01-02 God's Great Creation
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Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1
I don’t know if you were aware or not—a week ago yesterday (Feb 12) was the anniversary of the birthday of Charles Darwin born 1809. Feb 12 has been established as “Darwin Day” to honor the life’s work and achievement of Charles Darwin—celebrated all over the world.
Darwin, of course publicized his groundbreaking theory on the development of life, that is evolution by the process of natural selection. The theory of evolution is accepted by the vast majority of scientists today.
in 2019 Pew Research Center conducted a survey about American adults views of evolution. 1 in 5 reject the idea that life on earth has evolved at all. On the surface that seems great (20% of adults reject evolution). The other side of that is what? 80% accepting it. The survey found that among those who do accept theory of evolution that roughly half of them believe evolution is an instrument of God’s will (believe to some degree in “theistic evolution”).
Evolutionary theory is generally credited to Darwin but it did not originate with him.
Anaximander (d. 547 BC)
Born in Miletus (coast of Asia Minor)
Studied under Thales
1st Greek cartographer
The universe developed from the indeterminate and infinite (the boundless thru rotation)— “living creatures arose from the moist element as it evaporated by the sun. Man was like another animal, namely, a fish, in the beginning…the first living creatures were produced in the moist element and were covered with prickly integuments. As time went on they came out upon the drier parts and the integument breaking off, they changed their former manner of life.”
Empedocles (d. 435 BC)
Born in Sicily
Founded 1st great medical school
He believed the “roots” (rhizômata) of reality are the elements earth, air, fire, and water. They are original substances in the sense that they are uncreated and everlasting
Coined the term survival of the fittest and introduced it into Gk philosophy
So 2300 years before Darwin, theories, ideas, philosophies about the origin of the universe were already emerging by thinkers of the day. And these theories (including Darwinism) stand in direct contradiction to what is described in the book of Genesis regarding the origin of the universe (and all things outside of God).
Mosaic Authorship
You’ll recall from last time, it is my conviction (in line with Jewish tradition and NT affirmation) that Moses is the author of Genesis (Pentateuch) and that he wrote those books during the time following the Exodus (1434-33). Now, this is important because Moses and Israel have left the captivity of the Egyptians whose worship was polytheistic. It was their belief (and that of all other pagan nations) that creation was the work of gods and goddesses and these myths were very much at the heart of their religious celebrations—they actually reenacted the myths of conflicts of their gods and goddesses thinking that they could sustain the creation. Bruce Waltke explains that “Life, order and society depended on the faithful celebration of the ritual connected with the myth.” This was Egyptian religious life.
Homer Kent:
Genesis—Beginning and Blessing Chapter 1: Beginning
So Moses took them on. These opening lines would forever establish a true understanding about God, the universe, and humanity. Moses began with a radical and sweeping affirmation of monotheism over polytheism.
As Moses, under the inspiration of the HS writes Genesis he is refuting the errors of the pagan religions (as they developed myths regarding creation) and also teaching Israel about the nature of the One True God who is the Creator of all things.
Presuppositions
We then moved into 2 presuppositions (convictions that we begin with):
God Is
God Reveals Himself in the Bible
We start with a belief that there is One Creator God who reveals Himself in Scripture.
We can know Him:
“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.
For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
There is 1 God—who discloses Himself in the Bible, revealing that He is an eternal God who is the creator of everything.
Now, just a couple of points about the Bible (there is overwhelming joy in having confidence in your Bible). If it is God’s self-disclosure then Scripture accurately discloses this God who has revealed Himself…then the Bible must be:
1) Inerrant
1) Inerrant
Paul D. Feinberg
“When all facts are known, the scriptures in their original autographs and properly interpreted will be shown to be without error in all that they affirm to the degree of precision intended, whether that affirmation relates to doctrine, history, science, geography, geology, etc.”
Scripture is without error (the very words themselves) which emphasizes the truthfulness of all that is revealed in God’s Word. God revealed His truth to humans and in that process of revelation—no mistakes were made.
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.
