A Different Look at Genesis
I thought it would be interesting to write about the differences of opinion regarding the division with the creationist viewpoint and a little about the theory of evolution. We all know where the evolutionists stand regarding creation and we can arrive at one logical conclusion. Their methodology of dating things is either correct or it is incorrect. As science in general is still in its infancy, I lean towards the latter or at the very least they are misunderstanding the reason why some things seem to have a longer half-life than others.
The purpose of this paper is in the spirit of Christian apologetics. Most sincere seekers of truth deserve a better answer than the trite, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it” approach. Hamm has done a pretty good job but many of his explanations seem to stretch the imagination a little too much, imo. This paper is an effort to offer a more believable train of thought in our apologetic efforts. I readily admit that this is all pure speculation, but really, aren’t they all.
Within the creationist viewpoint there are two schools of thought labeled as old-earthers and young-earthers. To summarize, old-earthers agree with the scientific dating system and look at the days of creation as very long periods of time and not literal 24 hr. days concluding that the earth is around 4 billion yrs. old, but they agree with the accuracy of the order of biblical creation and the rest of the bible. Young-earthers take a literal approach to scripture and believe the entire universe is around 6,000 yrs. old.
I am a creationist but I'm also not a "young-earther" neither am I an “old-earther”. I guess you could consider me a “tween-earther”! Both sides have merit behind their conclusions but I also believe that both sides are overlooking some other possibilities. It doesn’t have to be either one or the other. There are enough missing details to accommodate other possibilities and still stay true to the biblical order of creation. The purpose of this paper is to put forth for your consideration one of these other “possibilities”. I do not claim this is a revelation from God, just as the title proclaims, “a different way to look at Genesis.”
Sometimes we have to look at what the bible doesn't say on an issue to grasp a larger truth. Young-earthers seem to believe that God came into being and created everything in the entirety of the universe in a six 24 hour day period. This ideology makes as little sense as evolution does to me. There is another viewpoint that I believe is worth considering. I should point out that I am not a scientist or a language expert. I can’t back up my opinion with a single fact, but in reality, neither can the other viewpoints. At best they are accepted as fact by faith in God’s word or an educated guess based on scientific research, but the one thing science keeps proving is how little we really know.
Our God is eternal so could this rock we call earth have been around for more than a billion years or so before God decided to redesign it? Sure, as a creationist, I can live with that. If a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day to God, could creation have taken 7000 years? I'm open to that possibility as well because we should be looking at the timing of the creation story from God’s point of view, not from man’s limited understanding. Let’s review some of the scriptures in question. Gen. 1:1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” The word “heaven” here is singular so at most I think only our solar system should be considered. The word “create” doesn’t necessarily imply something from nothing, it can also mean re-purposed. If everything God creates is perfect in every way, then why would He create something that was without form and void? If God is light, then how could “darkness” be present? (1 John 1:5).
It makes more sense to me if I look at His creation as a piece of art. In verse 1, the artist puts everything in place, gathers all his supplies together and sets himself up to begin his creation. Verse 2 is the blank piece of paper set on an easel before the artist begins to draw. In verse 3, the artist begins his work. The focus here should be strictly on the earth and its spatial surroundings.
Gen. 1:3 – “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Verse 3 is problematic because in the order of creation, light comes before the sun and the moon so how could that be? How can we have a day and a night without a sun? I’m not sure if I can express this accurately but I believe it is talking about the general emotional atmosphere. In the Hebrew, the word “light” can mean happiness and the word “darkness” can mean misery. So the light and the absence of darkness can literally mean “good”! Conversely, darkness and the absence of light can mean evil at worst or the absence of good at best. So, let’s look at vs. 3 this way: The absence of good was upon the face of the earth and God created goodness that he called “light” to separate the two.
The way that the vast majority of humanity feels about darkness and light, such as, looking forward to the sunrise so the dark night will be over, goodness can be considered “sunshine and lollipops”, we have nightmares and day dreams, etc. Humanity’s preference for day time is expressed in a myriad of ways. So much so that it seems to be bred within us! How many of us when describing something bad or evil that turned into something bright and cheerful have heard or used the expression, “why it was as different as night and day?!” I realize this is only my opinion, but couldn’t it be a realistic one?
Now, let’s take a look at time. 2 Peter 3:8 – “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Remember until the creation of Adam in vs. 27 everything was from God’s frame of reference regarding time. Now, if Peter had meant a million years then I believe he would have used that number so I have no problem with the concept of creation being six thousand years. Could He have done it in six 24 hour days? I suppose He could have but nothing in scripture implies that He was in a hurry. If we consider that a logical possibility then that brings the age of the earth up to 12,000 yrs. at least.
