Background on Genesis
Introduction
In the last article we compared evolution with creation to see which of the theories best fits the evidence. If you’ll recall, creation science was much better supported by the facts.
Notice that I said creation science. We ignored Christianity and the Biblical account of the origin of the universe last time so that we could objectively compare the two views. This time and in the following articles, however, we’re going to see what God has to say on the subject by studying the Bible.
Even though I thought the last article was very constructive, frankly, Scripture is so superior to human wisdom and theories that it really doesn’t matter what we concluded. The only definitive source on the origin of the universe is God Himself.
For those of you who still think that we can determine how everything came to be by observing nature here in the 20th century, listen to what God said to Job.
Job 38:3 Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.
“Where were you?” God says. The answer, of course, is that none of us were there. And as we talked about last time, the origin of life is a matter of history, not science.
And who WAS there at the beginning? According to Genesis 1:1, God was there. And because of that, we’re going to take an in-depth look at Genesis 1:1 – 2:3 over the next several articles. We’re going to read the only eyewitness account on how it all happened.
Let’s temporarily forget about the theories and see what God has to say
About The Following Articles
Before we’re through, over the next several articles we will cover the following topics:
Science in general
Biblical account of the origin of the Earth and the universe
Theistic evolution
Flood
Dinosaurs and paleontology
Ecology
Along the way
Trinity
marriage
This time, however, we’re going to talk about science and Biblical creation. Most importantly, God is going to give us an eyewitness account of the origin of the universe in Genesis 1:1
Science And The Bible
Let’s talk about science first.
Despite what some people may think, science and God are not mutually exclusive. In fact, many of history’s most respected scientists believed in God, including Albert Einstein, Francis Bacon, Galileo, Copernicus and Roger Bacon. Ninety percent of astronomers, who spend hours upon hours studying the universe, believe in God.
Here are some other famous scientists who were creationists:
Sir Isaac Newton/law of gravity and calculus
Lord Kelvin/absolute temperature scale and energetics
Michael Faraday/electric generator and field theory
James C. Maxwell/electrodynamics and statistical thermodynamics
Louis Pasteur/bacteriology
Joseph Lister/antiseptic surgery
Leonardo DaVinci/hydraulics
Carolus Linnaeus/systematic biology
Robert Boyle/gas dynamics and chemistry
Gregor Mendel/genetics
After studying the universe for so many years, scientists such as Einstein had no choice but to conclude that there’s a supreme being, someone who designed and created everything. They concluded that science and the Bible were compatible, not at odds.
Dr. Henry Morris, of the Institute for Creation Research, says this:
“…many–probably most–of the greatest scientists of all times, the founding fathers of science in fact, believed in a personal creator God, the inspiration of the Bible, and special creation.”
Despite what many people think, science and the Bible are not in conflict. In fact, there are numerous scientific truths revealed in Scripture that took human beings many, many years later to confirm.
Here are some gaps between when specific passages of the Bible were written on a particular subject versus when scientists “discovered” that scientific truth. These are all from the book Science: Order & Reality.
The Earth is a sphere (Isa. 40:22)–2,500 year gap
The water cycle keeps the land watered (Job 36:27-28; Eccles. 1.7; Amos 5:8)–1,600 year gap
The Earth is suspended in space (Job 26:7)–3,600 year gap
The universe is running down (Isa. 51.6; Ps. 102.26)–2,500 year gap
Ocean currents flow through the sea (Ps. 8.8)–2,800 year gap
Blood sustains life (Lev. 17:11)–3,300 year gap
The universe is made of invisible things (Heb. 11:3)-1,900 year gap
The earth’s crust rests upon a foundation (Job 38:4,6; Ps. 104.5)–4,000 year gap
Stars produce sound (Job 38.7)–4,000 year gap
The stars cannot be numbered (Gen. 15.5, 22:17; Jer. 31:37, 33:22)–3,000 year gap
Stars are incredibly distant from the Earth (Job 22:12)–3,800 year gap
Stars differ in magnitude (1 Cor. 15:41)–1,550 year gap
The winds form a circulating system (Eccles. 1:6)–2,700 year gap
The Earth rotates on its axis (Job 38:12,14; Luke 17:31,34)–3,550 year gap
Man’s body is composed of the same materials as the Earth (Gen. 2:8, 3:19; Ps. 103:14)–3,200 year gap
The universe suddenly appeared out of nothing (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:6,9)–3,400 year gap
Despite all of these examples of the Bible beating science to the punch and of imminent creation scientists, Scripture is not a textbook for science. The purpose of the Bible is not for teaching us about things like physics or chemistry.
