ORIGINS Genesis 1:1-19 Session 4: Earth - Clover...
Transcript of ORIGINS Genesis 1:1-19 Session 4: Earth - Clover...
ORIGINS
Genesis 1:1-19
Session 4: Earth
James River Community Church
David Curfman
February – May 2013
Genesis Chapter 1
Earth really is “good”, “beautiful” and
“perfect”!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN-
O4fQTau0
“By doing science, we find God” – Lee
Strobel
Outline 1. Genesis 1-11 (Introduction)
2. Genesis 1:1-31 (Universe Part 1) – Big Bang Model
3. Genesis 1:1-31 (Universe Part 2) – Old and Young Earth
Models
4. Genesis 1: 1-19 (Earth) – Days 1 to 4
5. Genesis 1: 1-19 (Earth)
6. Genesis 1:13-25 (Plants and Animals) – Evolution
7. Genesis 1:26-2:4a (Man – male and female, Rest)
8. Genesis 2:4b-2:24 (Man and Woman, Garden of Eden & Marriage)
9. Genesis 3-5:1a (Sin & Curse)
10. Genesis 5:1b-6:9a (Decay)
11. Genesis 6:9b – 10:1a (Flood & Justice)
12. Genesis 10:1b -12:4 (Nations and Languages)
Earth: Objectives
Understand the Hebrew words used in
Genesis
Understand Genesis 1:1-19 (Days 1-4)
Quick Review Don’t let changing science drive your understanding of the
unchanging Word of God
You must be consistent in your interpretation of the Word of God
God created the universe and earth
The universe had a beginning
Big Bang requires 95% of matter and energy in the universe to be dark
matter and dark energy
Big Bang is an explanation for the perceived expansion of the universe
Maximum reliable distance measurements are about 500 light years
Moses wrote Genesis as 11 separate “accounts”
Hebrews 11:3 – “By faith we understand that the universe
was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was
not made out of what was visible.”
Young Earth Interpretation
Progressive Creation
Gap Theory
References Old earth
◦ Reasons to Believe – http://www.reasons.org
◦ Old Earth Ministries – http://www.oldearth.org
◦ GodandScience.org – http://www.godandscience.org
◦ American Scientific Affiliation – http://network.asa3.org
◦ Sententias.org – http://www.sententias.org
Young earth
◦ Institute for Creation Research – http://www.icr.org
◦ Answers in Genesis – http://www.answersingenesis.org
◦ Creation Research Society – http://www.creationresearch.org
◦ Center for Scientific Creation – http://www.creationscience.com
Intelligent Design
◦ Discovery Institute – http://www.discovery.org
Hebrew Word Meaning References
Yamim (from yom) Period of time, e.g. 40 years Gen 4:3; 1 Kings 11:42; 2 Chr
21:19
Yowm(from yom)
Period of time, daylight, day,
year, first, “when”
2303 times – Gen 2:4, 17, 5:1-2,
30:14: Josh 24:7; Ps 90:4; Is
11:10-11
Yowm(from yom)
Period of time Most of the prophets – e.g. Ez 30:
3; Zeph 1:14-16 Zec 14:1; Mal
3:2 & 4:5 (period of time)
Yowm(from yom)
Day (24-hr). Forms of “yom”
occur 2303 times meaning age,
day, each, time year etc. No
hours existed in time of Moses,
only night watches. God
called the light “DAY”
239 times – Gen 1:5, 1:8, 1:13,
1:19, 1:23, 1:31, 2:3 (7 x “day”);
Gen 7:4,11, 12, 17, 24, Gen 8:3-14
(24-hr days), Gen 50:3; Ex 12:18;
Ex 16:1-5; Ex 20:8-11
* “Yowm” always means 24 hr.
day when accompanied by a
number.
