Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20080106.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Genesis: Explaining The Foundations Of History
Part I: Explaining The Creation Of The Universe, Genesis 1-2
A. Explaining The Origin Of The Universe
(Genesis 1:1-2)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

As we start our study in the Book of Genesis this morning in examining Genesis 1:1-2, a huge drift away from belief in how literally we can read this section of Genesis exists in much of Christendom:

(1) Pope John Paul II of the Roman Catholic Church in 1997 cautioned Catholic theologians "to check with scientists before interpreting Scripture" according to a report by Dave Hunt, "Evolution or God's Word?", The Berean Call, February 1997, p. 1. As a result of this papal statement, Edward Daschback, a Roman Catholic priest, wrote: "The Church, then, does not accept . . . the literal interpretation of the opening chapters of the Book of Genesis . . .", Ibid.

(2) A shift away from a literal interpretation of Genesis 1 is occurring in evangelical circles, too. Even a reputably conservative evangelical theologian, Norm Geisler, has come to tolerate the theistic evolutionary model of origins: on November 30, 2001, Ken Ham, president of Answers In Genesis, wrote an article on the AIG web site critiquing how Dr. Norm Geisler's work, the Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, left room for long ages of time in creation versus the pure creationist view, and he cited Geisler's work where he had written: "'If, of course, the days of Genesis are long periods of time, then there is no conflict with modern science on the age of the Earth. But even if the days of Genesis are twenty-four hours, there are still ways to reconcile long periods of time with Genesis 1-2.'"

The key theory of origins now held by atheistic evolutionists and theistic evolutionists (progressive creationists) alike is the big bang theory, that the universe began by a huge explosion 13.7 billion years ago, sending stellar matter outward at great speed. ( Creation, Sept.-Nov. 2004, p. 7) Of course, this view COUNTERS a STRAIGHTFORWARD, SIMPLE reading of Genesis 1:1-2 where God is shown building the universe in a peaceful way out of a formless empty world.

Thus, we may ask, "In view of the big bang theory's acceptance or tolerance today even among evangelical Christians, IS Genesis 1:1-2 TRUE as read in a SIMPLE way, or NOT, and WHY? I need to know if I can TRUST my BIBLE, or IF I can understand it as truth if read in a STRAIGHTFORWARD way!"



