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Set Apart

by Joseph R. Miller
RTB Press, © 2024,
$18.95 (paperback), 75 pages, ISBN-13: 978-1-956112-04-7

This book is subtitled “How Genesis Stands Alone.” The theme of the book is summarized in the first chapter’s title, “What Makes Genesis Different?” Miller aims to show that Genesis 1–11 is not just another ancient myth from Near Eastern literature. He points out that modern scholarship is leaning toward viewing Adam and Eve and the Genesis story as mythical, but Miller argues that Genesis is a historical narrative with a theological purpose.

Miller affirms the “reliability of Genesis 1–11 as a source of cosmic and human history.” In contrast to the Genesis account, Miller writes: “The gods of the ancient Near East were limited in power, lived in a constant state of battle, and the death of any one god was meaningless to the existence of the cosmos.” He notes that Genesis describes creation ex nihilo, or out of nothing. In contrast, other ancient Near Eastern writings talk about creation ex materia, or creation from matter. While other narratives from the region portray their gods as part of nature, Genesis presents God as the creator, separate from creation.

Moses warned the Hebrews to reject the gods of other nations because YHWH was the one true God. The “immaterial word of God spoke the material world into existence.” Unlike that, pagan writings tell of male and female gods creating successive generations of gods. The Hebrew word for “created” in Genesis 1:1 is bara. It appears 48 times in the Old Testament, and Miller emphasizes that God is always the one who acts to create.

Miller states that Genesis is not a scientific guidebook but it should not be dismissed as a starting point for scientific inquiry. This aligns with the position of the Does God Exist? ministry. We highly recommend this short book.