Earth: Hebrew words for “day”
Earth: Hebrew words for “create”
The Creation Verbs of Genesis – Some say words are interchangeable (young
earth) while others see specific meanings (old earth)
Hebrew Word Meaning Location
Bârâʾ to create (always with God as subject); to
shape, to fashion; possibly to create out of
nothing(ex nihilo)
55 times - Gen. 1:1 (heavens and earth)
1:21 (first life: sea creatures and animals
which fly) 1:27 (human life: man) 2:3-4
(heavens and earth) 5:1-2 (man) 6:7 (man);
Deut 4:32; Ps 51:10, Ps 148:5; Is 45:18
Wayyaas - ʿâsâh to make [produce], possibly to make out
of existing material; to do, to work; to act, to
effect; to prepare; to make (an offering)
Gen. 1:7 (atmosphere) 1:16 (sun and
moon) 1:25 (land animals) 1:26 (man) 1:31
(all) 2:2-4 (all, heavens and earth) 2:18
(woman specifically); Is 45:18
Bânâh ( נָּה ]( בָּ to build, rebuild; to build a house (i.e.,
establish a family); to make, fashioned
Gen. 2:22 (the woman being built,
made of Adam’s rib); Gen 4:17 (city); Gen
8:20 (ark) 10:11 (Nineveh); 12:7 (altars
numerous times)
Yâtsar to form, fashion [by God or man]; to form
[by God in creation, in original creation]; of
individuals at conception; of Israel as a
people
Gen. 2:7-8 (man being formed of the
dust of the ground); Is 29:16 ( potter and
clay); Is 45:18
Earth: Other key Hebrew words
Hebrew Word Meaning References
Beresit “In beginning” (one word),
Beginning of time
5 times - Gen 1:1; Jer 26:1, 27:1, 28:1,
49:34 (indicates the beginning of the
Kingdom)
Hassamayim 1) Sky, atmosphere Gen 1:26, 1:28, 1:30, 2:19, 2:20; Gen 7:3-23;
8:2 (Noah’s ark)
Hassamayim 2) Heavens, abode of the
stars, visible universe
3) Originally meant home of
God
236 times – Gen 1:1, 1:8, 1:9, 1:14, 1:15,
1:17,1:20, 2:1, 2:4; Gen 22:17; Gen 24:7, Ex
20:11 & 31:17; Ex 32:13; Deut 1:10; Deut
4:26
Erets Earth, land. Idea of “planet”
did not enter language until
1400 AD
934 times – Gen 1:1; 1:11, 1:12, 1:15, 1:17,
1:20, 1:24, 1:25, 1:26, 1:28, 1:29, 1:30; 2:5, 2:6,
2:12; Gen 7 & 8 (Flood); Ex 20:11 & 31:17;
Is 45:18
To-hu Formlessness, confusion,
unreality, emptiness, chaos,
waste or “no land”
10 times – Gen 1:2; Job 26:7; Is 40:17
Is 45:18,19; Jer 4:23 (may support gap
theory)
Wabohu Emptiness, void or “unfilled”
i.e. “no inhabitants”
3 times – Gen 1:2; Is 34:11; Jer 4:23
*Always used with to-hu
Earth: Other key Hebrew words
Hebrew Word Meaning References
Mayim Waters 96 times – Gen 1:2, 1:6, 1:7, 1:9, 1:10,
1:20, 1:21,1:22; 7:17-24 & 8:1-13: Ex
14:21-28
Yammim Seas 21 times – Gen 1:10; Job 6:3; Ps 65:7;
Ps 78:27; Jer 15:8: Ez 27:25-27
Tehowm The Deep, the sea, the
abyss, “water in
commotion”
21 times – Gen 1:2; 7:11; 8:2; Jonah
2:5; Ps 135:6
Yehi (from Hayah) Let there be, cause to
become, arise, come into
being
3561 times - hayah.
50 times – Gen 1:3(light), 1:6
(expanse), 1:14 (lights)
*most other times “become”
Central Lending Library, Edinburgh,
Scotland
Hebrew Word Meaning References
Chosek Darkness, obscurity
(absence of light)
80 times – Gen 1:2; 1:4; 1:5;
1:18; Ex 10:21-22; Ex 14:20 (23
times in Job; PS 18:28)Is 45:7
Layelah (from layil) Night (named by God) 233 times – Gen 1:5; Gen 1:14,
1:16, 1:18; 7:4, 7;12; Ex 13:21-22;
Ex 24:18, Num 14:14
Owr (from Or) Light 52 times – Gen 1:3; Job
31:26(sun); Ez 32:8 (stars); 2
Sam 23:4 (Yahweh)
Maor (also from Or) The Light 19 times – Gen 1:14; 1:15; 1:16; Ps
74:16; Ex 32:8
ereb Evening, sunset 18 times – Gen 1:5, 1:8, 1:13, 1:19,
1:23, 1:31 (6 x “day”) Ps 55:17; Ps
65:8; Dan 8:14
boqer Morning, sunrise, dawn 9 times - Gen 1:5, 1:8, 1:13, 1:19,
1:23, 1:31 (6 x “day”) Ps 65:8
Earth: Other key Hebrew words
Phrase Meaning References
Wayyabdel
(from badal)
Divide or separate, set apart 42 times – Gen 1:4, 18 (light/dark); 1:6-
7 (waters under/waters above); Gen 1:14
(day/night); Ex 14:21; Lev 20:24-26
