Last week, I pointed out how important the Biblical doctrine regarding creation is to the Christian Faith -- really, so important that a denial of the Bible's teaching regarding creation overthrows the Christian Faith or makes it (as it is in so many churches today) a religion of subjective moral lessons and examples and devoid of the Bible's core teaching of sin and redemption through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Last week, I pointed out the Bible's teaching in regard to the Creator of the heavens and earth and all life. This week, the focus is on how and when the God of the Bible created all things.
How did God create the heavens and the earth?
Again, the Bible says: "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. Then 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 bara (ברא) 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 the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth."
Hebrews 11:3 says: "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."
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 has appointed heir of all things, through 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): "You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You."
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 heavens and the earth..." (Genesis 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: "So the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:5), with the same parameters mentioned of each day. "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day" (Genesis 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 the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day" (Exodus 20:11). "You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You" (Nehemiah 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., Genesis 5 and 11; 1 and 2 Kings; 1 and 2 Chronicles.).
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 (Genesis 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 and also the pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Rogers. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Editorial on 05/11/2016