The Most Astounding Chapter in the Bible, Creation, Part Two – Essential Doctrines, #47
“The first chapter of Genesis is not only the most remarkable chapter in the Bible but it is unique in all the literature of the world.” There is no vagueness here and no elaborate or grotesque descriptions as found in pagan mythologies. It is so simple a child could understand it. Thirty-one verses composed mostly of one and two syllable words. No descriptive adjectives or adverbs. No abstract concepts. It is reminiscent of the language of Jesus Christ in his parables and teachings. Truth does not need to be hidden beneath a screen of confusing verbiage.
And yet this is one of the most attacked chapters in the Bible; attacked in esoteric, confusing, and semi-scientific language. It is as if the prince of darkness would rob us of the enjoyment we ought to derive from celebrating creation. Scripture warns us; “that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19, NKJV). Satan has spread a blanket of lies throughout the earth to hide the glory of our creator.
However, as we wander through God’s handiwork on earth and stare at the heavens above we need to counter the devil’s propaganda with the glorious truth of God’s creative majesty. I stare at my hand and wonder at God’s infinite skill in creating this ambidextrous appendage that I use without thinking. I glance outside and see a storm building. On a clear night, I look up and try to count the stars. Inside, out of the corner of my eye, I glimpse movement. A tiny ant traverses the tile floor. All part of the created universe. Created for us to enjoy. Created to sustain our life. Created to showcase the astonishing wisdom, power, and beauty of our Creator.
As already noted, proving that God did create the universe or explaining how he created it is beyond human capacity. Instead, God calls us to believe. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible” (Hebrews, 1:3). Jesus assumes we will believe. To the two he met on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection; “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scripture the things concerning himself…which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms…” (Luke 24:27,44). In his explanation of all would have been a description of his role in creation as clarified in the apostles who wrote the first chapters of John, Colossians, and Hebrews.
So, let’s approach Genesis, chapter one in a celebratory mood. It begins with a summary statement. “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” (Genesis 1:1,2). Out of nothing, (Hebrew, bara), God created matter in a formless state. Matter had a beginning. Time began. “By him [Christ] all things were created” (Col 1:16).
In the beginning God created all the substances, the chemical elements and all forms of energy, that exist. Silica, silver, uranium, oxygen, water, electricity, gravity. Plus the atomic and sub-atomic structures. It is estimated that one teaspoonful of water contains a million billion trillion atoms. But each atom is a microscopic universe of energy and motion. And what of the internal forces that maintain the structure of atoms and sub-atomic particles? “In him [Christ] all things hold together” (Col. 1:17).
Verses 3-5 describe the first day of creation. “Let there be light…the light was good…he separated the light from the darkness, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning—the first day.” Light! A bundle of mysteries that travels 186,000 miles per second bringing colour and life-giving energy. What are these waves of energy that pervade the universe dispelling darkness? God knows. Scientists ponder. We celebrate.
Each of the six days of creation affirm that God spoke things into existence. “God said, ‘Let there be light…an expanse…land…vegetation…sky…living creatures…man’” The molecular and sub-atomic structures that have been discovered since Darwin, demonstrate that all structures show the evidence of coded information. Where would information come from but from a pre-existent designer/creator who spoke them into existence? It’s interesting to note that Jesus is described as “the Word” who “created all things”. Each time what was created was declared good. It was without defect.
The first few verses of Genesis raise two questions that have engaged many theologians. Could there have been a great gap in time between Genesis 1:2 and 3? And were the days of creation 24-hour days or long periods of time? Both of these questions were largely raised to try and harmonize Scripture with evolutionary theory that posits long periods of time. With the refutation of evolution as a tool, such theories are not now necessary—if we have faith in God as infinite in wisdom and power. We are not privy to the manner and methods of God.
As to the days of creation we can say that the text makes the most sense if “day” is interpreted as 24 hours. But the Hebrew word for day, yom, can mean a long period as in Psalm 90:4, the work of creating might have taken longer on certain days than 24 hours, and the sun was not yet created to measure and regulate time.
However, the language in the text is simple and clear, the most natural reading of yom is 24 hours, the mention of evening and morning indicates the beginning and end of one day, and since all of creation is a unified system it beggars credibility to understand how the various elements could function without each other. Most notably, we must accept that any of the ever-changing theories of science cannot be asked to judge changeless Scripture. Scripture is to be taken as true in whatever it affirms.
Look around and celebrate!
(Some of the thoughts in this chapter suggested by Alfred M. Rehwinkel in The Wonders Of Creation – an exploration of the Origin and splendors of the Universe, Bethany, 1974)
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