A Present / Active God - God creating with purpose

Comments of Science and Scripture

Read Genesis 1:1-3 –

Before we start today, I would like to talk about the elephant in the room.

What about science? What about the fact the general scientific community ‘knows’ that the universe is billions of years old, and absolutely discounts any thought of a 7 day creation.

I don’t want to spend a vast amount of time here, but I felt like a few minutes of discussion is appropriate.

At root the debate surrounds the theory of evolution verses the theory of Divine creation.

I. A present active God: Science and Genesis

A. An issue of data vs. theories

1. Theories are not the same as facts/data

2. Theories are proposed ideas that seek to account for the observed facts/data

3. The validity of a theory is established by how well experiments reproduce the events

4. MIT prof -

a. - Theories are attempts to account for what we observe

1) - Use experiments dispassionately to validate or invalidate any theory - the validity/usefulness of a theory rests totally in its ability to account for current experience. - Theories are not fact / theories often change or are wholly abandoned as we determine other theories better account for our experiences – this is not a problem – this is science as it learns. – when the theory does not account for the experience, it is time to develop a new theory

b. Creation is not reproducible – it can’t be tested directly with experiments – so creation theories will always be not only be based on current observations but also on assumptions that a person makes.

c. I propose that it is these assumptions that are the real issue.

1) Assumptions are assumed truths that are taken as assumed fact 2) Assumptions frame the development of theories 3) Assumptions are the foundations that we assume to be true. They are the things we choose to believe. Is here a God? Is He bound by the seeming laws of nature that we observe today? Could there have been an interruption of these 4) In essence we could consider these things the ‘faith’ basis on what we build off of. We can’t prove them – we merely assume that they are true.

One can call your assumptions – faith – that which you just choose to believe

If the assumptions are wrong – almost certainly the theories will be wrong.

So let’s look at the assumptions / the faith of science and Creationism

B. The faith of science – Must be a “no God” mechanism

The issue is one of man vs. God. By nature man does not want to acknowledge God, but to make himself God. Roman 1 – reject God / replace Him with the creation itself.

Romans 1:18

1. The ‘No God’ faith of secular science – Depend upon man, his capability to think, and observed nature alone

a. Not a mere issue of explaining observable facts – what are the rules to interpret the facts?

b. Basic assumption - There is no divine designer /creator/intervener in events

So to account for creation the only nonsupernatural explanations demand the following assumptions

c. Basic assumption – Everything started at zero (problematic where did that begin)

d. Basic assumption - All is governed by unchanging ‘natural laws’

e. Basic assumption – Continuity - No supernatural interruptions occur – all continues as it always has

f. Basic assumption – Everything evolved from zero based on unchanging ‘laws’

C. The faith of scripture – believe what God revealed Heb 11:1-3, 6

(ESV) Hebrews 11 1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ... 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. …

Hebrews 11 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

1. The God assumed faith of Christians – Depend upon God’s revelation of Himself as the only basis to interpret observed events with authority

2. Basic assumptions

a. Basic assumption – God exists

b. Basic assumption – God is all powerful and acts in this world

c. Basic assumption – God can/does transcend ‘natural’ laws as He desires – He is not bound by these ‘natural laws’ that seem to exist

d. Basic assumption – God has revealed the events of creation

e. Basic assumption – God is the personal creator of heaven and earth

f. Basic assumption – God created the world from things not of the world

3. Creation must be understood from the Word of God – an issue of faith in God’s Word

4. Things were not created based on things we observe / Supernatural means rather than natural means / not an evolved state from a zero point

5. There is a ‘seemingly’ clear narrative that describes the nature and time of events.

6. We will see that the natural reading of Genesis 1 is that seven 24 hour days resulted in the creation of all things

D. A few thoughts to consider

Just a few science vs. scripture issues to consider in the debate

1. Beware of reading into scripture just for the sake of trying to reconcile scripture to ‘apparent’ science that holds a ‘no god’ bias. – which do you choose to make the authority?