People who criticize the Bible for not using technical and scientific language miss the point of the book. The Bible’s NOT a science book. It’s intended to communicate to all people in all times in straightforward, everyday language. Having said that, Scripture is always amazingly accurate when describing areas that are thought of as the domain of science.
It’s true, however, that the scientific and religious communities haven’t always agreed. When Galileo theorized that the sun was the center of the solar system, many bishops refused to accept his evidence. Later acceptance of his theory actually corrected misinterpretations of the Bible at the time that said that the Earth was the center of the solar system. In many ways, the Christian church is still embarrassed because of that episode.
However, just as evolutionists complain about being hounded about their errors, they should also be willing to forgive creationists for their errors.
For the most part, though, there are very few points of the Christian faith that are vulnerable to scientific attack. The usual conflict, of course, is the origin of life and the origin of the universe.
One of the most dramatic so-called conflicts between Christianity and science has been during the 20th century. In the 1920s advocates of creation science gained a lot of visibility as they confronted evolutionary scientists with traditional Biblical teaching on creation.
William Jennings Bryan and George McCready Price were two of the most vocal. Attorney Bryan was particularly visible during the well-publicized Scopes trial of 1925, where he successfully prosecuted John Scopes for teaching human evolution in a public school.
The conflict between creationists and evolutionists has continued throughout this century. In 1972, the Institute for Creation Research was formed. Under the leadership of president Dr. Henry Morris, the organzation says that “evolutionist teaching is not only harmful sociologically, but it is false scientifically and historically.”
During the 1970s and 1980s creationists publicly debated evolutionists with great success. The American public apparently had similar beliefs–as late as 1982 a public-opinion poll revealed that 44 percent of Americans still believed that “God created man pretty much in his present form at one time within the last 10,000 years.”
Things have changed since then. Evolution is more dominant than ever before. And that’s why it’s so important for us to see what Scripture says about the Earth and mankind
Background On Genesis
First a little background about the book of Genesis.
The author is Moses, who’s credited with writing the first five books of the Bible. It was written sometime after he led the Jewish people out of Egypt in 1445 B.C. The soon-to-be nation of Israel first heard the book prior to crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land.
Some of you may not believe that the book of Genesis, especially the first eleven chapters and especially chapter one, should be taken literally.
In other words, even though it’s relatively easy to understand and straightforward, you may believe that it’s an allegory or a myth. Or maybe you think it should be spiritualized in some way. Or maybe you think it’s only something that kids learn about in Sunday School.
If that’s what you believe, let me remind you about Scripture in general. Listen to these Old Testament passages.
Prov. 30:5 Every word of God is flawless…
Ps. 119:160 All your words are true…
These two passages both say that every word of God–presumably that includes Genesis 1–are true.
But maybe you call yourself a “New Testament Christian,” so let’s see what the New Testament has to say about the Old Testament.
2 Pet. 1:20-21 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The reference to prophecy and prophets has to do with all Biblical authors, whether what they wrote was predictive or not. And let’s not forget that there was NO New Testament when Peter wrote that passage. He was talking about OLD TESTAMENT Scripture!
Listen to Hebrews 4:12:
Hebr. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active…
And now 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
2Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Again, since there was no written New Testament at the time, these verses are talking primarily about the Old Testament. And so the Old Testament, including Genesis 1, is living and active. And so the Old Testament, including Gensis 1, is God-breathed and useful for teaching.
