Genesis’ Creation Examined
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I believe Yahweh created the universe in its elementary form “in the beginning”. Whether that was the so called “Big Bang” or even before that we are never told. I don’t believe all scientific discoveries are lies and that everything astronomers find out about the universe is a deception. Yahweh has unveiled some amazing discoveries about His creation in the past century and of course the truth in these revelations never contradicts His word. Remember, concerning the end time He did say, “knowledge shall increase.”
We are told, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” but most believe He created them intact, complete, all in one moment (144 hours)? With modern technology, like the Hubble Telescope, He is allowing man to get a glimpse of the vastness and magnificence of His creation. In the beginning He did create everything, except over time He has “made” them into what He needs for His purpose. In Genesis chapter 1 “created” and “made” are two separate words used to describe His actions.
#01254 ~ bara’ -KJV-create 42, creator 3, choose 2, make 2, cut down 2, dispatch 1, done 1, make fat 1; total 54. Definition: to create, shape, form, fashion, create (always with God as subject)
#06213 ~ `asah – KJV-do 1333, make 653, wrought 52, deal 52, commit 49, offer 49, execute 48, keep 48, shew 43, prepare 37, work 29, do so 21, perform 18, get 14, dress 13, maker 13, maintain 7, misc 154; total 2633. Definition: to do, fashion, accomplish, make, work, produce.
These two words are virtually interchangeable and yet they have some subtle differences. In the beginning Yahweh created the heavens and the earth and overtime (billions of years) the earth came together in a void and formless mass. At this point (possibly 6000 years ago) Yahweh shaped (made) it into what we know today. Remember, Yahweh “created” the heaven in the very beginning (verse 1) yet He did not “make” the heaven until the 2nd day (verses 7-8).
Yahweh didn’t leave the universe in a dormant, chaotic form for billions of years but stood back as His universe developed as He had programmed it to. He created from nothing the galaxies, nebulae, planets, moons and stars and in verse 16 He “made”, from what He had created, the sun, moon and stars we see today. I believe on the 4th day He fashioned the sun, moon and stars from the elementary condition they were in as they developed from the beginning. Eventually, over time, the earth became what Adam knew and over more time it became what we know today.
We are told “God divided the light from the darkness” which would seem to indicate they were mixed together in some sort of gassy cloud. Maybe like what scientists try to describe the early development of the universe.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
It’s possible the universe (and of course the earth too) was for a time nothing but dark globs of gas and rock.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
This was not necessarily the creation of the sun and stars as we know them but the creation of light, or energy that produced light, which was mixed together with the darkness. When He said “light be” it was most likely the ignition of the gasses in the universe.
4 God divided the light from the darkness.
There is no indication of how long this took because the first day has not even been mentioned. This could have been the development of the globs of gasses coalesced into what would become the stars. Keep in mind the stars were not made until day 4.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
I don’t think this was the first 24 hour day (see verse 14) as we have them now for “day” to Yahweh is not just one rotation of the earth (2Pe 3:8).
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
It’s possible the water above the firmament came down during the flood when “the windows of heaven were opened” (Ge 7:11). Take note that “God called the firmament Heaven,” seeming to indicate the earth’s atmosphere, but is that the narrow, single meaning of heaven or can it have an expanded definition? Paul indicates there are at least three heavens (2Co 12:2).
Verses 9- 13 He continues to get the earth ready for habitation.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Here in the 4th day Yahweh makes the sun, moon and stars as we know them and sets in motion the planetary orbits and the rotation of the earth. Now, we as humans have a 12 hour day and a 12 hour night, making for a 24 hour time period and can not envision any other time limit on the word “day” even though we know to Yahweh it can mean much more.
It’s apparent in Genesis that darkness existed before light and is understood if one can answer this question. When did Yahweh create “darkness”? If darkness is simply the absence of light then before light was created there had to be darkness.
Ge 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Before this happened darkness had to have existed otherwise there would not have been a need to create light. Is the absence of light not a condition? Light cannot be the absence of darkness because the difference between light and darkness in this case is a source. Light requires a source, whereas darkness does not. Light has limitations, darkness does not. You turn on a light source (the sun, a flashlight) and it drives away the darkness but its limit might range from ten feet (flashlight) to 10 billion miles (sun). Darkness cannot be turned on or off and does not have a source. It is “a condition”, and there is only one requirement for that condition, it is the absence of light.
It is very possible that darkness was the very first thing Yahweh created and then went about to obliterate that condition. Darkness is equal to evil in that it does not require a source but engulfs everything, everywhere. The only condition necessary for the triumph of evil is for no source of good to oppose it (apologies to Mr. Burke). Ever notice that in each and every single case when law, order, peace, love or self-control are removed evil rushes in with its anarchy, brutality, corruption and hatred. No source necessary, it just rises up out of nowhere (Somalia is a prime example).
Ever wonder why Satan is fighting in a lost cause. He is well aware Yahweh is supreme and that while Yahweh lives he can never triumph. What, is he stupid, why doesn’t he compromise, negotiate or surrender? Because he was created evil from the start, created a liar and a murdered from his very first day (Joh 8:44, 1Jo 3:8). There is no love, goodness, truth or compassion in any fiber of his being. Satan is the epitome of evil and darkness, in that, when Yahweh stands back and sends him in or allows him some leeway, he does not hesitate because he cannot. He acts just as he was created to and just as sure as darkness is compelled to fill a room when the light switch is turned off Satan is compelled to fill a situation when sources of goodness are removed. He is not stupid but is incapable.
In the very beginning (the Big Bang or what ever it was) Yahweh created from nothing the entire universe in its raw form. That is why the earth was formless and void (verses 1-2). Then on subsequent days He set in motion or “made” the stars (by initiating the globs of gasses into coalesced balls) and by taking His created work and making a firmament or atmosphere, shaping the surface of the earth by making land and seas. Just as the globs of gasses became stars so too did other elements become planets as the universe unfolded. The earth did “become” but it still needed work before life could exist on it for it was in a state similar to what we see other planets today. The other planets remained formless and void because they were not made inhabitable like earth.