2. The order of creation does not easily allow for ‘natural’ evolution

a. Light before sun/moon/stars

b. Vegetation before the sun/moon/stars

3. The account of Adam/Eve creation and fall is absolutely essential to Biblical theology – could not have been evolved from creatures / the event of the fall must have actually occurred or later scripture makes no sense

4. The issue of the age of the earth

a. A cataclysmic flood would have made radical change more quickly than unchanging slow ‘ natural law’

b. Conditions preflood were different (age/canopy/etc.) ‘natural law’ ‘decay of elements’ may have all been different in various ways

c. Why is it necessary to view the earth as homogenous as God created it? Or was creation complex from the moment of creation? Was ground already structure in layers? Did oil exist? Fossils?

d. Things created had apparent age from the moment of creation

1) Light from stars had to be created simultaneously as the stars (up to millions of light years away yet visible) for it be viewable from earth 2) Adam/Eve looked like adults 3) Ground had to be fertile for plants – like it had decaying material to create soil 4) Trees likely had to have rings already or could not stand, etc.

e. It is possible that longer time can be built into various places to create an older earth, but that is not the normal sense one gets in the reading

5. Conclusion: Let scripture take the baseline

a. Let scripture critique science rather than using science to critique scripture

b. Better to take scripture for what it seems to say / If it doesn’t mean what it seems to say, how then can we ever understand it?

c. Recognize that at times scripture could simplify / leave things out / give metaphorical descriptions. But the straight forward understanding should be the assumed message unless there are major compelling reasons to think otherwise. Creation / Eschatology / etc.

Key point: creation was not random events / but purposeful creation by a mighty supernatural God

As we examine the rest of Genesis 1 we find a present and active God creating with purpose and design.

II. A Present / Active God: Creating structure for life

Creates form from the formless substance

A. Day 1 – Substance & light / darkness

(ESV) Genesis 1 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) at the beginning of v. 2 gives background information for the following narrative, explaining the state of things when “God said …” (v. 3).

v. 2 provides information about the state of things when God spoke, and

v. 3 begins the narrative per se with the typical narrative construction (vav [ו] consecutive followed by the prefixed verbal form).

1. Specific Day 1 creation

a. Substance of creation without form

b. Day / night cycles – one cycle=day

c. No indication of source of light

d. Light penetrates the darkness

e. Divisions of things begin

2. Light from God Himself?

(ESV) Revelation 22 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

3. Naming denotes authority

4. Day and night will later be defined as a sun cycle – no reason to believe that the same time frame is not now involved /

a. This day/night cycle is in no way differentiated from Day 4 when sun and moon are used to establish a 24 hour day/night cycle

b. Night / day cycle – Jewish way of reckoning / begin day at sunset

5. While a day with the Lord is as a thousand, here as He explains creation to man there is no reason to see anything except 24 hour days

B. Day 2 – separation of waters / atmosphere

(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.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

1. Created atmosphere – separate water on earth from water in the sky, i.e. cloud canopy

2. Heaven = sky (not heaven where God is/already there)

3. We can speculate, but let us be careful of putting massive weight behind our theories – this is all we can be certain of. The rest is theories based on observations just like evolutionists

C. Day 3 – dry land / vegetation

(ESV) Genesis 1 9 And God said, “Let the watersunder the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

1. Division of water and land

2. Not just a muddy mess / vegetation will also be created momentarily

3. Was there already layers of earth? Look like it had age /Mountains/hills look like it had age?

4. If movement of the land what age apparent changes occurred?

(ESV) Genesis 1 11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

5. Vegetation with apparent ages

a. Not a picture of a plowed garden in which God puts seeds to sprout

b. A picture of a world with mature vegetation as if it had existed for years

c. Trees must have rings to provide support

d. Vegetation must have apparent age in order to reproduce themselves(seeds) and provide what the animals will need for food (hay, blades of grass) in 3 more days

III. A present / active God: Bringing fullness and life

A. Day 4 – Sun/moon/stars

Creation now has the structure in place to support life Now God brings bringing fullness to His creation

(ESV) Genesis 1 14 And 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, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.

