Creation

INTRODUCTION

This evening, our focus is on creation

We are not going to look at creation from a scientific point of view:

There are two good resources: Answers in Genesis and Institute of Creation Research.

My belief in creation is not viewed through the lens of science but on what God says.

THREE MAIN VIEWS ON BIBLICAL CREATION

The Gap Theory

The Age/Day theory

Literal theory

Gap Theory

Defined:

refers to God's initial perfect creation. Everything that God made was beautiful, there was no sin anywhere. Verse two assumes that a great catastrophe occurred that caused the earth to become in a chaotic and ruined state through the judgment of God. Those holding the Gap Theory contend that this state of ruin could have possibly lasted millions of years.

Gap theorist view everything from the lens that God would never create anything without form, void and darkness; therefore, verse 2 cannot be connected with verse 1.

Defense:

a. The Hebrew word “Waw” in is a Conjunction and Disjunctive.

25,000 times conjunctive - And

3,000 disjunctive - But

b. the word “was” could be translated as “became” or “had become.”

c. There are plenty of other Hebrew constructions that could be used in cryptic ways to validate the Gap Theory.

Answers to the Gap Theory

a. There is no mention of creation - According to the Gap Theory, there is no clear word from God concerning the original creation. Nothing is known as to the order of events or its history.

b. Genesis is not a cryptic account of creation - is written as a straightforward account of God's creation - not some cryptic record. If God had meant to inform us of a gap between the first two verses, He could have clearly done that.

c. No earlier creation taught anywhere else in the Bible.

d. Contrary to scripture

Genesis 2:3–4 KJV 1900

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. These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

,

Exodus 20:11 KJV 1900

For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

e.

e. No death before sin - The Gap Theory says that millions of animals lived and died not only before Adam, but also before the fall of Satan. But how could there be death in a sinless world? The Bible says that death was a result of sin:

Romans 5:12 KJV 1900

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

f. In order for the word “was” to be translated “became” there has to be a cause:

Psalm 118:22 KJV 1900

The stone which the builders refused Is become the head stone of the corner.

g. Creation is a picture of salvation

The Age/Day Theory

Defined:

The word Hebrew word translated “day” does mean period of time in parts of the Old Testament. This includes the context of Genesis. Since science has shown the earth and universe to be billions of years of age, this is the best way to understand the term in .

Defense:

a. Metaphorical

Proverbs 11:4 KJV 1900

Riches profit not in the day of wrath: But righteousness delivereth from death.

Psalm 90:4 KJV 1900

For a thousand years in thy sight Are but as yesterday when it is past, And as a watch in the night.

2 Peter 3:8 KJV 1900

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

b. Animal death

c. Seventh Day

b. Events on the sixth day

Animals

Adam and Eve

c. The seventh day in could not refer to an actual 24- hour period

There is not evening and morning

d. The “Day” of Cannot Be 24 Hours Long

Answers the the Age/Day Theory

a. Not the natural reading - The age/day view has to be read into the text. It is not the natural way to read nor the statements in Exodus that God created the world in six days. If God wanted to inform us that the creation occurred long ages ago, there are a number of ways in which He might have clearly said it.

b. Evening and morning

c. Adam could have named the animals on the 6th day

d. The Hebrew has words to express age

d. The arguments generally produced by those who ascribe to the word day here an unlimited duration of time are untenable. They say that the word day is not to be taken here in its literal meaning is evident from chapter 2:4, for the portion of time spoken of in the first chapter of Genesis as six days is spoken of in the second chapter as one day. But the word used in the first six days is the simple noun, whereas in chapter 2:4 it is a compound of the day of with the preposition in. which, according to the genius of the Hebrew language, makes it an adverb, and must be translated, when, at the time of , after. - example

f. What about the difference between the first six days and the seventh day in ?

example

There was structure for the first six days of creation:

“God said . . .”

Literal Creation

Literal Creation

“Let there be . . .”

Genesis 1:14 KJV 1900

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

“There was . . . ”

“God saw that it was good.”

“There was evening and morning . . .”

The Day of rest?

Olam

Genesis 6:3 KJV 1900

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Defined:

g. How to answer - It is axiomatic in hermeneutics (the science of biblical interpretation) that "a text without a context is a pretext."

Genesis 9:12 KJV 1900

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

Tamid

Leviticus 24:2 KJV 1900

Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

is a unit. The context speaks of scoffers in the last days who will ridicule the second coming of Christ.

is a unit. The context speaks of scoffers in the last days who will ridicule the second coming of Christ. Their rationale is uniformitarian in nature: Jesus promised to come quickly, He has not come yet, therefore He is not going to come at all. Peter refutes these uniformitarian assumptions with a reference to the Flood and the certainty of judgment for these scoffers. Then, responding to the charge that Christ has failed to fulfill His promise, Peter writes the words in question, and concludes by reaffirming the certainty of the second coming of Christ.

Their rationale is uniformitarian in nature: Jesus promised to come quickly, He has not come yet, therefore He is not going to come at all. Peter refutes these uniformitarian assumptions with a reference to the Flood and the certainty of judgment for these scoffers.

Then, responding to the charge that Christ has failed to fulfill His promise, Peter writes the words in question, and concludes by reaffirming the certainty of the second coming of Christ.

Verse 8 was never intended to be a mathematical formula of 1 = 1000 or 1000 = 1. The point is that God created time, as well as the universe, and therefore stands above it (cf. ). While we mortals think 1000 years is a long time, God can scan 1000 years of history — past and future — as quickly as we can scan from one end of the horizon to the other.

Verse 8 was never intended to be a mathematical formula of 1 = 1000 or 1000 = 1. The point is that God created time, as well as the universe, and therefore stands above it (cf. ). While we mortals think 1000 years is a long time, God can scan 1000 years of history — past and future — as quickly as we can scan from one end of the horizon to the other.