Part 1: Why A Day Matters

Order of Service:

Starting Prayer and Reading of a passage

Communion

Worship

Teaching

Fellowship / Discussion

Prayer time as a group

Review of past sermon

Current Sermon Position:

Gen 1:1-2:4 The generations of the heavens and the earth

Gen 2:4-5:1 The book of the generations of Adam

Gen 5:1-6:9 The generations of Noah

Gen 6:9-10:1 The generations of the sons of Noah

Gen 10:1-11:10 The generations of Shem

Gen 11:10-11:27 The generations of Terah

Gen 11:27-25:19 The generations of Isaac

Gen 25:19-37:2 The generations of Jacob

Gen 37:2-Ex 1:1 The generations of the Sons of Jacob

Genesis 1

Exodus 20:11 ““For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”

Proverbs 30:5–6 “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.”

Overview of Genesis 1-2:4a

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We discussing the literal use of this this past week.

Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

God was present before time, and will be present at the end of time.

God created time, “In the beginning,” space, “the heavens” (Not meaning the stars, but the space the universe dwells, and matter, “the earth.”

Opposing Views: We will discuss these next week

People will deny God’s creation and the flood.

2 Peter 3:5–6 “For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.”

Day Age Theory: A day is like a thousand years.

Psalm 90:4 “For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night.”

2 Peter 3:8 “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.”

Gap Theory: Scoffield Reference Bible

“There are many variations of the gap theory. According to the author Weston Fields, the theory can be summarized as follows, ‘In the far distant dateless past, God created a perfect heaven and perfect earth. Satan was ruler of the earth which was peopled by a race of ‘men’ without any souls. Eventually, Satan, who dwelled in a garden of Eden composed of minerals (Eze 28), rebelled by desiring to become like God (Isa 14). Because of Satan’s fall, sin entered the universe and brought on the earth God’s judgment in the form of a flood (indicated by the water of Gen 1:2), and then a global ice age when the light and heat from the sun were somehow removed. All the plant, animal, and human fossils upon the earth today date from this ‘Lucifer’s flood’ and do not bear any genetic relationship with the plants, animals, and fossils living upon the earth today.

Some versions of the gap theory state that the fossil record (geologic column) formed over millions of years, and then God destroyed the earth with a catastrophe (i.e. Lucifer’s flood) that left it ‘without form and void.’”

Ken Ham What About the Gap & Ruin-Reconstruction Theories,” The New Answers Book 1, Page 52

Genesis 1:1–2 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 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.” The gap theory is the view that God created a fully functional earth with all animals, including the dinosaurs and other creatures we know only from the fossil record. Then, the theory goes, something happened to destroy the earth completely—most likely the fall of Satan to earth—so that the planet became without form and void. At this point, God started all over again, recreating the earth in its paradise form as further described in Genesis. The gap theory, which is distinct from theistic evolution and the day-age theory, is also called old-earth creationism, gap creationism, and the ruin-reconstruction theory.

Got Questions: https://www.gotquestions.org/gap-theory.html

Exodus 20:11 ““For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.”

1 Corinthians 15:20–28 “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

Days-Revelation

Another theory understands the days in Genesis as neither a literal twenty-four hour creative period nor long periods of time. This view teaches that God revealed His creative work in a series of visions over a six day period. This is known as the Revelational Day theory. The Genesis account is not a record of what God performed in six literal days but rather records the six days in which He revealed His creative acts to Moses. Bernard Ramm, who espoused this view, comments.

We believe . . . that creation was revealed in six days, not performed in six days. We believe that the six days are pictorial-revelatory days, not literal days nor age-days. The days are means of communicating to man the great fact that God is Creator, and that He is Creator of all (italics his) (Bernard Ramm, A Christian View Of Science And Scripture, Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1954, p. 151).

Consequently, each creative day recorded in Genesis would not constitute that which God created, but that which God revealed to Moses. Therefore there is no chronology of creation in the Genesis account.

There is another view which is similar to the vision hypothesis. This says that God revealed the six days of creation not by means of a vision, but rather by means of a historical narrative written on six tablets. P.J. Wiseman details the theory.

(1)The six days divided from each other by an evening and morning, do not refer to the time occupied by God in his acts and the duration of the process of Creation. (2)The six days refer to the time occupied in revealing to man the account of creation. (3)God rested (lit. ceased) on the seventh day not for his own sake but for man's sake, and because this revelation about Creation was finished on the sixth day, not because of that day (or period) the creation of the world was finished. (4)The narrative of Creation was probably written on six tablets. Later, it also appears to have become the custom in Babylonia to write the story of Creation on six tablets. (5)There is good and sufficient evidence to show that the first page of the Bible is the oldest document which has come down to us (P.J. Wiseman, Clues To Creation In Genesis, London, Marshall, Morgan & Scott, 1977, p. 110).

