Is Genesis History 2

Read Proverbs 3:19

Proverbs 3:19 KJV 1900

19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; By understanding hath he established the heavens.

Two QUESTIONS

1. Why are questions concerning origins so controversial?

2. How important are the first chapters of Genesis to our lives today?

The Doctrine of Revelation

The Bible is a book made up of different types of writing: history, laws, songs, prophecy, wisdom, and letters.

One thing these writings have in common is their authors assumed they were writing about real people and events.

As Peter explains:(2 Peter 1:16-18)

2 Peter 1:16–18 KJV 1900

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

There are many internal indicators that biblical writers were referring to actual events.

The authors provide specific dates, identify locations, describe geographical features, or point out man-made monuments that were still existing when the original readers read the text.

Actual events such as the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, the giving of the Law to Moses, or the anointing of King David are the bedrock on which every type of biblical writing is based.

In other words, the Bible is essentially a book of history.

Note that the word ‘history’ can be used in two related ways:

1. ‘History’ can refer to the written record of people and events in time (as in, ‘the book of Kings is a history of Israel’);

2. ‘History’ can be used in a more comprehensive sense to refer to the actual people and events themselves (as in, ‘David’s flight from Saul is history’).

In this study, we will primarily use ‘history’ in the latter sense.

The Apostle Paul points out the connection between historical events and what the authors of the Bible reveal about those events when he tells the Corinthians:

(1 Corinthians 15:14-15)

1 Corinthians 15:14–15 KJV 1900

14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

1 Corinthians 15:14-15) Paul sees history as being directly connected to what he and the other apostles are revealing to people through their preaching. He explains that:

(Galatians 1:11)

Galatians 1:11 KJV 1900

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

What is revelation?

Revelation is God’s act of revealing Himself through His words and actions to people throughout the history of the world.

He has revealed Himself generally through the physical attributes of the creation itself.

We see this in Psalm 19 where David says:

This is known as General Revelation.

God has also revealed Himself through personal manifestations and spoken words.

Psalm 19 continues: This kind of revelation is known as Special Revelation.

Special Revelation is the revelation that is included in the books of the Bible.

It is what Paul was referring to when he talked about the revelation that God provided to him and the other apostles.

It is also what Peter is referring to when he explains that

(2 Peter 1:21) Although General Revelation provides us enough knowledge to know that God exists, it does not provide a record of His words and deeds in time.

2 Peter 1:21 KJV 1900

21 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.

This is why Special Revelation is so important: we cannot know what God has actually done in the past unless He specifically tells us.

There are three important points to the doctrine of revelation:

1

From the beginning of time, men and women were placed in the world so they could perceive God’s power and divinity in the creation and worship Him.

Read Romans 1:18-20

Romans 1:18–20 KJV 1900

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

What is the truth being suppressed by certain men?

The truth of General Revelation that God is powerful and divine, and should therefore be worshiped by everyone.

Because this truth has been revealed through what God has made, those who reject it are without an excuse.

What is “plain to them,” and how is it perceived?

God’s invisible attributes are made visible through the creation, specifically His eternal power and divine nature.

These can be seen by looking at the world around us, whether it is looking at a sunrise, seeing a mountain peak, watching the way a bird flies, or studying the complexity of DNA.

Every aspect of creation reveals something about God.

What is the purpose of God revealing Himself through His creation?

He desires men and women everywhere to know Him and worship Him. In the verses immediately following this statement, Paul explains what happens to people who choose to worship the creation instead of the Creator: they eventually turn to sexual sin.

Why does Paul say God’s attributes have been clearly perceived “ever since the creation of the world”?

He wants to show there has never been a time when man was not present on the earth to worship God.

Paul is referring back to Genesis 1 and the creation of Adam and Eve on the sixth day of creation as the starting point for the worship of God.

Is there a connection between those who reject God’s General Revelation and the desire to use intellectual disciplines (such as philosophy and science) to argue that He does not exist?

Yes, these are examples of different ways of suppressing the truth.

People are turning to the creation to worship it instead of God.

That worship can take many different manifestations, whether bowing down to an idol made of wood or an idol made of intellectual ideas.

In the case of modern science, many people have taken the natural world and set it up as the maker of all things.

Atheistic evolutionary theory is the idolatrous idea of the progressive self-creation of all things.

2

God spoke to select men who accurately recorded His words and actions, as well as the events surrounding them.

