Gênesis 1
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 1
Morris - No other cosmogony, whether in ancient paganism or modern naturalism, even mentions the absolute origin of the universe. All begin with the space/time/matter universe, already existing in a primeval state of chaos, then attempt to speculate how it might have “evolved” into its present form. But, very significantly, the concept of the special creation of the universe of space and time itself is found nowhere in all religion or philosophy, ancient or modern, except here in Genesis 1:1. Appropriately, therefore, this verse records the creation of space (“the heaven”), of time (“in the beginning”), and of matter (“the earth”), the Tri-universe, the space/time/matter continuum which constitutes our physical cosmos. The Creator of this tri-universe is the triune God, Elohim, the uni-plural Old Testament name for the divine “Godhead,” a name which is plural in form (with its Hebrew “im” ending) but commonly singular in meaning. (Genesis Record - copy can be "checked out" free of charge) THOUGHT - Just a caution on our need to be an Acts 17:11+ user of Wikipedia - while I use Wikipedia frequently, followers of Christ need to be aware of its "bias" away from Divine Creation. For example here is the entry under cosmogony, which says "In mythology, creation or cosmogonic myths are narratives describing the beginning of the universe or cosmos. Some methods of the creation of the universe in mythology include: the will or action of a supreme being or beings." So they classify creation by the Almighty God as a "myth!" One day they will learn that Paul was right when he wrote "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. 21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools (PUTTING DIVINE CREATION IN THE CATEGORY OF "MYTH!")." (Ro 1:20-22+) Beginning in English dictionaries is defined as the point in time or space at which something starts. In regard to God's Creation this definition is actually not accurate, because when God created there was neither time nor space. He created them both and then in time continued to create over a period of 6 twenty-four hour days (see later notes). Then He rested on the seventh to give a pattern for mankind to follow (Are you resting at least one day of the week?) The Greek Septuagint translates beginning (reshith) with the Greek noun arche which BDAG says is "the commencement of something as an action, process, or state of being." Careful study of some of the uses of arche in the New Testament further undergirds and substantiates the truth that in Genesis 1:1 God created at a point in eternity (because there was not yet time). For example, note the use of arche by the apostle John in the "beginning" (pun intended) of his Gospel "In the beginning (arche) was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (go to Jn 1:14+). He was in the beginning (arche) with God. 3 All things (HOW MANY) came into being (this Greek verb ginomai give absolutely no support to the lie of evolution, the aorist tense indicating Jesus' creative work occurred in the past at a point in time!) through Him (JESUS WAS CREATOR), and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." (John 1:1-3+). (See more discussion on uses of arche below) Well known evangelical J
Gênesis 1
Morris explains that "this one verse refutes all of man’s false philosophies concerning the origin and meaning of the world: It refutes atheism, because the universe was created by God. It refutes pantheism, for God is transcendent to that which He created. It refutes polytheism, for one God created all things. It refutes materialism, for matter had a beginning. It refutes dualism, because God was alone when He created. It refutes humanism, because God, not man, is the ultimate reality. It refutes evolutionism, because God created all things. Actually all such false philosophies are merely different ways of expressing the same unbelief. Each one proposes that there is no personal, transcendent God; that ultimate reality is to be found in the eternal cosmos itself; and that the development of the universe into its present form is contingent solely on the innate properties of its own components. In essence, each of the above philosophies embraces all the others. (Genesis Record - copy can be "checked out" free of charge) Spurgeon on the idea of ex nihilo - something out of nothing - Remember, in the first place, that the world was created from nothing. You have often said, “Mine is a very hard task, for I address myself to men in whom I see nothing hopeful. I batter against a granite conscience, but it is not moved; I thunder forth the law, but the dead and callous heart has not been stirred; I talk of the love of Christ, but the eye is not suffused with tears; I point to hell, but no terror follows; and to heaven, but no holy desire is kindled! there is nothing in man that encourages me in my work, and I am ready to give it over.” Brother, come thou back with me to the world’s creation. Of what did God make the world? Was there any substance ready to his hand out of which to mould this round globe? What saith the Scripture? Did he not make it of nothing? Thou hast never yet grasped the idea of nothing. The eye cannot see it; it might peer into space, but space itself is something. We look up, and yonder is the blue ether, though we know not what it is; but the eye could not look on nothing; it would be blinded. Nothing is a thing which the senses cannot grasp, and yet it is out of this awful nothing that God made the sun, and moon, and stars, and all things that be. Had he spoken before creation, there would have been no voice to answer him; had he cried, there would have been no echo to repeat his voice. Nought was there anywhere, and yet he spake and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast! The case of the sinner is a parallel one. You say there is nothing in the sinner. Ay, then, there is room here for a recreating work. Inasmuch as that heart is now empty and void, there is space for the Eternal God to come, and with his outstretched arm to create a new heart and a right spirit, and put his grace where there was none before. If you had to convert the sinner, then, indeed, your task were as hopeless as to create new orbs out of nothing; but, inasmuch as it is not you but your God who worketh all things, you may console yourselves with this thought, that he who hath created all this marvellous earth, and had nothing to begin with, can give life, and fear, and hope, and faith, and love, where there were no heavenly ingredients upon which he might work. Take that, then, for your joy. (Creation - An Argument for Faith - Jeremiah 32:17) John
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Morris - The existence of a transcendent Creator and the necessity of a primeval special creation of the universe is confirmed by the most basic principles of nature discovered by scientists: The law of causality, that no effect can be greater than its cause, is basic in all scientific investigation and human experience. A universe comprising an array of intelligible and complex effects, including living systems and conscious personalities, is itself proof of an intelligent, complex, living, conscious Person as its Cause; The laws of thermodynamics are the most universal and best-proved generalizations of science, applicable to every process and system of any kind, the First Law stating that no matter/energy is now being created or destroyed, and the Second Law stating that all existing matter/energy is proceeding irreversibly toward ultimate equilibrium and cessation of all processes. Since this eventual death of the universe has not yet occurred and since it will occur in time, if these processes continue, the Second Law proves that time (and, therefore, the space/matter/time universe) had a beginning. The universe must have been created, but the First Law precludes the possibility of its self-creation. The only resolution of the dilemma posed by the First and Second Laws is that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The so-called big bang theory of the origin of the cosmos, postulating a primeval explosion of the space/mass/time continuum at the start, beginning with a state of nothingness and then rapidly expanding into the present complex universe, contradicts both these basic laws as well as Scripture. As an aside be wary of the teaching of a man named Hugh Ross, who says he does not believe in atheistic evolution and yet espouses a belief that creation is billions of years old! He may be a "scientist" of sorts but clearly he is not an honest theologian or a literalist in regard to interpreting the Word of Truth. His theory of so-called "progressive creationism" would seem to be nothing more than old fashioned evolutionary theory coated with a thin "shellac" of "Christianeeze," to give his postulate an air of authority and authenticity. It is absolutely at odds with a simple reading of Genesis 1 and should be summarily jettisoned by any Christian who is seeking the truth about Creation and desires to glorify the One Who miraculously brought about Creation, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if Genesis 1 does not convince you, perhaps Ross' view of the Garden of Eden before Genesis 3 might sway you. To that point, Ross does not believe the Garden of Eden was free of death but that death existed from the beginning! (Related Resource - Progressive Creationist Hugh Ross). Jon Courson has an interesting discussion of Genesis 1:1 and ends with an interesting conclusion/application - Lots of people get hung up on verse 1 of chapter 1. And this presents a problem, for if one doesn’t agree with the opening statement of the first sentence, it will be difficult for him to accept what follows.....“Wait a minute,” some say. “Genesis 1:1 may address spirituality and theology, but it can’t be taken literally—not in this day, when the theory of evolution has been accepted so completely.” Keep in mind that evolution at best is a theory—and a bankrupt one at that. Many men of science who are neither believers in Jesus Christ nor students of the Bible have turned away from the evolutionary hypothesis because it violates the most foundational, fundamental principles and laws of known science. For example, one of the most important laws of science is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. It’s not a theory, not a hypothesis, but a basic principle which says everything goes from order to disorder.....One of the principles upon which science is predicated is the fact that everything goes from order to disorder. The theory of evolution completely violates this understanding, maintaining as it does, that things go from disorder to greater order, from simplicity to complexity. “But the great minds embrace the theory of evolution,” some insist. Do they? The man Discover Magazine rated as the greatest scientific thinker in history is Sir Isaac Newton. Newton was mocked because his contemporaries couldn’t understand why he believed there really was a God who created the world in six days. One day, Sir Isaac made an elaborate model of the solar system, which took up the entire front room of his house. Impressed by its details, his colleagues asked him where he got the model. “I didn’t get it,” Newton said. “Oh. You made it?” “No, I didn’t buy it. I didn’t make it. No one put it here. It just appeared.” And suddenly they got his point. The grandeur of the universe undeniably points to the existence of a Creator (Ps 19:1) But men suppress this truth, not wanting to be accountable to this Creator (Romans 1). That is why you can defend the Genesis account on the basis of science until you’re blue in the face—and still fail to convince the skeptic. You can engage people intellectually, banter with people philosophically, appeal to people rationally only to have them oppose you adamantly. The bottom line isn’t biology or philosophy, academics or genetics, Darwin or doctrine. The bottom line is the same as it is for every controversy or concern, debate or dilemma. The bottom line is Jesus. “I and My Father are one,” He said. And the people listening to Him that day clearly understood the implication. So incensed were they by His claim to deity that they picked up rocks to stone Him on the spot (John 10:30, 31). “Show us a sign,” they said, “to verify You are who You claim to be.” “One sign only will I give you,” He said. “Destroy this body and in three days, I will rise again” (John 2:18–21). Thus, the entire burden of proof for Jesus’ claim to deity lies in His empty tomb. And the door of faith to believe everything He ever said swings on the hinge of the Resurrection. His Resurrection, documented by over five-hundred eyewitnesses proves Jesus is God. As God, Jesus speaks with absolute authority. As God, Jesus fashioned the Garden of Eden creatively (John 1:3). As God, Jesus referred to Adam and Eve specifically (Mark 6:6). Therefore, when talking to a skeptic, take the argument away from all of the scientific debate, and back to the single issue that matters: Who is Jesus Christ? That’s the key. (Courson's Application Commentary) Here is an example of the genre of writing comes from the cosmological scientists and it all sounds so erudite and reasonable until you get to the last sentence. As they say when they serve the main course "Enjoy!" In the modern cosmos, we know how big the visible universe is—about 1028 centimeters (cm)—a distance called the “cosmic horizon.” We know how long ago the universe started: about 14 billion years ago. We know that on large scales, the universe is homogeneous and isotropic (the same in all directions). It is made of atoms, dark matter, and radiation. Gravity is curvature of spacetime and can create horizons, and nondeterministic quantum mechanics and evolution are the key ideas. It is not clear whether there is a role for God. (Primack and Abrams - Cosmic Questions in the Annals of the NY Academy of Sciences) Those who use evolution (in its various forms) as an attempt to explain the miracle of creation in Genesis 1-2 remind me of the story of the camera salesman in this story - Willard S. Boyle, Nobel Prize winner in physics, was the co-inventor of the “electronic eye” behind the digital camera and the Hubble telescope. He was in the market for a new digital camera and visited a store in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The salesman tried to explain the complexity of the camera to Boyle, but stopped because he felt it was too complicated for him to understand. Boyle then bluntly said to the salesman: “No need to explain. I invented it.” We need to remember that God Created the world! If we’re tempted to tell God how life should work, let’s remember He invented it! To understand God is impossible, but to worship Him is imperative. NOTE: One thing that the evolutionists forget to tell you is that the accidents of mutation result in a net loss of information whereas evolution requires a gain in information. Beginning (07225) reshith can have one of two meanings - (1) The beginning or the first step in a course of action (as in Ps 111:10, Pr 17:14, Mic 1:13) or (2) the chief thing as the principal aspect or component of something (Pr 4:7). The Amplified Bible combines these two in Pr 1:7 paraphrasing beginning as "its starting point and its essence." Reshith denotes the point in time or space at which something started, except when it specifies the point when time and space themselves were started (Isa 46:10, cp Pr 17:14; Jer. 26:1, 27:1; 28:1; 49:34; Mic 1:13-note; Ge 10:10. On other occasions, the term signifies the highest of anything, i.e., the best or most excellent, such as the choicest parts of offerings (1Sa 2:29); the best of the spoil (1Sa 15:21); or the finest in oils (Amos 6:6). Reshith designates the earliest or first products or results of something. Reshith can refer to the first products of harvest (Lev. 23:10; Dt. 18:4; Neh. 12:44) or even the firstborn (Ge 49:3; Dt. 21:17). The Greek Septuagint translates beginning (reshith) with the Greek noun arche which BDAG says is "the commencement of something as an action, process, or state of being." John uses arche in John 2:11 when Jesus created (yes CREATED!) wine out of water in a moment of time (WINE NEEDS TIME TO FERMENT BUT NOT WHEN JESUS IS THE WINEMAKER! cf THE FARCE OF EVOLUTION), just as he did in Genesis 1:1! This beginning (arche) of His signs (KJV = "miracles") Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. (ED: AND IN GENESIS 1:1ff THE CREATION EVENT WAS A MANIFESTATION OF THE GLORY OF GOD!) John uses arche in the Revelation speaking of Jesus the Creator... "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write the following: "This is the solemn pronouncement of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the Originator (arche) of God's creation (ktisis): (Rev 3:14NET, cf arche in Rev 22:13) Matthew uses arche in his Gospel also affirming God as the Creator (not the "evolver") writing... And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created (ktizo - aorist tense = point in time in the past, He "called' them into being, cf similar use of ktizo in 1Ti 4:3) them from the beginning (arche) MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, (Mt 19:4 - quoting Ge 1:27, Ge 5:2 - cf similar uses of arche affirming the Creation in Mt 24:21, Mk 10:6+) The writer of Hebrews also uses arche in the context of the Creation of the Universe writing And, “YOU, LORD (THE SON - Heb 1:8), IN THE BEGINNING (arche) LAID THE FOUNDATION ( themelioo - provide a base for some material object or structure) OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS; (Hebrews 1:10+) Created (01254) bara' has the basic meaning "to create", to bring into existence (first use Ge 1:1) and God is the subject of the majority of the OT uses of bara' (exceptions - Josh 17:15, 18 = "clear away")! Only God can "create" out of nothing (See Genesis passages below - also Dt 4:32, Ps 89:12, 89:47, Isa 40:26, 43:1 Ezek 21:30; 28:13, 15)! In the context of cutting covenant with Israel, God says He will "perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth." (Ex 34:10). Bara describes the "entirely new thing" God brought about by opening the earth to swallow Korah and his family into Sheol (Nu 16:30). Ps 102:18 describes a "people yet to be created" who will praise the LORD, which anticipates the divine intervention in the future on behalf of Zion (cf Ps 102:13, 16-17, cf Isa 4:5). Ps 104:30 speaks of God creating life in nature by giving breath. Thomas Mccomiskey The word is used in the Qal only of God's activity and is thus a purely theological term. This distinctive use of the word is especially appropriate to the concept of creation by divine fiat. The root bārāʾ denotes the concept of "initiating something new" in a number of passages. In Isaiah 41:20 it is used of the changes that will take place in the Restoration when God effects that which is new and different. It is used of the creation of new things (ḥădāshôt) in Isaiah 48:6-7 and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth (Isaiah 65:17). Marvels never seen before are described by this word (Exodus 34:10), and Jeremiah uses the term of a fundamental change that will take place in the natural order (Jeremiah 31:22). The Psalmist prayed that God would create in him a clean heart (Psalm 51:10 [H 12]) and coupled this with the petition that God would put a new spirit within him (See also Numbers 16:30; Isaiah 4:5; Isaiah 65:18). The word also possesses the meaning of "bringing into existence" in several passages (Isaiah 43:1; Ezekiel 21:30 [H 35]; Ezekiel 28:13, 15). It is not surprising that this word with its distinctive emphases is used most frequently to describe the creation of the universe and the natural phenomena (Genesis 1:1, 21, 27; Genesis 2:3, etc.). The usages of the term in this sense present a clearly defined theology. The magnitude of God's power is exemplified in creation. This has implications for the weak (Isaiah 40:26; cf. Isaiah 40:27-31) and for the unfolding of God's purposes in history (Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 45:12). Creation displays the majesty (Amos 4:13), orderliness (Isaiah 45:18), and sovereignty (Psalm 89:12 [H 13]) of God. Anthropologically, the common creation of man forms a plea for unity in Malachi 2:10. And man is seen as created for vanity in Psalm 89:47 [H 48]. The limitation of this word to divine activity indicates that the area of meaning delineated by the root falls outside the sphere of human ability. Since the word never occurs with the object of the material, and since the primary emphasis of the word is on the newness of the created object, the word lends itself well to the concept of creation ex nihilo, although that concept is not necessarily inherent within the meaning of the word. (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) Gilbrant - This verb is one of the more significant words in the Hebrew vocabulary. It is normally translated, "to create." Once, it means "to fatten oneself" (1 Sa 2:29) and in one context the verb means "to cut down" as in clearing timber (Josh. 17:15, 18). Many Semitic roots carry a word with the idea "to create." In the biblical Hebrew text, the majority of the occurrences are not in Genesis, as one might first guess, but in Isaiah, who often makes reference to God as "Creator" or "the one who created earth" (cf. Isa. 42:5; 43:15). God is the only subject of this verb which has the connotation of creating out of nothing. God created heaven and earth (Ge 1:1); humankind (Ge 1:27); Israel as a nation (Isa. 43:15) and the wind (Amos 4:13). It could be of new things such as salvation and righteousness (Isa. 45:8) or of transformations such as a new heart (Ps. 51:10). Theologically, bārāʿ is one of the most significant. The action involved with the word is the first activity of biblical history. It is used exclusively to refer to God's creative work; it refers to creating things ex nihilo, or out of nothing (Lint, 14f). Other Near Eastern languages use various words to convey "create" by a god. The Egyptians used shpr and msy which mean "to bring into being" and "to bring forth," respectively. "As a special theological term, bārāʿ is used to express the incomparability of the creative work of God in contrast to all secondary products and likenesses make from already existing material by man" (TDOT, 2:246). God's creative work is so profound that even this special term cannot totally express the true significance of it. Parts of Isaiah connect the theology of creation with that of election, causing the word to take on a soteriological character (ibid.). (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) W E Vine - Though (bara is) a precisely correct technical term to suggest cosmic, material creation from nothing, bara is a rich theological vehicle for communicating the sovereign power of God, Who originates and regulates all things to His glory. Bara - 45 verses - brings about(1), clear(2), create(6), created(32), creates(1), creating(3), Creator(4), cut them down(1), make(2), produced(1). Gen. 1:1; Gen. 1:21; Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:3; Gen. 2:4; Gen. 5:1; Gen. 5:2; Gen. 6:7; Exod. 34:10; Num. 16:30; Deut. 4:32; Jos. 17:15; Jos. 17:18; Ps. 51:10; Ps. 89:12; Ps. 89:47; Ps. 102:18; Ps. 104:30; Ps. 148:5; Eccl. 12:1; Isa. 4:5; Isa. 40:26; Isa. 40:28; Isa. 41:20; Isa. 42:5; Isa. 43:1; Isa. 43:7; Isa. 43:15; Isa. 45:7; Isa. 45:8; Isa. 45:12; Isa. 45:18; Isa. 48:7; Isa. 54:16; Isa. 57:19; Isa. 65:17; Isa. 65:18; Jer. 31:22; Ezek. 21:19; Ezek. 21:30; Ezek. 23:47; Ezek. 28:13; Ezek. 28:15; Amos 4:13; Mal. 2:10 Bara in Genesis - In every use of bara below the Septuagint uses the Greek verb poieo. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. COMMENT - Note that in this use of bara as with Ge 5:1 and Ge 6:7 does not mean created out of nothing since man was created out of dust (Ge 2:7). Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. Genesis 2:4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven. Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. Genesis 5:2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. Genesis 6:7 The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” These are all the uses of bara in the book of Genesis and God is the subject of this verb in every use. The conclusion is inescapable -- The Almighty God, Elohim, is the Creator of EVERYTHING. BELIEVE IT OR NOT! OR ONE DAY WHEN YOU DIE YOU WILL BELIEVE IT WITHOUT HESITATION (Php 2:10,11+), FOR THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE IS ALSO THE JUDGE OF THE UNIVERSE (Jn 5:22, 27, Rev 20:11-15+). IF YOU HAVE NEVER RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST (Acts 4:12+) AS YOUR PERSONAL REDEEMER AND LORD (Ro 10:9, 10+, Acts 16:31+), THEN TODAY IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ENTER INTO ETERNITY AS YOU RECEIVE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH HIS GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE. Larry Richards - The apostle Paul expresses his confidence that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38, 39). That confidence is rooted in Genesis 1’s revelation of God as being supreme over all creation. He is the source and the sustainer of all. What power indeed could thwart the purposes of a God, who by merely speaking a word could and did bring all things into being? (Every Name Of God In The Bible) Job 38:4-11 The God Of The Cosmos By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. —Hebrews 11:3 A group of distinguished scientists and theologians gathered in Washington, DC, to participate in the Cosmic Questions Conference. They discussed issues such as these: “Is there a God?” and “Can we believe that there is purpose and design in the universe?” Some of the participants answered those questions emphatically, “No!” No God, no design, no purpose. But others, like John Polkinghorne, a British scholar and former president of Queens College at Cambridge, held staunchly to the opposite opinion. A noted physicist, Polkinghorne argued that the answers lie “beyond physics.” Without the Bible, scientists are baffled. They can guess and they can speak dogmatically, but they have no authoritative answers to the cosmic questions. The Bible alone tells us where everything came from, why everything exists, and what lies ahead. As Job learned, it was God who “laid the foundations of the earth” (Job 38:4). We don’t need to listen to the speculations of world-famous thinkers to find answers to the big questions of life. We just need to humbly and reverently study the Word of God. There we will find rest for our mind and peace for our soul. When you open your Bible, ask the Author to open your heart. Job 38:1-15 Why Are We Here? READ: Job 38:1-15 All things were created by Him and for Him. --Colossians 1:16 Why are we here? Listen to the opinion of Stephen Jay Gould, a Harvard paleontologist who is regarded as an eminent authority on how life began. Gould says, "We [exist] because one odd group of fishes had a peculiar fin anatomy that could transform into legs for terrestrial creatures; because the earth never froze entirely during an ice age; because a small and tenuous species, arising in Africa a quarter of a million years ago, has managed, so far, to survive by hook and by crook. We may yearn for a 'higher' answer--but none exists." Contrast that godless guesswork with the majestic affirmation of the opening verse of the Bible: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). Yes, that's the higher answer! We're here because the Lord Almighty has brought everything into existence by His will and power (Col. 1:16). We're here because a wise, loving Creator wanted us and fashioned us as beings who are able to obey Him, serve Him, trust Him, and love Him. Which answer do you accept? The answer that we're here because of a series of mindless accidents--the answer that leads to despair? Or do you accept the biblical answer that brings the hope of everlasting love and life? - Vernon C. Grounds I sing the mighty power of God That made the mountains rise, That spread the flowing seas abroad And built the lofty skies. -Isaac Watts The design of creation points to the Master Designer. Job 38:4-13 'Were You There?' READ: Job 38:4-13 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth. --Job 38:4 What you do with the Bible depends on what you do with the first sentence of Genesis. The Bible opens with a simple statement, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1). If you believe that, you can believe everything else that follows. If you reject that statement, you will also deny every other cardinal truth in the Scriptures. Joe and Charlie were arguing about Genesis 1:1. Joe said he believed the record of creation just as it was written. Charlie was an unbeliever, and went to great lengths in giving his own theory of how the world began and then how life developed from a primordial cell through reptiles, monkeys, and up to man. When he was all through, Joe looked at him and said, "Were you there, Charlie?" It was a good question. "Of course I wasn't there," he replied. Joe said, "Well, God was. He was the only one there and I'll take the word of the Eyewitness rather than the guesses of those who rely on their own imagination." I'll trust my all to God alone, Whose Word is truth and light; I'd rather walk by faith with Him Than go alone by sight. -Anon. You will be able to trust the Bible when you have come to trust its Author. W H Griffith Thomas on the value of Genesis - We may therefore describe the present Book of Genesis as consisting of an introduction, and ten books representing ten sections or stages of history, each complete in itself. It is worth while noticing once again, that in the course of bringing forward these successive genealogies the plan is to deal with collateral branches first, before dwelling upon the main line of descent in regard to the purpose of redemption. Thus the genealogy of Cain comes before that of Seth, those of Ham and Canaan before Shem, that of Terah before Abraham, those of Ishmael and Esau before Isaac and Jacob. All the apparent deviations are strictly according to the idea of the book as a book of6 beginnings. As it has been well said, 'Genesis is full of geneses.'[1] Cf. Green's Unity of the Book of Genesis. Its Unity.—It is generally admitted, even by men of very different schools, that our present Book of Genesis is a unity, however that unity has been brought about. For this reason it should be studied as a whole, and allowed to make its own definite and deep impression upon the reader. As Dr Whitelaw (Pulpit Commentary, p. viii.) truly says, there is a chronological thread running through the entire book, and all its parts are so interdependent that if one were omitted it would create a gap, and entirely rob the book of its unity. There are few facts more certain than that of the literary unity of Genesis as it has come down to us, and no study of the book will arrive at right conclusions unless this fact is kept well in view. Its Value.—As the title clearly indicates, it is essentially and pre-eminently a book of origins; it deals with a number of characteristic 'beginnings.' It records the beginning of creation, of man, of woman, of the Sabbath, of marriage, of home, of childhood, of sin, of murder, of sacrifice, of grace, of trade, of agriculture, of city life, of races, of languages, and of the chosen people. In the light of its title and evident purpose it is worthy of notice that there are in particular seven important 'beginnings' recorded and dealt with in this book:— 1. The beginning of the material universe, or the Sphere of the Divine revelation of grace.7 2. The beginning of the human race, or the Subject of the Divine revelation of grace. 3. The beginning of human sin, or the Cause of the Divine revelation of grace. 4. The beginning of divine redemption, or the Character of the Divine revelation of grace. 5. The beginning of the nations of the earth, or the Scope of the Divine revelation of grace. 6. The beginning of the Hebrew nation, or the Channel of the Divine revelation of grace. 7. The beginning of the life of faith and consecration, or the Outcome of the Divine revelation of grace. The first four words form the keynote of the book, which is struck again and again throughout the record—'In the beginning God.' It is essentially a book where God is prominent and predominant, notwithstanding human wilfulness, wandering, and wretchedness through sin. God in Creation.—The outstanding impression derived from the story in Ge i. is that the universe is not self-originated, but is the result of the Creator's handiwork. 'God saw,' 'God said,' 'God made,' are the prominent teachings. God in History.—In this book we have the dawn of history and the earliest years of the life and progress of the human race; and although the narrative of the first eleven chapters takes various literary forms, and is only brought before us in very summary fashion, there is no doubt of the essential historical character of the events underlying the record. And when we come to the fuller details of the patriarchal narratives we can readily appreciate the truth of Dr Driver's dictum with reference to the parts of 2 Samuel: 'The abundance and particularity of detail show that the narratives must date from a period very little later than that of the events related' (Intro. O.T., p. 173). No student of history can afford to overlook the instructive and fascinating record contained in the first book of the Bible. God in Providence.—No book in the world shows so clearly the truth that 'There's a Divinity that shapes our ends, rough hew them how we will.' From the time that man was created, God's providence is seen watching over him, warning him, checking him, overruling his mistakes, and, in spite of his wilfulness, carrying out the Divine purpose. In the record of the ages before the Flood and of the time of the Deluge, in the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, we see step by step the working of that 'never-failing providence that ordereth all things in heaven and earth.' God in Redemption.—This is the most important, even though it is not the most prominent, feature on the surface of the book. Genesis has been well summed up in three words—generation, degeneration, regeneration. The great promise of redemption recorded in Ge iii. is taken up and gradually prepared for through a long line from Seth through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In this connection, too, we must not overlook the typological value of Genesis, for it is a book of type as well as of prophecy, of picture as well as of promise. From the sacrifice of Abel straight onward to the sacrifice of Isaac, the vision of Jacob at Bethel, and the story of Joseph, we have picture after picture of redemption, which find their full meaning, vividness, and glory, in the New Testament revelation, until at length in Jacob's benediction we have a striking reference to the primeval fact of sin and the primeval promise of salvation (Ge 49:17,18). The red thread of redemption binds every chapter together, and gives the book one of its essential marks of unity. God in Human Life.—Not the least interesting and valuable feature of this most remarkable book is its record of human life in relation to God. As we read the stories from Adam to Joseph, we see various aspects of the Divine revelation in regard to personal life, and the various attitudes of human response to that revelation. The book is of preeminent value, because it has to do with the essential and abiding elements of God's relation to man, and man's relation to God. As we study point after point in individual history and character, we see abundant proofs of spiritual guidance, warning, encouragement, and cheer, and we become more and more convinced of the truth of the Apostolic word, that 'Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.' QUESTION - What is theistic evolution? ANSWER - Theistic evolution is one of three major origin-of-life worldviews, the other two being atheistic evolution (also commonly known as Darwinian evolution and naturalistic evolution) and special creation. Versions of theistic evolution come somewhere between one of two extremes. One view is close to deism, which says God allows only natural processes to influence the development of life. The other assumes that God constantly used miraculous intervention to guide evolution. The first boundary of theistic evolution states that there is a God, but He was not directly involved in the origin of life. According to this view, God created the building blocks and natural laws with the eventual emergence of life in mind. However, early on He stepped back and let His creation take over. He let it do what it was designed to do, and life eventually emerged from non-living material. This view is similar to atheistic evolution in that it presumes a naturalistic—albiet God-designed and ordained—origin of life. Atheistic evolution also assumes that life emerged naturally from preexisting, non-living building blocks under the influence of natural laws. However, according to atheistic evolution, there is no God, and the origin of those natural laws is not explained. The opposite pole of theistic evolution is that God performed constant miracles to bring about the origin of life as we know it. According to this view, He led life step by step down a path from primeval simplicity to contemporary complexity. This view is similar to Darwin’s evolutionary tree of life, but with God’s intervention taking the place of mutation and natural selection. In this view, where life was not able to evolve naturally, God stepped in. This view is similar to special creation in that it presumes that God acted supernaturally in some way to bring about life as we know it. Special creation says that God created life directly, either from nothing or from preexisting materials. There are numerous differences between the perspectives of special creation and theistic evolution. One significant difference concerns their respective views on death. Theistic evolutionists typically believe that the geologic column containing the fossil record represents long epochs of time. Since man does not appear until late in the fossil record, theistic evolutionists believe many creatures lived, died, and became extinct long before man’s belated arrival. This means that physical death, at least for animals, existed before Adam and his sin. Special creationists believe that the earth is relatively young and that the fossil record was laid down during and after Noah’s flood. The stratification of the layers is thought to have occurred due to hydrologic sorting and liquefaction, both of which are observed phenomena. This puts the fossil record and the death and carnage it describes hundreds of years after Adam’s sin. Another significant difference between theistic evolution and special creation is how the two systems interpret the age of the earth. Theistic evolutionists tend to subscribe to either the day-age theory or the framework theory, both of which are allegorical interpretations of the length of the “days” in Genesis 1. Young earth creationists subscribe to a literal, 24-hour day as they read Genesis 1. Theistic evolution is generally incompatible with a literal reading of the first two chapters of Genesis. Theistic evolutionists imagine a Darwinian scenario in which stars evolved, then our solar system, then earth, then plants and animals, and eventually man. The two viewpoints within theistic evolution disagree as to the role God played in the unfolding of events, but they generally agree on the Darwinian timeline. That timeline is in conflict with a literal interpretation of the Genesis creation account. For example, Genesis 1 says that the earth was created on day one, and the sun, moon, and stars were not created until day four. A common counter from theistic evolutionists is to note that the wording of Genesis suggests the sun, moon, and stars were actually created on day one but they could not be seen through earth’s atmosphere until day four, leading to their placement on day four. (ED: IF ONE WILL NOT ACCEPT THE LITERAL READING, HE WILL GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO RATIONALIZE THEISTIC EVOLUTION WITH THEISTIC CREATION.) A literal reading of Genesis shows that birds were created with sea creatures on day five while land animals were not created until day six. This is in direct opposition to the Darwinian view that birds evolved from land animals. The literalist account says birds preceded land animals. The theistic evolutionist view says exactly the opposite. Regardless of how a person chooses to interpret scientific evidence or the Bible, experience has shown the Bible to be reliable. Centuries of challenges have affirmed that not only is the Bible compatible with science, but also that not a single word in the Bible has ever been disproved by confirmed facts. Interpretations of Scripture may be found lacking, but the Word of God itself is never wrong. The Bible is God’s living Word, given to us by the Creator of the universe, and His description of how He created that universe is not threatened by atheistic versions of science. (Gotquestions.org) FOLLOWUP COMMENT - If you are a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ and you hold a view of "theistic evolution" then I would strongly recommend you set aside some time and listen to Dr John MacArthur's sermon entitled "Creation Believe if or Not, Part 1." If you are open and honest, you will ask God's Spirit of Truth to show you the truth about creation and whether or not evolution played any role in Genesis 1-2. If you are not willing to honestly ask God that request, than don't waste your time listening to the sermon. Here is the sermon and I would encourage you not just to read it but to listen to it as it is delivered with Spirit empowered passion and insight. Creation - Believe It or Not, Part 1 - Here is an excerpt of MacArthur's closing words in which he deals with the word CHANCE, so even if you don't listen to the sermon, you might want to read this excerpt - Now for a few minutes I want to get a little philosophical. I think you’ll enjoy this. In the end the evolutionist, the naturalistic evolutionist says, and even the theistic evolutionist says, that things happen by chance, chance. “We get rid of the God of the Bible, we get rid of the God of Genesis, we get rid of the Creator, and then we’ve got chance.” Now this is a pretty interesting thing to think about. I have read this word “chance” over and over and over again in reading the writings of these people, and the myth that drives the whole evolutionary process, this entire unbiblical, irrational, immoral idea of evolution, the myth that drives it is the myth of chance, chance. Chance is the cause. In contemporary science, chance takes on new meaning. They don’t want God to be the cause; but something has to be the cause, so the cause is chance. Now when I say the word “chance” we take it back to its etymology, it once was largely restricted to describing mathematical probability, or we could say, “Well, if I go over there, there’s a chance I might see her, because she may be coming this way.” Or, “If I put this money in this account, there’s a chance this might happen, and I’ll make this amount of money.” “If I move into that community and begin to meet some people, there’s a chance there that I might develop some interest in my business.” There’s a mathematical probability; that’s what chance basically used to mean. And then it kind of got broadened a little bit and it took on broader application to include any unpredictable event, any sort of probability no matter how remote, or any coincidence no matter how seemingly impossible. But let me tell you about chance. Friends, chance doesn’t exist. It’s nothing. It’s nothing. Chance is a word used to explain something else. But chance isn’t anything. It’s not a force. Chance doesn’t make anything happen. Chance doesn’t exist. It’s only a way to explain something else. Chance didn’t make you meet that person; you were going there when she was going there, that’s why you met her. Chance didn’t have anything to do with it, because chance doesn’t exist. It’s nothing. But in modern evolution, it’s been transformed into a force of causal power. It’s been elevated from being nothing to being everything. Chance makes things happen. Chance is the myth that serves to undergird the chaos view of reality. I mean, this is so fraught with problems from a rational or philosophical viewpoint you hardly know where to begin. How do you get the initial matter upon which chance operates? Where does that come from? You would have to say, “Well, chance made it appear.” You know what? This sounds so ridiculous, and yet this is the undergirding philosophy behind evolution. It is completely incoherent and irrational. But the new evolutionary paradigm is chance. And it’s the opposite of logic. You see, when you abandon logic, and logic says, “Oh, there’s a universe. Hmm, somebody made it.” What else would logic say? “There’s a building; somebody made it. There’s a piano; somebody made it. There’s a universe, more complex than a building, infinitely more complex than a piano; somebody who is very, very powerful and very, very intelligent made it.” You say, “No, no, chance made it.” Listen, folks, that’s rational suicide, that’s not logical. Logic abandoned leaves you with myth. And the enemies of mythology, the enemies of mythology are empirical data and God-given reason. So in order to be an evolutionist and believe that chance makes things happen, you have to do two things: reject the empirical data, and be irrational. But if you love your sin enough, you’ll do it. You see, if you can just eliminate the empirical data, the evidence, and get rid of God-given logic – and those two things are the essence of pure science – if you can get rid of those things, then mythology runs wild. And as one writer said, “Chance is the new soft pillow for science to lie down on.” Arthur Koestler said, “As long as chance rules, God is an anachronism.” If chance rules, God can’t rule. Chance deposes God. The very existence of chance rips God from His sovereign throne. If chance as a force exists even in the frailest form, God is “ungoded,” if there’s such a word. The two are mutually exclusive. Either there is a God who created the universe, who sovereignly rules and sovereignly controls, or there’s not. If chance exists, it destroys God’s sovereignty. If God is not sovereign, then He’s not God. If He’s not God, then there is no God, and chance rules. That’s frightening. But chance is not a force. Chance can’t make anything happen. Chance isn’t anything, it doesn’t exist. It has no power to do anything, because it isn’t anything. It’s impotent because it’s nothing. It has no power because it doesn’t exist. Are you getting it? Since chance doesn’t exist, it can’t produce anything. It can’t be the cause of any effect. Yet modern evolutionists talk about chance all the time. It’s just nothing but hocus-pocus; it’s the oldest and most inviolable law of science, logic and reason. Any of you who ever took debate or studied any of the rational philosophers remember the statement, “ex nihilo fit. Out of nothing, nothing comes.” And chance is nothing. This is rational suicide. So when scientists attribute instrumental power to chance – listen carefully – they have left the domain of reason, they have left the domain of science; they have turned to pulling rabbits out of hats, they have turned to fantasy. And then all scientific investigation becomes chaotic and absurd, because it can’t really yield what it should yield, because they won’t allow it to. Today the absurdity of evolution goes largely unchallenged, and all these universities and colleges, they keep pounding on this stuff. Every time I pick up a Newsweek or a Time magazine, I get another one of these wild kind of evolutionary articles. Particularly because I read National Geographic, I’m exposed to that as well; and they keep trying to make us believe that chance exists as a force, and that everything by chance spontaneously generated. Nobel laureate George Wald, brilliant man, I quote him: “One has only to wait: time itself performs the miracles. Given so much time the impossible becomes possible, the possible probable, and the probable actually certain.” What in the world is that? That is just double-talk, that is absolutely meaningless. Self-creation is absurd no matter how much time, because chance does not exist. It doesn’t exist. There’s no explanation of the universe without God. I’ll give you one little scientific illustration. Have you ever heard of quantum theory? Well, you’ve heard about a quantum leap? People say, “Somebody made a quantum leap.” Let me tell you where that comes from. Quantum theory goes back to a scientist, Max Planck, who in 1900 presented the theory that energy comes in discreet units called quanta. I’m not going to take you too deep here, because I can’t go too deep myself. But energy can be broken down into units; and he said these units, these units, identifiable units, are called quanta. In 1927 Werner Heisenberg, a German physicist, found that when a photon strikes an atom it boosts an electron into a higher orbit. And when that occurs, the electron moves from the lower to the upper orbit – listen to this – simultaneously, without having traversed the intervening space. That’s a quantum leap. Let me say that again. When a photon hits an atom it boosts an electron to a higher orbit from the lower orbit simultaneously, but it never traverses the space in between. What happens is the electron ceases to exist at one point and simultaneously comes into existence at the other point. This is the famous quantum leap. It goes out of existence and comes into existence simultaneously. All the time, all the time, in all the atoms all the time through all of created history it keeps doing that. By chance? To say it’s a quantum leap doesn’t explain it. There’s only one thing that explains it, and that is the ongoing creative power of God. He sustains the universe and its creation by keeping up all the necessary creative acts, even down to the level of an electron in an atom. He upholds all things, Hebrews 1, by the Word of His power. QUESTION - What does creation ex nihilo mean? ANSWER - Ex nihilo is Latin for “from nothing.” The term creation ex nihilo refers to God creating everything from nothing. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Prior to that moment, there was nothing. God didn’t make the universe from preexisting building blocks. He started from scratch. The Bible never expressly states that God made everything from nothing, but it is implied. In Hebrews 11:3 we read, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” Scholars take this to mean that the universe came into existence by divine command and was not assembled from preexisting matter or energy. Things that are visible do not owe their existence to anything visible. Humans can be very creative, but we cannot create ex nihilo. Strictly speaking, we cannot create; we can only synthesize. We require materials from which to build something. God is not so constrained. This is difficult for us to comprehend because of a fundamental law of physics that we are all familiar with. The “first law of science” states that matter (the stuff the universe is made of) cannot be created or destroyed. Matter can be converted from solid to liquid to gas to plasma and back again; atoms can be combined into molecules and split into their component parts; but matter cannot be created from nothing or completely destroyed. And so this idea that God created everything from nothing is not natural to us. It’s not natural at all—it’s supernatural. The term creation ex nihilo refers to the supernatural event that was the beginning of the universe. It was the moment that God created something (everything) from nothing.GotQuestions.org Related Resource: Wikipedia article - Creatio ex nihilo QUESTION - Why is biblical Creationism so important? ANSWER - A clear view of origins is important for the same reason that a foundation is important to a building. Christianity is established in the book of Genesis chapter one, with “In the beginning God created . . . .” This one statement affirms creationism and opposes any view that embraces naturalism (the belief that the universe started without the intervention of God and/or proceeds without His involvement). One’s views regarding creation reflect whether we believe the Word of God or call its truthfulness into question. As Christians, we must differentiate between creationism and naturalism; that is, how are they different? Which one is true? Is it possible to believe in both creationism and some form of evolution? These questions can be answered by defining what biblical creationism is and how it affects our fundamental belief system. The importance of biblical creationism is that it answers the fundamental questions of human existence: 1. How did we get here? Where did we come from? 2. Why are we here? Do we have a purpose, and what is the cause of all or our problems? Are the issues of sin and salvation important? 