If the days are only revelatory, then we have no indication of time in the Genesis creation account. Therefore the earth and the universe could be millions of years old or relatively young. The text simply does not comment on the matter.

Blue Letter Bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/faq/don_stewart/don_stewart_656.cfm

Progressive Creation / Old earth Creationism

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.

Got Questions: https://www.gotquestions.org/progressive-creationism.html

Theistic Evolution / Evolutionary Creationism

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.

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.

Got Questions: https://www.gotquestions.org/theistic-evolution.html

Evolution / The Big Bang Theory

In scientific terms, evolution is a biological theory that explains how different types of living organisms have developed from preexisting forms through modifications across successive generations. It is a cornerstone of modern biology, emphasizing that all living things are related by common ancestry. Evolution involves processes such as natural selection, where individuals with advantageous traits have better survival and reproduction rates, leading to gradual changes in species over time. This theory also encompasses the study of evolutionary history and the mechanisms driving these changes, making it a fundamental concept for understanding the diversity and complexity of life on Earth.

Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/science/evolution-scientific-theory

Structure of the text:

God said...

God saw...

In some, God called...

God saw that it was good...

There was evening and there was morning, a … day.

After each kind

God blessed....multiply

Biblical View:

Yom means a 24 hour period in Genesis 1–2:4. How do we know this?

Why a Day Matters

When did sin enter the world?

Genesis 3

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—”

When did the curse enter the world?

Genesis 3

Romans 8:22 “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.”

When did death enter the world?

Genesis 3

What did Adam and Eve, along with the animals eat?

What they ate:

Vegetation:

Genesis 1:29–30 “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; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.”

Genesis 2:16 “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;”

They started eating meat:

Genesis 9:3–4 ““Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. “Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

When was there a mass killing of plants, animals, and humans?

The Flood: Gen 5:1b-6:9a The generations of Noah

When did God say everything was very good? What did He say was good?

Day 6: Genesis 1:31

What is the new heaven and new earth going to be like?

Revelation 21:4 NASB95

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

8. Was Adam the first man?

1 Corinthians 15:45 “So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Gen 1

The difference in views is Eisegesis vs. Exegesis

Hermeneutics:

The overall methodology to study texts. Exegesis is part of hermeneutics.

Eisegesis:

When a person uses an outside idea to interpret the text. This can come from other texts or other ideologies and belief systems, such as evolution.

Exegesis:

This is start of hermeneutics. Exegesis is understanding the text from the point of view of the author with a specific audience in mind in a way familiar with their time. Once a text is understood in accordance with the context of the text, we can then see if anything applies to us.

We need boundaries on how we interpret the text, and Prov 30:5-6.

When we look at words from Scripture, they have a specific syntax. Meaning depending on the usage of the word, its definition can have different meanings. So, what are the different words for day:

Yom: Used 2,301 times in the OT.

1. The Day of the Lord: Meaning Time

2. Circling Jericho for seven days: Literal 24 hour periods

Why is it we understand every time day was used in every other place in the old testament, we don’t seem to understand the definition of “Day” in the Old Testament, why is this?

Lexicons, definitions of a language, state the word yom is a 24 hour day.

Uses of “Day” outside of Genesis:

“Day” (Plural or singular) + Number (410 times) = Ordinary Day

“Evening” and “Morning” Together without “Day” (38 times) = Ordinary Day

“Evening” or “Morning” with “Day” (23 times) = Ordinary Day

“Night” with “Day” (52 times) = Ordinary Day

So, when does “Day” qualify, from the language, and ordinary day? When it is qualified with a number, when it is with “Evening” or “Morning,” or when it is used with “Night.” So, we know when a day means an ordinary day.

Examples:

Genesis 33:13

Genesis 34:25

Ex 13:22

Josh 5:13-6

Psalm 102:2

God’s Daily Creations

What they were:

Day 1: Light (Day & Night), but not the sun, moon, or stars

Day 2: Land (Not earth like Gen 1:1)

Day 3: Vegetation

Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars, as signs for seasons, days, and years.

Day 5: Sea Creatures

Day 6: Everything that creeps on the earth, and Adam

Day 7: God rested and created the seven-day week

The Summary of Genesis 1:1-2:4: Genesis 2:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 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.

According to Henry Morris, this could be restated to say “The generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created...”

“This section, describing the initial Creation and the work of the six days, has no human name attached to it, for the obvious reason that no man was present at the time to record what happened. It must either have been written directly by God Himself and then given to Adam, or else given by revelation to Adam, who then recorded it.” (Page 28, The Genesis Record, Henry Morris)

Application:

Changing creation changes the order in which history happened

When sin and death entered the world

Impact of sin and death

The flood

Changing creation changes what God defines as very good

Changing creation changes what the new heavens and earth will be