Chapter Two - Genesis - The Beginnings

At the end of this chapter the student should be able to:

1. discuss the importance of the Pentateuch;

2. describe the major events (Creation, Fall, Flood, etc.) in Genesis 1-11;

3. summarize some of the theories associated with those events; and

4. explain the significance of the four key patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.

This chapter is divided into the following four major parts:

1. the Pentateuch;

2. Genesis 1-11;

3. Genesis 12-50; and

4. useful background information.

1. PENTATEUCH

1.1 Importance

The Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) covers the period from the creation of the universe to the death of Moses. It is difficult to ascertain how much time is involved due to the problem of constructing any chronological scheme prior to Genesis 12. Still, it is certain that the Pentateuch does embrace more time than all the rest of the Bible.

The Pentateuch is foundational in other respects as well, which can easily be seen by a brief review of its contents, including:

1. Doctrinally, the great themes of the Bible are found here in embryo form.

2. The dispensational significance is seen in that five of the seven or eight dispensations of the Bible are found here.

3. The most important covenants of the Old Testament, the Abrahamic and the Mosaic, are likewise introduced in the Pentateuch.

4. Historically, it forms the indispensable link between the primeval era and the origin of Israel's history.

1.2 Authorship

The authorship of the Pentateuch has traditionally been ascribed to Moses.

1.2.1 Higher Criticism

About 1875, German critics, especially Julius Wellhausen argued that the Pentateuch is not the work of a single author. It is considered, rather, to be a compilation of a number of documents, which have supposedly been woven together into a single narrative during the course of the centuries, giving us the Pentateuch as we know it today. The documentary sources from which the Pentateuch emerged are often designated by the letters J, E, D and P. The main argument used to support these different sources is that these supposed writers had different theological outlooks and ordinarily used different names for God.

This theory is also known as "Higher Criticism" claims that:

1. J stands for the Jehovist who used the name Jehovah in his writings about 850 B.C.;

2. E is the Elohist who wrote about 750 B.C.;

3. D is the Deuteronomist who wrote around 621 B.C. in the reign of Josiah; and

4. P stands for the priestly code and supposedly represents a date of around 570 B.C.

The priestly writer especially interested in the sacrifice and priestly ritual. According to the theory these men were more like editors who took fragments of material already in existence and incorporated them into their writings. Their writings in turn found their way into the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch, then, would be the product of several men covering a period of several centuries. According to these critics, the documents J, E, D and P were written a thousand years after Moses' death.

1.2.2 Fallacy of the Higher Criticism

We can explain the differences the unbelieving higher critics have found between documents J, E, D, and P, and answer the arguments they use as follows:

1. Moses, not two other authors, used different names for God to reveal various characteristics of God. Jehovah means the eternal, self-existent One and Elohim means the strong and majestic One.

2. The so-called J, E, D and P documents are so interwoven that it is impossible to separate them without producing gaps between them or overlapping sections.

3. The vocabulary (choice of words) and writing style are different in the sections because the subjects Moses wrote about were different, not because the sections had different authors.

4. Archaeological discoveries have demonstrated the historical accuracy of the Pentateuch and have brought to light customs practiced in the second millennium B.C. that were not practiced in the first millennium B.C. How, then, would an author have known of these customs (e.g. the double portion going to the oldest son, the sale of a birthright, the validity of an oral will; cf. Genesis 48:17-20) unless he had lived during that earlier period? Undoubtedly, Moses had both oral and written records of early history, which he used under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to write about events that antedated his own life. Naturally, someone else (i.e. Joshua) must have written the account of Moses' death (Deuteronomy 34).

5. Aside from any internal inconsistencies in this theory (which are numerous), the New Testament clearly teaches the Mosaic origin of these books. Compare such references as Matthew 19:8; John 5:46-47; 7:19; Acts 3:22; and Romans 10:5. It is not just a case of determining the sources of these Old Testament books. It is a case of denying the authority of Christ and the early church as well, if we accept the critical theory.

For further information on the archaeological discoveries, please study Chapter 4 of the course: Apologetics. For further information on the reliability of the Old Testament, please study Chapter 3 of the course: Apologetics and Chapter 12 of the course: Systematic Theology. For a more detailed analysis and critique of the documentary hypothesis, see Gleason L. Archer, Jr., A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Chapters 6-13, Chicago: Moody Press, 1964 Edition.

1.3 Historicity

It is also a common practice today to treat many of the narratives in the Pentateuch not as ordinary history but as "myth." A myth in current theological usage is a literary device that is designed to convey a theological truth. The Fall of man in the Garden would be a good example of this. The account of the Garden of Eden is not to be taken as history in the generally accepted use of the term, but as a very significant narrative which God can use to teach some basic theological truths.

It is evident, of course, that the Bible does use literary devices such as parables, which are not historical in nature and yet which do convey spiritual truths. A parable, however, is always clearly designated as such and there is no such designation in passages like Genesis 3. The Fall of man is written not as a parable or myth but as history. And once again there is the use that the New Testament makes of the Old. Paul, in Romans 5, treats Adam as a historical figure just like Christ and not as some mythological entity. He refers to the Fall in 2 Corinthians 11:3 as a historical happening. Christ likewise treats the creation account, the Flood, and the story of Lot as history (Matthew 19:4; Luke 17:26-29). The historical accuracy of these books will, therefore, be assumed as we continue our study.