Read Exodus 24:3-4

Exodus 24:3–4 KJV 1900

3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do. 4 And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Read Numbers 33:1-2

Numbers 33:1–2 KJV 1900

1 These are the journeys of the children of Israel, which went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.

Why is it important to God that His words and actions, as well as the events surrounding them, be recorded?

God reveals Himself through words and actions at specific places and times; they are a part of history.

For instance, the Ten Commandments were spoken three months after the Israelites left Egypt.

They are God’s verbal commands intended to guide His people, so He instructed Moses to write them down for future generations to remember and follow.

God also instructs Moses to write down the stages (or steps) of the people on their journey. He wants them to remember how He guided them, protected them, and provided for them at a certain time and place, so they can trust that He will do it again in the future.

How important is Special Revelation for knowing what God said and did in the past?

God’s Special Revelation is the only way for us to know exactly what God has said and done in the past.

When it comes to questions about origins, therefore, it is very important that we start with Special Revelation.

As God’s interactions with Moses on Mt. Sinai reveal, He was intentional about what He wanted Moses to write down.

We must therefore be careful to base our understanding of history on what God has revealed to us about it.

Can General Revelation be used to know what God said or did in the past?

No, General Revelation is intended to reveal the invisible attributes of God such as His power and nature; it was not intended to reveal His words and deeds.

In a sense, General Revelation is “ahistorical” since it occurs in the same way for all people at all times.

There are some people who say the Bible is “true” but that the events it describes are not actual history. Is there a problem thinking this way?

When talking about the death and resurrection of Jesus, Paul points out that if it did not actually happen, there is no hope for salvation.

We all naturally understand that actions have consequences: if we don’t fill up our car with gas, it will stop running; if we lock a door and lose the key, we cannot open it.

Truth is therefore connected to reality: if something is said to have happened, but did not, then it cannot also be true.

3

God expects us to know the events recorded in the Bible and accept them as history so we can direct our lives according to what He has said and done.

Read Matthew 19:3-6

Matthew 19:3–6 KJV 1900

3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Why does Jesus quote the account of the first marriage in Genesis 2 to address the Pharisees’ question about divorce?

Jesus looks at the creation of the first man and woman—and their marriage in the garden—as the model for all other marriages.

Adam and Eve were therefore the standard for all marriages coming after them.

Why is it important for Jesus’ argument that the account in Genesis 2 be historically true?

Jesus is making the claim that what God did in the garden has direct consequences for all marriages after it.

If the original marriage of Adam to Eve was not real, then it does not have authority over any other marriage. Jesus, however, points out there was an original structure to God’s created order, and divorce was not part of it.

How important are a real Adam and Eve to the life and work of Jesus?

They are absolutely essential. Luke 3 shows that Jesus connects His lineage directly back to Adam as the first “son of God.”

The consequences of Adam’s sin were the reason mankind and the world became corrupted and in need of salvation. Jesus came to earth to save us from the results of Adam’s sin.

Closing Thoughts

The doctrine of revelation is the foundation of how we know who God is and what He has done in the world.

Revelation, therefore, is where we must start when considering the question of origins.

General Revelation reveals God’s invisible attributes to the entire world, but it cannot tell us anything specific about history.

It is therefore left to Special Revelation to reveal God’s words and actions in time.

Together, these two types of Revelation provide us an accurate, yet inexhaustible, fount of knowledge about creation and God Himself.

History, Science, and Authority

In the video clip, George Grant points out it was during the Enlightenment that a tension emerged between the authority of science and the authority of the Bible.

The ground of struggle was whether the history recorded in the Bible or the history constructed by late 18th- and early 19th-century scientists was more authoritative.

That struggle for authority remains with us today. What is the proper relationship between history and science?

Dr. Grant explains that: “History is what helps shape and direct science itself, not the other way around. We need to understand what happened, and then science can help us understand how it happened.”

Let’s take a moment to look deeper at both history and science.

What is history?

Earlier, we said ‘history’ can be used in two related ways:

1. ‘History’ can refer to the written record of people and events in time (as in, ‘the book of Kings is a history of Israel’);

2. ‘History’ can be used in a more comprehensive sense to refer to the actual people and events themselves (as in, ‘David’s flight from Saul is history’)

We regularly use both senses of history in our normal lives. In fact, our entire civilization is based on an understanding that the past contains real events that can be recorded and known today.

Just consider the importance of history to finance, healthcare, education, business, construction, politics, and the arts. Although people sometimes disagree as to what happened in the past (this is one of the reasons for the judicial system), no one disagrees that something actually happened.

