How did God create the heavens and the earth?
Again, the Bible says: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light..." (Genesis 1:1-3; Read all of Genesis 1 and 2).
The Hebrew word for "created" in verse one is ארב (bara) and indicates that God created all out of nothing. He called it into existence by saying, "Let there be," and "there was."
The Scriptures echo this truth throughout.
Psalm 33:6 says: "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth."
Hebrews 11:3 says: "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
These words teach us the truth that God created all things and sustains them by the power of His word.
The Bible says of the Son of God, in Hebrews 1:2-3: "Whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power...."
So, what has God done? He created all things out of nothing. He created and called all into being by His all-powerful word. And, it is by that same creating word that all continues to exist.
It is as Nehemiah wrote (9:6): "Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee."
When did God create the heavens and the earth?
Again, the Bible answers that question for us when it says: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth..." (Gen. 1:1).
Though some would attempt to extend the six days of creation into long periods of time and others would introduce a gap between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 with the claim that the angels were a part of an earlier failed creation, the Bible is quite clear that the six days are literally six days: "And the evening and the morning were the first day" (Gen. 1:5), with the same parameters mentioned of each day. "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day" (Gen. 1:31).
The Bible also makes clear that all things were created within the six days when it says: "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day" (Ex. 20:11). "Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee" (Neh. 9:6).
When did the six days of creation occur? While it would be a mistake to make a doctrinal issue out of a specific date or year, the Bible's genealogical records indicate that creation occurred approximately 4,000 years before Christ, or approximately 6,000 years ago -- numbers which can be calculated based on the ages of the patriarchs when sons were born to them, the lengths of kings' reigns and other dates or events in the Bible such as the exile and destruction of the temple (e.g., Gen. 5 and 11; 1 and 2 Kings; 1 and 2 Chron.).
Though the Bible contradicts modern "scientific" theory regarding the age of the earth, there is no contradiction with the true evidence which suggests a young earth and a catastrophic and universal flood (Gen. 6-8). Believers accept the accuracy of God's account of creation which is recorded for them in the pages of the Bible.
Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be contacted at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 08/20/2014