2. GENESIS 1-11

A basic division is ordinarily made in Genesis at the end of chapter 11. Prior to chapter 12, God's dealings are with all men indiscriminately. In chapter 12, God chooses one man, Abraham, and on the basis of certain unconditional promises He makes to him, He deals with him in a unique way from this point on. From Abraham the nation Israel emerges. The first eleven chapters center around four great events. Chapters 12-0 deal mainly with four great individuals.

The key to understanding Genesis is the Abrahamic covenant. In chapter 12, God makes certain unconditional promises to Abraham which are ratified officially in chapter 15. The Abrahamic covenant is a grace covenant in that God does it all. Included in the covenant are certain promises God makes to Israel as well as the prediction of a coming Messiah. Chapters 1-11 are designed to show the necessity for such a covenant. Twice in the first part of Genesis God places man in ideal surroundings - first in the Garden and then in a purged earth after the Flood. Both times man fails God. The first situation results in the Fall of chapter 3, which leads to a murder in chapter 4 and culminates in extreme wickedness in chapter 6.

After the Flood we see man in an ideal environment once more, but chapter 9 ends with Noah in a drunken stupor, and chapter 11 is a further demonstration of man's rebellion in the Tower of Babel. The point is clear. Man by himself will inevitably rebel against God and assert his independence. If the human race is to survive, God must intervene. God does intervene with the Abrahamic covenant in chapter 12 and following.

The last half of Genesis shows God taking the initiative and providing the Abrahamic covenant. The fulfillment of the promises are not up to man but depend on God Himself. Chapters 12-50 show how these promises are protected and fulfilled (in part at least) by God. Our concern in this part of lesson one is with the first part of the book, chapters 1-11.

2.1 The Creation of the World (1-2)

The creation account occurs twice in these chapters, which are designed to supplement rather than contradict one another. Chapter 1 gives a chronological day-by-day outline of the creative week. Chapter 2 amplifies certain aspects of the account of chapter 1, namely, the creation of man.

2.1.1 The chronological account (1:1-2:4)

In verse 1 the account begins with a description of the entire universe: "the heavens and the earth." In this simple statement God designates not only our solar system, but all of the galaxies, constellations, and super-constellations which lie beyond it. Hebrews 11:3 tells us that this act of creation was performed out of nothing and did not involve pre-existing materials.

In verse 2 and following the description is focused on the earth. Three descriptive phrases are used to depict it as it was when God began the creative process. It was (1) without form and (2) void. The words used here mean "unformed" and "uninhabited" and do not of necessity imply anything of a catastrophic nature. (3) Darkness was on the face of the deep. It was upon this condition that the Spirit of God moved to create order.

The verses that follow show how God took the earth as it was in this unformed state and made it into a habitable planet. The first three days parallel the following three days in many ways. The first three are days of formation and separation. The following three days show how the earth was populated.

2.1.2 The meaning of the word "kind"

The phrase "after its kind" occurs repeatedly in chapter 1 (1:11-12, 21, 24-25) and shows that God has set certain boundaries upon His creative work. It would thus preclude an evolutionary scheme which taught that man evolved from some lower form of life. The word "kind" would allow for variation within the groups, but would prohibit a scheme where life evolved from sea creatures to land animals and ultimately to man. The biblical usage of the term (cf. Leviticus 11:16, for example) shows that it should not be equated with the term "species" as that term is ordinarily used by biologists. The term "kind" is broader and might embrace many species. (See John Klotz, Genes, Genesis, and Evolution, Chapter 3, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1955. Klotz shows that biologists themselves are not agreed on a uniform definition of the word "species.")

2.1.3 The supplementary account (2:5-25)

The account of creation in chapter 2 gives details which supplement chapter 1 and prepare for chapter 3. Man is the focal point of interest. In addition to a description of how he was created we are told of his:

1. new home (2:4-17); and

2. new helper (2:18-25).

Man is put in the garden and is placed under one prohibition - he is not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God then makes "a help meet for him" (2:18). The word "meet" carries the concept of answering to, complementing, or filling up what is lacking in the other partner. These final verses of chapter 2 reveal several concepts concerning the marriage relationship:

1. The role of the sexes is carefully distinguished by the term mentioned above. Man's role is distinct from that of woman.

2. Man is incomplete without woman. Woman makes up what is lacking in man. She is his complement in somewhat the same way that two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle fit to gether.

3. The verses show the unique nature of the marriage relationship. The two are to be "one flesh."

4. Sex is not sinful in itself but is to be the normal relationship for a man and woman joined in marriage.

2.1.4 Relationship between the six creative days and the age of the world

From a superficial reading of Genesis 1, the impression would seem to be that the entire creative process took place in six twenty-four-hour days. If this was the true intent of the Hebrew author, this seems to run counter to modern scientific research, which suggests that the planet Earth was created several billion years ago. In the nineteenth century the chief evidence for this extreme antiquity was found in the rate at which sediment is deposited by water action in modern times. This, of course, is valid only upon a uniformitarian hypothesis, that is, that natural forces have been operating through the processes of erosion, sedimentation, and magnatic (or volcanic) action in just the same manner and at the same rate, throughout all preceding ages as they do now. Uniformitarianism has been vigorously challenged by many authorities on account of the evidence of violent twisting and tilting and thermodynamic metamorphism exhibited in many mountainous, or once mountainous, regions. One important point that is that terrific forces surpassing anything now known (and therefore impossible to estimate as to length of time) have disturbed the earth's surface on a scale and at a rate altogether different from what is observable today. Estimates of time based upon present-day geologic processes are therefore quite valueless (for further information, see Harold W. Clark, New Diluvialism, Angwin, Calif.: Science Publications, 1946, pp. 12-13).

