Fully Devoted: CreationVzorec

And There Was Evening, and There Was Morning

The time has come to answer a question many people ask: Did God actually create the universe in six days? And if so, doesn’t that go against everything scientists have discovered over the last century?

First, we have to remember that the Bible is not a textbook with answers to all of our questions. Instead, it’s a story that leads us to Jesus and changes us to be more like Him. The Bible was written in a wide variety of literary genres by authors who lived in different times, places, and cultures than we do.

One of the fastest ways to misunderstand Genesis 1 and 2, is to treat these chapters as a lab report describing exactly what happened and how it happened. That would be placing our modern assumptions on an ancient text instead of being good students of their culture.

Second, there are many people who believe Genesis 1 was written as Hebrew poetry. This means we must use wisdom and learn to read these portions of Scripture literately (wisely and skillfully according to the literary genre) and not just literally. Why does this matter? Because it helps us set aside our modern questions and step into the world of the biblical authors. When we do this, we see how Genesis is poetically written and structured.

Third, there are way more words in the English language than there are in Hebrew. Which means that a single word in Hebrew will often be translated into multiple different English words based on the context. For example, the Hebrew word for “day” used in Genesis 1 is yom—and yom, throughout the rest of the Bible, is translated in a variety of different ways. Sometimes, it means a 24-hour time period. Sometimes it means the time when the sun is visible in the sky. Sometimes it means a year, and other times it means a long but finite period of time.

These details matter because it helps us put our belief on the age of the universe in its proper place. Not as a core doctrine that must be defended with the same veracity we defend the resurrection of Jesus or the nature of God. But as a belief that we can disagree on and still be family. And, by moving the focus of Genesis 1 off of whether or not the earth is young or old, we can put the focus back on what would have been most important to the original audience: showing them who God really is and who they are as people made in His image.

Fourth, something being written as poetry doesn’t make it any less true or valuable. While we live in a time where science and empirical data is often viewed as the highest form of truth, this was not always the case. In many cultures, throughout the ages, the deepest wisdom and most prized lessons were often passed through songs, stories, and poems. Think about the parables of Jesus. The Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, and the Sower. Some of the most well known and beloved teachings of Jesus are the ones where He used story and metaphor to communicate deeper truths.

Fifth, Genesis 1 being written as poetry does not mean it has no scientific accuracy or validity. In fact, there are brilliant Christian thinkers and scientists who have devoted their lives to showing how science and Scripture are not at odds, but actually work together beautifully to show us the truth about God and His creation.

For example, some people have looked at the order of the creation days and been confused by the idea of God creating light on day one, but not creating the sun and the stars until day four. How does that work?

Scientifically, before stars were ever formed, there were two periods in the early stages of the universe, known as recombination and decoupling, where photons (light particles) were first produced resulting in light appearing in the universe and, quite literally, light being separated from darkness. Biblically, the New Testament authors tell us this about God:

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light … 1 John 1:5 NIV

Sixth, God is good and powerful enough to change your life through His word without you needing to know any of these details about the Hebrew language, Genesis’ poetic structure, or recent scientific discoveries. The same Spirit that was working in the authors who were writing these words is working in you when you are reading these words.

Seventh, the whole Bible, including Genesis 1 and 2, is meant to lead us to Jesus and change us to be more like Him—because it’s all about Jesus. He is the one who was there at the very beginning, He is the one who went to death and back to rescue us, and He is the one who will one day return to make all things new. So the most important question is not: Is Genesis literal or metaphorical? The most important question is: Who is Jesus to me?

Journaling Questions

• Have you ever considered what this portion of Scripture—or any other portion—would have meant to the original audience? Why or why not?
• What would change about your questions if you started approaching the Bible from the perspective of the original audience? Write one or two questions you would start asking.
• Begin trying to put yourself in the shoes of the original audience—a recently freed Hebrew. What does this passage tell you about God?

Memory Verse

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV