THE DAYS IN GENESIS
Genesis 1:5
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."
Silently, a huge, powerful form slides through the deep, cold, dark depths of the sea. The men aboard the nuclear submarine have seen neither sun nor daylight for months, yet each one knows what day it is. The men know what day and what time it is even without seeing daylight because the sun's movement - like a clock - only measures time; it doesn't create it.
God doesn't need the sun to measure time either. When He tells us in Genesis 1 that He created everything in six days and rested on the seventh, we know these are days like ours, even though the sun was not created until the fourth day. Some people wonder whether the days of Genesis 1 could be figurative days. Well, the best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself. What does it say?
The word translated "day" in Genesis 1 is the Hebrew word yom. Whenever that word is used anywhere else in the Old Testament with a number - like 10 yom - it always means a 24 hour day. And whenever yom is used anywhere else in the Old Testament with the phrase "evening and morning," it always means a 24 hour day.
Going back to Genesis 1, we see that the Holy Spirit has made sure that both of these rules are in force to assure us that the Genesis days are like ours!
I thank You, Lord, that Your Word is clear and true. Use it to correct my understanding as well as my life and do not allow my own pride to make me deaf or blind to Your Word. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
Bartz, Paul A. 1988. "Days in Genesis one and the week." Bible Science Newsletter, Aug. p. 10. Photo: The Sun, as seen from low Earth orbit overlooking the International Space Station.
Genesis 1:5
"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."
Silently, a huge, powerful form slides through the deep, cold, dark depths of the sea. The men aboard the nuclear submarine have seen neither sun nor daylight for months, yet each one knows what day it is. The men know what day and what time it is even without seeing daylight because the sun's movement - like a clock - only measures time; it doesn't create it.
God doesn't need the sun to measure time either. When He tells us in Genesis 1 that He created everything in six days and rested on the seventh, we know these are days like ours, even though the sun was not created until the fourth day. Some people wonder whether the days of Genesis 1 could be figurative days. Well, the best interpreter of Scripture is Scripture itself. What does it say?
The word translated "day" in Genesis 1 is the Hebrew word yom. Whenever that word is used anywhere else in the Old Testament with a number - like 10 yom - it always means a 24 hour day. And whenever yom is used anywhere else in the Old Testament with the phrase "evening and morning," it always means a 24 hour day.
Going back to Genesis 1, we see that the Holy Spirit has made sure that both of these rules are in force to assure us that the Genesis days are like ours!
I thank You, Lord, that Your Word is clear and true. Use it to correct my understanding as well as my life and do not allow my own pride to make me deaf or blind to Your Word. For Jesus' sake. Amen.
Bartz, Paul A. 1988. "Days in Genesis one and the week." Bible Science Newsletter, Aug. p. 10. Photo: The Sun, as seen from low Earth orbit overlooking the International Space Station.
WHO IS GOD?
2 Timothy 3:14-15
"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
Did you know that the Bible never tries to convince the reader that there is a God? As surprising as that sounds, it's absolutely true. The Bible's very first words begin by identifying God - but nowhere does the Bible try to prove there is a God.
The first verse of Genesis reads, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Here we learn that the God of the Bible is our Creator. We also see here, although less clearly until we look at the next two verses, the Prime Actor in creation - the Father.
In the second half of verse 2 we read, "And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." Now it is clear that the Trinity is being presented. Here is the Holy Spirit, moving over the as yet unformed Earth, anticipating the people yet to be made who would serve as His temples.
Verse 3 opens with, "And God said." That simple phrase introduces the very heart of Scripture, the Word of God Himself. This is the very Word of God who would come and take upon Himself our earthly form in order to accomplish our salvation.
So even here in Genesis, we have the beginning of God's revelation of the Person and work of the Son of God - our Savior. Truly all Scripture has been given to make us wise unto salvation.
Dear Heavenly Father, without the revelation of Your love for us in Christ, I would consider myself lost and without hope or I might build my hope on false pride. So Your Word is a blessing to me in more ways than I can count. Thank You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
2 Timothy 3:14-15
"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."
Did you know that the Bible never tries to convince the reader that there is a God? As surprising as that sounds, it's absolutely true. The Bible's very first words begin by identifying God - but nowhere does the Bible try to prove there is a God.
The first verse of Genesis reads, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Here we learn that the God of the Bible is our Creator. We also see here, although less clearly until we look at the next two verses, the Prime Actor in creation - the Father.