Certain theories now need to be discussed which are related to the creative week, including:

1. the gap theory;

2. the day-age theory;

3. the solar-day theory; and

4. other theories.

2.1.4.1 The gap theory

The gap theory concerns the relationship of Genesis 1:1 to 1:2. Adherents of this position hold that a long period of time, or a "gap," exists between these verses. The thesis is that God's perfect earth of verse 1 was the scene of a catastrophe. The reason usually given for such a catastrophe is the fall of Satan (Isaiah 14:12-20). (For further information, see J. Sidlow Baxter, Exploring the Book, I, pp. 34-36, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1960)

Gap theorists contend that the Hebrew words used in the first two verses of Genesis 1 allow for an indefinite lapse of time between an original creation and a subsequent condition in which the earth became "without form and void." Some who accept this theory suggest that the verb translated "was" (1:2) may be translated "became," permitting this interpretation. Isaiah 45:18 and Jeremiah 4:23-25 are cited to support this view.

While the Bible may allow for such a gap in the creation process, certain problems are faced by this theory:

1. The gap is nowhere mentioned in Scripture and is thus based entirely on human interpretation.

2. The Hebrew construction of verses 1 and 2 links the two together in a circumstantial clause.

3. Though some claim that the word "was" in verse 2 should be translated "became," there is little linguistic support for such a proposal.

4. The terminology of verse 2 does not imply a "catastrophe." The creative work is incomplete at this point, but the language does not necessitate a ruined earth. The words "without form and void" simply describe an unformed, un inhabited earth.

5. If such a gap did exist, there is no biblical reason to suggest that it extended through vast geologic ages. It might have been a very brief period of time.

6. We cannot automatically assume that fossils were formed during a gap or indefinite period. Genesis 1 indicates that animals and plants were not created until the third, fifth, and sixth days, which follow later in the creation record. Some gap theorists attempt to place the entire fossil record in the gap.

2.1.4.2 The day-age theory

Some Bible students have suggested that the word "day" in Genesis 1 refers to a vast period of geologic time during which God performed the work of creation. The "day-age" theory purports that the six days of creation represent six vast periods or "ages" of time. Those who accept this theory believe the earth's age to be up to four or five billion years. They hold that extended periods of fossil formation occurred during these long "day-ages," and they believe that Adam and Eve were formed a million or more years ago. (For further information, see S. Maxwell Coder and George F. Howe, "Studies on Science and Bible," in Science Asks - God Answers, pp. 84-86, Chicago: Moody Bible Institute Correspondence School, 1966)

However, the "day-age" theory has the following weaknesses:

1. Although the word "day" (yom) is sometimes used in the Hebrew to indicate a longer period than the solar day it generally indicates a twenty-four hour period when it is associated with a numeral ("first" day, "second" day).

2. The use of the terms "evening" and "morning" would lend credence to the twenty-four hour interpretation. The words would seem to indicate that these were genuine days of earth's rotation in relation to a light source, rather than indefinite ages of time.

3. It appears evident that the word "day" stands for a twenty-four hour period when the act of creation is described elsewhere in Scripture, "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:11).

2.1.4.3 The solar day theory

Finally, many interpret the six days as literal days. The term "literal day" refers to the time for one rotation of the earth on its axis, today approx. 24 hours, resulting in a day / night sequence. But according to Genesis 1, whereas light and the day / night cycle were created on day one, the sun wasn't created until day four, so there was no sun during the first three days. In Scripture, however, there is no differentiation between the length of the first three days and the last three, and the entire week is referred to as being "6 days" long, followed by a day of rest. According to the Scripture, God Himself is the source of light (John 1:1-14; Revelation 21:23; 22:5, 16). He can provide temporary light energy to the universe in the first 3 days of creation.

The seemingly long geological ages are a problem with this position. Several solutions are suggested:

1. Creation scientists showed that the age of the earth is less than 20 thousand years (i.e. the earth is very young).

2. The universal flood, known as the Genesis Flood, had major effects on the topography of the earth (Genesis 7-8).

3. There are gaps in the early genealogies of Genesis, and therefore creation should be considered to have occurred much before 4000 BC.

4. Since God created man with the appearance of age (Adam was created full-grown), He may also have created the earth with the appearance of age.

5. The interdependence of the created earth conditions.

Personally, I prefer this theory.

2.1.4.4 Other theories

Other creation theories are summarized in below table:

(Source: Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, 1994 Revised and Expanded Edition, p. 97, by John H. Walton)

Creation Theories

2.1.4.5 Conclusion

While there is no question that God could have created the earth in individual ages if He had so willed, it seems best to explain the "days" of creation as twenty-four hour periods. For further discussion on the various creation theories, please study Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 of the course: Apologetics and Section 4, Chapter 16, of the course: Systematic Theology.

2.1.5 Biblical creationism verse evolutionism

More fundamental an issue than the length of the creative days is the question of the fact of divine creation as over against such competing theories of origin as Darwinian evolution. As formulated by Charles Darwin in his Origin of Species (1859), evolution sought to explain the origin of biological species by natural selection rather than by God's design. That is to say, the process by which plants and animals developed was not governed by any divine intelligence, but rather according to a completely mechanical principle: the survival of the fittest.