2) Infallible
2) Infallible
“Does not make mistakes”
In John 10:35 Jesus affirms that “Scripture cannot be broken”
“Scripture cannot be broken.” The Gk “to loose or destroy.” Scripture cannot be destroyed, loosed/emptied of its force, and cannot be made void b/c it is the Word of God.
Scripture is infallible. It does not err, it does not make mistakes. How is that possible? B/c Scripture is inspired by God, “breathed out” it is a true reflection of His nature. If scripture makes mistakes, then God makes mistakes.
When we speak of the infallibility what we’re saying is the Bible is incapable of failing. All that Scripture teaches is objectively, perfectly true.
What the Bible says about capital punishment is true
Marriage and divorce
Nature/condition of man
History or the future
That there was an historical man named Adam and his wife, Eve
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
Now, some will say, “well, God’s Word was never intended to be a science textbook, a history textbook, or whatever” That’s true, that is not the nature of Scripture. But what these truths do show us that whenever God’s word speaks about science, or creation, or history, or geology, chronology, geography…etc it speaks with 100% accuracy by the One who created the universe and intimately knows and infinitely understands every detail.
Well known scientist who died 1903—Herbert Spencer, was noted for 1 great discovery—theory of causation. He basically discovered that everything in the universe falls into 1 of 5 categories—time, force, action, space and matter.
He was a careful observer. Unfortunately, all he had to do was read the 1st verse of the Bible: Gen 1:1 “In the beginning (time) God (force) created (action) the heavens (space) and the earth (matter).”
What man discovered only in the 19th C—God revealed at the very first...
2 Laws of Thermodynamics:
Every scientific measurement to date confirms the validity of these laws. As far as we know, they govern all processes of every sort…physics, chemistry, biology, geology and the host of every other scientific discipline.
1st Law of Thermodynamics…(AKA law of conservation of energy) “energy in a system can be neither created nor destroyed.” One form of energy can be converted into another, one state of matter can be converted into another and even interconversions b/t mass/energy but the total mass/energy in the universe remains constant.
Does Scripture confirm this well established law?
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
2nd Law of Thermodynamics…energy available for useful work in a system tends to decrease even though energy remains constant. Isaac Asimov "Another way of stating the second law then is: 'The universe is constantly getting more disorderly!”
You see the impact of this law all around…which Einstein called “the premier law of all science.”
If you let anything go it will deteriorate. If you let your desk go—get disorderly, car, home, body, etc…
This is refer to as the law of “Entropy” Gk term meaning “In-turning”
What does Scripture say about it?
“Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. “Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.
“Lift up your eyes to the sky, Then look to the earth beneath; For the sky will vanish like smoke, And the earth will wear out like a garment And its inhabitants will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not wane.
And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands; They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment,
Hydrology
The science of water and its cycle. In the 17th C men began to figure out the hydrological cycle: 3 words: evaporation, condensation, precipitation. Water evaporates from the great bodies of water on the earth. That water condenses in the clouds which move over the land and it falls in the form of precipitation (rain, snow, hail, sleet…) where it runs back to those bodies of water and begins all over again.
That’s very basic stuff—where they teach it to 2nd graders. God is not creating new water but its all recycled. The water in your faucet isn’t new water created by God—it’s the same stuff that’s been around for a long time.
The dominant theory until the 17th C is that massive subterranean reservoirs kept turn out new water. We know that even those reservoirs are part of the cycle b/c of seepage.
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.
“For He draws up the drops of water, They distill rain from the mist, Which the clouds pour down, They drip upon man abundantly.
Astronomy
In the field of astronomy...Fascinating study that becomes more intensive with technological advances. Some crazy ideas came about in astronomy: most thought the earth was a flat disc (CD). Then Copernicus (1473-1543) discovered that the earth was in motion. Of course people thought he was crazy b/c you can’t feel the motion. When the telescope was invented you had a new focused pursuit by men like Kepler & Galileo.
Up to that point, Hippocrates (one of the great minds) said there were 1022 stars. Ptolemy said no there 1056. Kepler said you’re both wrong—1055.
‘As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’ ”
100 billion stars in our galaxy alone—in the observable universe there are at least 2 trillion galaxies.