Even Jesus had something to say about the importance of the Old Testament. Listen to what He said in Matthew 5:18:
Matthew 5:18: I tell you the truth, until heaven and Earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
The “Law” that He’s referring to is the first five books of the Bible, and that includes Genesis! Jesus Himself says that every letter and every stroke of the pen is true and can be trusted. And that includes Genesis 1!
Still not convinced? Did you know that the book of Genesis is mentioned at least 200 times in the New Testament? Did you also know that there are at least 27 New Testament quotes or allusions to the creation account found in Genesis 1 and 2?
But did Jesus, God in human flesh, ever say anything about the creation account in Genesis? Listen to what He says in Matthew 19:4-5:
Matt. 19:4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
Matt. 19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh
If this doesn’t convince you that Genesis should be read and understood in a straightforward, common sense way, I don’t know what will. In these verses Jesus is quoting directly from Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24!
If we decide on our own what we should and shouldn’t believe in the Bible we get in a lot of trouble. What if you decide that Genesis 1 is an allegory but the person next to you thinks everything in the Bible except Genesis 1 is an allegory?
What happens if the person next to you thinks that only the even verses in Genesis 1 should be read in a straightforward way, but you disagree and think that only the odd verses can be taken seriously?
Absurd? Sure it is, but when each of us has the freedom to decide what is true and what is not true, we end up with no truth at all and chaos.
Let’s stay out of trouble and believe what Old Testament writers said. Let’s stay out of trouble and believe what New Testament writers said. And let’s stay out of trouble and believe what Jesus Himself said.
Let’s read the creation account found in Genesis 1 and 2 in a straightforward, common sense way. Where it should be taken literally, let’s take it literally. Where it shouldn’t be taken literally, let’s not take it literally.
The Beginning
One more thing before we read our verse for this article–Genesis 1:1. Think about this for a minute. The Bible is the most read book in the history of the world. And since most people begin a book at the beginning, think about how many people have read this verse.
It’s awesome to think that in all likelihood, this one sentence, these 10 words, have been read by more people than any other sentence ever written. How many times have we read it? How many times have we heard it quoted? It’s a powerful verse.
Gen. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
This first verse is a summary statement of everything that He created, the universe and everything in it. And then, in verse 2 through Genesis 2:3, we will read much more about the Earth and mankind.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
If you can accept the first ten words of the Bible here in Genesis, everything else that you read in this book can be believed. If God made everything, then He’s in control of all things and can do all things.
R.C. Sproul says this:
“It is not only a religious statement, it is a rationally necessary concept.”
Dr. Morris points out that “this one verse refutes all of man’s false philosophies concerning the origin and meaning of the world:
1. It refutes atheism, because the universe was created by God.
2. It refutes pantheism, for God is transcendent to that which He created.
3. It refutes polytheism, for one God created all things.
4. It refutes materialism, for matter had a beginning.
5. It refutes dualism, because God was alone when He created.
6. It refutes humanism, because God, not man, is the ultimate reality.
7. It refutes evolutionism, because God created all things.”
Beginning
The word “Genesis” means beginnings or origin, and it begins a record of human history. It’s the beginning of time, space and matter, everything as we know it.
Space is “the heavens,” time is “in the beginning,” and matter is “earth.” Time, space and matter. Before then there was nothing except the Lord in eternity past.
Ps. 90:2 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the Earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
But who made God?
The simple answer is no one made God. He’s always existed. He’s eternal.
If you’re like me, that’s not very satisfying. I want to know. I want to understand.
Unfortunately, eternity is a concept that we can’t understand. Our minds and our existence are confined to time and space. We have no idea what it means to exist outside of, independent of, time and space. It’s like trying to figure out what the highest number is. There IS no highest number and there’s no point in even trying to figure it out!
Whether we can understand it or not–and we can’t–the reality is we only have two choices: either there’s an eternal God or eternal matter. We’ve already talked about how the latter is impossible because, above and beyond being irrational, matter doesn’t have creative powers. It doesn’t have the power and intelligence to create more complex matter. Eternal matter would break the scientific law of cause and effect.