As the reproductive cycle progresses, taught Darwin, the following generation shows slight variations from the generation preceding. Over a long period of time, after hundreds and thousands of generations, some of these variations become more or less fixed characteristics which are passed on to the descendants. These new characteristics contribute to the formation of varieties or subspecies, and finally to the emergence of new species. Those characteristics which enabled their possessors to compete more successfully in the ceaseless struggle with their environment insured their survival. Hence only those that were fittest to survive were perpetuated and became a successful species. Thus the lower and simpler gradually became more advanced and complex, until finally Homo sapiens (i.e. human beings) appeared as the climactic product of natural selection.

As to the most fundamental question of all, the origin of matter itself, and the related question as to the origin of the earliest form of life to appear in the primeval ooze, Darwin had no answer to give. Yet there remained no objective basis at all for the moral law or for spiritual values beyond materialistic considerations of survival, the survival of "the fittest." Furthermore, the Darwinian theory left no room for any meaningful divine in the process of "creation"; except for the supplying of primeval raw material, there really was no creation but only development according to natural selection. But we must ask who or what determined the selective process?! This represented almost a total contradiction of Genesis 1.

It will be sufficient to point out a few areas in which Darwin's theory not seem to square with the evidence. We shall treat these weaknesses under the following six headings:

1. comparative anatomy;

2. vestigial organs;

3. embryology;

4. bio-chemistry;

5. paleontology; and

6. genetics.

2.1.5.1 Comparative anatomy

There are marked similarities between the anatomy of man and that of the higher vertebrata. This, it is suggested, points to the evolution of man from animal. However, if man and animals partake of the same food, same air, and have the same environment as other creatures, should not the lungs, digestive tract, skin, eyes, and so forth, be similar? Further, similarity in anatomy suggests a common Creator (i.e. the God), not one creature springing from another. Two symphonies by one composer might be expected to have some marked similarities.

2.1.5.2 Vestigial organs

These are organs, like the the pituitary gland, the thymus gland, the pineal gland, the tonsils, the appendix, and the coccyx, or tailbone, which, according to the evolutionist, were useful to our supposedly more primitive ancestors but now become functionally useless. After a century of medical research, we now know that all of these structures have an important function in man, and, in fact, without many of them, we cannot live. The pituitary, thymus, and pineal glands are vital to our existence. The tonsils and the appendix are now known to be, among other things, important disease-fighting organs. The tailbone serves to anchor certain pelvic muscles. You cannot sit comfortably without it, and it protects the end of the spinal column. In a scientific journal, not long ago, an evolutionist published an article in which he declared that supposed vestigial organs offer no support for evolution. Just because we do not as yet understand fully the use of these various organs, we should not question the wisdom of the Creator who put them there.

2.1.5.3 Embryology

The evolutionists argue that the human fetus develops through various stages which are parallel to the alleged evolutionary process, from a one-celled organism to an adult species. But a close study of the human fetus reveals that there are too many dissimilarities to supposed parallels in the worm, fish, tail, and hair stages. Further, developments are often the reverse of what is alleged. The earthworm has circulation, but no heart, and it is therefore advanced that circulation must have come before the heart. However, in the human fetus, the heart develops first, then the circulation. The so-called gill slits were at one time assumed to be rudimentary gills, but have more recently been found to be simply a groove between two parallel blood vessels (Davidheiser, Evolution and Christian Faith, pp. 240-254).

Furthermore, in the human embryo, the tongue develops before the teeth, the heart before the blood vessels, and the brain before the nerve cords. This is the opposite order that would be expected if the embryo were repeating the supposed evolutionary process. Just recently, an instrument has been developed called a fetoscope, which can be inserted into the mother's uterus to observe and photograph the embryo as it develops. Using this instrument, scientists discovered that at every stage of its development, the human embryo is totally human. God has programmed the embryo of each creature to start out as a single cell, and to develop into a new-born creature completely prepared to survive and thrive in the world into which it is born.

2.1.5.4 Bio-chemistry

Living organisms are all similar in their bio-chemical makeup. This is to be expected because the various life systems all depends on the same or similar acids, proteins, etc. Again, similarity in bio-chemistry suggests a common Creator (i.e. the God).

2.1.5.5 Paleontology

The study of fossils is used to defend evolution. Evidence for various kinds of life is found in the various rock strata, from the pre-cambrian period on. The evolutionist seeks to find evidence of continuity between, for example, man and beast, fish and fowl, and reptile and fish. However, in the study of fossils there is as much evidence for discontinuity as for continuity. There has been found no link between man and monkey. The Bible says that there is a flesh of man and a flesh of beast (1 Corinthians 15:39). The evolutionist cannot provide the link and the Bible does not allow for such a link.

2.1.5.6 Genetics

New forms of plants and animals have supposedly been seen to arise suddenly in nature, suggesting the emergent evolution, or sudden changes whereby new life forms have appeared. This is the study of heredity and variations among related organisms. And is this not an argument for evolution?

DNA research is one of the latest arguments demonstrating the impossibility that any new life forms could be established by chance. The laws of Mendel still govern the variations and possibilities afforded by genes and chromosomes within each life form. It bears repeating that in no way does DNA research demonstrate the possibility of going from one life form to a higher one in any sudden change.

It is readily acknowledged that mutations do take place, but they will not turn a monkey into a man. Further, some types of changes tend to make the organism less well suited for its environment, thereby threatening its very survival. As we know that some diseases are caused by mutation of genes. Finally, after generations of testing with the fruit fly, there have been no transmutations. There has not been, nor can there be, any crossing over of the "kinds" of Genesis 1. Man is a special species, he did not come from the beast.

