Genesis 1 - The First Week
Notes
Transcript
New study this quarter - Genesis 1-19, from creation until just before the birth of Isaac
Genesis - what does the word mean, and where does it come from?
English - genesis can mean “beginning”, but this is not the meaning derived from ancient languages.
Geneseos (Greek) - translation of Hebrew word, toledot
Meanings: genealogy - a genealogical record of successive generations of kin; account - a written record of past events
Reshit (Hebrew) - beginning
Both names are appropriate, but Genesis has perhaps a slightly stronger connection to the organization of the book.
Genesis & Exodus The Literary Structure of Genesis
The account of the heavens and the earth (2:4–4:26)
The account of Adam (5:1–6:8)
The account of Noah (6:9–9:29)
The account of Shem, Ham, and Japheth (10:1–11:9)
The account of Shem (11:10–26)
The account of Terah (11:27–25:11)
The account of Ishmael (25:12–18)
The account of Isaac (25:19–35:29)
The account of Esau (36:1–8)
The account of Esau, father of the Edomites (36:9–37:1)
The account of Jacob (37:2–50:26)
The authors of our quarterly chose to name a number of the lessons as “first (blank)” - First week, first couple, first sin, first murder. So it’s not in any way wrong or inappropriate to view Genesis with this theme. This is one of many reasons why Genesis such a foundational book, as it tells us the origin of these fundamental entities:
Man, male/female, marriage, family, government
This makes Genesis relevant for us today: sexuality, gender identity. People have rejected the truth of the Bible on these issues, or (in some cases) don’t even know the Bible account of these things.
Genesis was as relevant if not more so in the time when it was written:
The children of Israel had just spent 400 years being exposed to the pagan ideas and philosophies of Egypt
They were on their way to displace the incredibly debauched pagans living in the promised land
“God inspired Moses to write the true account of creation and the beginning of civilization” (quarterly)
Who wrote Genesis? Moses
Why do we claim authorship for Moses when the books of the Pentateuch do not themselves make this claim?
Who better to write this history than Moses, who was trained in Pharaoh's court?
Moses spoke directly with God when he was given the law; God could have given him the details of creation which he would have had no way of knowing
The Pentateuch does make mention of Moses writing down the law given to him by God
The law is associated with Moses later in Israel’s history “the law, the book of Moses” (2 Chron 25:4) and also by Jesus (Mark 7:10)
When was Genesis written? Shortly after the time of the exodus - 1446 BC
Back to our current era - there is one more reason why Genesis is relevant for us today: “Science vs the Bible”
During the age of enlightenment (17th and 18th centuries) scientists in the field of geology started to question the age of the earth. (Before this time it really wasn’t a major issue to either scientists or theologians.) Charles Lyell, Principles of Geology, 1830’s.
Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, 1859.
Despite initial controversy, over time, Darwin's theory gained widespread acceptance within the scientific community. The scientific community's acknowledgment of evolution was facilitated by subsequent discoveries in paleontology, genetics, and other fields that provided additional evidence supporting the idea of common ancestry and the gradual modification of species over time. (false!)
By the late 19th century, the theory of evolution had become a foundational concept in biology, and it continues to be a cornerstone of modern biological science. (true!)
How does the Bible (and specifically Genesis) address these issues? How old is the universe? How old is the earth? How should we understand the six days of creation?
Preliminary principles
All sides of an issue should be considered
Proverbs 18:17 “17 The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.”
God’s word speaks clearly
The Westminster Confession: “All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all.”
Hodge: the Scriptures “are sufficiently perspicuous to be understood by the people, in the use of ordinary means and by the aid of the Holy Spirit, in all things necessary to faith or practice, without the need of any infallible interpreter.”
God’s word is inspired
2 Timothy 3:16–17 “16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
God’s word is true
Romans 3:4 “Let God be true, even though everyone is a liar”
God’s word is not primarily a science text
The Bible is not a science text and its purpose is not to teach science. Galileo is linked to the quote (though not original with him), “the Bible teaches one how to go to heaven and not how the heavens go.” However, any scientific statements that it makes (when understood in context) are true.
Example - John 12:24 “24 Truly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces much fruit.”
both common sense and the local university extension office tell us that if a seed of wheat “falls into the earth and dies”, it will not bear any fruit because, as living entities, seeds “must contain living, healthy embryonic tissue in order to germinate.” This is not a conflict between God’s word and science. We can understand Jesus’ intent and application. Still, this example does demonstrate how a literal approach sometimes fails, and how it would be a mistake in this case to draw a scientific, biological inference based solely on this text.
How should we understand the days of creation?
Young Earth Creationism (YEC)
God created the world in six consecutive, twenty-four-hour days
Ken Ham, AIG - respect for their sincere efforts to be faithful to the scriptures
Gap Theory
One of the older positions but one of the less popular ones today
A large gap in time took place between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 1
C. I. Scofield taught this view in the notes of his reference Bible (1909 and 1917, revised)
Day-age
God used some combination of supernatural intervention and providential guidance to construct the universe and all its inhabitants
The means of creation used by God are not evolutionary in nature – either guided or unguided
Hugh Ross, a proponent
Theistic Evolution
God directed, used, and controlled the processes of naturalistic evolution to ‘create’ the world and all that is in it.
Genuine believers hold to all four positions, but all for can’t be right. At most one can be!