Pieter van Dokkum tripled the past estimate which was 100 sextillion (1 w/ 21 zeros) stars—
As a consequence, when estimating how much of a galaxy’s mass stars actually account for which is important to understanding a galaxy’s life history – astronomers basically had to assume that the relative abundance of red-dwarf stars found in the Milky Way held true throughout the universe for every galaxy type and at every epoch of the universe’s evolution, Dr. van Dokkum says. “We always knew that was sort of a stretch, but it was the only thing we had. Until you see evidence to the contrary you kind of go with that assumption.” That was a huge admission! If every “scientist” had that sort of honesty evolution would be reduced to a fanciful, imaginary hypothesis.
There was an ancient eastern book that said earth was surrounded by 7 layers of sugar, honey and butter.
Oldest book of the Bible:
“He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing.
“Have you ever in your life commanded the morning, And caused the dawn to know its place, That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, And the wicked be shaken out of it? “It is changed like clay under the seal; And they stand forth like a garment.
What is the “clay under the seal?” (MacArthur study Bible) “Documents written on clay tablets were signed using personal engraved seals upon which was written the bearer’s name. The Hebrew for “changed” is “turned.” It conveys the idea that the earth is turned or rotated like a cylindrical seal rolled over the soft clay. Such rolling cylinder seals were found in Babylon. This speaks of the earth, rotating on its axis, an amazing statement that only God could reveal in ancient days. The dawn rolls across the earth as it rotates.”
“When He imparted weight to the wind And meted out the waters by measure,
Nobody understood there was weight in the wind until the 17th C.
Some of the most basic areas of science, you see the Bible speaking clearly, with authority and accuracy—should give you great confidence in all that God has revealed.
So we start with some presuppositions. Moses doesn’t write to prove God’s existence—it can be accepted or rejected. Your Bible, which wasn’t designed as a textbook, nevertheless is infallible on every matter that it touches on. There’s confidence in that. There’s an assurance that our faith isn’t irrational (this is what the evolutionist claims—shaming the Xn for denying their precious theory)…and when you begin to see the massive cracks that develop in the theory of evolution—believing in a supernatural and creative God is the only rational explanation for the existence of the universe.
If we take the Bible at face value…then we believe God has infinite intelligence and power to speak all created matter into existence and we also believe that He has recorded in detail, a comprehensive account of How, When and Why he created us.
In Gen 1:1, we’ll see the method, timing and purpose of God’s great creation.
I. The Method of Creation
I. The Method of Creation
God reveals the fact that He alone is responsible for the existence of all creation—He alone created all matter and life. This immediately stands at odds with world of science (especially evolution which teaches: (Encyclopedia Britannica “the various types of plants, animals, and other living things on Earth have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations…The virtually infinite variations on life are the fruit of the evolutionary process. All living creatures are related by descent from common ancestors. Humans and other mammals descend from shrewlike creatures that lived more than 150 million years ago; mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes share as ancestors aquatic worms that lived 600 million years ago; and all plants and animals derive from bacteria-like microorganisms that originated more than 3 billion years ago.”)—this isn’t really true empirical science (theory—offered by the naturalist who denies a supernatural cause to every law or every force operating in the universe—and especially not God) Evolution is a theory that has never been established as fact (and never will).
Definition of “Science”
“the state of knowing : knowledge as distinguished from ignorance or misunderstanding”
Definition of “Scientific Method”
The principles and procedures for the systematic pursuit of knowledge involving the recognition and formulation of a problem, the collection of data through observation and experiment, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses. This method must include:
Observation
Experimentation
Falsifiability—Karl Popper necessary criterion of genuine science. A hypothesis must in principle be testable and capable of being refuted if it is truly “scientific”
Repeatability
If this is truly the scientific method—then neither creation nor evolution falls into the category of “science.” No such thing as “creation science”; no “evolutionary science.” Therefore, whether creation or evolutionism, naturalism…must be confined to the realm of faith/religion (creationism, evolution and naturalism are all systems of belief).
We believe it is:
Belief in creation is a key tenet of our Xn faith:
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Science is limited when it comes to understanding the origin of the universe. Historical science is based on assumptions. You can’t observe original creation, you can’t repeat it, so the theories scientists derive about the origin of the universe are obscured by their presumptions of naturalism.