The Existence Of God
The Hebrew word for God in verse one is Elohim. Of all of the names for God, most commentators believe that Elohim stresses His majesty and omnipotence.
Notice that the writer doesn’t even bother to establish God’s existence. His existence is a given.
Ps. 14:1 The fool says in his heart, There is no God…”
It’s interesting to note that anthropological research indicates that among the most remote primitive peoples living today there is a universal belief in God. In fact, the majority of humanity throughout history has believed in some kind of god or gods.
In fact, Scripture even tells us that creation is God’s signature, that it’s a universal way He reveals Himself to mankind.
Rom. 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities -his eternal power and divine nature -have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Ps. 19:1-3 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Scripture is also clear that God made all things.
Neh. 9:6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the Earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
Isa. 44:24 “This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the Earth by myself,
Jer. 32:17 “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the Earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.
Rev. 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
Even though the existence of God is a given in verse one, the God that the Bible would soon describe was very different than the one imagined by those during the time of Moses.
The majority of ancient people worshiped the things of nature. In other words, they were pantheists. Pantheists are people who believe that God is a part of nature and that nature is God. In short, they confuse the creator with the creation
Rom. 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator -who is forever praised. Amen.
Jer. 10:11 “Tell them this: ‘These gods, who did not make the heavens and the Earth, will perish from the Earth and from under the heavens.’ ”
Ps. 96:5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
God Created Everything From Nothing
It’s interesting to note that only the Bible, among religious holy books, even mentions the origin of everything. All of the others begin with the already-created universe and then have it evolve in some way into what we know and see today.
The Hebrew word for “created” is bara. Taken in context, the word clearly refers to creating everything from nothing.
Hebr. 11:3 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.
Rom. 4:17 …the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Also notice that God bringing something into existence when nothing existed is NOT the same as nothing coming from nothing. The eternal God, who has always existed, created all things from nothing, which is very different from the atheistic view that everything came from nothing, that there’s no God or eternal and transcendent being.
This Biblical truth contradicts evolutionary beliefs on another level as well. Things didn’t evolve over time, from the simple to the more complex, through a lengthy process: the universe and everything in it came about from a divine command from God. Everything was created in maturity, as we’ll see in much more detail later.
Heavens And Earth
Heavens and Earth refer to the universe and planet Earth. Your version may say heavens, but that’s okay since the Hebrew word can be translated either way. Taken in context, it refers to everything in the universe. Stars, planets, everything.
Conclusion
As we wrap up this article, let’s review what we’ve talked about. We’ve learned that:
1. Contrary to popular belief, the Bible and science are not in conflict.
2. While the Bible is scientifically accurate and contains a surprising amount of information on the topic, it’s not intended to be a textbook on science.
3. Many of history’s brightest and most famous scientists were Christians who believed in the Bible and creationism.
4. The book of Genesis, including Genesis 1, should be read like any other part of God’s Word: in a straightforward, common sense way.
5. God created time, space and matter–the universe and everything in it.
6. God is eternal and omnipotent, and His creation is a testimony to the fact that He exists.
7. God created everything from nothing.
There’s one more thing.
Remember last time when we ignored Christianity and the Bible and found out that creationism–not evolution–was supported better by the facts?
As important as that was–and believe me, that’s very important for us to keep in mind–our look at Genesis 1:1 is infinitely more important. We’ve read God’s very own words.
He’s the creator of everything and everyone. In other words, once again, the theory of evolution is left out in the cold. It’s one thing for us to find out that science actually supports creationism, but it’s MUCH more significant that God Himself says that creationism is the proper view.
There’s no other way to interpret the first verse of the Bible. And as we’ve seen, there’s no other way to interpret dozens of passages throughout Scripture that say the same thing over and over again.
If you’ve believed in evolution prior to hearing this message, it’s time for you to make a decision. Who are you going to believe? God or some misinformed scientists?
Remember what God said to Job in Job 38:4?
Job 38:4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
The Lord is the only eyewitness to the origin of the Earth and the universe, and here’s His testimony:
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”