3. What happens to us when we die? Is there life after death? A person’s stance on origins is important because Genesis is the foundation for the rest of Scripture, in which these questions are answered. Genesis has been likened to the root of a tree in that it anchors Scripture. If you cut the root from a tree, the tree dies. If you discredit Genesis, you remove the authoritative value of all Scripture. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This gives us three great truths foundational to biblical creationism and the Christian faith. First, God is one. This stands in contrast to the polytheism of the pagans and the dualism of modern humanist philosophy. Second, God is personal and exists outside of creation. This is in contrast to pantheism, which sees God as immanent but not transcendent. Last, God is omnipotent and eternal. This is in contrast to the idols that people worship. God was before, is now, and always will be—He created all that is out of nothing by His spoken word. This answers our creation question of beginnings, but what about our second question: why are we here? Biblical creationism answers the question of the condition of the human race. Genesis 3 deals with the fall of man but also gives us the hope of redemption. It is important that we understand we are unified in one man, Adam—a literal, real-life person. If Adam is not a literal person, then we have no plausible explanation for how sin entered into the world. If mankind, in Adam, did not fall from grace, then mankind cannot be saved by grace through Jesus Christ. First Corinthians 15:22 says, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (NJKV). This parallel—Adam is the head of the fallen race, and Christ is the head of a redeemed race—is important to our understanding of salvation. “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18–19, NKJV). We must look to biblical creationism as the basis for our value system. The creation narrative must be factual and not just a myth, for, if it is fictional, then the values it imports are man-reasoned, subject to change as man “evolves,” and therefore invalid. The basis of the modern-day conflict between science and religion (especially Christianity) is the assumption that (atheistic) science is fact and religion is merely superstition and myth. If this were true, then our Christian values are just that—values for Christians with no relevance in the secular world. The last basic question for mankind is what happens to us when we die? If man is merely part of an un-designed and accidental universe and simply changes from one kind of matter to another when he dies, it means we have no soul or spirit and this life is all there is. This belief leaves us with only one purpose in life: to follow the plan of evolution, which is survival of the fittest. Christianity, on the other hand, presents us with a moral good established by a transcendent, supernatural Being. The moral nature of God sets an unchanging standard that not only promotes a better life for us personally but also teaches us how to love others and ultimately bring glory to our Creator. This standard is exemplified by Christ. It is through His life, death, and resurrection that we find purpose for this life and hope of a future life with God in heaven. Biblical creationism is important because it is the only system that answers the basic questions of life and gives us significance greater than ourselves. It should be clear to all Christians that creationism and naturalism are mutually exclusive and stand in opposition to one another.GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is old earth creationism? ANSWER - Please note, as a ministry, GotQuestions.org officially holds to young earth creationism. We truly and fully believe that young earth creationism best fits with the biblical account of creation. However, we recognize that old earth creationism is a valid viewpoint that a Christian can hold. In no sense is old earth creationism heresy and in no sense should old earth creationists be shunned as not being brothers and sisters in Christ. We thought it would be worthwhile to have an article that positively presents old earth creationism, as it is always good for our viewpoints to be challenged, motivating us to further search the Scriptures to make sure our beliefs are biblically sound. Old earth creationism (OEC) is an umbrella term used to describe biblical creationists who deny that the universe was created within the last 6,000 to 10,000 years over the course of six consecutive 24-hour days. Rather, old earth creationists believe that God created the universe and its inhabitants (including a literal Adam and Eve) over a much longer period of time than is allowed for by young earth creationists. The list of notable Christian leaders who are at least open to an old earth interpretation is a long one, and that list continues to grow. The list includes men such as Walter Kaiser, Norman Geisler, William Dembski, J.I. Packer, J.P. Moreland, Philip E. Johnson, and Chuck Colson, as well the late Francis Schaefer and Old Testament scholar Gleason Archer. Old earth creationists usually agree with the mainstream scientific estimates of the age of the universe, humanity, and Earth itself while at the same time rejecting the claims of modern evolutionary theorists with respect to biological evolution. Old earth creationists and their young earth creationist brothers hold several important points in common, including: 1) The literal creation of the universe out of nothing a finite time ago (creation ex nihilo). 2) The literal creation of Adam out of the dust of the ground and Eve out of Adam’s side as well as the historicity of the Genesis account. 3) The rejection of the claim of Darwinists that random mutation and natural selection can adequately account for the complexity of life. 4) The rejection of the claim that God used the process of evolution to bring man to today (theistic evolution). Both old earth and new earth creationism categorically reject the theory of common ancestry. However, old earth creationists differ with young earth creationists on the following: 1) The age of the universe. Young earth creationists believe that God created the universe 6,000-10,000 years ago. Old earth creationists place the creation event at approximately 13.7 billion years ago, thus being more in line with “mainstream” science, at least on this point. 2) The time of the creation of Adam and Eve. Young earth creationists place the creation of Adam no later than 10,000 years ago. Old earth creationists are varied on this point with estimates ranging somewhere between 30,000-70,000 thousand years ago. The controversy between the two views of creationism hinges on the meaning of the Hebrew word yom, meaning “day.” Young earth creationists insist that the meaning of the word yom in the context of Genesis 1–2 is a 24-hour period of time. Old earth creationists disagree and believe that the word yom is being used to denote a much longer duration of time. Old earth creationists have used numerous biblical arguments to defend their view including the following: 1) Yom is used elsewhere in the Bible where it is referring to a long period of time, particularly Psalm 90:4, which is later cited by the apostle Peter: “A day (yom) is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8). 2) The seventh “day” is thousands of years long. Genesis 2:2-3 states that God rested on the seventh “day” (yom). Scripture teaches that we are certainly still in the seventh day; therefore, the word “day” could also be referring to a long period of time with reference to days one through six. 3) The word “day” in Genesis 1–2 is longer than 24 hours. Genesis 2:4 reads, “This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created in the day that the LORD God made earth and heaven” (NASB). In this verse, “day” is referring to the first six days as a whole and thus has a more flexible meaning than merely a 24-hour period. 4) The sixth “day” is probably longer than 24 hours. Genesis 2:19 tells us that Adam observed and then catalogued every living animal on the earth. At face value, it does not appear that Adam could have completed such a monumental task in a mere 24-hour period. To be sure, the issues dividing young and old earth creationists are both complex and significant. However, this issue should not be made a test for orthodoxy. There are godly men and women on both sides of this debate. In the final analysis, biblical creationists—both young and old Earth varieties—have a great deal in common and should work together to defend the historical reliability of the Genesis account..GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is young earth creationism? ANSWER - Young earth creationism (YEC) is the belief that God directly created the universe in six literal days and that the earth is relatively young. Young earth creationists usually place the age of the earth at 6,000 years (10,000 years being an upper limit). Other points held by young earth creationists include the occurrence of a global flood during Noah’s day, God’s creation of the world with apparent age, and (often) the existence of a single continent before the flood. Young earth creationism is the official position of Got Questions Ministries. Young earth creationism is the counterpart of old earth creationism (OEC), which says that the earth is about 4.5 billion years old, based on the geologic timescale, carbon dating, and other common dating methods. Variations of old earth creationism include progressive creationism, the day-age theory, the gap theory, and theistic evolution. Skeptics, both secular and Christian, often portray young earth creationism as an unsophisticated, ignorant theory espoused only by a few religious (and therefore unscientific) zealots. Much of the bias comes from the fact that the old-earth perspective has held a monopoly in schools, major universities, and the media for generations; it’s no surprise that most scientists have an old-earth worldview. It is all they were ever taught. It is what most, if not all, of their colleagues profess. Young earth creationists often call themselves biblical creationists because their position takes a direct, literal interpretation of the early chapters of Genesis. Young earth creationism views Genesis as a historical record of what actually happened, not an allegory or metaphor. Young earth creationism interprets the words day, evening, and morning without symbolism, as plain terms meant to be understood literally. Young earth creationism keeps the creation of the plants, sun, and animals in the biblical sequence, whereas old earth creationism usually rearranges the order listed in Genesis. Young earth creationists believe that when Romans 5:12 says “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin,” it is saying that death did not exist prior to Adam, while old earth creationists believe that Romans 5:12 only refers to human death and insist that a lot of dying happened (billions of years’ worth) before Adam appeared. Young earth creationists see no need to be in harmony with uniformitarian models of the earth’s beginnings, especially when such models are usually rooted in a naturalistic (and atheistic) worldview. Science demands that evidence be examined, and young earth creationism does not shy away from geology, astronomy, biology, or any other field of study. It is the interpretation of the evidence that makes the difference. Proofs for young earth creationism are published by organizations such as the Institute for Creation Research and we have a brief article listing some of the evidences here.GotQuestions.org (What is young earth creationism and why is it important? - GotQuestions.org Podcast Episode 49 SEE ALSO How Young Is the Young Earth?) QUESTION - Is there any evidence for young earth creationism? ANSWER - Interpreting evidence is a somewhat subjective process because evidence can always be viewed from multiple vantage points. Police detectives examine crime scenes to determine the most likely perpetrators of the crimes. Sometimes the evidence seems to point in one direction only to later be proved to have been pointing in a different direction all along. Evidence rarely has only one possible explanation. Old earth creationists examine the cosmological and geological data and conclude that the universe is billions of years old. Young earth creationists admit that the earth and the universe appear to be billions of years old but contend that the data is being misinterpreted. Most young earth creationists believe that God created the earth and the universe with the appearance of age, much like Adam and Eve were created as adults. If a doctor had examined Adam and Eve on the second day of their existence, the doctor would have said they were decades old even though they were only created the previous day. Similarly, God created the universe and earth so that it could sustain life from the moment He created it. Therefore, it gives the appearance of having aged billions of years even though it is only thousands of years old. So, all the cosmology, geology, and other sciences that uncover evidence for billions of years are in fact pointing to the appearance of age that resulted from God creating a mature and stable universe capable of harboring life. Most old earth creationists reject the “appearance of age” argument and see it as unnecessary, even deceptive. Why would God create something that appears to be old when it is in fact young? Further, there are many phenomena in the universe with origins seemingly unexplainable other than by allowing for billions of years, and they are unnecessary to harbor life. The old earth creationists say that, if everything in the universe seems to point to billions of years, it should be accepted that the universe is billions of years old. Both sides examine and interpret the same data. Young earth creationists see anything that points to billions of years as evidence for God creating the universe with the appearance of age or as examples of the scientific community misinterpreting the data. Old earth creationists see everything that points to billions of years as evidence that the universe is actually billions of years old. So, whether it is continental erosion, subterranean fluid pressure, global cooling, lunar recession, helium diffusion, radiometric dating, the geological column, the big bang theory, redshift, distant starlight, etc., both young earth and old earth creationists believe they can explain the evidence in such a way that supports their viewpoint and/or refutes the other side. Is there evidence for young earth creationism? Possibly. Is there evidence for old earth creationism? Possibly. It all depends on which viewpoint is correct. In reality, all of the evidence points in the direction of the truth of how long ago God created the universe. It is a matter of us interpreting the data correctly.GotQuestions.org QUESTION - What is progressive creationism and is it biblical? ANWER -Progressive creationism (also called “process creation”) is the belief that God created the heavens and the earth over a period of billions of years, not the six 24-hour days that is the basis for the traditional creationism view. Progressive creationists can be liberal or conservative in their theological belief system, but they generally agree on the following: • The “Big Bang” was God’s way of producing stars and galaxies through billions of years of natural processes. • The earth and universe are billions of years old, not merely thousands of years old. • The days of creation were overlapping periods of millions and billions of years. • Death and bloodshed have existed from the very beginning of creation and were not the result of Adam’s sin. Man was created after the vast majority of earth’s history of life and death had already taken place. • The flood of Noah was local, not global, and it had little effect on the earth’s geology, which shows billions of years of history. Progressive creationism is a belief that opposes both atheistic evolutionism and young earth creationism. The teachings of progressive creationism are not new, but in recent years they have received favorable publicity through Christian radio, television, magazines, and books. n our view, the error of progressive creationism rests on the assumption that the biblical account of creation in Genesis 1–2 is not meant to be understood literally. According to progressive creationism, the “days” in Genesis 1 are not literal, 24-hour days but actually long periods of time, amounting to millions or even billions of years (see our article on the days of creation). Progressive creationists accept the evolutionary viewpoint of the age of the earth, which we feel is in error (see our article on age of the earth). Another disagreement we have with progressive creationism is that it posits that death existed prior to the Fall, which undermines the teaching that all physical death is a result of sin (see Romans 5:12 and 1 Corinthians 15:21–22). In some circumstances, progressive creationism is an attempt by some Christians to harmonize the teachings of modern science with the Bible. However, the theory actually precedes modern evolutionary thinking and was suggested by some of the earliest Christian writers. While we disagree with progressive creationism, it is a view held by a sizable proportion of the Christian community. All that being said, the traditional interpretation of Genesis has mostly been that of young earth creationism, not progressive creationism. This is because the strongest evidences suggested for progressive creationism come mainly from the field of science, not directly from the words of the Bible. GotQuestions.org Resources Related to Progressive Creationism - Progressive Creation Problems What's Wrong with “Progressive Creation?” Analysis of Hugh Ross' Progressive Day-Age Creationism Biblical Problems for Theistic Evolution and Progressive Creation Old-Earth Creationism Progressive Creationist Gleason Archer Progressive Creationism Old-Earth Creationism Related Resources: Is Belief in the Young Earth Necessary to Be a Christian? - Institute for Creation Research (See also Young Earth Creation & The Gospel) Is There Geological Evidence for the Young Earth?- Institute for Creation Research How Can a Geology Professor Believe that the Earth Is Young?- Institute for Creation Research Where Can We See Young-Earth Evidence? - Institute for Creation Research Scientific Evidence for Recent Creation - Institute for Creation Research (multiple articles) Young-Earth Creationist View Summarized And Defended - Answers in Genesis 10 Best Evidences That Confirm a Young Earth - Answers in Genesis Evolution vs. Creationism — Article Index | GotQuestions.org (recommended resource) How does creationism vs. evolution impact how a person views the world? | GotQuestions.org What is young earth creationism and why is it important? - GotQuestions.org Podcast Episode 49 How does young earth creationism handle the evidence for millions of years in the fossil record? | GotQuestions.org What is the age of the earth? How old is the earth? | GotQuestions.org Why am I a young earth creationist? Is creationism scientific? | GotQuestions.org How does the geologic timescale fit with the view of a young earth? | GotQuestions.org How does radiometric dating fit with the view of a young earth? | GotQuestions.org Short video assessing the accuracy of radiometric dating Does the Earth Look Old? The Bible and an Old Earth Noah’s Flood or Millions of Years, It Can’t Be Both “Scientific” Arguments for an Old Earth Evidences of a Young Earth Genesis 1:2 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. KJV Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. NET Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. BGT Genesis 1:2 ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος καὶ σκότος ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου καὶ πνεῦμα θεοῦ ἐπεφέρετο ἐπάνω τοῦ ὕδατος NLT Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. ESV Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. NIV Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. YLT Genesis 1:2 the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness is on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters, LXE Genesis 1:2 But the earth was unsightly and unfurnished, and darkness was over the deep, and the Spirit of God moved over the water. CSB Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. NKJ Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. NRS Genesis 1:2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. NAB Genesis 1:2 the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. NJB Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was a formless void, there was darkness over the deep, with a divine wind sweeping over the waters. GWN Genesis 1:2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The Spirit of God was hovering over the water. BHT Genesis 1:2 wühä´äºrec häytâ töºhû wäböºhû wüHöºšek `al-Pünê tühôm würûªH ´élöhîm müraHeºpet `al-Pünê hammäºyim BBE Genesis 1:2 And the earth was waste and without form; and it was dark on the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God was moving on the face of the waters. Formless: Job 26:7 Isa 45:18 Jer 4:23 Na 2:10 Spirit: Job 26:14 Ps 33:6 104:30 Isa 40:12-14 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries DAY ONE: CREATION WAS FORMLESS, VOID, DARK Note very carefully that there is absolutely not one word in this opening section which supports the idea that there was a gap of many years between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Such an idea simply cannot be supported from the text. And to say it does comes very close to "adding to the Scripture" (cf Pr 30:6, Dt 4:2, 12:32 Rev 22:18,19)! Beloved, if the plain sense makes good sense in the context, seek to make no other sense out of it, lest you end up with utter nonsense. We must allow God's Spirit to say what He says and not let ourselves be influenced by the manifold theories of creation that have been propounded by men. This latter fact is why Genesis is so difficult for many to believe, because they have been influenced by men's ideas added to the simple writing of the Scripture. One technical note of importance is that in the Hebrew text every verse in the first chapter of Genesis (except Ge 1:1) begins with the conjunction “And” (Hebrew waw) which clearly links each statement sequentially and chronologically. And so it is notable that the KJV accurately begins each verse with "And" (see Genesis 1 in KJV here), while many of the other versions do not (NAS, NET, NLT, NIV). Of the modern versions, the ESV begins many (but not all) verses with "and." As an aside this The earth was formless (tohu) and void (bohu) (Hebrew transliterated = tohu wabohu) and darkness (choshek) was over the surface (face, presence) of the deep - On Day One there are three conditions - (1) formless (empty), (2) void (waste place), and (3) darkness. Darkness is not figurative (e.g., spiritual darkness) but literal darkness. "The physical universe had come into existence, but everything was still and dark—no form, no motion, no light." (Henry Morris) Try to imagine no created light and everything in darkness and the earth was covered with water, a global ocean as it were. The Psalmist writes He established the earth upon its foundations, So that it will not totter forever and ever. 6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters were standing above the mountains. (Ps 104:5-6) Henry Morris on foundations - The earth's "matter," the "dust of the earth" or its physical elements, was created on the first day of the creation week, evidently suspended in the pervasive waters. The earth's foundation, solid, continental blocks of material, were not laid until the third day (Ge 1:9) In context waters were standing above the mountains refers to the creation in Ge 1:9-10 and not to a global flood as some think. Some say this verse cannot be taken literally because God is Light so it would be impossible for Him to create a world of darkness! Wrong! Isaiah That (NET has "I do this so") men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun (stop and praise Him) That there is no one besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other, 7 The One forming light and creating (same verb bara' used in Genesis 1:1) darkness."(same word choshek as here in Ge 1:2)., Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. (Isaiah 45:6-7) Henry Morris writes that "God did not create light, for He is light. It was the primeval darkness which He created in order to have a division between day and night." Hebrew scholar Umberto Cassuto on tohu and bohu - As for the earth, it was tōhū and bōhū, that is to say, the unformed material from which the earth was to be fashioned was at the beginning of its creation in a state of tōhū and bōhū, to wit, water above and solid matter beneath, and the whole a chaotic mass, without order or life. (A Commentary on the Book of Genesis) In Jeremiah 4:23 we find the identical Hebrew phrase (tohu wabohu) Jeremiah declaring "I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light." The prophet is using Genesis 1:2 language to describe his beloved nation of Judah suffering devastation from the Gentile conqueror. The Judah is a wasted, devastated place that has lost its former beauty and is "without form." So while the use in Jeremiah helps give us some sense of what Genesis 1:2 is describing, the contexts of Jeremiah is the result of judgment, while in Genesis 1:2 the context is God's preparation for creation in Genesis 1:3ff. The context of formless (tohu) points to the "formlessness" of the earth in contrast to the creative order God will create in Ge 1:3-26. Some have incorrectly translated tohu as "chaos" or "confusion," but Yahweh is a God of order, not a God of confusion. The idea is that it was a waste place (of course not like waste in a garbage dump) and there was as yet no life. The English definition of waste is a place, region, or land that is uninhabited or uncultivated, which would be a good picture of the creation at this time for it was almost like a blank canvas as God the consummate Artist was about to begin "painting" His glorious, majestic masterpiece!
Gênesis 1
Morris on moving - There is another “moving” of the Spirit of God mentioned in the Bible. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21). Here the word “moved” is the Greek phero, which in fact is used in the Septuagint as the translation of “moved” in Genesis 1:2. As the Holy Spirit energized the primeval universe, to bring form and life to God’s creation, so He later empowered God’s prophets, to bring beauty and spiritual life to His new creation, through the energizing Word which they inscripturated. NET NOTE on waters - The text deliberately changes now from the term for the watery deep to the general word for water. The arena is now the life-giving water and not the chaotic abyss-like deep. The change may be merely stylistic, but it may also carry some significance. The deep carries with it the sense of the abyss, chaos, darkness—in short, that which is not good for life. Formless (08414)(tohu) formlessness, emptiness, confusion. Tōhû refers to a desert "wasteland" in Deut. 32:10 and Job 6:18. Isaiah spoke of moral "emptiness" (Isa. 29:21; 44:9) and of unreality (40:17, 23). Idols are "empty" and "unreal" (1 Sam. 12:21). In Genesis 1:2 tohu is translated in the Septuagint with the Greek adjective aoratos which means unable to be seen, unseen, invisible, that which cannot be seen with the physical eyes Tohu - 19v - chaos(1), confusion(1), desolation(1), emptiness(1), empty space(1), formless(2), futile(2), futile things(1), meaningless(2), meaningless arguments(1), nothing(2), waste(3), waste place(2). Gen. 1:2; Deut. 32:10; 1 Sam. 12:21; Job 6:18; Job 12:24; Job 26:7; Ps. 107:40; Isa. 24:10; Isa. 29:21; Isa. 34:11; Isa. 40:17; Isa. 40:23; Isa. 41:29; Isa. 44:9; Isa. 45:18; Isa. 45:19; Isa. 49:4; Isa. 59:4; Jer. 4:23 Void (0922)(bohu) means void, empty or emptiness. As noted there are only 3 OT uses, the first in creation and the last two describing the state of the land after God's judgment! Gilbrant - This noun meaning "without form" or "empty," occurs three times in the OT, twice conjoined to tōhû (HED #8744) in Gen. 1:2 and Isa. 23:11). This word describes the initial stage of creation in Gen. 1:2, conveying the idea of "emptiness." Twice this noun indicates the result of sin and God's judgment upon it. In Jeremiah 4:23, this word describes the condition of the land after God judged the people of Judah and returned it to an unformed stage as in Genesis 1. In Isa. 34:11, the word describes God's judgment on Edom as a heap of stones. (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Elmer Martens on bohu - Always occurring with tōhû "waste" (q.v.), bōhû describes the primordial condition of the earth, "void" at the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:2), or "made empty" by God's judgment (Isaiah 34:11; Jeremiah 4:23). It is probable that the descriptions in Isaiah of the desolations of Edom and those in Jeremiah of Israel borrow this phrase from the Genesis picture of a primordial chaos. (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament ) Bohu is found only 3 times - Isaiah 34:11 But pelican and hedgehog will possess it, And owl and raven will dwell in it; And He will stretch over it the line of desolation And the plumb line of emptiness. Jeremiah 4:23 I looked on the earth, and behold, it was formless and void; And to the heavens, and they had no light. Moving (07383)(rachaph) to move, to hover, to tremble. In Ge 1:2 the idea seems to be mainly that of a rapid back and forth motion Originally thought to mean "to be soft," the verb rāchaph refers to the moving of the emotion and the heart, "to be moved," "to be affected," "to cherish." It can mean to be moved with fear, thus "to tremor," "to tremble." Jeremiah trembled with emotion (Jer. 23:9). Because of the demands and standards of holiness, and because his own people, especially the so-called prophets, failed to even respect God and his holiness, Jeremiah was overcome with trembling emotion, shaken to the depths of his being. In the Piel, the meaning is "to brood over," "to hover over," "to cherish," as an eagle broods (hovers) over her chicks (Deut. 32:11). The term also described the Spirit of God hovering or brooding over the shapeless mass of the earth, cherishing it and molding it (Gen. 1:2). The Septuagint of rachaph in Genesis 1:2 uses the verb epiphero which in Acts 19:12 conveys the idea of to bring something over and put it on someone. To bring or put upon. Rachaph is found only 3x in OT - Gen. 1:2; Deut. 32:11; Jer. 23:9 Darkness (2822) choshek means darkness, an absence of light and figurative an absence of moral values. Choshek is first seen in Genesis 1:2 (cf Ge 1:4, 5, 18) describing "darkness… over the surface of the deep." The Lxx translates choshek with skotos which can describe physical darkness (eg, Jesus' crucifixion! = Mt 27:45, Mk 15:33, Lk 23:44) Deep (0922 08415)(tehom) means depth or deep place and so in Ge 1:2 is the deep, primeval ocean on earth as created by God (cf use referring to oceans in Ge 7:11, also in Ge 15:5) and is the opposite of the heavens (Ge 8:2). In Ps 71:20 it refers to the deepest parts of the earth in a figurative sense. Tehôm occurs in Ge 1:2 and Ps 104:6 in reference to the deep or primeval ocean. Elsewhere, tehôm is similarly connected with the created world as an element within it (Job 38:16; Pr. 8:27f). Tehôm refers to post-creation waters = Genesis 49:25 and Deut. 33:13 refer to subterranean springs as the deep from which God blesses the living. The prophetic occurrence of tehôm in Ezek. 26:19 refers to the ocean depths that overwhelm Tyre (cf. Ps. 42:7; Jonah. 2:5; Hab. 3:10). The great flood of Noah's time was accompanied by the release of waters from the great deep (Gen. 7:11; 8:2). The Psalms represent tehôm as a monsterous force conquered by God (Ps. 33:7). The psalmist spoke of tehôm as the depths from which God could rescue his downcast soul. Tehôm refers more specifically to the waters of oceans (Ps. 107:26). And the psalmist reflected on the depths of the Red Sea traversed safely by the Israelites (Ps 106:9). Tehom - 35 verses - deep(22), deeps(8), depths(4), ocean depths(1), springs(1). Gen. 1:2; Gen. 7:11; Gen. 8:2; Gen. 49:25; Exod. 15:5; Exod. 15:8; Deut. 8:7; Deut. 33:13; Job 28:14; Job 38:16; Job 38:30; Job 41:32; Ps. 33:7; Ps. 36:6; Ps. 42:7; Ps. 71:20; Ps. 77:16; Ps. 78:15; Ps. 104:6; Ps. 106:9; Ps. 107:26; Ps. 135:6; Ps. 148:7; Prov. 3:20; Prov. 8:24; Prov. 8:27; Prov. 8:28; Isa. 51:10; Isa. 63:13; Ezek. 26:19; Ezek. 31:4; Ezek. 31:15; Amos 7:4; Jon. 2:5; Hab. 3:10 John MacArthur relates the truth of physical creation to spiritual redemption in 2 Corinthians 4:6+. -- Paul says "is the One who has shone in our hearts” is the same God of creation who turned on the light physically (Genesis 1:2+) and here turns on the light spiritually. Redemption is as much a divine operation as was creation and it’s as much a creative operation. Spiritual darkness covers the minds of men until God shines in their hearts. John
Gênesis 1
Morris diz: "O principal objetivo da teoria da lacuna tem sido tentar harmonizar a cronologia bíblica com o sistema aceito de idades geológicas que estava se tornando proeminente nos dias de Chalmers. Muitos fundamentalistas sentiram que poderiam ignorar todo o problemático sistema de idades geológicas evolutivas simplesmente classificando-as nesta “lacuna” e “deixando os geólogos terem todos os éons que quiserem”. Infelizmente, esta atitude permitiu que o establishment evolucionário assumisse o controlo dos sistemas escolares, dos meios de comunicação e da maioria das outras instituições importantes da nossa sociedade. Embora muito poucos desses “teóricos da lacuna” também acreditem na evolução, a tendência dos expositores da Bíblia de simplesmente ignorarem todo o problema, com base num falso sentimento de segurança decorrente da teoria da lacuna, teve este efeito. O sistema de idade geológica é essencialmente sinônimo de sistema evolutivo. Cada idade geológica é identificada e datada pelo mesmo registo fóssil que constitui a principal evidência da evolução orgânica. Historicamente, bem como logicamente, a aceitação do sistema de idade geológica é inevitavelmente seguida, mais cedo ou mais tarde, pela aceitação do sistema evolutivo.” Qualquer teoria de interpretação bíblica que acomode o sistema de idade geológica deve ser examinada de forma muito crítica nesse sentido, para verificar se é ou não baseada em exegese sólida. Não só a sua motivação é suspeita, mas também a sua premissa científica é falaciosa. A teoria do intervalo não acomoda as idades geológicas como pretende fazer, uma vez que o sistema de idades geológicas se baseia completamente no pressuposto do uniformitarismo (a crença de que os processos físicos sempre funcionaram no passado essencialmente como funcionam no presente), o que, claro, exclui qualquer cataclismo mundial, tal como é exigido pela teoria do intervalo. Como resultado, nenhum geólogo aceita a teoria do intervalo, ou qualquer outra teoria que exija um cataclismo global, se também aceitar as idades geológicas. A teoria da lacuna é, portanto, cientificamente autodestrutiva. Tenta acomodar as idades geológicas postulando um cataclismo mundial, mas um cataclismo mundial nega a premissa em que se baseia o sistema de idades geológicas e, na verdade, obliteraria todas as chamadas evidências das idades geológicas. A teoria da lacuna não é apenas impossível cientificamente, mas também teologicamente destrutiva. Ao aceitar o sistema de idades geológicas, o estudioso da Bíblia aceita assim o registo fóssil que identifica estas “eras”. Os fósseis, porém, são coisas mortas! Eles falam claramente de um mundo em que o sofrimento, a doença e a morte – muitas vezes violenta e generalizada – eram realidades universais. Eles falam de um mundo muito parecido com o nosso, um mundo contendo tubarões e águas-vivas, libélulas e baratas, tartarugas e crocodilos, morcegos e castores – bem como dinossauros e gliptodontes e outros animais agora extintos. Mas esse mundo – o “mundo de então” – pereceu (2 Pedro 3:6). Se esse mundo existia antes do suposto cataclismo pré-adâmico, então existia antes do pecado de Satanás que provocou o cataclismo. Isto é, o sofrimento e a morte existiram durante um bilhão de anos antes do pecado de Satanás e do subsequente pecado de Adão. A Bíblia diz, porém, que a morte veio ao mundo somente quando Adão trouxe o pecado ao mundo (Romanos 5:12, 1 Coríntios 15:21). Este fato contradiz diretamente a suposição da teoria da lacuna de que a morte prevaleceu durante séculos antes de Adão. Além disso, esta prevalência primordial do sofrimento e da morte, mesmo antes da rebelião de Satanás, deixa apenas o próprio Deus como responsável por tal estado. Mas a própria ideia de que o Deus da ordem e do amor criaria e usaria diretamente um sistema universal baseado na aleatoriedade e na crueldade parece quase uma blasfêmia. Estas, no entanto, são as implicações da teoria da lacuna. (Genesis Record - a cópia pode ser “conferida” gratuitamente) David Basset, do Creation Evidence Museum, resume bem - "A Teoria do Intervalo é uma tentativa desesperada de harmonizar o primeiro capítulo de Gênesis com a escala de tempo da geologia uniformitária e da biologia evolutiva, "classificando" as idades geológicas em um intervalo de tempo imaginário entre Gênesis 1:1 e 1:2. Este intervalo de tempo é imposto ao texto e ao contexto de Gênesis 1 por uma manipulação injustificada da gramática hebraica de seu segundo versículo, a fim de acomodar a interpretação evolutiva dos fósseis dentro do registro rochoso." Ele acrescenta: "Em suma, a Teoria do Intervalo é uma geologia ruim e uma teologia pior!" Gotquestions resume a Teoria da Lacuna (artigo completo abaixo) - No entanto, muitos daqueles que defendem a teoria da lacuna o fazem para reconciliar as teorias evolutivas da Terra Antiga com o livro de Gênesis. Mas parece ser uma reconciliação tensa. A leitura simples de Gênesis 1 não indica de forma alguma um intervalo de tempo entre os dois primeiros versículos. Gênesis 1:1 nos diz que Deus criou os céus e a terra. Gênesis 1:2 nos informa que, quando Ele criou a terra, ela era informe, vazia e escura; estava inacabado e desabitado. O restante de Gênesis 1 relata como Deus completou a terra informe, vazia e escura, enchendo-a de vida, beleza e bondade. PERGUNTA - O que significa que a terra era sem forma e vazia (Gênesis 1:2)? RESPOSTA - Gênesis 1:1 nos diz, sem surpresa, que no princípio Deus criou os céus e a terra. Não há nada de especialmente chocante nessa afirmação. Contudo, a afirmação que se segue levantou algumas sobrancelhas: a terra era sem forma e vazia (Gênesis 1:2). O hebraico tohu é normalmente traduzido como “sem forma” ou “sem forma”, e tohu é traduzido como “vazio” ou “vazio”. Gênesis 1:2 poderia ser traduzido como “aconteceu que a terra ficou sem forma e vazia”. Alguns sugeriram que talvez Deus tenha criado os céus e a terra, e então algo aconteceu que fez com que a terra passasse de totalmente criada e bela para “sem forma e vazia”. Tal ordem de eventos tenta explicar a percepção da velhice da Terra. Nesta visão, muitas vezes chamada de teoria da lacuna, houve um longo período de tempo (uma lacuna) entre o que aconteceu em Gênesis 1:1 e Gênesis 1:2. Thomas Chalmers (ED: CRIACIONISMO GAP), que é creditado por popularizar a teoria da lacuna, declarou sua opinião em 1814 que "ela [Gênesis 1:1] não faz parte do primeiro dia - mas refere-se a um período de antiguidade indefinida quando Deus criou os mundos do nada. Considero que o início do trabalho do primeiro dia é o mover do Espírito de Deus sobre a face das águas. Podemos permitir à geologia o tempo mais amplo... sem infringir nem mesmo sobre as literalidades do registro mosaico” (Russell R. Bixler, Earth, Fire, and Sea: The Untold Drama of Creation, Baldwin Press, 1986, p. 86–87). A teoria da lacuna interpreta as palavras que a terra era sem forma e vazia como um efeito colateral de algo que aconteceu entre os dois versículos. Embora a visão de Chalmers tenha sido impactante, teólogos posteriores, como C. I. Scofield, defenderam a visão e influenciaram muitos a favor da teoria da lacuna. O desafio para o intérprete bíblico é compreender se o autor do Gênesis pretendia ou não comunicar que algo poderia ter acontecido numa possível lacuna. A posição mais simples e historicamente sustentada antes de Chalmers e outros defensores da lacuna era que a representação da Terra como sem forma e vazia era simplesmente uma expressão de estágios de progresso durante o primeiro dia e não uma declaração de condições anteriores à semana da criação. Nessa compreensão sem lacunas, não há nenhuma tentativa de explicar o aparecimento da idade e nenhuma consideração especial por quaisquer implicações teológicas. Os defensores da interpretação da não-lacuna poderiam simplesmente afirmar que tudo o que foi criado tinha a aparência de idade. Por exemplo, Adão foi criado como homem, capaz de falar e de pensamento crítico. Ele obviamente não foi criado quando criança, daí a aparência de idade. O mesmo poderia ser dito de árvores, montanhas, etc. Os proponentes da compreensão sem lacuna geralmente não sentem uma necessidade teológica ou razão exegética para inserir um intervalo de tempo entre os dois versículos e concluem que fazê-lo seria um argumento baseado no silêncio e não baseado em princípios interpretativos sólidos. | GotQuestions.org (ED: O ESCRITOR DESTAS NOTAS SOBRE O GÊNESIS É UM PROPONENTE FIRME DO NÃO-GAP). PERGUNTA - O que é a Teoria do Gap? Aconteceu alguma coisa entre Gênesis 1:1 e 1:2? RESPOSTA - Gênesis 1:1-2 afirma: "No princípio Deus criou os céus e a terra. Agora a terra era informe e vazia, as trevas cobriam a superfície do abismo, e o Espírito de Deus pairava sobre as águas." A teoria da lacuna é a visão de que Deus criou uma Terra totalmente funcional com todos os animais, incluindo os dinossauros e outras criaturas que conhecemos apenas a partir do registo fóssil. Então, diz a teoria, algo aconteceu para destruir completamente a Terra – muito provavelmente a queda de Satanás na Terra – de modo que o planeta ficou sem forma e vazio. Neste ponto, Deus começou tudo de novo, recriando a Terra em sua forma paradísica, conforme descrito em Gênesis. A teoria da lacuna, que é distinta da evolução teísta e da teoria do dia-era, também é chamada de criacionismo da Terra Velha, criacionismo da lacuna e teoria da reconstrução da ruína. No criacionismo da Terra jovem, Gênesis 1:1 é visto como um resumo do capítulo 1 completo na forma de narrativa hebraica. Deus criou os céus e a terra. Em seguida, o versículo 2 inicia uma análise detalhada do processo passo a passo que o versículo 1 resume. No entanto, a afirmação de que “a terra era informe e vazia, [e] as trevas cobriam a superfície do abismo” (Gênesis 1:2) pode ser intrigante. A ideia de que Deus criou uma Terra inútil e sem forma é uma posição desconfortável para alguns teólogos conservadores, e isto leva-os à teoria da lacuna, ou a uma perspectiva da Terra Antiga. De acordo com os proponentes conservadores da teoria da lacuna, Gênesis 1:1 descreve a criação original de Deus – perfeita em todos os sentidos. Então, entre os versículos 1 e 2, Satanás se rebelou no céu e foi expulso. O pecado de Satanás “arruinou” a criação original; isto é, a sua rebelião provocou a sua destruição e eventual morte, e a terra foi reduzida ao seu estado “sem forma e vazia”, pronta para a “reconstrução”. O período de tempo envolvido – a dimensão da “lacuna” – não é especificado, mas poderia ter durado milhões de anos. É claro que Satanás deve ter caído antes de Adão; caso contrário, não haveria tentação no jardim. Os criacionistas da Terra jovem dizem que Satanás caiu algum tempo depois de Gênesis 1:31. Os criacionistas do intervalo dizem que Satanás caiu entre Gênesis 1:1 e 2. Uma dificuldade da teoria da lacuna é que ela exige que a criação sofra morte e destruição antes da queda de Adão. Romanos 5:12 diz: “O pecado entrou no mundo por um homem, e pelo pecado a morte, e assim a morte veio a todos os homens, porque todos pecaram”. A teoria da lacuna contra-ataca postulando dois mundos. O pecado de Satanás trouxe a morte à criação original, seja lá o que for; e o pecado de Adão trouxe a morte à recriação, o reino da humanidade. Através do pecado de Adão, o mal entrou no nosso mundo e o reino do homem foi amaldiçoado. Mas a rebelião já existia fora do reino da humanidade (no reino espiritual), uma vez que Satanás e os seus anjos já tinham caído (Isaías 14:12–14; Ezequiel 28:12–18). O pecado não poderia entrar no reino do homem até que o homem o escolhesse. E Satanás, através da serpente, tentou com sucesso o homem a fazer essa escolha. As objeções à teoria da lacuna incluem a ideia de que, se algo importante tivesse ocorrido entre Gênesis 1:1 e 2, Deus teria nos dito isso, em vez de nos deixar especular na ignorância. Além disso, Gênesis 1:31 diz que Deus declarou que Sua criação era “muito boa” – uma afirmação difícil de conciliar com a teoria de que o mal já existia por causa da queda de Satanás na “brecha”. É possível manter uma semana de criação literal de seis dias e ainda manter a teoria da lacuna – a teoria da lacuna não exige que a evolução seja verdadeira, uma vez que a lacuna ocorre antes dos eventos do Primeiro Dia em Gênesis 1:3. E é por isso que alguns estudiosos conservadores acreditam na teoria da lacuna, embora a sua aceitação tenha diminuído desde os dias dos proponentes C. I. Scofield e J. Vernon McGee. No entanto, muitos daqueles que defendem a teoria da lacuna o fazem para reconciliar as teorias evolucionárias da Terra Antiga com o livro de Gênesis. Mas parece ser uma reconciliação tensa. A leitura simples de Gênesis 1 não indica de forma alguma um intervalo de tempo entre os dois primeiros versículos. Gênesis 1:1 nos diz que Deus criou os céus e a terra. Gênesis 1:2 nos informa que, quando Ele criou a terra, ela era informe, vazia e escura; estava inacabado e desabitado. O restante de Gênesis 1 relata como Deus completou a terra sem forma, vazia e escura, enchendo-a de vida, beleza e bondade.GotQuestions.org Algumas citações de Evolucionistas e Criacionistas O diagrama acima ilustra a "Variedade Inesperada - Nas camadas fósseis inferiores, conhecidas como Cambriano, há uma incrível variedade de criaturas marinhas sem nenhum ancestral abaixo delas. Este súbito aparecimento de variedade é um mistério para a evolução, que esperaria que as espécies surgissem em pequenos passos durante longos períodos de tempo." (De Respostas em Gênesis) O criacionista Kurt Wise sobre a explosão cambriana - Há 150 anos, os geólogos viram que os fósseis mais antigos do mundo estavam sobre milhares de metros de rocha que não continham nenhum fóssil. As rochas mais baixas contendo fósseis estavam naquela época começando a ser chamadas de rochas “cambrianas”, e as rochas abaixo delas de “pré-cambrianas”. As rochas cambrianas continham fósseis abundantes, pelo que a passagem do Pré-cambriano para o Cambriano parecia uma “explosão” de fósseis – algo que veio a ser conhecido como “Explosão Cambriana”. Quando Charles Darwin publicou A Origem das Espécies em 1859, ele considerou a Explosão Cambriana um dos desafios mais significativos para toda a sua posição. Dr. Estêvão
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Morris - Note also, that the special creation of the universe is the very first object of this living, saving faith. Faith in redemption without faith in creation is impossible in any meaningful sense. Only the Creator can save. things The physical universe, therefore, was not somehow made out of pre-existing materials of any kind. Thus, theistic evolution is an oxymoron. Only special creation of the worlds, accomplished merely by the Omnipotent "Let there be" of God, can account for the things that are seen. His processes of creating and making all things ex nihilo--"out of nothing" but His own omnipotence--were all completed and stopped at the end of the six days of creation week (Genesis 2:1-3). His present works consist of conserving and redeeming what He has created, as confirmed by the two most basic and universal of all known scientific principles, the so-called First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics. The First Law (mass/energy conservation) assures us that the universe did not create itself, as many modern physicists and New Agers imagine. The Second Law (mass/energy deterioration) assures us that the universe must have been created in the beginning and is not of infinite age, otherwise it already would have completely deteriorated into uniform stillness and death. Therefore, it could only have been spoken into being by the omnipotent Word of God. Those who believe otherwise are "without excuse" (Romans 1:20). (Genesis Record - copy can be "checked out" free of charge) John 1:3 (SEE COMMENT) All (HOW MUCH?) things came into being (aorist tense = past COMPLETED action) through Him (JESUS CHRIST), and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. Colossians 1:16+ For by Him (THE WORD OF GOD, THE DIVINE WORD, JESUS) all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him. Psalm 33:6-9 (GOD SPOKE CREATION INTO EXISTENCE) By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. 9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. COMMENT - Beloved, do you see any hint of evolution in the preceding passage? Look at the repeated words - word...breath...spoke. How did God create? By evolution or simply by speaking? Let the Word of Truth speak for itself. Psalm 148:4-5 (GOD SPOKE CREATION INTO EXISTENCE) Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. COMMENT - Again do you see the clear pattern? Commanded and...created. God SPOKE Evolution is not even remotely suggested in this passage! Commanded picks up on the repeated phrase: "Then God said" in Genesis 1 (Ge 1:3, 6 , 8, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29). Note that in the Septuagint the Greek verbs for commanded (entellomai) and created (ktizo) are both in the aorist tense indicating a definite event occurring at a point of time in the past! This negates beliefs such as progressive creationism and theistic evolution. God spoke the Word and the act of creation took place with no suggestion of a delay and certainly no suggestion of evolution! The truth of verse 5 is affirmed by the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 11:3+. It is not simply that Elohim created; it is the fact that He required no intermediary means to create. What God’s mind conceived, God simply spoke into existence. God’s power in the Genesis 1 record of creation is total and absolute. When we accept Elohim as the all powerful Creator of everything (needing no help from anyone including evolution, etc), it will stir in a spirit of praise in our hearts and put a joyful song on our lips (and a tap in our feet!) Play this Maranatha Singers song based on Psalm 148 and worship (and see if you can keep from tapping your foot!) Henry Morris has an interesting comment - God did not create light, for He is light. It was the primeval darkness which He created in order to have a division between day and night. (Genesis Record - copy can be "checked out" free of charge) Isaiah 45:7-8 The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these. 8 “Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the LORD, have created it. 2 Corinthians 4:6 (see in depth commentary) For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. COMMENT - John 1:4+ "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men." John