2.1.5.7 Conclusion

In Darwin's generation it was confidently expected that more extended geological and biological research in subsequent decades would uncover the transitional forms of life which would bridge the gap between the various orders and phyla. But most twentieth-century scientists have completely despaired of this search. The Darwinian theory of evolution is now abandoned by most foremost scientists today.

Evolution as a philosophy of world view really involves an outright denial of spiritual reality even as it rejects the existence of a personal God. In view of such factors as these, it seems a very dubious procedure for a convinced Christian who means to be loyal to the authority of Scripture to acknowledge himself an evolutionist. For a Christian, there is no alternative to identifying natural selection with divine selection.

For further discussion on the fallacies of the theory of evolution, please study Chapter 6 and Chapter 9 of the course: Apologetics and Chapter 6, of the course: Systematic Theology.

2.1.6 The antiquity of the human race

While no dates are given in the Bible for the creation of Adam, the genealogical tables from Adam to Christ (see Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38; Genesis 5:3-31; 11:10-32) would lead us to believe that the origin of man took place between 4000 BC and 8000 BC.

Archbishop Ussher (AD 1581 - 1656) worked out a series of dates from the genealogies in the Bible and concluded that the world was created in 4004 BC (Note: The chronology calculated by Archbishop Ussher which is found in many English Bibles is not a part of the original text, should be treated as a reference instead of the Word of God.).

Since the first discoveries of the fossils and artifacts of prehistoric man back in the 1850s, the antiquity of the human race has provided a problem of reconciliation with the Genesis record. According to modern estimates the so-called Swanscombe man (found in Kent, England), the Pithecanthropus (found in Java) and the Sinanthropus (found in Peking, China) lived anywhere from 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. The radiocarbon analysis of the more recent find indicates strongly an age of at least 50,000 years.

There are three solutions proposed by Bible scholars in order to solve this problem, they are:

1. They were pre-Adamic human-like creatures;

2. They were human beings other than Adam's line; and

3. The dating estimates were based upon faulty methodology and misinterpretation.

2.1.6.1 Pre-Adamic human-like creatures

Evolutionists point to fossil human-like beings as evidence of evolution. Some explain this fossil evidence by saying that a race of creatures existed before Adam was created. Between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, the theory goes, there was a gap of time during which a great catastrophe destroyed the world. These creatures, created in 1:1, became extinct or were destroyed during the gap between 1:1 and 1:2.

This time span is considered to be quite large (millions of years) and is also reputed to encompass the so-called "geologic ages." Proponents of this theory also postulate that a cataclysmic judgment was pronounced upon the earth during this period as the result of the fall of Lucifer (Satan) and that the ensuing verses of Genesis chapter 1 describe a re-creation of the earth from a chaotic state and not an initial creative effort on the part of God.

This theory can be traced back to the 19th century when the new discipline of geology was breaking upon the scientific scene. Theologians were in no intellectual position to argue, from a scientific basis, the claims of the geologists that the processes responsible for the formation of the surface features of the earth were occurring at almost imperceptibly slow rates as they had always done in the past (the principle of uniformity). Rather than accept the accusation that the Biblical record was no longer valid in the light of "scientific" claims, they chose to accommodate the Scriptural presentation to these new geological theories. A place had to be found for the vast ages of the past, the most accommodating place was between the two aforementioned verses of Genesis.

Creation as we know it began with Genesis 1:2. Its "gap" creates a problem with Romans 5:12 which teaches that death entered the world with Adam, not before. Added to this are the claims of 1 Corinthians 15:21,22 that by "man came death" and "as in Adam all die." It is seen from these Scriptures that death on the earth did not precede Adam's sin, but resulted from it. To insist that anything died prior to the judgment passed upon Adam is to be in contradiction with these passages in Romans and Corinthians.

2.1.6.2 Human beings other than Adam's line

The proposal is that Adam was not the first man created by God. Adam was merely the first man created by God during the re-creation (or renovated) week as recorded in the book of Genesis Chapters 1-2. In other words, before the earth was re-created or renovated, there were human beings existing in the earth. Proponents of this solution claim that it not only solves the problem of the antiquity of the human race, but also it explains the source of wives for the descendants of Adam.

But the clear implication of Genesis 1:26 is that God was creating a qualitatively different being when he made Adam (for note that the word rendered "man" in Genesis is the Hebrew 'Adam), a being who was uniquely fashioned in the image of God. Only Adam and his descendants were infused with the breath of God and a spiritual nature corresponding to God Himself. Romans 5:12-21 demands that all mankind subsequent to Adam's time, at least, must have been literally descended from him, since he entered into covenant relationship with God as the representative of the entire race of man. This indicates that there could have been no true genetic relationship between Adam (the first man created in the image of God) and the human-like creatures (such as: Cro-Magnon, Swanscombe, Pithecanthropus and the Sinanthropus). However close the skeletal structure of the Cro-Magnon man (for example) may have been to Homo sapiens. Adam, then, was the first man created in the spiritual image of God, according to Genesis 1:26-27.

2.1.6.3 Dating estimates were based upon faulty methodology and misinterpretation

Recent research prove that all of these dating estimates were based upon faulty methodology and it may conceivably be that these earlier anthropoids will have to be dated as much more recent (Leakey, National Geographic, Chapter 15, n. 12, October 1961). But what do recent scientific facts tell us? They declare that our planet is only a few thousand years old. The common problems of all radioactive dating methods are as follows:

1. G.T. Emery discovered that long half-life radioactive elements do not have consistent half-lives! This would be like having a clock, with one "sixty minutes" actually eight minutes long, with another two days in duration.