(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Since not only evolutionists, but various Christian leaders hold God began the universe with a big bang 13.7 billion years ago versus a simple reading of Genesis 1:1-2, what is the TRUTH, for I wonder if I can TRUST my Bible, or how I can UNDERSTAND it?"
  1. God created the universe "ex nihilo," or out of nothing: Hebrews 11:3 NIV and ESV reveals the ages (tous 'aionas) in a spatial sense, or "the worlds, spheres, universe", was created by God's word out of things not visible, Theological Dict. of the N. T., vol. I, p. 204.
  2. Yet, Genesis 1:2 has God's creation starting as a void earth versus how Isaiah 45:18 claims He made it, so some errantly claim Genesis 1:1-2 has two creations with long evolutionary ages between them:
    1. Some claim God created the universe in Genesis 1:1, but, that Satan was cast out of heaven when he sinned and left the world in the chaotic state of Genesis 1:2; Bible Know. Com., O. T., p. 28. This view is supported (1) by the Hebrew grammar that can allow Genesis 1:2 to read: "And the earth became formless and void . . .", Ibid.; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, 1978 ed., ftn. to Gen. 1:2, and (2) Isaiah 45:18 that claims God did not make the world chaotic as Genesis 1:2 has it!
    2. However, in no other place does Moses, the Genesis author, explain such a significant event as the destruction of an initial creation!
    3. Besides, this "gap" view contradicts Moses' polemical intent:
      1. The pagans in Moses' day taught that a hero-god slew an evil mythical sea monster that restrained creation, releasing life forces to produce creation, Bruce K. Waltke, Creation and Chaos , p. 48.
      2. However, Moses countered this view, claiming that God's Spirit in complete sovereignty hovered above the lifeless mass of earth before He created all of its life forms, Genesis 1:2; 1:3-31; Ibid.
      3. So, this "gap" theory errs in view of the historical, literary context!
    4. Also, Isaiah 45:18 pictures the final state of creation (E. J. Young, Isaiah, 1972, vol. III, p. 211), and Genesis 1:2 shows an unfinished stage of God's creation similar to how Christ healed in Mark 8:23-25!
  3. Progressive creationists errantly claim God made the universe via the big bang before making the Genesis 1:2 mass, explaining that starlight did not reach earth until the Genesis 1:14-19 fourth day, cf. Jonathan Sarfati, Refuting Compromise, 2004, p. 15:
    1. The Hebrew grammar of Genesis 1 allows no room for the big bang, for, in Genesis 1:1-26, "with the exception of verse 2, which describes the conditions existing at the time of the creative act mentioned in verse 1 . . . runs on in a single continuous line down to verse 26" via a "waw conversive" formation, what today is called the "waw consecutive", G. B. Gray, The Forms of Hebrew Poetry, 1972, p. 52; J. Weingreen, A Practical Gram. For Classical Hebrew , 1969, p. 91.
    2. This arrangement indicates "consecutive events," Marks & Rogers, A Beginner's Handbook to Biblical Hebrew, 1958, p. 38.
    3. Thus, God's calling the stellar bodies into existence in Genesis 1:14-19 on the fourth day occurred the third day after the Genesis 1:2 void earth had existed like the "waw consecutive" REQUIRES!
  4. Rather, Genesis 1:1 introduces God as sole Creator, and Genesis 1:3 starts to show HOW He formed and filled the unfinished mass of Genesis 1:2 that He had called into existence out of nothing:
    1. The Hebrew grammar at Genesis 1:1-2, in keeping with the literary format of other Ancient Near Eastern creation accounts, argues for verse 1 to be an independent clause followed in verse 2 by a circumstantial clause (of the pattern waw + noun + verb) to describe a negative state before the creative activity that begins in verse 3 (with its waw consecutive + prefixed conjugation form), Ibid., p. 32-35.
    2. So, Genesis 1:1 introduces the topic of God's creation of the universe, Hebrews 11:3 reveals God called into existence the Genesis 1:2 mass, and Genesis 1:3 begins to describe how God began to form and fill the unfinished mass of Genesis 1:2 in six days!
  5. Thus, Genesis 1:1-2 reveals God began the universe out of nothing, or "ex nihilo," not via a big bang, but in sovereign, ordered calm:
    1. Opposite the view that there was a big bang, Genesis 1:1-2 with 1:14-19 reveals the universe began with a formless, empty, lifeless earth covered with water before any stellar universe had existed!
    2. God spoke, and it originated in sovereign, ordered calm, Heb. 11:3!
Application: (1) May we trust in Christ as Savior to receive eternal life, John 3:16; 1:11-13. (2) Then, may we rest in the sovereign control of our Creator as our SOLE Cause of the universe so that Genesis 1:1-2 is TRUE as READ in a STRAIGHTFORWARD way!

Lesson: OPPOSITE evolutionary and progressive creationist views, the BIBLE reveals the universe did NOT begin with a big bang, but quietly under the sovereign control of God as He merely spoke it into existence!

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

In support of the straightforward reading of Genesis 1:1-2, it is worth noting that even the secular scientific community now sees great problems with the big bang theory, and some have reacted accordingly.

Since proponents of the big bang claim it occurred 13.7 billion years ago, if the universe has expanded since then at the speed of light, "then the radius of the universe should be 13.7 billion light-years as an upper limit, so the width of the universe is 27.4 billion light-years . . ." (Ibid., Creation)

However, "from a space probe examining the Cosmic Background Radiation, astronomers estimate the universe is at least 156 billion light-years wide [5 1/2 times wider than the big bang theory would allow!] . . . According to researchers writing in the journal Physics Review Letters, the universe must have expanded much faster than light in its early stage . . . [Thus] It's no wonder that 33 leading scientists have published an 'Open Letter to the Scientific Community' rejecting the big bang." (Ibid.)



Accordingly, it is not only TRUE that God created the universe in quiet orderliness as Genesis 1:1-2 reveals, it is also WISE to STAY with the LITERAL interpretation of Scripture than to adopt a secular, errant view only to be proven wrong in time! As the Creation magazine editors observed, " . . . if secular scientists finally throw out the big bang, what will happen to the Christian apologists [of the theistic (progressive creationist) evolutionary view] who reinterpret the Bible to fit into this theory? They will have to reinterpret their reinterpretations!" (Ibid.)



May we thus REST in the STRAIGHTFORWARD, LITERAL, SIMPLE reading of Genesis 1:1-2, and hold to the belief that God created the universe in quiet, sovereign power by the sheer power of His spoken word!