Wednesday, February 01, 2006
More on Creation and Science
I want to say a few words about the nature of God's creation. We will notice briefly how God organizes His creation, and how God made His creation.
First, let us consider how God organizes His creation. I really think that this organization is communicated in the history of the first week of creation. We notice the creation of certain classes of things separated by borders of the days and by God's own terminology.
On the first day, we see created "the heavens and the earth" as well as the light. This, I believe to be the area in science classified as physics. If you will, God created matter, space to contain the matter, and light/energy to govern the relationships between material phenomena within space. One clear result also came of this creation: time. Time was created in the purely physical sense of the relationship between objects in space. Time was also created in the sense of the forward movement of history according to God's direction.
On the second day, we see formed the "heavens," or the earth's atmosphere. This is still a bit on the level of physics, but we see the emergence of meteorology. It is a bit confusing to me why God did so much on each of the other days, but on this day, He created nothing new, but separated (classified?) parts of the existing creation. It is my personal opinion, based on the plural use of "heavens" and the limited mention of new things that God created also the Heaven we as Christians hold as our future home, along with the angels, but there are problems with this view, namely limited to no Scriptural evidence.
On the third day, we see God classifying earth sciences between dry land and the seas. Another addition is the creation of plant life. Plant life was a new classification and a new phenomenon. Here we see also introduced a very important decree from God. All plants were to reproduce after their kind. This is a clear opposition to the classic biological idea that plants have radically changed over time, but God is helping us study His creation by allowing us the security of knowing that apple trees will produce apples, and not oranges or coconuts in chaos.
On the fourth day, we see God classifying, or organizing, astronomy. It is interesting to me that the plants were able to survive only on God's light, before He classified it into the various lights across "expanse of the heavens." Nonetheless, we see that rather than be chaotic (big bang) God placed (where He wanted) the sun, moon, stars, asteroids, galaxies, etc.
On the fifth day, God created the fish and the birds. Here, I find once again two separate classes of study. If you did not notice, I think God is more detailed in His classification than we are with our plant kingdom and animal kingdom. Up to now, we have the plant kingdom, the fish kingdom, and the bird kingdom. God issued another decree by telling these classes to reproduce, fill the earth "after their kind" (another comfort of consistency).
On the sixth day, God created the animals and man. These are two more kingdoms of living things that God classified. He brings the same decree to these two classes that He brought to the first ones: "after their kind." More can be said on this, but the fact is that God set the classes and declared their borders to be uncrossable.
I should mention the special attention made to God's creation of man. All of God's creation declares His glory. It shows us things about Him. However, God's creation of man was special. No other part of creation is described in such detail. It is mentioned as a special creation in God's image and likeness. Man was not just to declare God's glory but to wear it. I know, that is a little sloppy, but it rhymes. This makes man the center of God's purpose in creation. We see that man was to rule creation. It is also for man's pleasure and God's future plans for man that God created the rest of creation.
We even find a discussion within the Godhead taking place. I would remind you of the discussion of elohim vs. YHWH. Here, we find a subject object distinction and a united pronoun ("us" in English). This is distinct from some people's pagan idea of a conference of deities, discussing options, voting, and creating. There are no options mentioned, no discussion, just the affirmation of the nature of man in God's eternal purpose. Thus we see incredible unity in the Godhead with limited diversity. Let me clarify that. The doctrine of the trinity is illustrated in this event because we see different persons united in one Godhead on the creation of man.
On day seven, we see God resting. In my opinion, God was not just illustrating His satisfaction with His creation. He was also illustrating a consistent style of acting for a purpose through history, and stopping that action when its purpose has been fulfilled. That is a strange way of saying that God ended the first "dispensation."
One final observation, and then I am done. We see God use language throughout this entire story. Language was used to communicate with the creation. God used language before man existed. He used language independent of creation (when He said "Let us make man..."). Language is very important to God. We must be very careful to judge exactly how God uses language and what that means for us. For example, did light come because God said the words "Let there be light"? No, God created the light (as my Hebrews teacher so eloquently said) "not by the power of His word, but by the word of His power." Thus, we see that the power of God's language is not in the language itself, but in God Himself. The power of our language is not magical or mystical. It rests in the truthfulness of the statement and its correct relationship to God's revolution.