2. F.B. Jeaneman noted that just one catastrophe, such as a worldwide flood, would throw all the dating clocks off. Immense contamination of all radioactive sources would occur; there would be major shifting of rock pressure and reversals in earth's magnetic core.

3. All aside from contamination and other problems, everything hinges on unchanging decay rates. But H.C. Dudley noted five ways they could change. Dudley actually changed the decay rates of 14 different radioisotopes by means of pressure, temperature, electric and magnetic fields, and stress in molecular layers. He also cited research by Westinghouse laboratories which changed the rates simply by placing inactive iron next to radioactive lead.

(Note: For the latest scientific evidences which prove that the earth is actually very young, please study Section 5 of Chapter 7 of the course: Apologetics.)

Evolutionists believe that humans evolved from ape-like creatures, beginning millions of years ago. Evolutionists' faith in their theory makes it necessary for them to believe that a tooth, or a piece of a skull, or a jawbone, or some other fossil bone came from a creature partway between ape and man. When a person believes in something very strongly, he pays little attention to things that contradict what he believes. Often times they are certain they have found evidence that a fossil is from a creature partway between an ape and a human, but they are badly mistaken. Let us look at some examples of the misinterpretation of fossil bones:

I) The Piltdown hoax

In 1912, Charles Dawson, discovered a few fragments of a jawbone and pieces of a skull in a gravel pit near Piltdown, England. The jawbone appeared to be quite ape-like, but the teeth and the skull appeared to be quite human-like. Dawson and the English scientists with whom he consulted were certain that all of these fossil bones were from a single individual - a creature combining human-like and ape-like features. They declared that these fossils were from a creature intermediate between ape and man that existed 500,000 years ago. This creature became known as the famous Piltdown Man.

But in 1950, it was shown that Piltdown Man was a hoax - a fake! Someone had taken the jawbone of an ape and the skull of a modern human, treated them with chemicals to make them look old, filed the teeth with a file to make them look human-like instead of ape-like, planted the "fossil" bones in the gravel pit, and fooled the world's greatest experts!

II) The Neanderthal man

In 1860, the first few fossil fragments of Neanderthal Man were found in the Neanderthal Valley, in Germany. The Neanderthal people manufactured tools and weapons, and they buried their dead just like modern-day people. Furthermore, their brains were somewhat larger than those of modern-day humans. All of this indicated that they were fully human, Homo sapiens. They did, in some ways, however, appear to be rather primitive. Their skulls were flatter than ours, some of them had rather heavy eyebrow ridges, and the skeleton in France appeared to be hunched over, as if Neanderthal Man did not walk completely upright like you and I. Based on these findings, the Neanderthal people were declared, by evolutionists, to be subhuman ancestors of man.

A famous anatomist, Dr. Rudolph Virchow, declared that the primitive features of the Neanderthal people were not due to the fact that these people were subhuman, but were due to diseases, or pathological conditions. He pointed out that the skeleton discovered was of an old man who couldn't walk upright because he had a bad case of arthritis! Dr. Virchow declared, further, that all of these people suffered severely from rickets (a condition caused by the lack of Vitamin D) which causes bones to become soft and deformed. X-rays of the fossil bones and teeth showed, just as Dr. Virchow had declared, that all of the Neanderthal people had rickets. Scientists finally concluded that all of the so-called primitive features of the Neanderthal people were due to pathological conditions, or diseases.

III) Java Man, Peking Man, Cro-Magnon man

Dr. Eugene Dubois, the discoverer of Java Man and the one who first claimed that Java Man was an ancestor of man, changed his mind about 15 years before he died, and declared that Java Man was nothing more than a giant ape - more particularly, a giant gibbon. In addition, scientists now agree that the once loudly proclaimed Cro-Magnon Man was identical to a modern European.

IV) Apes from man?

Recently, an astounding development has taken place. In the last few years, several evolutionists have declared they now believe that rather than man evolving from apes, apes evolved from humans! This theory is exactly opposite of the evolutionary idea that man evolved from apes. The reason two such contradictory theories can be arrived at from the same set of evidence, is that these scientists begin with a basic assumption that is wrong - that is, that evolution has taken place. If fossil evidence is viewed in the light of creation, such contradictions and problems vanish.

2.1.6.4 Conclusion

According to the above reasons and examples, it is clear that the Bible is the most reliable record of the origin of human race and therefore we should believe that the origin of man took place between 4000 BC and 8000 BC.

For further discussion on the origin of human race, please study Chapter 9 of the course: Apologetics.

2.2 The Fall of Man (3-4)

Chapters 3 and 4 occupy a cause-effect relationship to one another. Chapter 3 shows the process by which sin originated in the human race. Chapter 4 shows the awful implications of that act.

2.2.1 The origin of sin (3)

The process of temptation is an instructive one since Satan uses the same tactics with us today. He implies to Eve that God's restriction regarding the tree is because of a selfish motive on God's part.

God knows that you will be just like He is, Satan suggests in verse 5, and this is the reason for the command regarding the tree. God is withholding something good. In planting this doubt concerning the character of God he also impugns the Word of God. "You will not die," Satan states (3:4), in contradiction to what God has already clearly said. Thus tempted, the woman yields and brings a fourfold judgment upon:

1. herself;

2. Adam;

3. the serpent; and

4. even upon the physical environment in which the sin occurred.