In the second half of verse 2 we read, "And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters." Now it is clear that the Trinity is being presented. Here is the Holy Spirit, moving over the as yet unformed Earth, anticipating the people yet to be made who would serve as His temples.
Verse 3 opens with, "And God said." That simple phrase introduces the very heart of Scripture, the Word of God Himself. This is the very Word of God who would come and take upon Himself our earthly form in order to accomplish our salvation.
So even here in Genesis, we have the beginning of God's revelation of the Person and work of the Son of God - our Savior. Truly all Scripture has been given to make us wise unto salvation.
Dear Heavenly Father, without the revelation of Your love for us in Christ, I would consider myself lost and without hope or I might build my hope on false pride. So Your Word is a blessing to me in more ways than I can count. Thank You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
DO THE BIBLE AND SCIENCE MIX?
John 3:12
"If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things."
Scientific principles learned in the Bible have led to countless scientific discoveries and saved millions of lives. It's true. Without the Bible, we would never have the blessings of modern science.
Isaac Newton became one of the greatest scientists in history because he learned from the Bible to look for intelligence and order in the handiwork of the Creator. Louis Pasteur knew from the Bible that life could not come from non-life. After all, he said, the Bible teaches that God is the Creator and author of life. Pasteur's scientific work laid the foundations for modern medicine and new techniques for storing food - both of which have saved millions of lives.
In the 19th century, Matthew Maury, the father of the science of oceanography, read in Psalm 8:8 that there are paths in the sea. Taking God at His word, Maury went on to discover the great sea currents that span the globe and nourish most of the oceans' life. He wrote: "The Bible, they say, was not written for scientific purposes, and therefore is no authority in matters of science. I beg pardon! The Bible is authority for everything it touches. The agents concerned in the physical economy of our planets are ministers of Him who made it and the Bible."
God has given us the Bible to make us wise unto salvation. But to paraphrase Jesus' words to Nicodemus, if the Bible tells us about earthly things and we don't believe it, how shall we be able to believe the Bible when it tells us about heavenly things?
Lord, we believe; help our unbelief. Fill us with a new appreciation for your Word so that we may be instructed by You in all truth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Photo: Bust of Matthew Maury in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, New York, NY.
John 3:12
"If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things."
Scientific principles learned in the Bible have led to countless scientific discoveries and saved millions of lives. It's true. Without the Bible, we would never have the blessings of modern science.
Isaac Newton became one of the greatest scientists in history because he learned from the Bible to look for intelligence and order in the handiwork of the Creator. Louis Pasteur knew from the Bible that life could not come from non-life. After all, he said, the Bible teaches that God is the Creator and author of life. Pasteur's scientific work laid the foundations for modern medicine and new techniques for storing food - both of which have saved millions of lives.
In the 19th century, Matthew Maury, the father of the science of oceanography, read in Psalm 8:8 that there are paths in the sea. Taking God at His word, Maury went on to discover the great sea currents that span the globe and nourish most of the oceans' life. He wrote: "The Bible, they say, was not written for scientific purposes, and therefore is no authority in matters of science. I beg pardon! The Bible is authority for everything it touches. The agents concerned in the physical economy of our planets are ministers of Him who made it and the Bible."
God has given us the Bible to make us wise unto salvation. But to paraphrase Jesus' words to Nicodemus, if the Bible tells us about earthly things and we don't believe it, how shall we be able to believe the Bible when it tells us about heavenly things?
Lord, we believe; help our unbelief. Fill us with a new appreciation for your Word so that we may be instructed by You in all truth. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Photo: Bust of Matthew Maury in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, New York, NY.
THE VERY HAIRS OF YOUR HEAD
Matthew 10:30
"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
In showing how the Creator is intimately involved with His creation, Jesus said that the very hairs of our heads are numbered by Him. No detail is too small to escape His attention; no change misses His careful and loving eye.
The hair that you see is nothing more than dead protein produced by the cells of the hair follicle anchored inside the layers of the skin. The total number of hair follicles in an adult is about 5 million, with only about 100,000 on the scalp. Each hair grows out of one follicle for about three to five years. Then the hair is shed and the follicle rests for about three months before starting to grow hair again.
So, you see, even once you know how many hairs are on your head, it's no easy job to keep track of their changing number. The average scalp hair grows about one inch every two or three months. This means that each day your head is growing the equivalent of one 100 foot long hair - that's nearly seven miles per year!
Yes, it's true; the Creator cares so much about you that He knows from moment to moment how many hairs are on your head. He has not created our world and then left us to drift through space and life all alone. He has even expressed His love and purpose for you in the words of the Bible. Take a look today at what Scripture says about His Son, who loved you so much that He even gave His life for you!
