Adult Sunday School – Part 2 – In the beginning

Sunday School for Adults – Part 2 – In the beginning - by P.K.Odendaal – July 2012.

The story of creation is very much misunderstood and abused and derided by atheists and agnostics, because they, and many of us, think that it is narrated in the first book of Genesis.

However, if you read that piece carefully, you will find that it is not the story of creation. There are at least eight serious anomalies, which cannot be explained away, and thus we were taught in Church that it is merely a myth covered in a cloak of religion, much like the religion of many Christians in the world is a myth covered with a 'form of godliness, but denying the power thereof' (2Ti 3:5). We are rather encouraged to 'refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise ourselves rather unto godliness' (1Ti 4:7).  And this I will try to do in this series. I will go into this supposed story of creation in more detail in a next part of this series. Today I am addressing the actual story of creation.

Gen 1:1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

This is the whole story of creation … or at least, all that you will read about creation in Genesis. The story of creation is narrated in some detail in Proverbs 8.

Pro 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. v:23  I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. v:24  When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. v:25  Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: v:26  While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. v:27  When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: v:28  When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: v:29  When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: v:30  Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; v:31  Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

What he says in this piece is that :

1.     Jesus Christ was created first from time everlasting, before the Earth was created.

2.     God had created the Earth and Heavens (translated : the sky), the depths, the fountains, abounding water, mountains and hills, the fields, the highest part of the dust (material) of the world, the magnetic field, the clouds, the fountains of the deep, the rules of the sea and the foundations of the Earth.

3.     Only a part of the Earth was habitable, the other being unfit, supposedly because of the presence of active volcanoes and the like (my inference).

4.     Jesus played on the Earth with the sons of men (mankind).

And that is it. That is all we know of the story of creation. But it is enough, because it says that the Earth and everything on it, was created, and did not exist from eternity as certain philosophers, notably Aristotle, wanted us to believe. Moses lived at least one thousand years before Aristotle, and Aristotle was known to have read all the books on Earth, which thus included that of Moses. He should have heeded the view of Moses, and not make such a fool of himself. Even today we despise most of his hypotheses. It took a scientist in the twentieth century (Hubble) to vindicate Moses, without so much as a thank you.

The verbs Solomon uses in this piece is : prepared, set, established, strengthened, gave, appointed, brought forth, settled, made. These verbs speak of a long process of invention, imagination, creativity, re-invention, alteration - much like an artist paints a new picture.

We can fairly judge that God took a very long time to do this, and not just six days, because He would also break down certain parts that he created to start over again. This we can infer from :

Jer 18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. v:4  And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. v:5  Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, v:6  O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

And all this while Jesus Christ played before Him.

Earth was soon to be almost totally destroyed disasterously … but that is our next story.