1. Made the sun / moon / stars – the universe as we know it

2. Not named intentionally? - Not gods / not to be worshipped

3. Stars an afterthought – have no power to control men’s lives

4. Intended to serve man not control him

a. Means of providing light on the earth rather than through God Himself

b. Means to tell time / direction / time of year changes

c. Note: plants already created before the sun – impossible naturally

5. Created with apparent age

a. In order for the light of these bodies to be visible from the earth God must also have created the photons from those bodies that extend the billions of light years to earth

b. In order to be a fully functional system and represent the beauty and majesty of God, again there is the appearance of age – set them where they are

1) Galaxies not just symmetrical but all types of shapes and in all sorts of apparent interactions with one another 2) Gasses around stars reflecting colors / in various forms and stages

6. Day/night cycle – Sun/moon,star=day (24 hours)

(ESV) Genesis 1 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

a. And it was good

B. Day 5 – Fish/birds

Now the world is ready for living / breathing / thinking creatures

(ESV) Genesis 1 20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly abovethe earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creaturethat moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

1. Creates ‘souls’ – living things (distinct from vegetation) – alive in a different way – seek to satisfy self/desires / self determination

2. Seas populated

a. Swarms of swarms / not just a few / but vast numbers / with diversity

b. Sea creatures that in other countries are viewed as competing with gods, are mere created animals – no power over man – just an example of the greatness of God

c. Creation of dinosaur swimming creatures – real great sea creatures/monsters

3. Atmosphere populated with birds / flying things

4. Fully populated, not evolving – created as is

a. Distinct from one another

b. Not an image of evolution / an image of an all powerful God who instantly creates a world of life with all its variety

5. First time God blesses –

(ESV) Genesis 1 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiplyand fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was eveningand there was morning, the fifth day.

a. Empowers to reproduce / enjoy all that was made for them

b. Beings acting with some level of volition

c. Totally different view of God

1) Is God distant and at work through far away means 2) Is God immanent, personally involved, independent of means / shocking in His might

C. Day 6 part 1 – Animals Gen 1:24-26

(ESV) Genesis 1 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

1. Animals created

a. Domesticated animals

b. Small animals

c. Large wild animals

d. Dinosaurs / ancient animals/ The key kinds that will branch out to be all that will descend from them

2. With distinction

3. Good

D. Day 6 part 2 – Mankind

1. Now ready for man

(ESV) Genesis 1 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominionover the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

(ESV) Genesis 1 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

(ESV) Genesis 1 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” … 30 … And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

God gives us a description of what He did in creating the universe. It seems clear. All future scripture will emerge from this view.

Rather than redefine it to fit an atheistic theory. Perhaps we should embrace it. Honor and worship Him. Let Him set the tone. And if we can interpret observed data in a way to fit this model fine. But this account alone is all we can be sure of.

Align with Him.

IV. A present / active God: A time to reflect

A. Day 7 – Rest Gen 2:1-3

(ESV) Genesis 1 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

2 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The creative work of God in us has ongoing ramifications for today. The same God lives. The same God is still involved. The same God is still at work.

Here are some examples for the prayers of the Godly that show how they responded as they applied God’ creative activity to their current situations.

B. Worship Revelation 4:11

1. In heaven the angels/elders

(ESV) Revelation 4 11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

C. Trust Him for deliverance 2 Kings 19:15-19

1. Hezekiah facing Assyria

(ESV) 2 Kings 19 15 And Hezekiah prayedbefore the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. … 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

D. Serve/witnessboldly Acts 4:24-29

1. Disciples after being imprisoned/warned by the Jews

(ESV) Acts 4 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earthand the sea and everything in them, … 29 And now, Lord, lookupon their threats and grantto your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,