I confess, dear Lord, that I cannot understand how You can keep track of all the details of the creation as Your Word says You do. But You are God and I am only human. Don't let my weakness limit or weaken my faith in your day-to-day involvement in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Photo: Strand of human hair at 200x magnification.
Matthew 10:30
"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
In showing how the Creator is intimately involved with His creation, Jesus said that the very hairs of our heads are numbered by Him. No detail is too small to escape His attention; no change misses His careful and loving eye.
The hair that you see is nothing more than dead protein produced by the cells of the hair follicle anchored inside the layers of the skin. The total number of hair follicles in an adult is about 5 million, with only about 100,000 on the scalp. Each hair grows out of one follicle for about three to five years. Then the hair is shed and the follicle rests for about three months before starting to grow hair again.
So, you see, even once you know how many hairs are on your head, it's no easy job to keep track of their changing number. The average scalp hair grows about one inch every two or three months. This means that each day your head is growing the equivalent of one 100 foot long hair - that's nearly seven miles per year!
Yes, it's true; the Creator cares so much about you that He knows from moment to moment how many hairs are on your head. He has not created our world and then left us to drift through space and life all alone. He has even expressed His love and purpose for you in the words of the Bible. Take a look today at what Scripture says about His Son, who loved you so much that He even gave His life for you!
I confess, dear Lord, that I cannot understand how You can keep track of all the details of the creation as Your Word says You do. But You are God and I am only human. Don't let my weakness limit or weaken my faith in your day-to-day involvement in my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Photo: Strand of human hair at 200x magnification.
NEW TECHNIQUE SUPPORTS CREATION
Psalm 119:160
"Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
Some time ago, a news article described how scientists had studied the genetic material of a magnolia leaf that supposedly died 20 million years ago.
It might seem amazing that scientists would be able to duplicate the genetic material of a fossil, but the technique does seem to work. However, we reject the 20 million year date in favor of a biblical history of life on Earth. In fact, what scientists found out about this leaf supports the biblical history.
The genetic information in living things contains the instructions for making that living thing. The color of your hair, eyes, skin, your height and all of your other features are contained in your genetic information. Scientists are not able to read that information in all its detail, but they can tell the difference between one kind of creature and another. They can also compare similarities and differences in great detail. But when they compared this supposedly 20 million year old magnolia leaf to modern magnolia leaves, they discovered that even in its genetic detail it was virtually identical to the modern magnolia. Scientists freely admit their surprise. No evolution had taken place!
As science increases its ability to study the genetics of ancient creatures, it will continue to fail to find evidence of evolution. That's because all creatures were originally created in finished form, according to their kinds, just as the Bible says.
Dear Father, Your Word is true! I ask that its truth would continue to challenge those who seek to explain the world without You. And I ask that its truth would become even more influential among Your people. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Robinson, Jack. 1990. "Ancient leaf DNA copied at UCR lab." The Press Enterprise (Riverside County, CA), Apr. 12. p. 1. Photo: Magnolia leaves. Courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
Psalm 119:160
"Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
Some time ago, a news article described how scientists had studied the genetic material of a magnolia leaf that supposedly died 20 million years ago.
It might seem amazing that scientists would be able to duplicate the genetic material of a fossil, but the technique does seem to work. However, we reject the 20 million year date in favor of a biblical history of life on Earth. In fact, what scientists found out about this leaf supports the biblical history.
The genetic information in living things contains the instructions for making that living thing. The color of your hair, eyes, skin, your height and all of your other features are contained in your genetic information. Scientists are not able to read that information in all its detail, but they can tell the difference between one kind of creature and another. They can also compare similarities and differences in great detail. But when they compared this supposedly 20 million year old magnolia leaf to modern magnolia leaves, they discovered that even in its genetic detail it was virtually identical to the modern magnolia. Scientists freely admit their surprise. No evolution had taken place!
As science increases its ability to study the genetics of ancient creatures, it will continue to fail to find evidence of evolution. That's because all creatures were originally created in finished form, according to their kinds, just as the Bible says.
Dear Father, Your Word is true! I ask that its truth would continue to challenge those who seek to explain the world without You. And I ask that its truth would become even more influential among Your people. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Robinson, Jack. 1990. "Ancient leaf DNA copied at UCR lab." The Press Enterprise (Riverside County, CA), Apr. 12. p. 1. Photo: Magnolia leaves. Courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.
No comments:
Post a Comment