All creation testifies of the Creator and His nature:
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Many modern evolutionists claim that one cannot be a true scientist if he believes in creation. So is there any basic compatibility b/t science and Xn theism (belief that there is 1 true God who created the universe as He described)? I think you might be surprised:
Scientist William Paley (d. May 1805) introduced one of the most famous metaphors in the philosophy of science.
If you happened to be walking along and you see a pocket watch on the ground: Paley says “when we come to inspect the watch [we realize] that its several parts are framed and put together for a purpose. That they are so formed and adjusted as to produce motion, and that motion so regulated as to point out the hour of the day and if the different parts had been differently shaped from what they are, or placed after any other manner or in any other order that that in which they were placed, either no motion at all would have been carried on in the machine, or none which would have kept perfect time. The inference is obvious—the watch had a watchmaker.”
Living organisms, Paley argued are even more complicated than watches and only a designer could have created them. “The marks of design are too strong to be got over. Design must have had a designer. That designer must have been a person. That person is God.”
We don’t rest on Paley’s argument—though we would agree with it.
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.
You can’t really look at creation and deny there is a creator. Creation boldly and constantly testifies to this truth—even though it stands contrary to naturalism and evolutionary thinking.
Many other great founders of science (in their fields of study) believed in creation and the fundamental doctrines of Xn faith.
Scientists and their scientific disciplines
Isaac Newton—Dynamics
Johann Kepler—Astronomy
Robert Boyle—Chemistry
Lord Kelvin—Thermodynamics
Louis Pasteur—Bacteriology
Matthew Maury—oceanography
Michael Faraday—Electromagnetics
James Clerk Maxwell—electrodynamics (Electromagnetic radiation)
John Ray—Biology
Carolus Linnaeus—Taxonomy (classification of organisms)
Christian scientists (not the cult) have served in very valuable roles to help us understand the world in which we live and that which God has created. And you can take science and the discovery of natural laws at work within the universe (those which are subjected to the scientific method) and they point back to the reality of creation and support what the Bible says:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
True science does not conflict with this...
And yet a more compelling reason to believe God is the creator is b/c He has recorded that truth on our hearts. The only reason people believe evolution is b/c they have suppressed that truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18). Men are sinners and will do whatever it takes to replace God, the universal Judge who has given a universal moral law and holds every person accountable to His perfectly righteous standard. So evolution and the naturalist say “we don’t want that...” and promote their system of beliefs:
Genesis is a myth
We are all animals
All life has evolved (no dignity, value, purpose to human life, accident of nature)
Not so with creation: which stands diametrically opposed to every other philosophy—man made theories of the origin of the universe (all matter and all life). God created...
Gen 1—So…How did God create? By what method?
Gen 1:1-5
God spoke. Without effort. That’s it. Spoke all things into existence—theologians refer to this as creation by fiat (Latin “let it be done”).
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created.
10 times Gen 1 records “then God said” 10 creative acts of speaking—God simply willed it, and expressed His will in word (by speaking)...and all that He will came into existence.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
For by Him 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.
Bible emphatically teaches that God is the great cause of all things—He simply speaks and they appear. There is no room for evolution in Gen 1 (I’ll talk a bit about this next time and some of the other theories of creation that are held). Time, space and matter have an absolute beginning—evolution cannot account for this—in fact, it must stress the eternality of all material)
OT & NT affirm God as the Creator:
And, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the works of Your hands;
And so we don’t get confused about the One we are to worship—writer continues
They will perish, but You remain; And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up; Like a garment they will also be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.”
So God speaks the entire universe into existence. From what? What materials does He use to do this?
Heb word bara in this form it is always used of God in creation. When God creates bara He creates out of nothing— “ex nihilo”. God uses no pre-existing materials to create the heavens and the earth. John reminds us that there isn’t anything that exists that God didn’t create. So when He created the universe, He creates at the same time the materials that make up the universe.
So the question is rather simple…do you believe the Bible/take God at His Word (even when it contradicts modern thinking regarding the origin of the universe)?
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.