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Morris - Though no doubt oversimplified, this tremendous creative act of the Godhead might be summarized by saying that the nuclear forces maintaining the integrity of matter were activated by the Father when He created the elements of the space-mass-time continuum, the gravitational forces were activated by the Spirit when He brought form and motion to the initially static and formless matter, and the electromagnetic forces were activated by the Word when He called light into existence out of the darkness. Of course, God is One, and all three persons of the Godhead actually participated in all parts of the creation and continue to function in the maintenance of the universe so created. Then - Then marks progression or sequence. The Creation was carried out by God in a specific sequence or order over 6 days. This fact should encourage every believer for our God is a God of order and not a God of confusion. Then uses in Genesis 1 = 9x in 9v - Gen 1:3 Gen 1:6 Gen 1:9 Gen 1:11 Gen 1:14 Gen 1:20 Gen 1:24 Gen 1:26 Gen 1:29 The psalmist picks up the repeated phrase "God said" in his glorious song of praise in Psalm 148:1-5 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! 4 Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created. THOUGHT - The truth is not simply that Elohim created; it is the fact that He required no intermediary means to create. What God’s mind conceived, God simply commanded into existence. God’s power in the Genesis 1 is utter and absolute. When we accept Elohim as the all powerful Creator of everything (needing no help from anyone including evolution!), it will stir in our hearts a spirit of praise and put a joyful song in our mouth (and a tap in our feet!). If you don't believe me play this Maranatha Singers song based on Psalm 148 and worship (and see if you can keep from tapping your foot!) God said - This is the first record of God speaking in Scripture. In this context this phrase clearly describes the power of divine communication. Here we see the supernatural power of the Word spoken by God. What is to be our response? We did not see this event. We can only respond by faith, by believing God's testimony of what transpired in the beginning. We can either believe it or reject it. We can also "tamper" with it trying to make it say something it does not -- e.g., saying it refers in some way to evolution (which it does not!). Hebrews 11:3 (see note above on this verse) puts it this way "By faith we understand (noeo) that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." George Bush has an interesting comment on God said - It is not to be supposed that there was any vocal utterance. Indeed, throughout the narrative the phrase, 'He said,' is' simply equivalent to 'He willed." God's speaking is his willing, and His willing is His doing.' Bp. HalL As McCue says “The conception of God pre-existent to matter and by His fiat calling it into being is beyond the domain of reason or demonstration. It is simply accepted by an act of faith.” A common saying is "Seeing is believing" but in the case of Creation by fiat (decree) the reverse is true "Believing is seeing" the "seeing" of course being seeing with eyes of faith (cf 2Cor 5:7+, 2Cor 4:18+, Heb 11:27+) Derek Kidner has an interesting comment on And God said - The simple phrase And God said precludes some far-reaching errors and stores up a wealth of meaning. These eight specific commands (ED: ACTUALLY 9X - Gen. 1:3; Gen. 1:6; Gen. 1:9; Gen. 1:11; Gen. 1:14; Gen. 1:20; Gen. 1:24; Gen. 1:26; Gen. 1:28; Gen. 1:29), calling all things into being, leave no room for notions of a universe that is self-existent, or struggled for, or random, or a divine emanation; and the absence of any intermediary implies an extremely rich content for the word ‘said’. This may not be at once apparent, for we ourselves know what it is to order things to happen. But our commands, even at their most precise, are mere outlines: they rely on existing materials and agencies to embody them, and the craftsman himself works with what he finds, to produce what he only knows in part. The Creator, on the other hand, in willing an end willed every smallest means to it, his thought shaping itself exactly to the least cell and atom, and his creative word wholly meaningful. (Genesis Tyndale Old Testament Commentary - 2008) As
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Morris says "The Father is the Source of all things (verse 1), the Spirit is the Energizer of all things (verse 2), the Word is the Revealer of all things (verse 3)." (Genesis Record - copy can be "checked out" free of charge) NET NOTE - “Let there be” is the short jussive form (command) of the verb “to be”; the following expression “and there was” is the short preterite form (events that took place or were completed in the past;) of the same verb. As such, יְהִי (yéhi) and וַיְהִי (vayéhi) form a profound wordplay to express both the calling into existence and the complete fulfillment of the divine word. (NOTICE HOW EVEN A SIMPLE OBSERVATION SUCH AS THIS OF THE HEBREW WORD FORMS STRONGLY REFUTES ONGOING, CONTINUING PROCESSES, I.E., EVOLUTION). Jewish writer Cassuto adds that "In the present verse, this formal repetition assumes its tersest form (fiat: ‘Let there be light’; execution: and there was light) to show the precision and celerity with which the injunction was carried out: as He commanded, and as soon as He commanded." (A Commentary on the Book of Genesis) (ED: AGAIN ARGUING AGAINST THE FOOLISH IDEA OF AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS!) HCSB Note - A foundational teaching of the Bible is that God speaks and does so with universe-changing authority. The command in this verse is just two words in Hebrew. Let precedes God's fiat 15x in 10v (including each of the 6 days of creation) - Gen 1:3 Gen 1:6 Gen 1:9 Gen 1:11 Gen 1:14 Gen 1:15 Gen 1:20 Gen 1:22 Gen 1:24 Gen 1:26. All of these verbs are in the jussive mood signifying they are commands. Douglas Kelly says, “The speaking into existence of the created light is the first of a series of three separations accomplished by the creator which were essential to making the chaos into a cosmos. On day one light separates day and night. On day two the firmament separates the upper waters from the earth constituting an atmosphere or breathing space. On day three the waters below the heavens are collected into seas and thus separated from the dry land. These three separations show the mighty hand of God shaping and organizing the dark watery mass in the direction of a beautiful garden, a fit and lovely dwelling place for plants, animals and mankind.” NIV Study Note - In the OT it (LIGHT) is also symbolic of life and blessing (2 Sa 22:29; Job 3:20; 30:26; 33:30; Ps 49:19; 56:13; 97:11; 112:4; Isa 53:11; 58:8, 10; 59:9; 60:1, 3). Paul uses this word to illustrate God’s re-creating work in sin-darkened hearts (2 Co 4:6). And there was light (or) - God commanded! Light came! Case closed! Paul affirms this account writing “God Who said "Light shall shine out of darkness." (2Cor 4:6+). This is the first visible (i.e., visible to a human eye if one had been there) thing God created. God's creation of light was not so that He might see things which are visible, because "Even the darkness is not dark to (God), and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to (God)." (Ps 139:12). Thus light and dark are the same to the Omniscient, All Seeing God (Pr 15:3, cf 2 Chr 16:9). Note that light in this passage is to be distinguished from God's creation of the two great lights in Genesis 1:16+. If you are influenced by the widespread teaching of evolution, pray tell, how do you explain light evolving? You cannot because it did not. God created it! Light (or) appears in Gen. 1:3; Gen. 1:4; Gen. 1:5; Gen. 1:15; Gen. 1:16; Gen. 1:17; Gen. 1:18 It would seem to be a fair conclusion that God created light so that His creation could be seen and would give Him the glory He alone deserves. Psalm 19:1 says The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. (ALL CREATION IS GOD'S HANDIWORK!) (See Spurgeon's lengthy comment) God called forth light so that mankind could see His Creation and thereby perceive there was a Creator, Paul explaining "For since the creation (ktisis) of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen (BECAUSE HE MADE LIGHT TO ENABLE ALL MANKIND TO SEE HIS CREATION), being understood through what has been made (CREATION), so that they are without excuse." (Ro 1:20+). Do not miss this critically important principle - Creation is clear evidence of the Creator. One can obfuscate it (as does the lie of evolution, including "theistic evolution"), disbelieve it or deny it, but the one who does so, inevitably begins an downward spiral in their moral/ethical character, the pathogenesis (and consequences) of which Paul describes in Romans 1:20-28+. The only hope for such a person is to be rescued from destruction by the Gospel! NET NOTE on LIGHT - The Hebrew word simply means “light,” but it is used often in scripture to convey the ideas of salvation, joy, knowledge, righteousness, and life. In this context one cannot ignore those connotations, for it is the antithesis of the darkness. The first thing God does is correct the darkness; without the light there is only chaos. That light was the called forth in the first book on the first day is fascinating because in the last book, Revelation, we read that the Lord God is forever the "Light" and that all traces of darkness are obliterate... And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5+) Isaiah makes a similar prophetic declaration “Your sun will no longer set, Nor will your moon wane; For you will have the LORD for an everlasting light, And the days of your mourning will be over. (Isaiah 60:20) Related Resource Torrey's Topic - Light Baker's Evangelical Dictionary Light Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Light Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Light and Darkness Light Watson's Theological Dictionary Light International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Light Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Light WHEN WERE THE ANGELS CREATED? Henry Morris on creation of the angels - Although not mentioned in Genesis 1, it is probable that another act of creation took place on this first day. Sometime prior to the third day of creation, a multitude of angels had been created, since they were present when the “foundations of the earth” were laid—probably a reference to the establishment of solid land surfaces on the earth (Job 38:4–7). It is impossible that they could have existed before the creation of the physical universe itself, since their sphere of operation is in this universe and their very purpose is to minister to the “heirs of salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). Angels are called the “host of heaven,” and so could not have been created before the existence of heaven. Psalm 104:2–5 says that angels were made as spirits after the materialization of God’s light-arrayed presence in the stretched-out heavens, but prior to the laying of the solid foundations of the land. Therefore, although angels are not mentioned as such at this point in Genesis, their spiritual presence as fascinated observers at the remaining acts of creation and formation may certainly be inferred. John
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Morris - Such a cyclical light-dark arrangement clearly means that the earth was now rotating on its axis and that there was a source of light on one side of the earth corresponding to the sun, even though the sun was not yet made (Genesis 1:16). It is equally clear that the length of such days could only have been that of a normal solar day. (Genesis Record - copy can be "checked out" free of charge) Day (03117)(yom) depending on the context yom can refer to day, time, year. It is basic concept of time in the OT. A point in time and a sphere of time are both expressed by yom. It is the period of light which is not darkness. It can be a period of 24 hours, time in general, a specific point in time, or a year. When used in construction with other Hebrew parts of speech, it can mean “when,” “on some particular day,” “in the time of,” ‘as long as,” or ‘continually.” Morris - It should be noted that in the Hebrew Old Testament yom without exception never means “period.” It normally means either a day (in the twenty-four-hour sense), or else the daylight portion of the twenty-four hours (“day” as distinct from “night”). It may occasionally be used in the sense of indefinite time (e.g., “in the time of the judges”), but never as a definite period of time with a specific beginning and ending. Furthermore, it is not used even in this indefinite sense except when the context clearly indicates that the literal meaning is not intended. In the first chapter of Genesis, the termination of each day’s work is noted by the formula: “And the evening and the morning were the first [or ‘second,’ etc.] day.” Thus each “day” had distinct boundaries and was one in a series of days, both of which criteria are never present in the Old Testament writings unless literal days are intended. The writer of Genesis was trying to guard in every way possible against any of his readers deriving the notion of nonliteral days from his record. In fact, it was necessary for him to be completely explicit on this point, since all the pagan nations of antiquity believed in some form of evolutionary cosmogony which entailed vast aeons of time before man and other living creatures developed from the primeval chaos. The writer not only defined the term “day,” but emphasized that it was terminated by a literal evening and morning and that it was like every other day in the normal sequence of days. In no way can the term be legitimately applied here to anything corresponding to a geological period or any other such concept. (Genesis Record - copy can be "checked out" free of charge) Day as opposed to night, as defined by morning and evening as in Genesis 1. Yom can refer to (1) period of "daylight" as contrasted with nighttime:Ge 8:22, the light portion of a 24 hour period (Ge1:5,14), (2) an extended period of time (Ge 2:4), (3) period of 24 hours (Ge 39:10) In the plural, yôm is used of periods of time - "in those days" (Ge. 6:4) Ge 29:21 "“Give me my wife, for my time (yom - days) is completed." Yom can refer to seasons as in Nu 13:20. In the phrase "time year (yom) to year (yom) (Ex 13:10). Reference to life span ("days of your life" = Ge 3:14, "how many years [yom] have you lived?" = Ge 47:8) The time period when someone was living (Ge 26:15 - literally "from the end fo days") In the plural referring to an indefinite time (Ge 4:3). Some 170+ times yom is used with Hebrew "kol" (all, whole) and rendered "all the days" or "always." (Ex 28:38, Dt 5:29, etc). Yom is used as in prophetic phrases such as last days, days to come, latter days (Ge 49:1 Nu 24:14 Dt 4:30 Dt 31:29 Isa 2:2 Jer 23:20 Jer 30:24 Jer 48:47 Jer 49:39 Ezek 38:16 Da 2:28 Da 10:14 Hos 3:5 Mic 4:1) Gilbrant - The singular of yôm, "day," is used of "when" an event occurred or will occur, e.g., "in the day that you eat it," (Gen. 2:17). "At that time" in Judg. 20:15 ("at once" in NIV) is literally "in that day." The phrase "to this day" (Gen. 19:37) means "until now" or "up to this time." "The day of trouble" (2 Ki. 19:3) or "the day of small things" (Zech. 4:10) refers to the period of time when the events are occurring. Psalm 37:13 has another use, saying that the wicked's "day is coming." There is a time coming when the wicked will receive their just punishment. It could be viewed as an appointment with God the judge. An unspecified day of an event translated in NIV as "one day" is literally "the day happened that" (2 Ki. 4:8). Finally, Gen. 2:4 refers to "the day that" God made the earth and the heavens, which must refer to the six creation days of ch. 1. Thus, "day" here is a period of time. So also must be the various references to "the day of the Lord" which predict the end-time events of judgment on God's enemies, and salvation for his faithful people (Joel 2:31; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:7). In this light, Ps. 118:24, "This is the day that the Lord has made," can be understood to refer to any time when God's people are experiencing his amazing salvation through repentance and a faith response to his grace. (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Vine - Usage Notes: "daylight; day; time; moment; year." This word also appears in Ugaritic, extrabiblical Hebrew or Canaanite (e.g., the Siloam inscription), Akkadian, Phoenician, and Arabic. It also appears in post-biblical Hebrew. Attested at every era of biblical Hebrew, yôm occurs about 2,304 times. Yôm has several meanings. The word represents the period of "daylight" as contrasted with nighttime: "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Gen. 8:22). The word denotes a period of twenty-four hours: "And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day …" (Gen. 39:10). Yôm can also signify a period of time of unspecified duration: "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made" (Gen. 2:3). In this verse, "day" refers to the entire period of God's resting from creating this universe. This "day" began after He completed the creative acts of the seventh day and extends at least to the return of Christ. Compare Gen. 2:4: "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [beyôm] that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens…" Here "day" refers to the entire period envisioned in the first six days of creation. Another nuance appears in Gen. 2:17, where the word represents a "point of time" or "a moment": "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day [beyôm] that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Finally, when used in the plural, the word may represent "year": "Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year [yāmîm]" (Exod. 13:10). There are several other special nuances of yôm when it is used with various prepositions. First, when used with ke ("as," "like"), it can connote "first": "And Jacob said, Sell me this day [first] thy birthright" (Gen. 25:31). It may also mean "one day," or "about this day": "And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business…" (Gen. 39:11). On Joseph's lips, the phrase connotes "this present result" (literally, "as it is this day"): "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive" (Gen. 50:20). Adonijah used this same phrase to represent "today": "Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant…" (1 Kings 1:51). Yet another nuance appears in 1 Sam. 9:13: "Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him." When used with the definite article ha, the noun may mean "today" (as it does in Gen. 4:14) or refer to some particular "day" (1 Sam. 1:4) and the "daytime" (Neh. 4:16). The first biblical occurrence of yôm is found in Gen. 1:5: "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." The second use introduces one of the most debated occurrences of the world, which is the duration of the days of creation. Perhaps the most frequently heard explanations are that these "days" are 24 hours long, indefinitely long (i.e., eras of time), or logical rather than temporal categories (i.e., they depict theological categories rather than periods of time). The "day of the Lord" is used to denote both the end of the age (eschatologically) or some occurrence during the present age (non-eschatologically). It may be a day of either judgment or blessing, or both (cf. Isa. 2). It is noteworthy that Hebrew people did not divide the period of daylight into regular hourly periods, whereas nighttime was divided into three watches (Exod. 14:24; Judg. 7:19). The beginning of a "day" is sometimes said to be dusk (Esther 4:16) and sometimes dawn (Deut. 28:66-67). (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Over 2000 uses of yom in the OT - Click here to see the uses of yom in each OT book. Night (03915)(laylah) is almost always used for the literal "night," the daily period of darkness. Vine - Usage Notes: "night." Cognates of this noun appear in Ugaritic, Moabite, Akkadian, Aramaic, Syrian, Arabic, and Ethiopic. The word appears about 227 times in biblical Hebrew and in all periods. Laylâ means "night," the period of time during which it is dark: "And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night" (Gen. 1:5, the first biblical appearance). In Exod. 13:21 and similar passages the word means "by night," or "during the night": "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud… and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night." This word is used figuratively of protection: "Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; [betray] not him that wandereth" (Isa. 16:3). Laylâ also figures deep calamity without the comforting presence and guidance of God, and/or other kinds of distress: "Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night…?" (Job 35:10). During Old Testament times the "night" was divided into three watches: (1) from sunset to 10 P.M. (Lam. 2:19), (2) from 10 P.M. to 2 A.M. (Judg. 7:19), and (3) from 2 A.M. to sunrise (Exod. 14:24). (Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Gilbrant - The OT presents the night as a phenomenon created by God (Gen. 1:5). This divinely ordained rhythm of light and darkness is a feature of the creation which He termed "good." In contrast, many ancient cultures saw the night as a time of evil and terror. The Egyptian Hymn to Aton says that the night was feared because the sun god Aton had gone home to the underworld at that time. But Ps. 74:16 declares that the night belongs to God. The unending alternation between day and night is used as a simile to God's covenant with Noah (Gen. 8:22), and it is used in Jer. 33:20-26 to illustrate the unchangeable nature of God's covenant with Israel. God cares for his people even at night (cf. Ps. 121:6), so that it need not be a time of fear for them (Ps. 91:5). To God, the night