Featured Post

The Christian Perspective on the Old Testament

Unfortunately, too many Christians have allowed themselves to harbor extreme views with regard to the role which they permit the Old Testame...

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

God's role in creation: Part II - Revelation

So if the Genesis account should not be taken literally or used as a scientific explanation of how the earth was created, what should we glean from those Scriptures? To me, it is obvious that the author of the first three chapters of Genesis wished to convey the following: 1) God created everything and everything has a purpose 2) Mankind has a special relationship with God, and God has a plan for mankind 3) The seven day week is a memorial to the act of creation 4) Mankind was given an opportunity to accept or reject God's definition of right/wrong 5) The acceptance of God's standard would lead to eternal life, and its rejection would lead to death 6) Satan played a role in man's decision to reject God's standard and has a part to play in man's story thereafter 7) To introduce the one who would finally crush Satan (Jesus Christ - the woman's seed)
Moreover, if we use the Genesis Scriptures in conjunction with other Scriptures about creation, a more accurate portrayal of the process of creation is revealed: 1) God planned everything out before acting. Job 38:4-5, Psalm 104:5, Proverbs 8:29, Isaiah 40:21, Revelation 13:8, I Peter 1:19-20, etc. 2) God created angels before the physical universe. Job 38:7, Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28, Hebrews 1 & 2, Revelation 12:9, etc. 3) God created the physical universe, including the earth 4) God prepared the surface of the earth to receive life 5) God created life, and provided for its diversity 6) God created mankind 7) God created the Sabbath by resting at the conclusion of these creative activities

No comments:

Post a Comment