What is science?

Just like history, ‘science’ can be used in two related ways:

1. ‘Science’ can refer to the process of studying the natural world in order to create a body of knowledge to help explain, predict, and control it.

2. ‘Science’ can refer to the body of knowledge itself that is used to describe the natural world.

Throughout the history of science, people have struggled with two basic problems: we are extremely limited in our human ability to study and understand the natural world; and the natural world is overwhelmingly complex.

In an attempt to overcome these problems, those pursuing science have always used “paradigms” or deductive frameworks to explain the data they discover.

A paradigm could be compared to a pair of sunglasses used to see outside on a sunny day.

Paradigms include sets of assumptions that help make sense of the immense amount of complex data—much of which cannot be identified, much less understood—throughout the world.

For instance, the paradigm of “plate tectonics” has helped geologists explain movements in the earth’s crust.

There are still observations and data, however, that the current paradigm of plate tectonics cannot explain.

Nevertheless, it was considered a better paradigm than the view held until the 1960s, and will continue until it is replaced.

Unfortunately, paradigms can only alleviate the two problems, not solve them.

When one looks at the history of scientific thought, it is clear that paradigms change and adjust over time as a result of new discoveries, new ideas, and new understandings. In many instances, the same data are seen differently from one generation to the next.

The crust of the earth is a good example; clearly everyone could see it.

One generation, however, thought it was static; another thought it moved.

Curiously, each contemporary generation thinks it has arrived at the most accurate views of the world. One can go back in history to see this. Yet even the most brilliant paradigms have been changed or replaced by following generations.

This has happened so many times throughout the history of science, it leads one to question the absolute authority of scientific statements.

After all,if conclusions about the same data keep changing, how is it possible that scientists have arrived at the truth?

What are the different types of science?

There are at least three different types of science.

1. First, there is operational science, which performs experiments to explain and predict current and future events. Operational science is used in disciplines like chemistry, physics, or biology to try to describe the way the physical world or living organisms operate.

2. Next, there is historical science, which performs experiments and gathers evidence to make interpretations about what happened in the past. Historical science is used in disciplines like geology or paleontology to try to re-construct what happened in history.

3. There is another type of science called applied science. This is what we are most familiar with in terms of technology such as cell phones or medicine. Engineers and inventors often use observations about the natural world to create new things that rely on an understanding of how the world operates.

Most people are not aware of these distinctions, but usually lump everything together when talking about “science.” This inevitably leads to confusion.

For instance, applied science has practical applications we can see and use, often based on the experimental findings of operational science.

Historical science, on the other hand, cannot do experiments on what happened in the past; it can only do experiments in the present and examine pre-existing data to suggest explanations for rock formations and fossils.

Nevertheless, the authority of one type of science is often extended to other types of science.

Just because we have cell phones does not mean every aspect of physics and chemistry believed today is accurate.

In fact, although it may be surprising, the history of physics and chemistry is full of experimental ideas which “worked,” which were accepted by brilliant men, and which have now been discarded.

This criticism applies even more strongly to the historical sciences, in which no experiments can be done on the past.

Rather, evidence is gathered and fit into a historical paradigm. We should therefore be very careful about the authority of statements of historical science, especially those that reject the Bible as an authority.

Can science “tell” us anything?

Consider a phrase you may have heard: “Science tells us that…” with some observation or idea attached to the end.

‘Science,’ however, doesn’t tell us anything. Rather, scientists who have particular views tell us things about the world that may be more or less accurate.

To say “science tells us…” is to indulge in the poetic trope of ‘personification.’

After all, no has ever met Science and had a conversation with her.

One of the intentions of personifying science in this way is to make ‘Science’ more authoritative. This approach often comes up in discussions about origins, with some people granting to science an absolute authority it does not actually have. Science instead represents a variety of competing views of the world which change over time.

This is the reason science textbooks are constantly being updated. Scientific knowledge is not fixed, but is slowly shifting in one direction or another as paradigms change.

It is not easy for the average person to see this since he is not privy to the latest scientific journals and debates. However, one need only pick up a science textbook that is 50, 100, or 150 years old, and it quickly becomes apparent how much things have changed in a relatively brief span of time.

This creates an additional problem for the authority of science.

If science has changed as much as it has in the past century, how much more will it change in the next 50, 100, or 150 years?

How many things that we are “absolutely sure we know” will be the laughingstock of future generations?