(Israelites/others); 1Chr 25:1
Raqia Expanse, firmament (the result of
expanding a metal by hammering
it into thin sheets) God named
it “Sky or heaven”
17 times – Gen 1:6; 1:7; 1:8, 1:14, 1:15,
1:17, 1:20, Ez 1:22-26; Dan 12:3. See
also Job 37:18 and Ps 136:6; Is 42:5, Is
44:24
Towb Good, pleasant 563 times – Gen 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21,
1:25, 1:31 (very!) (7 x good)
* Note “good” not mentioned on Day 2
Towb Good as opposed to evil Gen 2:9 & 2:17 & 3:5; 3:22
Towb Beautiful (root meaning) Gen 6:2 (daughters of men), Gen 24:16
& 26:7 (Rebekah), 2 Sam 11:2
(Bathsheeba) Est 1:11 (Queen Vashti)
Earth: Other key Hebrew words
Phrase Translation Meaning
Hassamayim
haares
“the heavens, the
earth” the entire
creation. No word
for “universe”
Merism: 2 opposites create an all-encompassing
whole (see Gen 14:19, 22; II Kings 19:15, Ps
121:2 = heaven and earth (singl.) into an
orderly world. In other places heaven means “sky”
Wahi Ereb Wahi
boqer yowm
“the evening, the
morning, day #”
1) Always 24 hour day. (Ps 55:17; Ps 65:8; Dan
8:14)
2) Merism: 2 opposites creating an all-
encompassing whole, but number following is
inconsistent (e.g. Ex 18:13-14; 27:21)
3) Jewish notation of 24 hour day (sunset to
sunrise comes with “evening” and “morning”,
Tohu-wabohu 1)Formless and void
2)Uninhabitable
and wilderness
3) Desert and
empty
3) Confusion and
disorder
1) French, "tohu-bohu" means "confusion" or
"commotion". German, "Tohuwabohu" means
"great confusion“
2) Chaos part of creation – Young earth
3) Chaos after creation – Gap Theory
4) Chaos before creation – Progressive creation
Earth: Key Hebrew phrases
Genesis 1:1-5 (Day 1) Genesis Text Young Earth Old Earth –
Progressive
Creation
Old Earth – Gap
Theory (Scoffield)
1:1 “In
beginning”
Absolute beginning of
time and creation of
all material things.
Spiritual beings
existed
Universe (stars) and
matter pre-existed
“When God began
to” i.e. an ongoing
process, using
material as a sculptor.
Absolute beginning of
time and creation of all
things.
“God created
the Heavens and
the earth”
Summary of rest of
the week
God began creating
all celestial bodies
over long periods of
time
Actually created all
celestial bodies as
perfect, then the Gap
1:2 “Earth was
formless and
void and
darkness over
the face of the
deep. Spirit of
God hovering
over the waters”
Earth created before
all other celestial
bodies and is lightless,
shapeless, and
landless (deep water),
but perfect (i.e. no
land and no people).
Darkness not created
Earth existed in a
state that was not
able to support life.
God began with an
existing chaos. God
begins to shape
matter into an
orderly planet
“The earth became
formless and void” due to
the fall of Satan & God’s
judgment on creation.
Evil, death, suffering &
dinosaurs enter world (i.e.
judgmental destruction
(Jer 4:23-26).
Genesis 1:1-5 (Day 1) Genesis
Text
Young Earth Old Earth –
Progressive
Creation
Old Earth – Gap
Theory
1:3 “Let there
be light”
Special light of
God “spoken”
into existence by
God, (not the sun,
which came on
day 4)
Light from the sun
broke through the
atmosphere. God is
light, thus not created.
Must be on visibility
God begins a new creation
after a very long period (e.g.
4.5 Billion yrs in vv1-2).
Light from the sun broke
through the atmosphere,
“was made to appear”
1:4 “Divided
light from
darkness”
A result of this
special light.
Light from the sun
broke through the
atmosphere
24 hour days continue, but
this is a special week
1:5 “Evening,
morning, day
one”. The
light was
Beautiful,
perfect,
complete,
good.
24 hour day
(sunset to
sunrise comes
with “evening”
and “morning”
modified by a
number.
Each day was a “rapid burst” of micro-evolution that
lasted millions of years/epochs. The First Creation Day
occurred sometime after the Beginning (Gen. 1:1-2).