is as bright as the day (Ps. 139:11f); there is no hiding from his scrutiny, and no corner unreached by his care. A celebrated night in OT history was the night God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt (Exo. 11:4; 12:12, 29) by parting the Red Sea. Throughout subsequent history, the Jews have commemorated this miracle at the Passover festival. Although the daytime hours were the primary time for work and worship, the OT does describe activities taking place at night. It could be a time for sacred festivals (Isa. 30:29), and priests and Levites still served at the Temple during evening hours (Ps. 134:1). It was, however, more often a time for thought, prayer and worship, a time for contemplation. The psalmist speaks of singing in the night (Ps. 42:8; 77:6); even Job affirms the fact that God gives songs in the night (Job 35:10). Night is a time to remember God's name with gratitude (Ps. 119:55) and declare faithfulness (Ps. 92:2). In times of trouble, the soul trembles through the seemingly endless nights (Job 7:3f), the bed becomes wet with tears (Ps. 6:6) and the hands are stretched out to God in a cry for help (Ps. 22:2; 77:2; 88:1). Isaiah 26:9 speaks of the soul which longs for God. The evening hours are also a time for meditation (Ps. 1:2), a time when God visits his child (Ps. 17:3) and gives divine counsel (Ps. 16:7). Several passages speak of the night as a time of attack or destruction. Isaiah 15:1 predicts the destruction of two cities of Moab in a single night. Jeremiah 6:5 describes an attack on Jerusalem that begins at noon, and is renewed at night. Night is the time when robbers strike (Obad. 5). Job spoke of the tempest that wipes out the wicked during the night (Job 27:20), and the overthrow and sudden death of the wicked in the middle of the night (Job 34:20, 25). In Job 36:20, he warns the evildoers not to look forward to the night; that is when people vanish! Each of these passages stresses the abruptness of disaster; a person seems prosperous one day and is gone by the next morning. The judgment seems more mysterious and frightening because it takes place under cover of darkness. The night was also a time for dreams (Gen. 20:3; 31:24; 1 Kings 3:5) and visions (Gen. 46:2; Job 4:3, 13; 20:8; 33:15; Isa. 29:7). The word is used in a wide variety of adverbial phrases. The most frequent is "by night," (e.g., Num. 22:20; Josh. 8:3; Deut. 16:1; Num. 9:16, 21). In many of these uses, it is combined with yôm (HED #3219) in the phrase "day and night," as a way to show that something happens continually. Other combinations include "night and day" (1 Kings 8:29; Isa. 27:3; Est. 4:16); "from day to night," i.e., in the space of a single day (Isa. 38:13); "until night," i.e., until the end of the day at sundown (2 Chr. 35:14); "overnight" (Jon. 4:10); "at midnight" (Exo. 12:29); "on this night," the night of which one is speaking (Exo. 12:8, 12); "on that night" (Gen. 19:33, 35; 30:16); "tonight" (Gen. 19:5, 34; 30:15; Num. 22:8, 19; Josh. 2:2; 4:3); "last night," the night just past (1 Sam. 15:16; Zech. 1:8); "all night" (Exo. 14:20f; Num. 11:32; Josh. 10:9; Judg. 16:2; 19:25; Hos. 7:6); "every night" (Ps. 6:6). Sometimes the night was divided into three watches: (1) from sunset to ca. 10:00 p.m. (Lam. 2:19); (2) from ca. 10:00 p.m. to ca. 2:00 a.m. (Judg. 7:19) and (3) from ca. 2:00 a.m. to sunrise (Exo. 14:24; see also Ps. 90:4). When "night" is listed with numbers, it shows duration of an action. The OT mentions forty days and nights in Gen. 7:4, 12; Exo. 24:18; 34:28; Deut. 9:9, 11, 18, 25; 10:10. Job 2:13 speaks of seven days and nights. And there are two appearances of "three days and nights." Jonah 2:1 gives the duration of the prophet's stay in the great fish, and 1 Sam. 30:12 mentions that David found an Egyptian servant abandoned by the raiders who sacked Ziklag, and that the servant had been without food for three days and nights. First Samuel 30:13 shows that the man was found during the third day, so the phrase is not limited to a time period of precisely seventy-two hours. It was evidently a phrase referring to any portion of three days and nights. This may have implications for discussions of the three days and three nights when Jesus was in the tomb. (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) QUESTION - What did God create on the first day of creation? ANSWER - God created the heavens and earth, the waters, and light on the first day of creation (Genesis 1:1–5). In our opinion, the first day covered a literal 24-hour period in which God created ex nihilo, or “from nothing” (see Hebrews 11:3). The Hebrew word for “created” is bara, which is only ever used in Scripture with God as the subject. Forming the universe and earth was an act of the Lord. Heavens and the Earth: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). As part of day one, God created the “heavens,” implying the entire universe, and the earth (cf. Psalm 102:25). When first created, the earth “was formless and empty” and covered in water (Genesis 1:2). In the following days, God would build upon this foundation with an atmosphere, dry ground, vegetation, and animal life (Genesis 1:6–12). Water: “Darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2ESV). This verse indicates that on the first day God created water when He created the formless earth. Here, the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, partakes in creation. Life-giving water was created by the Lord to give viability to Earth, the only planet known to hold water. Light: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3NLT). In contrast to the created darkness/nothingness mentioned in verse 2, the Lord speaks light into existence. He then divided the light from the darkness, ending the first day of creation (Genesis 1:4–5). All subsequent days of creation are described the same way: “And there was evening, and there was morning” (verse 5). Students of the Bible have questioned what light was created in Genesis 1:3, since the sun was not made until the fourth day of creation (verses 14–19). Of course, an infinite, all-powerful God does not need the sun to create light. Some commentators have asserted that the light created on day one was another form of natural illumination. Scripture doesn’t specifically state what this light was, but science has demonstrated that other forms of light do exist in the universe, outside of the sun and stars (“The Photon Underproduction Crisis,” J. Kollmeier, et al., The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 789, No. 2, pub. 6/25/2014). Regardless of the nature of the light that God created on the first day, verse 4 states, “The light was good,” and it illuminated God’s creation during the first three days of the creation week. The first day of creation reminds believers that all things find their source in the Lord, who has been in existence forever (Psalm 90:2). Each Person of the Trinity took part in creation (Nehemiah 9:6; Job 38:4; Psalm 89:11; John 1:3; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 1:10). Christians should be moved to worship the Lord for His wondrous work of creating the heavens, the earth, water, and light in one day. (GotQuestions.org ) QUESTION - Why is a day measured from evening to morning in Genesis 1? ANSWER - The most natural explanation for a day being measured from evening to morning in Genesis 1 is that the beginning of time was marked by darkness. Genesis 1:2 notes, “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Then, in Genesis 1:3-5, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Light came after darkness, indicating the markers of a full day. In the Jewish tradition, days follow this pattern of night first, then day. Still today, practicing Jews observe the Sabbath beginning on sunset of Friday until sunset on Saturday. Eventually, there was a change to today’s practice where a day starts at midnight. The modern calendar is based on the Gregorian calendar, a revision of the Julian calendar implemented in 45 B.C. by Julius Caesar. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the Julian calendar became the standard adopted by other nations. The revision into the Gregorian calendar came in 1582. Genesis 1 reveals that the days of the week were originally measured “evening” then “morning.” Each description of the seven days of creation uses this format, clearly indicating a day that began at sunset. The Jews in the time of Jesus continued to recognize this pattern. One example in the Gospels involves the burial of Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea placed Jesus in a nearby tomb just before sunset (John 19:42). Luke 23:54 reads, “It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin” (NASB). The fact that the Sabbath began at sundown also explains why the two thieves’ deaths were hastened (John 19:31). Genesis 1 marks days from evening to morning as a natural extension of God turning darkness into light. This tradition continued through the New Testament period and is practiced today by many observant Jews. Christians are not bound to divide days the same way, but an understanding of the Jewish way of reckoning time is basic to understanding some of the cultural practices in the Bible.GotQuestions.org QUESTION - Does Genesis chapter 1 mean literal 24-hour days? ANSWER - In our opinion, examination of the Hebrew word for “day” and the context in which it appears in Genesis will lead to the conclusion that “day” means a literal, 24-hour period of time. The Hebrew word yom translated into the English “day” can mean more than one thing. It can refer to the 24-hour period of time that it takes for the earth to rotate on its axis (e.g., “there are 24 hours in a day”). It can refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk (e.g., “it gets pretty hot during the day but it cools down a bit at night”). And it can refer to an unspecified period of time (e.g., “back in my grandfather’s day . . .”). It is used to refer to a 24-hour period in Genesis 7:11. It is used to refer to the period of daylight between dawn and dusk in Genesis 1:16. And it is used to refer to an unspecified period of time in Genesis 2:4. So, what does yom mean in Genesis 1:5–2:2 when used in conjunction with ordinal numbers (i.e., the first day, the second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day, and the seventh day)? Are these 24-hour periods or something else? Could yom as it is used here mean an unspecified period of time? We can determine how yom should be interpreted in Genesis 1:5–2:2 by comparing that context to the word’s usage elsewhere in Scripture. The Hebrew word yom is used 2,301 times in the Old Testament. Outside of Genesis 1, yom plus a number (used 410 times) almost always indicates an ordinary day, i.e., a 24-hour period. There are a few instances where yom and a number do not imply a literal, 24-hour day. The words evening and morning together (38 times) most often indicate an ordinary day. The exact construction of evening, then morning, along with yom is only seen outside of Genesis 1 in one verse. This is Daniel 8:26, which clearly implies a long period of time. All in all, the context in which the word yom is used in Genesis 1:5–2:2, describing each day as “the evening and the morning,” seems to suggest that the author of Genesis meant 24-hour periods. This was the standard interpretation of the days of Genesis 1:5–2:2 for most of Christian history. At the same time, there were early church fathers, such as Augustine, who noted that the vague nature of the “days” of Genesis could well suggest a non-literal interpretation. Then, in the 1800s, a paradigm shift occurred within the scientific community. This was mostly driven by hostility to religion and an effort to re-interpret observations in ways contrary to the Bible. This caused a rift in the scientific community. One side claimed that only atheism, as well as specific ideas such as an old earth and naturalistic evolution, was compatible with science. The other side, in response, attempted to denounce atheism and any possible old-earth interpretations. The truth is that both young-earth and old-earth interpretations rely upon certain assumptions. Sincere believers debate the meaning of yom in the creation account because a case can be made on both sides. This does not diminish the importance of what Genesis teaches, regardless of whether or not a person accepts young-earth creationism. For instance, according to Exodus 20:9–11, God used the six creation days of Genesis as a model for man’s workweek: work six days, rest one. Apparently, He had us in mind even before He made us (on the sixth day) and wanted to provide an example for us to follow. Certainly God could have used six discrete 24-hour days. And He could have created everything using a process of long time periods. Our view, based on our interpretation of the Bible, is that six literal days is the most likely interpretation of the Genesis account.GotQuestions.org Related Resource: What happened on each of the days of Creation? | GotQuestions.org Genesis 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." KJV Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. ESV Genesis 1:6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." NET Genesis 1:6 God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water. LXE (Eng of BGT) Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water, and let it be a division between water and water, and it was so. BGT Genesis 1:6 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός γενηθήτω στερέωμα ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ ὕδατος καὶ ἔστω διαχωρίζον ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος καὶ ὕδατος καὶ ἐγένετο οὕτως NIV Genesis 1:6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." NLT Genesis 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth." YLT Genesis 1:6 And God saith, 'Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.' CSB Genesis 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water." NKJ Genesis 1:6 Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." NRS Genesis 1:6 And God said, "Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." Let there: Ge 1:14,20 7:11,12 Job 26:7,8,13 37:11,18 38:22-26 Ps 19:1 33:6,9 Ps 104:2 136:5,6 148:4 150:1 Ec 11:3 Jer 10:10,12,13 51:15 Zec 12:1 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries SEPARATION OF THE WATERS Then God said (see note on this phrase 10x/10v) - God gives two commands in this passage. At this time the earth was still dominated by H20 (water), even though other matter was present. God's word/will brought about a separation, in effect "lifting" up some of the waters above the earth with a space in between the upper and lower waters. Genesis 1:6 has given rise to the so-called CANOPY THEORY which seeks to explain the upper layer or expanse of water, but recent studies suggest this theory is less likely (See articles below - further discussion is beyond the scope of this commentary which seeks to focus primarily on what the Word and not on theories). . Let there be (jussive) an expanse (NRSV = "dome," KJV = "firmament" - raqia) in the midst of the waters, and let it separate (badal) the waters from the waters - Let there be and let it are both in the jussive signifying they are commands. Expanse is a key word in Genesis 1 where it is found 9x (out of a total of 15 uses - see uses). ESV Study Bible (borrow) - Water plays a crucial role in ancient Near Eastern creation literature. In Egypt, for example, the creator-god Ptah uses the preexistent waters (personified as the god Nun) to create the universe. The same is true in Mesopotamian belief: it is out of the gods of watery chaos—Apsu, Tiamat, and Mummu—that creation comes. The biblical creation account sits in stark contrast to such dark mythological polytheism. In the biblical account, water at creation is no deity; it is simply something God created, and it serves as material in the hands of the sole sovereign Creator. As light was separated from darkness, so waters are separated to form an expanse Explanse "refers to an expanse of air pressure between the surface of the sea and the clouds, separating water below from water above." (NET NOTE) God’s work involves making divisions and distinctions. -- Allen Ross Expanse (07549)(raqia from raqa = to beat, stamp, beat or hammer out, spread out) and literally refers to a great expanse and, in particular, to God's heavenly expanse, the vault of the heavens above the earth, the sky that stretches from horizon to horizon. In Ge 1:20 raqia is the sky in which the birds fly. Rāqîaʿ is something that is created by being spread out either by stretching (e.g., a tent) or by hammering (e.g., a metal; cf. Deut. 28:23, in which the sky in a time of drought is likened to bronze; cf. also the use of rāqaʿ in Exod. 39:3, where the meaning is clearly “to hammer out”).Strong's - (1) extended surface (solid), expanse, firmament 1a) expanse (flat as base, support) 1b) firmament (of vault of heaven supporting waters above) 1b1) considered by Hebrews as solid and supporting 'waters' above. Raqia refers refers to "the gigantic heavenly dome which was the source of the light that brooded over the heavenly ocean and of which the dome arched above the earthly globe" TWOT says "In pre-Christian Egypt confusion was introduced into biblical cosmology when the LXX, perhaps under the influence of Alexandrian theories of a "stone vault" of heaven, rendered rāqîaʿ by stereōma, suggesting some firm, solid structure. This Greek concept was then reflected by the Latin firmamentum, hence KJV "firmament." Raqia - 15x in the OT - expanse(16), expanse of heaven(1). Gen. 1:6; Gen. 1:7; Gen. 1:8; Gen. 1:14; Gen. 1:15; Gen. 1:17; Gen. 1:20; Ps. 19:1; Ps. 150:1; Ezek. 1:22; Ezek. 1:23; Ezek. 1:25; Ezek. 1:26; Ezek. 10:1; Dan. 12:3 QUESTION - What is the canopy theory? ANSWER - The canopy theory seeks to explain the reference in Genesis 1:6 to “the waters above the firmament,” assuming that “firmament,” or “expanse,” as the Hebrew word is alternatively translated, refers to our atmosphere. According to the canopy theory, there was a canopy of water above the atmosphere until the cataclysm of Noah’s day, at which point it disappeared either by collapsing upon the earth or dissipating into space. It is presumed to have consisted of water vapor because a canopy of ice could not have survived the constant bombardment of celestial objects like meteoroids which perpetually barrage the earth’s atmosphere. While Genesis 1:20KJV does say that birds fly in the firmament, suggesting the earth’s atmosphere, it also says that the sun, moon and stars reside there (Genesis 1:14-17), suggesting the entire sky from the earth’s surface outward, where birds fly and celestial objects reside. The Hebrew word alternatively translated “firmament” in some translations and “expanse” in others is raqia. It appears nine times throughout the first chapter of Genesis (in verses 6-8, 14-18 and 20) and eight more times throughout the rest of the Old Testament (in Psalms, Ezekiel and Daniel). According to Genesis, before there was air or land or any form of life, the earth was a formless mass of primordial water. On the second day of creation, God created the raqia, placing it in the midst of the water, thereby separating it into two parts: “the waters above the firmament [raqia]” and the waters below it. The waters below the raqia He named “sea” (yam in Hebrew) and the raqia itself He named “heaven,” “air” or “sky,” depending on your translation of the Hebrew word shamayim. But Genesis does not provide a name for the waters above the raqia, nor is there any water above our atmosphere today, assuming that raqia does mean “atmosphere.” Advocates of the canopy theory once speculated that the collapse of such a vapor canopy might have provided the water for the heavy rains which inundated the earth during Noah’s flood. One problem with the canopy theory, however, is, the latent heat of water and the sheer quantities of water involved. If such a vapor canopy were to collapse into rain, it would literally cook the entire planet. This is because when water converts from vapor to liquid, energy or latent heat is released in the process, causing the surrounding area to heat up; this is known as an exothermic result. Conversely, when water converts from solid form—ice—to liquid or from liquid to vapor, energy is absorbed and the surrounding area is cooled—an endothermic result. The Genesis (FLOOD) account calls for five-and-a-half weeks of constant rain. If a canopy consisting of enough water vapor to provide that amount of rain were to collapse, it would cook the entire planet. This is not to say that there was no vapor canopy or that it did not collapse, only that, if it did, it could not have provided the amount of rain in question (the less water, the less heat). It is interesting to note that, if a frozen canopy were able to exist in the atmosphere despite cosmic bombardment, its collapse into liquid rain would have an extreme cooling effect and might be an explanation for the commencement of the Ice Age. Despite the fact that we know that it happened, the complex factors involved in getting an Ice Age started makes it seem impossible and baffles modern science to this day. Advocates of the canopy theory also cite the existence of a canopy as a possible cause for a variety of pre-flood anomalies, including human longevity and the apparent lack of rain or rainbows. They claim that such a canopy would filter out much of the cosmic radiation that is harmful to humans and cause the lack of rain or rainbows. However, opponents dispute such a canopy’s ability to produce these results. In defense of the view that raqiya means “atmosphere,” the reference in Genesis 1:14-17 to the sun, moon and stars residing there may have simply been a phenomenological statement, just as our modern terms “sunset” and “sunrise” are phenomenological descriptions. That is, we know full well that the sun is stationary and doesn’t really “rise” or “set,” despite our usage of terms implying its movement from our earth-bound vantage point. Whatever the case may be, there is no canopy up there today and any suggestion that there was one in the past is speculation because there simply isn’t enough evidence one way or the other, except for the one enigmatic reference to waters above the firmament in Genesis 1:6, and no one claims to know for sure what that means.GotQuestions.org Related Resources: What Is the State of the Water Vapor Canopy Model? - Answers in Genesis Answers in Genesis suggests Canopy Theory not so good What Were the 'Waters Above the Firmament'? (DISCUSSES CANOPY THEORY) - Institute of Creation Research (founded by Dr Henry Morris who popularized canopy theory) - Excerpt - "Early ICR scientists hypothesized that the “waters which were above the firmament”1 implied a canopy of water vapor that covered the earth before the Flood. However, later tests led researchers away from this model. What changed their minds? Genesis 1:7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. separated (badal) : Pr 8:28,29 above: Job 26:8 Ps 104:10 148:4 Ec 11:3 And it was so Ge 1:9,11,15,24 Mt 8:27 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries WATERS ABOVE AND WATERS BELOW God made the expanse (raqia), and separated (badal) the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse - See discussion of so-called "Canopy Theory." And it was so (repeated in Ge 1:7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30) - Don't miss this small phrase. It is a technical phrase that means it was made permanent. NET Note adds "This statement (it was so) indicates that it happened the way God designed it, underscoring the connection between word and event." This speaks against the theory of evolution.