I thought it would be interesting to write about the differences of opinion regarding the division with the creationist viewpoint and a little about the theory of evolution. We all know where the evolutionists stand regarding creation and we can arrive at one logical conclusion. Their methodology of dating things is either correct or it is incorrect. As science in general is still in its infancy, I lean towards the latter or at the very least they are misunderstanding the reason why some things seem to have a longer half-life than others.
The purpose of this paper is in the spirit of Christian apologetics. Most sincere seekers of truth deserve a better answer than the trite, “God said it, I believe it, that settles it” approach. Hamm has done a pretty good job but many of his explanations seem to stretch the imagination a little too much, imo. This paper is an effort to offer a more believable train of thought in our apologetic efforts. I readily admit that this is all pure speculation, but really, aren’t they all.
Within the creationist viewpoint there are two schools of thought labeled as old-earthers and young-earthers. To summarize, old-earthers agree with the scientific dating system and look at the days of creation as very long periods of time and not literal 24 hr. days concluding that the earth is around 4 billion yrs. old, but they agree with the accuracy of the order of biblical creation and the rest of the bible. Young-earthers take a literal approach to scripture and believe the entire universe is around 6,000 yrs. old.
I am a creationist but I'm also not a "young-earther" neither am I an “old-earther”. I guess you could consider me a “tween-earther”! Both sides have merit behind their conclusions but I also believe that both sides are overlooking some other possibilities. It doesn’t have to be either one or the other. There are enough missing details to accommodate other possibilities and still stay true to the biblical order of creation. The purpose of this paper is to put forth for your consideration one of these other “possibilities”. I do not claim this is a revelation from God, just as the title proclaims, “a different way to look at Genesis.”
Sometimes we have to look at what the bible doesn't say on an issue to grasp a larger truth. Young-earthers seem to believe that God came into being and created everything in the entirety of the universe in a six 24 hour day period. This ideology makes as little sense as evolution does to me. There is another viewpoint that I believe is worth considering. I should point out that I am not a scientist or a language expert. I can’t back up my opinion with a single fact, but in reality, neither can the other viewpoints. At best they are accepted as fact by faith in God’s word or an educated guess based on scientific research, but the one thing science keeps proving is how little we really know.
Our God is eternal so could this rock we call earth have been around for more than a billion years or so before God decided to redesign it? Sure, as a creationist, I can live with that. If a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day to God, could creation have taken 7000 years? I'm open to that possibility as well because we should be looking at the timing of the creation story from God’s point of view, not from man’s limited understanding. Let’s review some of the scriptures in question. Gen. 1:1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” The word “heaven” here is singular so at most I think only our solar system should be considered. The word “create” doesn’t necessarily imply something from nothing, it can also mean re-purposed. If everything God creates is perfect in every way, then why would He create something that was without form and void? If God is light, then how could “darkness” be present? (1 John 1:5).
It makes more sense to me if I look at His creation as a piece of art. In verse 1, the artist puts everything in place, gathers all his supplies together and sets himself up to begin his creation. Verse 2 is the blank piece of paper set on an easel before the artist begins to draw. In verse 3, the artist begins his work. The focus here should be strictly on the earth and its spatial surroundings.
Gen. 1:3 – “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Verse 3 is problematic because in the order of creation, light comes before the sun and the moon so how could that be? How can we have a day and a night without a sun? I’m not sure if I can express this accurately but I believe it is talking about the general emotional atmosphere. In the Hebrew, the word “light” can mean happiness and the word “darkness” can mean misery. So the light and the absence of darkness can literally mean “good”! Conversely, darkness and the absence of light can mean evil at worst or the absence of good at best. So, let’s look at vs. 3 this way: The absence of good was upon the face of the earth and God created goodness that he called “light” to separate the two.
The way that the vast majority of humanity feels about darkness and light, such as, looking forward to the sunrise so the dark night will be over, goodness can be considered “sunshine and lollipops”, we have nightmares and day dreams, etc. Humanity’s preference for day time is expressed in a myriad of ways. So much so that it seems to be bred within us! How many of us when describing something bad or evil that turned into something bright and cheerful have heard or used the expression, “why it was as different as night and day?!” I realize this is only my opinion, but couldn’t it be a realistic one?
Now, let’s take a look at time. 2 Peter 3:8 – “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Remember until the creation of Adam in vs. 27 everything was from God’s frame of reference regarding time. Now, if Peter had meant a million years then I believe he would have used that number so I have no problem with the concept of creation being six thousand years. Could He have done it in six 24 hour days? I suppose He could have but nothing in scripture implies that He was in a hurry. If we consider that a logical possibility then that brings the age of the earth up to 12,000 yrs. at least.
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