Christ Centered Lessons
Wednesday, July 30, 2014 - Literal Creation?
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Chuck, do you believe in the literal account of creation found in Genesis?
This is a question I am asked many times, and my answer is always yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I believe in the literal account of creation found in the book of Genesis. I am continually perplexed when people are drawn into arguments that doubt the words of Moses as related to him by the Holy Spirit. We need to remember, Jehovah God could have created EVERYTHING in whatever manner he wanted. Genesis tells us the events, and manner, of creation that He chose.
As I understand it, the majority of those who are challenged with the literal six-day creation fact are confused by conclusions of fallible humans and the imperfect world of science. Neither group stands on a foundation I want robbing me of my soul. Let us review a few of the areas that cause confusion with a literal six-day account of creation.
First, the issue of time, as it relates to the word “day” in scripture is of much consternation for many. The skeptics of a 24-hour day point to 2 Peter 3:8 which states, “But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Understand, the scripture does NOT say one day is a thousand years and a thousand years is one day. But even if that were what it states, you would only be adding 7,000 years to the beginning of time NOT hundreds of thousands or millions of years. In addition, this passage, as it relates to the length of a day, is taken totally out of context. What was Peter addressing in this passage? The assurance of Christ’s second coming was long-established by both the prophets and the apostles but there were those (scoffers) who were challenging, and even denying, the Lord’s return. As it relates to our discussion, one aspect of their reasoning was based on the amount of time that had passed since the Lord’s promise of His return and the writing of 2 Peter. Peter affirms to them God’s promises are sure and certain. The period of waiting is for a purpose. God desires men to be saved; however, they cannot be saved unless they repent (1 Timothy 2:4). God shows His patience with mankind by giving them sufficient opportunity to repent.
Second, in Exodus 20:8-11, Moses instructed the Israelites to, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” The book of Genesis begins with the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth....” Later in the text we are told, “And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day” (Gen. 1:5). Nowhere in Scripture does God provide any instructions that a day of creation was any different in length than the Sabbath they were being asked to observe. When the Ten Commandments were issued, requiring them to observe a day of rest, it was natural for the creation week to serve as their model. Genesis 2:1-3 provided them with the specific instructions regarding the Sabbath: “And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made.” I seriously doubt that any of the Jews who heard this command needed clarification about the duration of either their day or God’s.
Finally, those who point to the proposed “scientific proof,” regarding the age of the earth, need only look at Adam to understand the maturity of God’s creation on day 1. On day 6, we are told that God created man: “And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward, in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed” (Gen. 2:7-8). Subsequent passages state that God gave man responsibilities one of which required Adam to be fully formed so that woman could be formed from his rib. With Adam being created on day 6, in a mature form, how old would an autopsy have classified Adam as being if he had died on day 7 or 8? The autopsy would have classified Adam as a mature adult equivalent the age his body appeared though he was only 1 or 2 days old. So it is with the earth. The passages prove that the earth was created in a fully mature manner so that the life of all that was created could be sustained (Gen. 1:31).
Paul tells Timothy, “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Let us determine that what God says is what occurred.
Amen.
Chuck Davis
www.christcenteredlessons.com