans)
    • Day 7: Rest

    Now in this, there's an obvious pattern. 3 days of separation, then 3 days of filling in those separations with something to "rule" them. The sun is said to rule the day, the moon rules the night, birds rule the sky, fish rule the sea, and humanity rules the earth. It's a nice parallel.

    Another thing I'm pulling out here is that what happens on Day 6, the last set of "fillings", sets the stage for an entirely different order of things. After Genesis 1, God will no longer be dealing with the sky and sea and land as much as he will be dealing with humanity. Humanity appears in this creation order as the anticipation of something new - the human order.

    Interestingly, at least 6 days of this pattern seem to hold in another way as you continue to read through Genesis.

    • Begin: a human is formed out of dust
    • Stage 0: God breathes into him the breath of life
    • Stage 1: Divided man from nature (naming the animals)
    • Stage 2: Divided man from woman (the rib)
    • Stage 3: Divided woman from serpent (temptation)
    • Stage 4: Fill the division of man and nature (cursed with toil in working the ground)
    • Stage 5: Fill the division of man and woman (cursed with pain in raising children)
    • Stage 6: Fill the division of woman and serpent (cursed with enmity)

    The curses God hands out line up precisely with the separations he caused the first time around. Where before man and woman were separate, now they will struggle with each other. And as Adam will have struggle bringing forth food from the ground, Eve will have struggle bringing forth children. In the same way, the serpent's offspring will struggle with Eve's offspring.

    And in the curse on the serpent, there is the anticipation of something new, a perplexing prophecy that indicates a new order of things is coming.

    Your thoughts?