God summoned the light to shine out of the darkness
on His vantage point on earth (Gen. 1:2-3). God saw
that the light was useful in its purpose and thus ended
the indefinite period of time He called Day One for
our purposes.
Genesis 1:6-8 (Day 2) Genesis Text Young Earth Old Earth –
Progressive
Creation
Old Earth –
Gap Theory
1:6 “Let there
be” a firmament
God “spoke” a sky into
existence
God caused the Sky
to “appear” over a
long time
God caused the
Sky to “appear”
suddenly
1:7 God made the
firmament and
divided the
waters
God created the atmosphere
and separated the waters
above (the clouds,
atmosphere) from the waters
below (the sea). There was
a canopy over the earth
that prevented rain
creating a greenhouse
God is separating
the watery clouds
of heaven from the
waters of the earth.
God separated
the watery
clouds of heaven
from the waters
of the earth.
1:8 “God called
the firmament
heaven”
Or sky Or sky Or sky
1:8 “Evening,
morning, day
two” (good not
mentioned)
See Day 1 See Day 1 See Day 1, but
skies not fullly
formed
Genesis 1:9-13 (Day 3) Genesis Text Young Earth Old Earth –
Progressive
Creation
Old Earth – Gap
Theory
1:9 "Let the water
under the sky be
gathered to one
place, and let dry
ground appear."
And it was so.
God “spoke” the
oceans and land
masses into
existence
Cooling of the earth and
water forms, i.t “bring
forth land” The seas
gather together
exposing the land
The seas gather
together exposing
the land
1:10 “God called the
dry ground "land,"
and the gathered
waters he called
"seas." Land and seas
are “beautiful.”
After a period of cooling, the earth was
relatively flat, without mountains and canyons,
and covered by water. Half-way through the
earth's 4.6 billion year history there arose
through this watery surface a single
continent or land mass. Over time, the
dynamics of plate tectonics, and other natural
processes, resulted in the single continent
separating into the multiple continents we see
today, along with mountains, valleys, etc.
Genesis 1:9-13 (Day 3) Genesis Text Young Earth Old Earth –
Progressive
Creation
Old Earth – Gap
Theory
1:11 "Let the land
produce vegetation:
seed -bearing plants
and trees
Full grown mature plants
and trees are spoken
into existence on the
earth by God with their
seed. No pollination
God allowed
plants to appear
via some
process
God allowed plants
to appear via some
process
1:12 “The
land produced plants
bearing seed
according to their
kinds and trees
bearing fruit with seed
in it according
to their kinds.”
Species and phylum will be discussed in a few weeks
1:13 “Evening,
morning, day
three”. Vegetation is
beautiful
See Day 1 See Day 1 See Day 1
Genesis 1:14-19 (Day 4) Genesis Text Young Earth Old Earth –
Progressive
Creation
Old Earth – Gap
Theory
Gen 1:14 And God said,
"Let there be : lights in
the expanse of the sky to
separate the day from the
night, and let them serve
as signs to mark seasons
and days and years,
The sun, moon
and stars were
created in an
instant by God on
the fourth day for
a purpose.
The sun and stars finally became
visible on the 4th "day" when the
atmosphere became translucent enough
to permit "the lights" that God had
created to be clearly seen. This, then,
allowed them to fulfill their intended
purpose of government
Gen 1:16 God made two
great lights--the greater
light to govern the day and
the lesser light to govern
the night. He
also made the stars.
Sun, moon and
stars created
Or, "He had made two great lights..",
and "He also had made the stars" The
focus in day four is to make clear the
purpose of the celestial bodies - not their
origin. They are their to separate light
from darkness, to govern the day and
night, and to mark seasons, days and years.
1:13 “Evening, morning,
day four”. Stars, moon,
and sun are beautiful
See Day 1 See Day 1 See Day 1
Introduction: Why is Genesis 1
important? The Bible claims to be truth.
If the Bible does not represent truth, or if those opposed to the
teachings of Christianity can show that the Bible includes errors, the
claims of Christianity are impaired.
If a group interprets the Bible in a manner different than that which
the Hebrew text says, the truth claim of the Bible is impaired.
For evangelism, the issue is clear. Non-believers who decide to
explore the Bible and the claims of Christ will typically start with the
first page of the Bible. If the opponents of Christianity can impugn the
truthfulness of the Bible on the first page, the claims of Christ may
never be seriously considered.
See Psalm 104 – “The Creation Psalm”
Next week – the earth