With the word of judgment there is also a promise. In 3:15 we have what is usually called the "protevangelium" (first announcement of the gospel). This is the first promise of a coming redeemer. The "seed of the woman," Jesus Christ, will ultimately triumph over the satanic forces which are so evident in the chapter. With the advent of sin, a cure is promised by God.

2.2.2 The Outcome of Sin (4)

The narrative of chapter 3 describes how sin has originated in the human race and destroyed the ideal conditions of chapter 2. Chapter 4 now pursues the implications of this fact and reveals the effects that sin will produce. In 4:1-15 we have the effect of sin on the individual, and in 4:16ff., we see the results of sin on society. The first part of the chapter describes the sin of Cain in murdering his brother. Sin has so affected man that his depraved fallen nature will stop at nothing. A heart of envy leads to murder. This is what sin has produced individually.

In 4:16ff., we see what sin has produced collectively in society. A description is given of a proud self-sufficient society. This Cainite civilization is cultured, industrious, and progressive in many ways. But it is a society that excludes the spiritual and has no time for God.

2.3 The Disaster of the Flood (5-9)

2.3.1 Events before the Flood (5-6)

The human race now consists of two lines, a godless line stemming from Cain (4:16-24) and a godly line originating with Seth (4:25-26). Chapter 5 traces the history of the godly line.

One is immediately struck with the long life span of many of these men. Many in this list lived over 800 years. The most plausible explanation for this is that the atmospheric conditions before the Flood kept out environmental radiations and enabled men to live longer. It is due to God's judicial dealing with mankind in the Flood. During the Flood, God significant altered the atmospheric conditions so that after the Flood the life span plunges downward at a remarkable rate.

An ungodly union between the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" precipitates the Flood in 6:1-8. The increased wickedness leads God to choose a man, Noah, and through him, to build an ark. The material to be used is gopher wood (6:14) which apparently was a hard, durable substance which would withstand water. The measurements are given in 6:15. The ark was approximately 450 feet in length, 75 feet in width and 45 feet in height.

2.3.2 Events during the Flood (7-8)

Noah and his family are invited into the ark and the door is shut. The water comes from the atmosphere above as well as from "the fountains of the deep" (7:11). This latter source refers to subterranean pockets of water that rose to the surface.

In chapter 8, the waters begin to subside. God uses a wind to dry up much of this water and return it to the atmosphere (8:2). Great topographical changes in the earth's surface also undoubtedly took place, trapping much of this water in what are our oceans today. It is still more than a year before Noah can venture out of the ark and build an altar (8:20-22).

See below table for a summary of the time periods of the Flood:

(Source: Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, 1994 Revised and Expanded Edition, p. 14, by John H. Walton)

Time Periods of the Flood

(Note: *Date notation specifically mentioned in Scripture. All others are derived.)

2.3.3 Events after the Flood (9)

Noah receives some new instructions when he steps out of the ark. He is entrusted with the responsibility of human life, the highest prerogative of human government. God thus begins a new economy or dispensation and commands Noah to take a human life when a murder has been committed. This is a principle which has never been abrogated and thus should be enforced today. Noah's life ends in drunkenness and disgrace in the latter part of this chapter. As a result of the impropriety of his sons, Canaan is cursed.

2.3.4 Debate over the Flood

The Flood account has become the subject of intense scrutiny by Bible scholars and scientists alike. Many issues have been discussed but only two problems will be mentioned here.

2.3.4.1 The identity of the "sons of God"

It is stated in 6:2-5 that one of the major factors leading to the wickedness before the Flood was the marriage of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men." The identity of these sons of God has been a matter of controversy. Two major interpretations are given here:

1. Many feel that they were angelic creatures who cohabited with humans to produce a hybrid race of "giants" (6:4). The support for this is that the phrase "sons of God" is used of angels in such passages as Job 2:1; 38:7; etc. New Testament passages such as 1 Peter 3:18-22 and Jude 6-7 also seem to indicate that fallen angels had a part to play in the wickedness of Noah's day. The word "giants" (KJV) or literally "fallen ones" in 6:4 is also used to support this view of a superhuman race.

2. A factor against this view is the context. Chapter 4 traces the ungodly line and chapter 5 the godly line. In chapter 6, we see a union of the lines, and the phrase "sons of God" would most naturally refer to the godly line of Seth just mentioned in the previous chapter. The term "giants" in no way connotes a superhuman race. The word as stated above means literally "fallen ones." The word could be easily translated "attackers," "robbers," "bandits."

Thus, it seems best to interpret the "sons of God" as the fallen angels. The New Testament references do imply demonic activity as being part of the cause of this sin. For further discussion on the identity of the "sons of God", please study Section 9, Chapter 23, of the course: Systematic Theology.

Other interpretations are also proposed by Bible scholars, they are summarized in below table:

(Source: Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, 1994 Revised and Expanded Edition, p. 98, by John H. Walton)

Identity of the "Sons of God" (Genesis 6:1-2)

2.3.4.2 The Extent of the Flood

The arguments for and against the extent of the Flood are summarized in below tables:

(Source: Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament, Zondervan Publishing House: Grand Rapids, 1994 Revised and Expanded Edition, pp. 100-101, by John H. Walton)

Extent of the Flood: Part 1

Extent of the Flood: Part 2

(Note: The evidence and rebuttals presented are not purported by their mere presentation to be scientifically accurate. The chart only represents the arguments on each side, not a certification of their factuality.)

