September 5, 2007

• Creation: The Sequence

  Sometimes I run out of time reading and posting comments on other sites
  but the following was again a product of something that came out of
  that effort that I’d like to share with you in this post.

  One person challenged another in the following manner…

  “I would like to hear a creationist explain how the sequence of events
  recorded in Genesis actually took place in the literal, 3-dimensional
  universe that we now know exists.”

  Taking this as an opportunity to answer this person’s question, I will
  proceed.  Since the challenge asked for a sequence, I will respond to
  it as a list proceeding from first to last from the Creation account in
  Genesis.

  First, some comments about the Creation account… Genesis 1 is a high
  level description of the Creation event. It is not crammed with
  detailed scientific information. It is like a “bulleted list” of things
  that God did in sequence in His creative act of the heavens and earth.

  Now we will be examining the text in a literal manner yet be aware that
  I will be supplying additional comments that have
  a reasonable chance of being true as a direct result of a literal
  interpretation of the text. Some of the basic literal statements in the
  text lead to larger principles that would also go into effect and are
  in our natural world today. Yet none of what I have added is claimed to
  be authoritative as scripture, it is just what seems logical that would
  follow from such an action on God’s part.

  
  1.    Gen 1:1 – A summary statement of what will be described.
         a.    When- In the beginning,
         b.    Who – God
         c.    Action – created
         d.    How – (out of nothing) Heb. bara
        
  e.    What – the heavens and the earth.
  
  2.    Gen 1:2 – Start of follow up statements of the summary statement
        a.    Initial conditions before God’s first action–
               i.    Things were formless and void and there was no light. The Earth
  is particularly mentioned since no 
                     other heavenly bodies yet existed
  until later.  (So much for the Big Bang theory…)
       
  b.    First stage initial conditions
               i.    By necessity, God gives the Earth dimensionality in order for it
  to have a “surface”. For the earth
                     to have dimensionality, the universe
  that contains it must have dimensionality.
                    
  1.    Three dimensional space was created.
               
  ii.    God makes water at this time for it was mentioned with darkness over it and the Spirit of God
                      moved over it.
                    
  1.    Water is a basic constituent of life.
  
  3.    Gen 1:3 – Second stage initial conditions
         a.    God creates the principle of “light” and gave it a name as a principle.
                i.    The principle that causes light is the foundation of all biological and chemical processes.
                     1.    Light is produced by electrons moving to one valence shell of an
  atom to another, either
                            releasing or accepting a photon. This is
  essentially a basic model for all chemical and physical
                            effects related
  to the combinations of materials… (very simplified)
                ii.    Light is called “good”
  
  4.    Gen 1:4-5 – Third Stage Initial Conditions – Distinctions and Differentiations Begin
         a.  God creates the principle of distinction between
  “light” and darkness and the exclusive nature of light
              verses darkness.
  Light represents “day”, darkness represents “night”.
        
  b   God creates the more widespread principle of variation in energy levels and the principle of energy flow.
        
  c.    Day and night cycles are started without solar light input.
        
  d.    The first mention of time except for “the beginning”.
  
  5.    Genesis 1:5 – End of 1st Day – Initial Conditions Complete
  
  6.    Gen 1:6-8 – Earth’s Development Begins with the Creation of its Atmosphere and Environment
         a.    Gen 1:6 – The atmosphere is created.
         b.    Gen 1:7 – The Hydrological Cycle is formed
                i.    The principle of water vapor and its ability to form clouds were developed and waters on the earth
                     were separated from it.
                ii.    God called the atmosphere “heaven”
  
  7.    Gen 1:8 – End of 2nd Day – Atmosphere and Hydrological Cycle Creation Complete
  
  8.    Gen 1:9-10 – 2nd Stage of Earth’s Development – Creation of Land
         a.    Gen 1:9 – The principle of water saturation, surface tension and water flow is created
                i.    Land is formed and is called “dry” or absence of large quantities of water on it.
                ii.    Water is caused to gather together into droplets; the principle
  of liquid surface tension is created. 
                      Rain is now possible to be formed
  out of water vapor. Yet “rain” doesn’t actually happen until
                      much  later.
               
  iii.    Water flows downward allowing land to appear (logical necessity)
                    
  1.    The land is “exposed” not created.
                    
  2.    The process is described as the waters are “gathered”, not that the land was raised.
                    
  3.    Perhaps the principle of gravity may have been initiated at this time.
                     4.    Subterranean water “containment” created to hold the excess water.
                            Underground acquifers formed.  See Gen 7:11.
         b.    Gen 1:10 – God gives names to bodies of land and bodies of water.
                i.    These were called “good”
  
  9.    Gen 1:11-12 – 3rd Stage of Earth’s Development – Creation of Vegetation
        
  a.    Gen 1:11 – First living items created – plant growth and propagation initiated.
               
  i.    Vegetation is formed from the earth, that will yield seed and fruit appropriate to each variety.
                ii.    Plants to subsist on water, earth, and light. The principle of
  photosynthesis is established and
                      utilized. Note the words “green
  plants” in Gen 1:30
  
  10.    Gen 1:13 – The End of the 3rd Day
  
  11.    Gen 1:14-18 – The Creation of Celestial Bodies
           a.    God creates celestial bodies and turns over the long term maintenance of light production to them.
                  i.    Celestial bodies that will be “light producers” will be scattered across the vast dimensionality of
                        space.
                      
  1.    These celestial bodies will at this point determine “day” and “night”.
                  ii.    They will be signs and time indicators.
                 
  iii.    The principle of nuclear fusion is created and utilized.
                 
  iv.    Second instance that time is mentioned
                       1.    longer periods are now included i.e. seasons and years.
                v.    Their principle function is to give light on the earth,
           b.    God creates two specific celestial bodies, one to give light in
  the day and one to give light at night.
                  i.   Creation of the sun and moon.
                 
  ii.    Latest point of creation of the Earth’s rotational spin and its revolving around the sun.
                  iii.    The Earth’s magnetic field is now created from its rotational
  spin causing the earth to be
                        protected from the effects of the sun’s
  nuclear fusion processes.
  
  12.    Gen 1:19 – The End of the 4th Day
  
  13.    Gen 1:20-22 – The Creation of Living Creatures
           a.    Aquatic Creatures created to inhabit the seas.
           b.    Birds are created to fly in the atmosphere.
                  i.    First mention of the principle of aerodynamics and flight.
           c.    Aquatic creatures and Birds to follow the propagational pattern
  set by the creation of plants.
                  They will reproduce after their own kind.
  
  14.    Gen 1:23 – The End of the 5th Day
  
  15.    Gen 1:24-30 – The Creation of Living Creatures (continued)
           a.    Beasts of the earth were created; Insects and similar forms of life created and propagate
                 after their own kind.
          
  b.   Man is created to superintend all the living creatures.
               
  i.    Man created in God’s image – nothing less will do for the job.
                     1.    God’s image is shown in both male and female forms of man.
               
  ii.    Man will also propagate after his own kind.
               
  iii.    Man is given plants with their fruit and trees with their fruit as food.
          
  c.    All beasts of the earth and birds are given green plants for food.
  
  16.    Gen 1:31  The End of the 6th Day
           a.    The Creation Sequence is complete.  All things completely finished.
           b.    God saw that it was very good. (This means it was “really good”.)
  
  17.    Gen 2:1-4 -  God was completely done with His work in the Creation.
           a.    He did not rest because He was tired. He rested because the job was done.

  The rest of Genesis 2 goes on to begin to focus in a little
  closer on some particular things that wouldn’t have fit well with the
  material in Chapter 1. It focuses a good deal on God’s work relative to
  particular aspects of His work with man.

  That’s a very interesting sequence. So if you ever want to make a
  “world” and have the ability to do so, that’s the “big picture” of how
  its done.   It is appropriate to note that God starts with the very
  basic things and works toward the complex, just as we might expect any
  good designer to have done.

  Now we might be left with our arguments over how long was a “day”
  (sound familiar?) but much of what was briefly described as implications
  fit well into the reality we know. We would be lost in our efforts to determine whether God meant a
  literal day or not since it is obvious that multitudes of people are
  arguing this way and that. Yet the Bible does not leave us hanging
  without an answer. Yet even this still requires faith.

  God gave us the answer through His Son, Jesus Christ who, “in the
  beginning of His ministry” changed water into wine in the Gospel of
  John in Chapter 2. In moments, he created wine in six pots of water
  which had the qualities of fine wine that mystified the headwaiter who
  was an expert in wine selection. Fine wine requires a great amount of
  skill and art to make it and it requires a very long process for it to
  be properly made and Jesus did this in the time it took to raise the
  ladle.  See my posts on “Creation and Fine Wine”.

  Some of us don’t need such confirmation since we believe that God made
  the heavens and the earth in six literal days (as I do) i.e. in the time it would
  take six complete rotations of the earth without John’s account of the
  Miracle at Cana. Yet God conforms to His own requirements when He says
  that “out of the mouth of two witnesses a thing will be established”.

  However, as I’ve said many times before, God requires “faith” from us.
  He wants us to believe what He says. When we don’t, we “fall” just like
  our first parents did and this is the powerful message of the Creation
  and the Fall and its placement so early in the Bible.

  I will make a prediction.  If the Lord tarries, one day science will
  find out the real creation sequence will be exactly as listed in
  Genesis 1 yet because of their commitment to a materialistic mindset,
  they will still reject the truth God has said in Genesis 1.  At that
  point, they will not be able to hide behind what they call “facts”
  because all things besides the time period and whether God exists or
  not will not be the point. It is their basic rejection of God in play
  as it always has been.  God has even told us clearly that those who
  will reject Him will be “evolutionists” and they dishonor themselves by
  making themselves descendants of primordial slime and animals rather
  than created specifically by God.  If you don’t think so, read this…

  
  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
  and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
  because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God
  made it evident to them. 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. For even though they knew God, they did not honor
  Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their
  speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be
  wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible
  God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and
  four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them
  over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies
  would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for
  a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
  who is blessed forever. Amen.  Romans 1:18-25 (NASB)

  The sorry result of this rejection is found later on in Romans 1 and we
  recognize the presence of such activity in these days and we should
  note exactly where it comes from. Mr.Vee

  • 12:55 am
  • 16 Comments