Gênesis 1
Morris - In verse 11 occurs the first mention of both “seed” and “kind.” Implanted in each created organism was a “seed,” programmed to enable the continuing replication of that type of organism. The modern understanding of the extreme complexities of the so-called DNA molecule and the genetic code contained in it has reinforced the Biblical teaching of the stability of kinds. Each type of organism has its own unique structure of the DNA and can only specify the reproduction of that same kind. There is a tremendous amount of variational potential within each kind, facilitating the generation of distinct individuals and even of many varieties within the kind, but nevertheless precluding the evolution of new kinds! A great deal of “horizontal” variation is easily possible, but no “vertical” changes. (The Genesis Record) NET NOTE on produce vegetation - The Hebrew construction employs a cognate accusative, where the nominal object (“vegetation”) derives from the verbal root employed. It stresses the abundant productivity that God created. Vegetation. The Hebrew word translated “vegetation” (דֶּשֶׁא, deshe’) normally means “grass,” but here it probably refers more generally to vegetation that includes many of the plants and trees. In the verse the plants and the trees are qualified as self-perpetuating with seeds, but not the word “vegetation,” indicating it is the general term and the other two terms are sub-categories of it. Moreover, in vv. 29 and 30 the word vegetation/grass does not appear. The Samaritan Pentateuch adds an “and” before the fruit trees, indicating it saw the arrangement as bipartite (The Samaritan Pentateuch tends to eliminate asyndetic constructions). Plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them - Note that After their kind is clearly a key word (phrase) in Genesis 1 repeated 10 times in 5 verses in Genesis 1 (Ge 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25, cf use in Ge 6:20 and Ge 7:14 before the global flood). Key words should always be carefully observed and analyzed. In in this passage it is mentioned 3 times so that we cannot miss it (unless you simply don't want to see it!) NET NOTE on after their kind - The Hebrew word translated “kind” (מִין, min) indicates again that God was concerned with defining and dividing time, space, and species. The point is that creation was with order, as opposed to chaos. And what God created and distinguished with boundaries was not to be confused (see Lev 19:19 and Deut 22:9–11).
Gênesis 1
Morris - It should be noted that plant life, in all its forms, was created before animal life, thus contradicting the order postulated by evolutionists. There are over twenty such contradictions between the order of creation in Genesis and that in evolutionary paleontology. After their kind - "God set in motion a providential process whereby the vegetable kingdom could reproduce through seeds which would maintain each one's unique characteristics. The same phrase is used to describe the perpetuating reproduction of animals within their created species (vv. 21, 24, 25), and indicates that evolution, which proposes reproduction across species lines, is a false explanation of origins. (The MacArthur Study Bible) and God saw that it was good. - Was good used in Gen. 1:4; Gen. 1:10; Gen. 1:12; Gen. 1:18; Gen. 1:21; Gen. 1:25; (cf the sad use of "good" in Gen. 3:6) Genesis 1:13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day. Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries THE THIRD 24 HOUR DAY There was evening and there was morning, a third day (yom) - Another 24 hour day? Do you believe it? And what about the miracle on another third day? (Mt 27:22-23, Mt 20:19 both spoken by the same God Who spoke Creation into existence! Hebrews 11:3+). THOUGHT - You can disbelieve Creation by Jesus the Creator and still be saved, but you cannot disbelieve Resurrection of the Creator on the third day and expect to be made by God's Spirit into a new creation in Christ! If you disbelieve the resurrection, you are destined for eternal hell, believe it or not! You might want to read the words of a skeptic who had a change of heart (so to speak) - Frank Morison's Who Moved the Stone? QUESTION - What did God create on the third day of creation? ANSWER - On the third day of creation, God created the dry ground, seas, plants, and trees (Genesis 1:9–13). Using the foundation He created on the first day of creation, the Lord began to form the earth into a place suitable for life. On days three through six, the Lord was filling the earth, which had been “formless and empty” on day one (Genesis 1:2). Dry Ground: “Then God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so” (Genesis 1:9, CSB). Telling the waters to move to one place, the Lord made the dry ground appear, and He called this “land” (NLT) or “earth” (verses 9–10, ESV). By creating land first on day three, God was preparing for the creation of vegetation of all kinds. The Lord was intimately involved in creating the earth; “His hands formed the dry land” (Psalm 95:5). The Seas: “The gathered waters he called ‘seas’” (Genesis 1:10). He separated the waters that were created on day one from the dry ground, and He called these waters “the seas.” By creating the ocean and seas, God was preparing for the aquatic animals He would make on day five (Genesis 1:21). God separated the ocean from the dry ground and set boundaries for the waters not to cross (Proverbs 8:29). Some commentators hold that the sea originally surrounded one large continent because the Bible says the waters were drawn to one place (Genesis 1:9). According to this view, not until the flood or shortly thereafter did the seven continents break away and spread apart as we see them today. Plants: “Let the earth sprout vegetation: plants yielding seed” (Genesis 1:11, NASB). The Lord spoke vegetation into being upon the dry land, bringing forth seed-bearing plants of “various kinds”—grass, bushes, vines, flowers, vegetables, etc. These abundant plants would fill the land with food for the animals created on days five and six (Genesis 1:20–24), as well as for mankind, also created on day six (Genesis 1:26, 29). Trees: “Trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds” (Genesis 1:12). All types of trees were created on the third day of creation. The Lord spoke trees into being, including fruit trees, nut trees, conifers, and ornamentals. All trees testify to God’s power of creation, from the smallest to the largest (Psalm 148:9, 13). Beginning on day three, God began preparing the earth for the future creation of animals and humans on days five and six. In His divine creative power, God spoke the land, seas, plants, and trees into existence. People today can see evidence of God’s design in a delicate flower or in a majestic tree, as all vegetation displays the truth of God as the Creator of all things (Romans 1:20).GotQuestions.org Genesis 1:14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; Let there be: De 4:19 Job 25:3,5 Job 38:12-14 Ps 8:3,4 Ps 19:1-6 Ps 74:16,17 Ps 104:19,20 Ps 119:91 Ps 136:7-9 Ps 148:3,6 Isa 40:26 Jer 31:35 Jer 33:20,25 lights: Or, rather, luminaries or light-bearers; being a different world from that rendered light, in ver. 3, the day from the night., between the day and between the night and let: Ge 8:22 9:13 Job 3:9 38:31,32 Ps 81:3 Eze 32:7,8 46:1,6 Joe 2:10,30,31 3:15 Am 5:8 8:9 Mt 2:2 16:2,3 24:29 Mk 13:24 Lu 21:25,26 23:45 Ac 2:19,20 Rev 6:12 8:12 9:2 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries REASONS FOR LIGHTS Then God said (see note on this phrase 10x/10v) "Let there be lights - This is in the jussive signifying a command. NET NOTE on Let there be lights - Light itself was created before the light-bearers. The order would not seem strange to the ancient Hebrew mind that did not automatically link daylight with the sun (note that dawn and dusk appear to have light without the sun). in the expanse (raqia) of the heavens to separate (badal) the day (yom) from the night Beloved, this gift from God of separating the day from the night gives "order" to our world. Have you ever had a job in which you had to work all night and sleep during the day. I have and it was do-able, but was still difficult. I don't think I ever felt truly rested and was glad when that shift was finally finished. The fact that God gives us the gift of this day-night pattern facilitates a healthy work-rest pattern for our bodies. This wonderful pattern did not "evolve" but was created by the One Who created each of us for He Alone knew what our body and mind would need to function normally. NET NOTE on expanse of the heavens (sky) - The language describing the cosmos, which reflects a prescientific view of the world, must be interpreted as phenomenal, describing what appears to be the case. The sun and the moon are not in the sky (below the clouds), but from the viewpoint of a person standing on the earth, they appear that way. Even today we use similar phenomenological expressions, such as “the sun is rising” or “the stars in the sky.” If one does not believe God created the lights, they can end up making them "gods" and worshipping them instead of the One Who created them. Belief or disbelief in Creation has significant consequences that can radically affect one's behavior. And let them be for signs and for seasons and for days (yom) and years - God's creation was orderly and purposeful. Note here that not only to the lights in the expanse of the heavens demarcate the orderly day-night pattern. NET NOTE on for signs... - The text has “for signs and for seasons and for days and years.” It seems likely from the meanings of the words involved that “signs” is the main idea, followed by two categories, “seasons” and “days and years.” This is the simplest explanation, and one that matches Ge 1:11–13. It could even be rendered “signs for the fixed seasons, that is [explicative vav (ו)] days and years.” Let them be for signs. The point is that the sun and the moon were important to fix the days for the seasonal celebrations for the worshiping community. Lights (03974)(maor from or = to be light) is a masculine singular noun which means luminary which is a light giving body (e.g. sun, moon, stars or the lamp in the Tabernacle Ex. 35:14; Lev 24:2; Nu 4:16). Gilbrant - Māʾôr is a cognate of the more frequently used term for "light," ʾôr. Its meaning, however, does not parallel that of ʾôr; it refers instead to the objects which cause illumination, i.e., the source of the light. This same usage is attested in Middle Hebrew. For example, in Gen. 1, God said, "Let there be light [ʾôr]" (Ge 1:3). God also said, "Let there be lights [māʾôr] in the firmament of the heavens" (v. 14). The reference is to the sun, moon and stars. (In Ezekiel 32:8, "the light" is used to refer to "stars.") In each of its occurrences in the Pentateuch, māʾôr with the article clearly refers to the lampstand which was in the holy Place of the Tabernacle. In Psalm 74, māʾôr refers to the "moon" (v. 16). Again, the source of illumination is in view. Several other occurrences are figurative, yet they still point to the source of light. Psalm 90:8 says, "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." This verse reflects the theme, "God is light," found in both Testaments. As "light," He is infinitely pure and glorious and possesses all wisdom, excellency and knowledge. The parallelism of v. 8 clearly links God with "the light," i.e., "the true light that gives light to every man" (John 1:9). This same light of glory that exposes sin will also replace the sun and the moon when his kingdom is set up in the new Jerusalem: "The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light" (Rev. 21:23, NIV). Proverbs 15:30 says, "The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart." The NIV translates it, "A cheerful look brings joy to the heart." (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Maor - 19x - bright(1), light(12), lighting(2), lights(3), shining(1). Gen. 1:14; Gen. 1:15; Gen. 1:16; Exod. 25:6; Exod. 27:20; Exod. 35:8; Exod. 35:14; Exod. 35:28; Exod. 39:37; Lev. 24:2; Num. 4:9; Num. 4:16; Ps. 74:16; Ps. 90:8; Prov. 15:30; Ezek. 32:8 Genesis 1:15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries LOCATION OF LIGHTS and let them be for lights (maor) in the expanse (raqia) of the heavens to give light on the earth - Let them be is in the jussive signifying a command. and it was so - See note on this short but significant phrase which means firm and fixed. Genesis 1:16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. to govern. De 4:19 Jos 10:12-14 Job 31:26 Job 38:7 Ps 8:3 19:6 74:16 Ps 136:7,8,9 148:3,5 Isa 13:10 24:23 45:7 Hab 3:11 Mt 24:29 Mt 27:45 1Co 15:41 Rev 16:8,9 21:23 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth (ED: AND STARS UNCOUNTABLE!), So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts. Deuteronomy 4:19+ “And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve (NOTE STEP WISE DECLENSION BEGINNING WITH A LOOK!) them (ED: HOROSCOPES AND CHRISTIANS, ETC) those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. Psalms 8:3-4 (SPURGEON) When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Source: How Many Stars Are in the Universe? LIGHT FOR NIGHT & DAY PLUS AN "AFTERTHOUGHT" God made the two great lights (maor luminaries), the greater light (maor - luminary) to govern (literally - for the dominion of) the day (yom), and the lesser light (maor - luminary) to govern (for the dominion of) the night; NET NOTE - Two great lights. The text goes to great length to discuss the creation of these lights, suggesting that the subject was very important to the ancients. Since these "lights" were considered deities in the ancient world, the section serves as a strong polemic (see G. Hasel, "The Polemical Nature of the Genesis Cosmology," EvQ 46 [1974]: 81-102). The Book of Genesis is affirming they are created entities, not deities. To underscore this the text does not even give them names. If used here, the usual names for the sun and moon [Shemesh and Yarih, respectively] might have carried pagan connotations, so they are simply described as greater and lesser lights. Moreover, they serve in the capacity that God gives them, which would not be the normal function the pagans ascribed to them. They merely divide, govern, and give light in God's creation. Henry Morris - These stars were scattered in tremendous numbers throughout the infinite recesses of the heavens (Isaiah 55:9). The light energy emanating from them would henceforth traverse space to "give light upon the earth," providing patterns and movements which would also enable man to keep records of time and history. In order to serve these purposes, however, light energy trails would need to be established already in space between each star and earth. Thus, men would have been able to see stars billions of light-years away at the very moment of their formation, in accordance with the principle of mature creation, or creation of apparent age. He made the stars also - This is almost like an "afterthought!" But O what an incredible afterthought! How great is our God the Creator of the Stars which are beyond number! The following is like a "scientific commentary" on Romans 1:20+ where Paul writes "since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen (kathorao), being understood (noieo) through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (anapologetos)." Deep-field images from the Hubble Space Telescope suggest there are 10 times more galaxies in the universe than scientists previously thought, with about 2 trillion galaxies in total, according to a study published in October 2016 in the journal Science by Christopher Conselice, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Nottingham in the U.K., and his colleagues. [Video: Our Universe Has Trillions of Galaxies] About 100 million (or 10 to the eighth power) stars inhabit the average galaxy, according to one of the best estimates, Conselice wrote in an email to Live Science. But getting to that number was not just a matter of aiming a telescope at the sky and counting up all the twinkly bits. Only the most luminous stars in a galaxy shine brightly enough to be detected by a telescope. In 2008, for instance, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (which maps all observable celestial objectsin one third of the sky), detected about 48 million stars, or just half of the number estimated to exist, according to a 2008 study in the Astrophysical Journal. A star as bright as our own sun in the neighboring Andromeda galaxy would not even be detected by traditional telescopes such as those used by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Space.com reported. Instead, most people estimate the number of stars in a galaxy based on galactic mass. Because the universe is expanding and galaxies are moving farther apart, the light from other galaxies is, on average, slightly "red-shifted," meaning its wavelength is stretched. But because galaxies are rotating, some parts of the galaxies are actually moving closer to Earth, which means some of the light is "blue-shifted," according to Space.com. By using these light-based measurements, astronomers can make a rough estimate of how fast the galaxy is rotating, which in turn reveals its mass. From there, scientists have to filter out all the dark matter, or matter that exerts a gravitational pull but reflects no light. "In a typical galaxy, if you measure its mass by looking at the rotation curve, about 90 percent of that is dark matter," David Kornreich, an assistant professor at Ithaca College in New York, previously told Space.com. Multiplying the number of galaxies — which is about 2 trillion — by the 100 million stars in the galaxy suggests there could be about 10 raised to the 20th power stars in the universe, Conselice said. "But this could easily be a factor of 10 higher," Conselice said. (How Many Stars Are in the Universe?) "You placed the stars in the sky" A lyric from Indescribable! Genesis 1:17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, Ge 9:13 Job 38:12 Ps 8:1,3 Ac 13:47 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries LIGHTS FOR THE EARTH God placed them in the expanse (raqia) of the heavens to give light on the earth - How did stars "evolve" in the heavens? They did not evolve. God placed them there! The Septuagint for placed (tithemi) is in the aorist tense which describes a past COMPLETED ACTION! Them in context of course refers to the great lights and the stars. The purpose is clearly stated which was to give light on the earth. Genesis 1:18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. Ps 19:6 Jer 31:35 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Psalm 19:6 (Spurgeon) Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat. Jeremiah 31:35+ Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: PURPOSE OF EARTH LIGHTS And to govern the day (yom) and the night, and to separate (badal) the light (or) from the darkness (choshek) ; And God saw that it was good - Was good used in Gen. 1:4; Gen. 1:10; Gen. 1:12; Gen. 1:18; Gen. 1:21; Gen. 1:25; (cf the sad use of "good" in Gen. 3:6) NET NOTE - In days one to three there is a naming by God; in days five and six there is a blessing by God. But on day four there is neither. It could be a mere stylistic variation. But it could also be a deliberate design to avoid naming “sun” and “moon” or promoting them beyond what they are, things that God made to serve in his creation. Govern (4910)(mashal) means to reign, or to have dominion over. Baker writes that "Although its general tone communicates leadership and authority, its specific nuance and connotation are derived from the context in which it appears. In the creation narratives on the fourth day, God created the great luminaries. The greater luminary was to rule the day, and the lesser was to rule the night (Gen. 1:18). It is also applied to people who rule: a servant over his master’s household (Gen. 24:2); a king over his country (Josh. 12:5); or his people (Judg. 8:22, 23); a people over another people (Judg. 14:4). God is also said to rule over His people (Judg. 8:23); not over His adversaries (Isa. 63:19); over the nations (2 Chr. 20:6; Ps. 22:28[29]); over Jacob (Ps. 59:13[14]); over all things (1 Chr. 29:12)." QUESTION - What does it mean that God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:18)? ANSWER - Seven times in Genesis 1, God observes His creation to be good. In Genesis 1:4, after He had spoken light into existence, He declared it to be good. In Genesis 1:10, after separating the water from the land, He called that good. After creating plant life, in Genesis 1:12 He saw that it was good, also. In Genesis 1:18, after putting in place a system for lighting the earth and for separating night from day, He calls that good. In Genesis 1:21, after creating animals to populate the water and the air, He observes that to be good. In Genesis 1:25, after populating the land with animals and insects, He calls that good, too. Finally, after creating humanity as the capstone of His creation (Genesis 1:26–30), He observed all He had made and declared it to be not just good but very good. The Hebrew word translated as “good” in the English is tov. The term rendered “very good” is hennah tov, which could be translated as “certainly good” or “surely good.” It is noteworthy that the word good is never actually defined in the Bible—the concept is simply assumed. It does seem, though, that the kind of good referenced in Genesis 1 is a good in the qualitative sense of functionality. Because of the success in design and execution of all that was created, it could be that God was calling things good because they were effective for fulfilling the function for which He designed them. If so, this would reflect a kind of instrumental good. It is also worth noting that in each of these instances it is said that God “saw” that it was good. That God was observing that these things were good implies that He had a design and purpose in mind and that the created products met His approval—He judged them to be effective for serving His purpose. As the Creator, God has the right to define and judge. He assessed that which He had created and determined it was good. This is a good reminder for us that, because He has the authority that only a sovereign Creator can have, we ought to look to Him to learn of His judgments and assessments. If He judges something to be good (or not good), then it is that. It is encouraging to know we can trust God to inform us truthfully and accurately. If He is making determinations like this—assessing the quality of all things created—and if we can trust Him with that, then there is a precedent clearly presented that we can trust Him with anything. He is the determiner of what is good and what is not. This is one reason that Satan’s statement in Genesis 3:4 (that God was either wrong or lying and that Eve would not die if she ate the fruit that God had prohibited) was so evidently wrong. God had determined what was good and what was not, and He communicated that to Adam (Genesis 2:17). Unfortunately, Adam and Eve failed to acknowledge that, as the Creator, God had the right to define, assess, and judge. It is easy for us to make the same mistake, but God has graciously allowed us access to His creation account so we can learn that He is the Definer, and we can trust Him—we should trust Him, in fact. If we don’t, we are falling into the same trap Satan set for Eve: trusting someone else’s judgment when God has defined, determined, and communicated. Wouldn’t it be nice if we learned from our mistakes and didn’t repeat them? GotQuestions.org Genesis 1:19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: Psalms 19:1 (Spurgeon) For the choir director. A Psalm of David. The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Jeremiah 32:17+ ‘Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, COMMENT - Do you see how believe in a literal 6 day creation can undergird your faith and truth in God that nothing in your life is too difficult for Him to deal with and/or give you the grace to endure (1Cor 10:13+)? THE FOURTH 24 HOUR DAY There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day (yom) - Another 24 hour day! Believe it or not! To not believe it, is to not believe God's Word of truth inspired by the Spirit of Truth! QUESTION - What did God create on the fourth day of creation? ANSWER - On the fourth day of creation, God created the sun, moon, stars, and the other heavenly bodies (Genesis 1:14–19). The number of things God created on the fourth day is staggering. Scientists currently estimate there to be 2 trillion galaxies in the universe, with about 100 million stars in each galaxy. That would mean the number stars is somewhere around 10 to the 20th power (“How Many Stars Are in the Universe?” by Tia Ghose, Live Science online, updated 5/24/18, accessed 10/28/20). Sun and moon: “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night.’ . . . God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night” (Genesis 1:14, 16). Among the other “lights” God commanded into being on day four of creation, He set the sun and moon in the “vault of the sky” as the two prominent sources of light for Earth. During the day, the sun provides light and heat to the earth, while the moon reflects light from the sun to illuminate the darkness of night. Like the stars, the sun and moon also serve as “signs to mark sacred times, and days and years” (verse 14). Stars: “He also made the stars” (Genesis 1:16). Such a simple statement, but such a vast creation. There are trillions of stars in the universe, and God has personally named them all (Isaiah 40:26; Psalm 147:4). Importantly, stars indicate seasons and time (Genesis 1:14) and provide guidance for navigation. The stars also display God’s glory: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1, ESV). Heavenly bodies: Although Genesis 1 does not refer to other heavenly bodies specifically, the fourth day of creation also includes the many planets, nebulae, galaxies, and other things present in the universe. From a human standpoint, the sheer number of the many planets and galaxies is breathtaking, but creating it all was an easy task for the Lord God (Jeremiah 32:17). On day four of creation, God continued His creative work. The creation of the sun, moon, stars, and other heavenly bodies distinguished day from night and separated light from darkness (Genesis 1:18). God declared the sun, moon, and stars as “good” as sources of light and as ways to mark the passage of time, and He divinely set them in place for His glory (Genesis 1:18–19; Psalm 74:16).GotQuestions.org Genesis 1:20 Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." Let the waters: Ge 1:22 2:19 8:17 Ps 104:24,25 148:10 Ac 17:25 moving: or, creeping, 1Ki 4:33 life: Heb. a living soul, Ge 1:30 Ec 2:21 fowl that may fly: Heb. let fowl fly, This marginal reading is more conformable to the original, and reconciles this passage with ch. 2:19. The word fowl, from the Saxon {fleon,} to fly, exactly corresponds to the original, which denotes every thing that flies, whether bird or insect. open firmament: Heb. face of the firmament, Ge 1:7,14 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries GOD'S COMMANDS FOR WATERS AND HEAVENS Then - Note this conjunction marks progression, in this case moving on the 5th day. This is the first mention of any living things. It was as if the planet was first prepared for its occupants, that they might live and flourish when they were created. God said (see note on this phrase 10x/10v) let the waters teem - God commands (see jussive = command) “swarm with swarms” With swarms of living creatures NET NOTE - The Hebrew text again uses a cognate construction (“swarm with swarms”) to emphasize the abundant fertility. The idea of the verb is one of swift movement back and forth, literally swarming. This verb is used in Exod 1:7 to describe the rapid growth of the Israelite population in bondage. And let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse (raqia) of the heavens - Let...fly is jussive = God commands. NET NOTE on let...fly - The Hebrew text uses the Polel (ED: This function like the Piel which expresses an intensive action) form of the verb instead of the simple Qal; it stresses a swarming flight again to underscore the abundant fruitfulness. Teem (08317) - teem, swarm, multiply Gilbrant - A primary root, the verb shārats occurs fourteen times in the OT, always in the Qal stem. It serves as a description of a large number of creatures densely populating a location. Most passages use the animals themselves as the subject of the verb, but some verses speak of land or water swarming with creatures. Shārats emphasizes their immense numbers and prolific reproduction. A frequent synonym, rāmas (HED #7718), can describe the same animals, but focuses on the type of motion: the creeping, wriggling movement of small creatures, especially reptiles. A clear sample of the meaning is the Egyptian plague which resulted in rivers, land and even bedrooms teeming with frogs (Exo. 8:3; Ps. 105:30). The same word was used by the Egyptians to describe the high growth rate of the Jewish population (Exo. 1:7). The Israelites were evidently seen as a sort of plague. The phrase "teeming multitudes" does not always refer to a plague, however. The creation account specifies that God commanded the waters to teem with marine life (Gen. 1:20f), and the Lord instructed the survivors of the Flood to populate the earth abundantly so that it would once again teem with life (9:7). God expressed the same purpose with regard to the animals who would once again swarm across the post-flood surface of the earth (8:17), replacing the vast numbers that had perished in the cataclysm (7:21). Ezekiel used similar language to describe the fish which would teem in the Dead Sea when it was purified by the river flowing from the Temple in the millennial Israel (Ezek. 47:9). The remaining passages occur in the dietary regulations listed in the Book of Leviticus, primarily in regard to reptiles and other small animals which appeared in large numbers (Lev. 11:29, 41ff, 46). (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Sharats - 14v - breed abundantly(1), increased greatly(1), populate the abundantly(1), swarm(3), swarmed(2), swarms(5), teem(1). Gen. 1:20; Gen. 1:21; Gen. 7:21; Gen. 8:17; Gen. 9:7; Exod. 1:7; Exod. 8:3; Lev. 11:29; Lev. 11:41; Lev. 11:42; Lev. 11:43; Lev. 11:46; Ps. 105:30; Ezek. 47:9 Swarms (08318) sherets - swarmers, swarming things. a creature that crawls or swarms; insects or small animals. Gilbrant - All fifteen occurrences of the collective masculine noun sherets are in the Pentateuch. All but three of these are in Leviticus. The root is variously attested in the Semitic languages. The Syriac (northeast Aramaic) verb means "to crawl" or "to creep." A cognate also appears in the Samaritan Pentateuch and Ethiopic. Sherets is denominated from shārats (HED #8650), which means "to swarm" or "to teem innumerable multitudes." In Exo. 1:7, shārats refers to Israel's rapid population growth: "And the children of Israel... increased abundantly." On four occasions, sherets is found in combination with shārats (Gen. 1:20; 7:21; Lev. 11:29, 41). In Gen. 7:21, it stands parallel to rāmas (HED #7718), "to move," "to crawl," "to wiggle." In Lev. 11:44, rāmas is substituted for shārats. Four times (Gen. 1:20; 7:21; Lev. 5:2; 11:10) sherets is qualified with the adjective chay (HED #2508), "living" or "animated." Sherets seems to indicate "small creatures" (birds, fish, small mammals, reptiles and insects) which are observed in vast numbers and seen to be moving about in haphazard fashion. These are found in the water (Gen. 1:20; Lev. 11:10), in the air (Gen. 1:20; 7:21; Lev. 11:20f, 23; Deut. 14:19) and on land. Twelve of the fifteen references (excepting Gen. 1:20; Lev. 11:10; Deut. 14:19) include land-dwelling animals. Some reject a size limitation, stressing the nuance of large numbers or masses. While small creatures are cited ("the weasel, and the mouse," Lev. 11:29), the substantive also occurs alone without such identifications (v. 31). When the three broad categories of animals are mentioned, the third, after land animals in general and those which fly, is differentiated with rāmas (Gen. 1:20). In several cases, the word sherets is labeled "unclean" (Lev. 5:2; 11:29, 31; 22:5; Deut. 14:19). (Complete Biblical Library - Incredible Resource) Sherets - 15v - insects(3), swarming thing(3), swarming things(5), swarms(1), teeming life(2), teeming things(1). Gen. 1:20; Gen. 7:21; Lev. 5:2; Lev. 11:10; Lev. 11:20; Lev. 11:21; Lev. 11:23; Lev. 11:29; Lev. 11:31; Lev. 11:41; Lev. 11:42; Lev. 11:43; Lev. 11:44; Lev. 22:5; Deut. 14:19 Genesis 1:21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. great: Ge 6:20 7:14 8:19 Job 7:12 26:5 Ps 104:24-26 Eze 32:2 Jon 1:17 Jon 2:10 Mt 12:40 swarmed after their kind: Ge 8:17 9:7 Ex 1:7 8:3 God saw that it was good. Ge 1:18,25,31 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Source: National Ocean Service GOD CREATES ALL ANIMALS IN ECOLOGICAL BALANCE God created (bara'; Lxx - poieo) - In the Septuagint the verb poieo is aorist tense indicating past completed action, so that even this tense refutes the specious species speculation (aka evolution)! God created at a point in time in the past and it was a finished, fully functioning creation! Believe it or not! The great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind - Note how this passage literally obliterates the lie of evolution. Why? Because the fish in the sea were created simultaneously with the birds in the air. There was no evolution from sea to sky! This Spirit inspired Word of Truth even defies simple logic and necessitates a fabricated facade of "scientific sounding" speech in a vain attempt to explain how such evolution could possibly have occurred! If you want to be amazed at the incredible creativity of our Great God the article How Many Species Live in the Ocean? is notable and (unknowingly) exalts our Creator exceedingly ... "Scientists estimate that 91 percent of ocean species have yet to be classified, and that more than eighty percent of our ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored.. While these statistics may sound daunting, they have not stopped the global scientific community from striving to amass as much knowledge as possible about ocean life. One recent effort—the Census of Marine Life—was an international project spanning 10 years that recorded the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the ocean. More than 2,700 scientists from 80 nations contributed to the Census. The results of their research, which included 540 marine expeditions, were reported at The Royal Society of London in October 2010." THOUGHT - If you are a skeptic or a believer buying the lie of evolution, ponder the preceding fact! God created all of these and we don't even know what most of them are yet! Amazing! Here is the point that "that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." (Ro 1:19-20+) Play Chris Tomlin's classic song with great pictures - Indescribable! Henry Morris notes that "It is significant that the word "create" (Hebrew bara is applied to the introduction of animal life, but not to plant life. Plants are highly complex replicating chemical systems, as are animals, with reproductive programs based in the remarkable DNA molecule in both cases. However, animals possess another entity--that of consciousness--which plants do not possess, and this required a second act of true creation (the first was in Genesis 1:1, the creation of the basic space/mass/time universe). Such consciousness is the essential meaning of the Hebrew word nephesh, commonly translated "soul," but here in its first occurrence translated "life," and then in the next verse "living creature." In Genesis 2:7, referring to man, it is rendered "living soul." Thus, both men and animals possess the specially-created nephesh. (Defenders Study Bible ) Believer's Study Bible - "Sea creatures" were greatly feared and revered by the pagans as monsters. God created (bara^, Heb.) these creatures; they are part of His obedient creation and are not threatening powers. The imagery of the sea creature is used to describe Israel's enemies (cf. Isa. 27:1; 51:9; Jer. 51:34). (The Believer's Study Bible) NET NOTE - For the first time in the narrative proper the verb “create” (בָּרָא, bara’) appears. (It is used in the summary statement of Ge 1:1+.) The author wishes to underscore that these creatures—even the great ones—are part of God’s perfect creation. The Hebrew term תַנִּינִם (tanninim) is used for snakes (Exod 7:9), crocodiles (Ezek 29:3), or other powerful animals (Jer 51:34). In Isa 27:1 the word is used to describe a mythological sea creature that symbolizes God’s enemies. And God saw that it was good - The very thing naturalists desire today was in fact the reality when God spoke and created these natural creatures in perfect balance and harmony, until sin swept in to ruin that perfect balance. Was good - Gen. 1:4; Gen. 1:10; Gen. 1:12; Gen. 1:18; Gen. 1:21; Gen. 1:25; (cf the sad use of "good" in Gen. 3:6) Genesis 1:22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." Ge 1:28 8:17 9:1 30:27,30 35:11 Lev 26:9 Job 40:15 42:12 Ps 107:31,38 Ps 128:3 144:13,14 Pr 10:22 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries GOD BLESSES AND COMMANDS FRUITFULNESS God blessed them, NET NOTE - While the translation “blessed” has been retained here for the sake of simplicity, it would be most helpful to paraphrase it as “God endowed them with fruitfulness” or something similar, for here it refers to God’s giving the animals the capacity to reproduce. The expression “blessed” needs clarification in its different contexts, for it is one of the unifying themes of the Book of Genesis. The divine blessing occurs after works of creation and is intended to continue that work—the word of blessing guarantees success. The word means “to enrich; to endow,” and the most visible evidence of that enrichment is productivity or fruitfulness. Saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth - God speaks their "language" and they obey their Creator, even though we cannot fully grasp this interaction. We know from studying animals, God has placed within them the instinct to procreate and reproduce their kind. NET NOTE - The instruction God gives to creation is properly a fuller expression of the statement just made (“God blessed them”), that he enriched them with the ability to reproduce. It is not saying that these were rational creatures who heard and obeyed the word (ED: TO BE SURE THEY WERE NOT "RATIONAL" LIKE HUMANS BUT GOD WAS ABLE TO MAKE THEM OBEY SO IN SOME WAY WE CANNOT GRASP HE SPOKE AND THEY OBEYED! WHETHER WE UNDERSTAND IT OR NOT!) It stresses that fruitfulness in the animal world is a result of the divine decree and not of some pagan cultic ritual for fruitfulness. The repeated emphasis of “be fruitful—multiply—fill” adds to this abundance God has given to life. The meaning is underscored by the similar sounds: בָּרָךְ (barakh) with בָּרָא (bara’), and פָּרָה (parah) with רָבָה (ravah). Genesis 1:23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries THE FIFTH 24 HOUR DAY There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day (yom) QUESTION - What did God create on the fifth day of creation? ANSWER - On the fifth day of creation, God created aquatic animals and flying creatures (Genesis 1:20–23). These animals were created to live in the spaces God had prepared for them on days two and three. On day two, the Lord had created the sky (Genesis 1:8), and on day three, He had grouped the waters together to form the seas (Genesis 1:10). Everything was prepared for what He had planned for day five. Aquatic animals. God created all things that live in water on day five. Scripture states, “So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds” (Genesis 1:21). Note, in this 24-hour period, God created various aquatic animals “according to their kinds,” including the large whales, varying types of fish, sharks, mollusks, and even the smallest of organisms, such as plankton. He intended for these animals to be abundant and fruitful (verses 22–23). The Lord’s command for the waters to “teem” (NIV) or “swarm” (ESV) with aquatic animal life (verse 20) caused the creatures in the sea to “multiply” and “abound” (Strong’s Concordance, 8317). Numerous creatures were created by the Lord to inhabit the ocean. New species of sea creatures are still being found today, there are many sea animals that remain undiscovered as yet. In fact, according to the National Ocean Service, “scientists estimate that 91 percent of ocean species have yet to be classified, and that more than eighty percent of our ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored” (https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ocean-species.html, accessed 11/2/20). Flying creatures. In addition to the aquatic animals, God created the flying creatures on the fifth day of creation (Genesis 1:20). Most versions of the Bible consistently translate the word for these animals as “birds,” but the Hebrew word also includes other flying creatures. Not only were winged birds created on the fifth day, but also other flying creatures, including bats and flying dinosaurs. Demonstrating great power, skill, and creativity, God made all the creatures that live in the sea and fly in the air. He blessed these creatures, commanding them to “be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the flying creatures multiply on the earth” (Genesis 1:22, NHEB). Aquatic and flying animals in all their diversity glorify the Lord and give continual testimony of God as the Creator, the One who deserves our praise (Psalm 148:7, 10).GotQuestions.org Genesis 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so. Let: Ge 6:20 7:14 8:19 Job 38:39,40 39:1,5,9,19 40:15 Ps 50:9,10 Ps 104:18,23 148:10 Cattle, denotes domestic animals living on vegetables;--Beasts of the earth, wild animals; especially such as live on flesh; and--Creeping things, reptiles; or all the different genera of serpents, worms, and such animals as have no feet. Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Then God said (see note on this phrase 10x/10v) "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind - Let...bring forth is in the jussive signifying a command. NET NOTE - There are three groups of land animals here: the cattle or livestock (mostly domesticated), things that creep or move close to the ground (such as reptiles or rodents), and the wild animals (all animals of the field). The three terms are general classifications without specific details. cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind And it was so - See note on this short but significant phrase which means firm and fixed. Genesis 1:25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Ge 2:19,20 Job 12:8-10 26:13 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground After their kind - There are fixed boundaries beyond which reproductive variations cannot go, but it is impossible to know whether "kind" is to be equated with families, genera, or some other category of biological classification. (Ryrie) Henry Morris - "after his kind." This phrase, repeated nine more times in Genesis 1...obviously precludes transmutation of one kind into another. The "seed" (Ge 1:11) was programmed for stable reproduction of each kind through a remarkable system known today as the "genetic code," the complex information program in the DNA molecule (ED: SIMILAR TO ANIMAL DNA). This system allows wide "horizontal" variation within the kind, but no "vertical" evolution from one kind into a more complex kind. It is significant that, despite widespread belief in evolution, no scientist has yet documented a single instance of true vertical evolution occurring today. The modern taxonomic equivalent of "kind" is probably broader than "species" in many cases, since the latter term is an arbitrary man-made category. That is, the many varieties of dogs are all part of the created "dog kind," just as all tribes and nations of men constitute one "mankind" (Acts 17:25,26). And God saw that it was good - Interesting God did not say (speak) it was "good" but saw (envisioned) it was "good" six times (Ge 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25) and then "very good" in Ge 1:31.
Gênesis 1
Morris has an interesting note that "no instruction was given to exercise dominion over other men but only over the earth and the animals. Had man not rebelled against God's Word, all would have remained in perfect fellowship with God and, therefore, with one another. There was no initial need for the so-called social sciences and technologies, but only the natural sciences and their implementation. This situation was radically changed at the Fall, and God's commandment accordingly expanded officially after the Flood." (Defenders Study Bible ) Allen Ross - God's purpose in creating human life in His image was functional: man is to rule or have dominion (1:26, 28). God's dominion was presented by a "representative." (Egyptian kings later, in idolatry, did a similar kind of thing: they represented their rule or dominion by making representative statues of themselves.) However, because of sin all things are not under man's dominion (Heb. 2:8). But Jesus Christ will establish dominion over all the earth (Heb. 2:5-8) at His second coming. NET NOTE on subdue it - Elsewhere the Hebrew verb translated “subdue” means “to enslave” (2 Chr 28:10; Neh 5:5; Jer 34:11, 16), “to conquer,” (Num 32:22, 29; Josh 18:1; 2 Sam 8:11; 1 Chr 22:18; Zech 9:13; and probably Mic 7:19), and “to assault sexually” (Esth 7:8). None of these nuances adequately meets the demands of this context, for humankind is not viewed as having an adversarial relationship with the world. The general meaning of the verb appears to be “to bring under one’s control for one’s advantage.” In Gen 1:28 one might paraphrase it as follows: “harness its potential and use its resources for your benefit.” In an ancient Israelite context this would suggest cultivating its fields, mining its mineral riches, using its trees for construction, and domesticating its animals. The several imperatives addressed to both males and females together (plural imperative forms) actually form two commands: reproduce and rule. God’s word is not merely a form of blessing, but is now addressed to them personally; this is a distinct emphasis with the creation of human beings. But with the blessing comes the ability to be fruitful and to rule. In procreation they will share in the divine work of creating human life and passing on the divine image (see 5:1–3); in ruling they will serve as God’s vice-regents on earth. They together, the human race collectively, have the responsibility of seeing to the welfare of that which is put under them and the privilege of using it for their benefit. Genesis 1:29 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; I have given you every plant yielding seed Ps 24:1 115:16 Ho 2:8 Ac 17:24,25,28 1Ti 6:17 for you;: Ge 2:16 9:3 Job 36:31 Ps 104:14,15,27,28 111:5 136:25 145:15,16 Ps 146:7 147:9 Isa 33:16 Mt 6:11,25,26 Ac 14:17 Genesis 1 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Then God said, (see note on this phrase 10x/10v) "Behold (hinneh), I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you NET NOTE on behold - The text uses הִנֵּה (hinneh), often archaically translated “behold.” It is often used to express the dramatic present, the immediacy of an event—“Look, this is what I am doing!” G. J. Wenham points out that there is nothing in the passage that prohibits the man and the woman from eating meat. He suggests that eating meat came after the fall. Gen 9:3 may then ratify the post-fall practice of eating meat rather than inaugurate the practice, as is often understood. (Word Biblical Commentary, Vol. 1: Genesis 1-15) Behold (02009) hinneh is an interjection meaning behold, look, now; if. "It is used often and expresses strong feelings, surprise, hope, expectation, certainty, thus giving vividness depending on its surrounding context." (Baker) Hinneh generally directs our mind to the text, imploring the reader to give it special attention. In short, the Spirit is trying to arrest our attention! And so hinneh is used as an exclamation of vivid immediacy (e.g., read Ge 6:13)! Hinneh is a marker used to enliven a narrative, to express a change a scene, to emphasize an idea, to call attention to a detail or an important fact or action that follows (Isa 65:17, Ge 17:20, 41:17). The first use of hinneh in Ge 1:29 and second in Ge 1:31 - "And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."