In the beginning God…

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth………..

I have just successfully alienated half the readers, caused scorn from others, agitated a handful more who actually believe the text, which then leaves room for a few warm hearts who simply say ‘yes!’

The skeptic says ‘that’s just your opinion.’  The atheist says: ‘nope,’ and the so-called learned among the ranks of Christendom will challenge this statement and say  ‘true, but we can’t have fellowship until we agree when  the beginning was.’  Really?

I can understand the opposition from a scorner, mocker, infidel, atheist, or unbeliever, but it is difficult to see why they who profess to believe the same book as you, take umbrage as if membership to the club is contingent on  agreement as to how old creation is generally, and specifically how old the earth is. Again I ask, really?

Great minds have debated the ‘gaps’ in Genesis, and even greater minds have seen the same text, examined a world full of  evidence, and arrived at opposite conclusions.  I think this is simply wonderful, and it is amusing how many stumble over such a petty stone on the sidewalk.

Carbon, strata, fossils, history, geography, archaeology, are all called upon as witnesses to support a theory as to the age of existence. Hmmmm. No small feat here to say with dogmatism how old the sun, moon, earth, or stars are.

To hear some give ‘proof’ of the age of the earth is not laughable but unsettling. God asks a simple question to man: ‘Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.’

To a soft heart, the answer is ‘Lord, I have no understanding in this matter, for thou alone art God.’

Is not this the point of who God is and who man is not? Are not His ways higher than the heavens? Are not His thoughts not your thoughts? Indeed, and this same God has a way of silencing the mouth of man, for even Paul argued that before a holy God every mouth is stopped.

The age of ‘creation?’ In the time it would take you to empty the Atlantic with a tablespoon, you still will have no answer.  Some say with a straight face: It’s 40 billion years old, others 10 million, others a hundred thousand, others 6 thousand, me?  ‘I have no understanding in this matter.’

But the greater question on the table: Why does a person base fellowship on the ambiguous and that which cannot be proven this side of eternity? There is a great gulf fixed with the age of the universe, and God is ageless.  Why then focus on that which cannot be known, instead of that which we do know?

This was the bait that Adam and Eve took, as they became independent from God, and thus began the ‘wisdom of the world.’  Debating the age of creation is like watching politicians, its all the same, humorous, and never settled. Time is short, there are far too many wonderful truths that are clear as crystal to be in accord with.  Such as?

Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, and that he was seen alive by 500 brethren.

As Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, even so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  (A far better discussion here than the age of the earth 😉

That said, is it my opinion when I say ‘in the beginning God?’