Reducing the possibilities
Gap Theory - largely an argument from silence; its motivation was to account for an old earth (geology), but it does nothing to account for an old universe
Theistic Evolution
Major theological problem - no first Adam. Paul - we are either in Adam or in Christ; the basis of our salvation is eroded
Textual problem - the creation account in Genesis when taken on its surface seems incompatible with evolution
Proposed interpretation: A careful study of Genesis 1-2 and other Scripture passages concludes that a strictly literal interpretation of “day” as a 24-hour day is not required. The author of Genesis presents the duration of “day” as unspecified. This conclusion, combined with scientific evidence for an old earth and an old universe, points to the Day-Age position as best suited to explaining the nature of God’s creation days
The usage of day (“yom”) in Genesis:
1:5 “God called the light “day”
1:5 “there was evening and there was morning, one day” - But…in what sense can there be an evening and a morning when there is no sun to set or rise? Might “evening and morning” be a “bookend” or literary device rather than an indicator for the duration of time? Might it simply signify the close of God’s creative workday? Furthermore, what is the nature of this first, “one day,” where there are not yet lights in the heavens “for signs and for seasons and for days and for years” (4th day of creation)? Should we take its duration as twenty-four hours or as unspecified?
2:4 “in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven” (at the time when God made earth and heaven?)
Three different senses for the word “day” in Gen 1-2
Look at everything that happened on the 6th day:
God creates “living creatures” and “beasts” on the earth (1:24-25)
God creates man (2:5)
God plants a garden, Eden, “toward the east” (2:8)
God puts Adam in the garden to cultivate it (2:15) and gives him a prohibition against eating one specific tree (2:16-17)
God brings to Adam “every beast of the field and every bird of the sky” to be named (2:19-20)
God puts Adam to sleep and fashions Eve from Adam’s rib. Adam expresses great satisfaction in God’s provision for him (2:23)
With the number of events above all occurring on the sixth day, it is reasonable to question whether that day was a mere twenty-four hours long, especially considering that many of these activities would have taken place in the daytime. Presumably, it would have taken time for God to plant the garden and the trees and time for them to grow. It would have taken time for Adam to be introduced to the garden and begin cultivating it. It would have taken time for him to be presented with the wide variety of birds and animals and intelligently name them all.
Finally, and perhaps most significantly, it would have taken time for him to recognize his aloneness and to be able to appreciate the tremendous benefit of God’s provision for him, and so exclaim – “at last!”
We should not look to science first for answers related to origins. At the same time, we do not study the Bible in a vacuum. While it should come as no surprise that most in the scientific fields of astronomy, geology, physics, and chemistry promote an old age for the earth and universe, the coherence and strength of their arguments may surprise some.
Evidence from astronomy
One of the simplest arguments for an old universe comes from the field of astronomy and the travel-time of light. Light travels at a fixed speed of 186,000 miles per second. A light-year is defined as the distance light travels in one year. If the universe were 6,000 years old, then we would only be able to see stars that are 6,000 light-years away or closer. The light from a star 10,000 years away would not have reached us yet. But we do see light from the Andromeda Galaxy, which is approximately two million light-years away!
Evidence from geology
We also see evidence of an old earth (and universe) from the field of geology. Radiometric dating is based on the decay rates of various radioactive isotopes, such as potassium-40, rubidium-87, and uranium-235.34 The oldest crustal rocks have been dated at 3.5 to 4 billion years, while the dating of meteorites and lunar rocks ranges from 3.5 to 4.2 billion years
Unless these and many other scientific findings can be overturned, we should accept the fact that not only do the earth and universe appear to be old, they are are old. This reasoning combined with the previous discussion from Genesis 1-2 leads me to accept the Day-Age position as the correct view.
This is not a new position; More than 150 years ago, Tayler Lewis followed this approach in his study on the days of creation. His findings were “that the Bible does not teach that the creative days were twenty-four hours long; but leaves a great latitude in this respect, determining nothing about their duration, except that they must be in some kind of conceived harmony with the growths and processes assigned to each”
Is this important? Yes
It honors the general revelation that God has given us. Psalm 19:1 “1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.”
There are believing scientists who have devoted their lives to investigating and studying God’s creation, whether in the heavens above or the earth below. It is heartwarming to read their conversion stories and how God called them “out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9), in some cases through the partial means of his general revelation.
But is this all-important? No. Good men do differ on this issue, maybe even in this class.
Also…what is the main purpose of the creation account in Gen 1-2?
1. The Beginning
1. The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 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.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.
The creation account tells us:
who created - God
what was created - and the order of creation
the result of creation - all good
The creation account does not tell us how things were created: big bang? 24-hour days? These are things that we may be curious about, but that’s not the purpose of this passage - for us, or for any of the generations who have heard this account over the years
2. The Image Bearers
2. The Image Bearers
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. 28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it—I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.
v.26 “In our image…to rule...”
v.27 “Male and female”
v.29 plants for food
v.31 “very good indeed”
3. The Rest
3. The Rest
1 So the heavens and the earth and everything in them were completed. 2 On the seventh day God had completed his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, for on it he rested from all his work of creation.
v.1 “completed” - not continually evolving
v.2 “rested” - ceased from work/creative activity, not because of weariness or fatigue
v.3 “holy” - this day of rest (Saturday for the Jews, Sunday for the church) is holy, set apart