In the Beginning, God…

Creation vs. Evolution. Young Earth vs. old Earth. Big Bang vs. Devine Design. As a scientist (I have degrees in geology, anthropology and environmental science), I have often struggled (and still do at times) with some of these conflicts, but science often teaches us about God. Many things we learn in science are corroborated in the Bible. Also, we need to be careful with accepting theories as fact, as they often teach in our schools. But to me, there is no doubt that God is real and that He created all things. I have seen things happen in my life that can only be attributed to God. I loved the quote from a study by Charlie Dates that I borrowed for the title. In the beginning, God. As he says, these first four words of the Bible are so important. Everything is about God, since He created all things, including you and me.

Psalms 33:6-9

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

God spoke, and the heavens and earth were created. It was by His design, not by chance. Supporters of the Big Bang Theory believe everything just came into being. Where did this matter that randomly became so dense and start spinning until it exploded get its origin? Can you imagine how big it would have to be and the force it would take? To me, the Big Bang makes as much sense as a tornado or typhoon going through a junkyard and all the pieces come together to create a car or airplane randomly. And for life to exist on this planet, the earth had to be the exact size and shape it is (no, it is not flat), the exact tilt, the exact distance from the sun, the exact rotation and orbit, the moon the exact distance from the earth with the exact amount of gravity, our solar system in the exact position within the galaxy, and so on. We have a much better chance of winning the lottery.

Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

In the beginning God created. He brought life and order from chaos. From nothing. Nothing was random. There is no way the complexities of the universe and the world and everything within it could have just happened at random. We have a loving creator who is all powerful.

Genesis 1:3-5

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

On the first day, God brought light in the world. It is interesting that He did not create the sun, moon and stars until the fourth day. A thought that I had was that if the sun and moon were not created until the third day, were the first two days literal 24-hour days as they are today? This is just my own thought; no one knows for sure except God. After all, no one was there except for God. What was the source of the light then? Was it Jesus?

John 1:1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

2 Corinthians 4:6

For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

According to the gospel of John and also Paul in his letters to the church (see also Colossians 1), Jesus was there in the beginning and all things were created through Him.

Genesis 1:6-8

Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Thus 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. And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

So what exactly is a “firmament?” The literal definition is expanse or sky. It is also described as an arch or vault over the earth. It is possible that at the time up until The Flood, there was a reservoir of water above the firmament until “the windows of heaven opened.” Or, it may just simply be the sky, or the Greek word used for sky is the visible universe or abode of stars, though the firmament in this sense could still contain a reservoir of water.

Genesis 1:9-13

Then God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day.

When I read this section, I think of how we learned in geology that at one time there was one great continent called Pangea until it was rifted apart by plate tectonics (also known as sea floor spreading and continental drift). The earth is very complex. The crust sits on a sort of plastic layer (the mantle) and it spreads apart forming several plates, which drift apart and crash together forming the mountains and valleys. It is amazing how God created it all. It didn’t just suddenly happen, but there was a great power behind it.

Genesis 1:14-19

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; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 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. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, 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. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

So we come to the fourth day where the sun, moon and stars are created. Being a geologist, another question in my mind has often been about the age of the earth. It is interesting that plant life was created before the sun, moon and stars. I imagine God provided the light for the plants to thrive. Some plants, such as certain algae that are the oldest fossil in the rock record, do not require light. Also, is this the first “24-hour” day? That would explain some things, but these are just my own personal thoughts. Also, how do we know that things were the same then as they are now? Did the elements decay at the same rate? Were the rocks and minerals in the earth already old as the plants and animals were created full grown? No one knows but God; no one else was there (see Job 38) but God…yet.

Genesis 1:20-23

Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Just as the theory of evolution describes, the sea animals came first followed by the birds or the air and the land animals. What is also interesting is the greek word here for living creatures is sea monster, dragon or dinosaur. Several places in the Bible the Leviathan and Behemoth is mentioned (see Job 41, where God describes Leviathan in detail, and it sounds much like a dragon).

Genesis 1:24-31

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

God created all living things. He is the creator of everything. Then as God speaks, He says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; The word for God here is “Elohim”, which is a plural word, often used with singular verbs indicating our God is one. The Bible never specifically uses the word Trinity, but you can see the concept here and throughout the scriptures, such as when God the Father spoke to God the Son when He was being baptized and the Spirit came down upon Him. As we have mentioned earlier, Jesus was there during creation with God the Father. That is why God says, “Let Us make man in Our image.” Paul describes Jesus as God to the Colossians:

Colossians 1:15-19

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell

God created this beautiful earth. He gave us charge of it. We are stewards of this planet; let us take care of it and take care of each other. Most of all, let us give praise to where it is due. To the creator of the universe. Let us praise Him and give Him the glory, for it was He who gave us breath and gave us everything that we have. It was He that offered His Son for our redemption. It was Jesus Christ who gave of Himself and paid for our sins on the cross. The love that God has for us we cannot even fathom.

Psalms 19:1-6

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.