I hold to a belief which is becoming increasingly rare in the world and the church: the literal interpretation of the Genesis account that God created the heavens and the earth. Beliefs concerning the origin of the world and the age of the earth are considered by many "not essential for salvation," and therefore many people figure it an issue of small importance. Whether we take God at His word or not is always a massive issue, regardless if salvation is at stake. Great errors have entered the church when people have strayed from the literal interpretation of scripture and inserted man's ideas. The idea of Darwinian evolution and billions of years never came from the scripture. I tell you truly: if you cannot take literally the Genesis account of creation, you will also diverge from literal interpretations down the line when it suits you. It is a slippery slope many have fallen down and found themselves unable to stand again.
As we read through Genesis 1 with Tribe (year 11 through young adults) at Calvary Chapel Sydney, it struck me that time began before the heavenly bodies were created. Genesis 1:3-5 says, "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." It is fitting God would cause light to shine in the beginning, for in Him is no darkness. God made a division between the Day and Night without the movement of heavenly bodies. The last part of verse five is critical: "So evening and morning were the first day." I find it intriguing the Jews mark the beginning of a new day with the setting of the sun, in the evening. This mention of evening and morning of the first day reveals time had begun. Without the need of the Sun, Moon, or rotation of the earth, the 24-hour day was governed by God from the beginning.
This is an amazing truth. For people who believe our ordered universe, galaxy, and planet just happened to come into being without design or the power of God, the common assumption would be time on earth is determined by the alignment of the heavenly bodies and the rotation of the earth. I believe the scripture refutes this. I submit to you that time is not dictated by heavenly bodies at all, but the God who created time gave them to us so we could mark time. This is a monumental difference. Into a void where there was no earth God caused the light to shine and immediately the clock began running, so to speak. God separated the light from the darkness, divided the waters above and below in the earth's atmosphere, and divided the water from the dry land. He caused the earth to bring forth seed bearing herbs and fruit trees, all after their own kind. And yes, He did this in a matter of days because He is God. It wasn't until the fourth day that God created the Sun, Moon, and stars.
Genesis 1:14-19 says, "Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. 16 Then 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 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on 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 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day." God is responsible for time, not the heavenly bodies. God gave us the Sun and Moon to indicate signs, seasons, days, and years. He also created the stars - more stars than can be numbered. Leading astronomers in the Middle Ages reckoned there were over a thousand stars, but with the advent of the telescope that number was exponentially increased! Psalm 147:4-5 says of my great God who made the stars, "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite."
This world will keep on spinning as long as the God who made it intends. God made earth the central point of Creation, and made man created in His own image as the primary focus. There were 21 generations from Adam to Abraham, 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David to the Jewish captivity in Babylon, and 14 generations from the captivity in Babylon to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:17, Luke 3:34-38). These human markers are signposts of time indicating thousands, not millions of years have elapsed since God's voice boomed: "Let there be light!" Many generations have passed since Christ walked on this earth, yet there remains some to this day who have not bowed the knee to the tyranny of modern scientific interpretation which claims it knows better than God's Word. What we see today is not so much a clash of science and religion, but contrasting views of worldly and biblical worldviews which impact how we interpret the same data. Everyone agrees this world has a beginning and it must have an end. The more Christians who stand on the firm foundation of God's Word without shame the better. Let's decide to shine the light of God's Word on this world - even if they don't comprehend it.
As we read through Genesis 1 with Tribe (year 11 through young adults) at Calvary Chapel Sydney, it struck me that time began before the heavenly bodies were created. Genesis 1:3-5 says, "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." It is fitting God would cause light to shine in the beginning, for in Him is no darkness. God made a division between the Day and Night without the movement of heavenly bodies. The last part of verse five is critical: "So evening and morning were the first day." I find it intriguing the Jews mark the beginning of a new day with the setting of the sun, in the evening. This mention of evening and morning of the first day reveals time had begun. Without the need of the Sun, Moon, or rotation of the earth, the 24-hour day was governed by God from the beginning.
This is an amazing truth. For people who believe our ordered universe, galaxy, and planet just happened to come into being without design or the power of God, the common assumption would be time on earth is determined by the alignment of the heavenly bodies and the rotation of the earth. I believe the scripture refutes this. I submit to you that time is not dictated by heavenly bodies at all, but the God who created time gave them to us so we could mark time. This is a monumental difference. Into a void where there was no earth God caused the light to shine and immediately the clock began running, so to speak. God separated the light from the darkness, divided the waters above and below in the earth's atmosphere, and divided the water from the dry land. He caused the earth to bring forth seed bearing herbs and fruit trees, all after their own kind. And yes, He did this in a matter of days because He is God. It wasn't until the fourth day that God created the Sun, Moon, and stars.
Genesis 1:14-19 says, "Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. 16 Then 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 God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on 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 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day." God is responsible for time, not the heavenly bodies. God gave us the Sun and Moon to indicate signs, seasons, days, and years. He also created the stars - more stars than can be numbered. Leading astronomers in the Middle Ages reckoned there were over a thousand stars, but with the advent of the telescope that number was exponentially increased! Psalm 147:4-5 says of my great God who made the stars, "He counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite."
This world will keep on spinning as long as the God who made it intends. God made earth the central point of Creation, and made man created in His own image as the primary focus. There were 21 generations from Adam to Abraham, 14 generations from Abraham to David, 14 generations from David to the Jewish captivity in Babylon, and 14 generations from the captivity in Babylon to Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:17, Luke 3:34-38). These human markers are signposts of time indicating thousands, not millions of years have elapsed since God's voice boomed: "Let there be light!" Many generations have passed since Christ walked on this earth, yet there remains some to this day who have not bowed the knee to the tyranny of modern scientific interpretation which claims it knows better than God's Word. What we see today is not so much a clash of science and religion, but contrasting views of worldly and biblical worldviews which impact how we interpret the same data. Everyone agrees this world has a beginning and it must have an end. The more Christians who stand on the firm foundation of God's Word without shame the better. Let's decide to shine the light of God's Word on this world - even if they don't comprehend it.
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