So, I am saying that every level of science is affected by theology, and specifically the theology of this important event--the creation of the universe.
First, let us consider how God organizes His creation. I really think that this organization is communicated in the history of the first week of creation. We notice the creation of certain classes of things separated by borders of the days and by God's own terminology.
On the first day, we see created "the heavens and the earth" as well as the light. This, I believe to be the area in science classified as physics. If you will, God created matter, space to contain the matter, and light/energy to govern the relationships between material phenomena within space. One clear result also came of this creation: time. Time was created in the purely physical sense of the relationship between objects in space. Time was also created in the sense of the forward movement of history according to God's direction.
On the second day, we see formed the "heavens," or the earth's atmosphere. This is still a bit on the level of physics, but we see the emergence of meteorology. It is a bit confusing to me why God did so much on each of the other days, but on this day, He created nothing new, but separated (classified?) parts of the existing creation. It is my personal opinion, based on the plural use of "heavens" and the limited mention of new things that God created also the Heaven we as Christians hold as our future home, along with the angels, but there are problems with this view, namely limited to no Scriptural evidence.
On the third day, we see God classifying earth sciences between dry land and the seas. Another addition is the creation of plant life. Plant life was a new classification and a new phenomenon. Here we see also introduced a very important decree from God. All plants were to reproduce after their kind. This is a clear opposition to the classic biological idea that plants have radically changed over time, but God is helping us study His creation by allowing us the security of knowing that apple trees will produce apples, and not oranges or coconuts in chaos.
On the fourth day, we see God classifying, or organizing, astronomy. It is interesting to me that the plants were able to survive only on God's light, before He classified it into the various lights across "expanse of the heavens." Nonetheless, we see that rather than be chaotic (big bang) God placed (where He wanted) the sun, moon, stars, asteroids, galaxies, etc.
On the fifth day, God created the fish and the birds. Here, I find once again two separate classes of study. If you did not notice, I think God is more detailed in His classification than we are with our plant kingdom and animal kingdom. Up to now, we have the plant kingdom, the fish kingdom, and the bird kingdom. God issued another decree by telling these classes to reproduce, fill the earth "after their kind" (another comfort of consistency).
On the sixth day, God created the animals and man. These are two more kingdoms of living things that God classified. He brings the same decree to these two classes that He brought to the first ones: "after their kind." More can be said on this, but the fact is that God set the classes and declared their borders to be uncrossable.
I should mention the special attention made to God's creation of man. All of God's creation declares His glory. It shows us things about Him. However, God's creation of man was special. No other part of creation is described in such detail. It is mentioned as a special creation in God's image and likeness. Man was not just to declare God's glory but to wear it. I know, that is a little sloppy, but it rhymes. This makes man the center of God's purpose in creation. We see that man was to rule creation. It is also for man's pleasure and God's future plans for man that God created the rest of creation.
We even find a discussion within the Godhead taking place. I would remind you of the discussion of elohim vs. YHWH. Here, we find a subject object distinction and a united pronoun ("us" in English). This is distinct from some people's pagan idea of a conference of deities, discussing options, voting, and creating. There are no options mentioned, no discussion, just the affirmation of the nature of man in God's eternal purpose. Thus we see incredible unity in the Godhead with limited diversity. Let me clarify that. The doctrine of the trinity is illustrated in this event because we see different persons united in one Godhead on the creation of man.
On day seven, we see God resting. In my opinion, God was not just illustrating His satisfaction with His creation. He was also illustrating a consistent style of acting for a purpose through history, and stopping that action when its purpose has been fulfilled. That is a strange way of saying that God ended the first "dispensation."
One final observation, and then I am done. We see God use language throughout this entire story. Language was used to communicate with the creation. God used language before man existed. He used language independent of creation (when He said "Let us make man..."). Language is very important to God. We must be very careful to judge exactly how God uses language and what that means for us. For example, did light come because God said the words "Let there be light"? No, God created the light (as my Hebrews teacher so eloquently said) "not by the power of His word, but by the word of His power." Thus, we see that the power of God's language is not in the language itself, but in God Himself. The power of our language is not magical or mystical. It rests in the truthfulness of the statement and its correct relationship to God's revolution.
So, I am saying that every level of science is affected by theology, and specifically the theology of this important event--the creation of the universe.