Several decisive factors would indicate that the Flood was universal and covered the whole earth:

1. The narrative emphasizes that all the high mountains under heaven were covered (cf. 7:19-20).

2. The duration of the Flood necessitates its universal character. Noah and his family were in the ark more than a year. If the Flood were local in character such a long period would be unnecessary.

3. The words of Peter in 2 Peter 3:3-7 compare the Flood with God's future judgment of the earth by fire. God's future judgment of the earth will certainly not be local in character.

For further discussion on the Flood, please study Chapter 11 of the course: Apologetics.

2.4 The Tower of Babel (10-11)

The story of the Tower of Babel is prefaced in chapter 10 with the Table of Nations. This is a record of the descendants of the three sons of Noah:

1. Shem;

2. Ham; and

3. Japheth.

These three branches become the three basic divisions from which the rest of humanity springs.

The Tower of Babel is an attempt to found a religion apart from God. It demonstrates man's basic insecurity in needing to establish such a tower for protection (11:4). It also reveals an attitude of rebellion and a desire for independence. God moves in judgment and confuses their language. This forces the human race to scatter abroad, something they were unwilling to do themselves.

See below map for the distribution of the earliest nations:

(Source: Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament, Chicago: Moody Press, 1978 Edition, p. 72, by Irving L. Jensen)

Distribution of the Earliest Nations (Genesis 10)

2.5 Conclusion (1-11)

This brings the first part of Genesis to a close. Man has demonstrated in every instance that he will assert his independence if he is given the opportunity. Man by himself will not meet God's requirements. God must now take the initiative and move in grace with Abraham.

3. GENESIS 12-50

The contents of Genesis could be summarized in three words:

1. generation;

2. degeneration; and

3. regeneration.

We have seen God's generation in the creation account of chapters 1 and 2.

The degenerating effects of sin are seen first in the individual (chapter 3), then in the family (chapter 4), and ultimately in nations (chapters 6 and 11).

God's word of regeneration begins in chapter 12. He starts with a chosen individual. From this individual emerges the chosen family and ultimately the chosen nation, Israel. Such is the course of events in chapters 12 through 50.

It would be helpful here to recall the major facts of the book.

These four individuals in chapters 12 through 50 demonstrate how God now works in history to accomplish what man cannot do. We encounter four diverse personalities and yet each becomes a fitting instrument for the divine purpose.

3.1 Abraham (12-25)

Romans 4:20 forms a fitting epitaph for the life of Abraham. We read: "Yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God." Abraham is uniquely seen as the man of faith. The above statement in Romans does not imply that Abraham never made a mistake. However, it does indicate that the general status of his life was one of increasing dependence upon God. The life of Abraham can be summarized around three great mountain-peak experiences.

3.1.1 The call of Abram (12-14)

God's initial revelation to Abram is given in 12:1-3. He is told to leave his country kindred, and father's household. God also reveals certain unconditional promises to Abram. The formal ratification of these promises is reserved for chapter 15, and we will examine the nature of God's covenant with him more closely at that point. Certain factors should, however, be noted here:

1. Some of the promises are individual and relate to Abraham personally. An example of this is verse 2: "I will bless thee, and make thy name great."

2. Other promises are national in their character such as: "I will make of thee a great nation."

3. Finally there are universal promises such as that which prophesies a Messiah: "In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

Abram's response to God's command is immediate but his obedience is incomplete. He leaves home for an uncertain destination (cf. Hebrews 11:8) but takes some of his family with him. The presence of his father, Terah, necessitates a stop at Haran. After the death of Terah, Abram proceeds on to the Promised Land (cf. Genesis 11:31-32; 12:4; Acts 7:2-4). It is evident that the presence of his father slowed him down on his pilgrimage as he does not feel free to enter Canaan until after Terah's death. Incomplete obedience is always a deterrent in pursuing the will of God. Abram finally enters Canaan about 2091 B.C.

Under the pressure of a famine, Abram forsakes the land of promise and travels to Egypt. He lies about his wife, Sarah, and states that she is his sister. Sarah finds herself in the household of Pharaoh, and it requires the direct intervention of God to free Abram and his wife from this situation. We see here that God intervenes to protect the promise He has made in the first part of the chapter. Sarah is the one through whom the promised seed will come.

Abram faces a domestic crisis when he returns to Canaan again. There is not enough room for the flocks of Lot and Abram to dwell together, and Abram gives Lot his choice of the land. Lot chooses the area of Sodom and settles there.

Lot is a spiritual contrast to Abram since they live on the basis of two opposing principles. Lot is a man of sight, while Abram is a man of faith. Several observations can be made concerning Lot:

1. Material advancement was the prime consideration in every choice he made. In this chapter he chooses Sodom simply because it is financially and materially attractive.

2. Lot had not learned to be spiritually independent. In the company of Abram, Lot conducts himself properly. Once on his own, he yields to the pressure of his environment and accepts the morals of Sodom.

3. Lot did not learn through trouble. In chapter 14, he is captured and deported from Sodom. Only the intervention of Abram saves him, but Lot still will not see the dangers. He goes back and settles down in Sodom once again.

In contrast to Lot, Abram continues to live in dependence on God and is reminded again of God's promise of the land (13:14-16).

3.1.2 The covenant of Abraham (15-21)

God now officially ratifies the promises He made to Abram in chapter 12. The customary ceremony was to divide the pieces of a sacrifice into two parts and then for the two parties to walk through them. This act formally sealed the transaction. In this case God puts Abram into a deep sleep and moves through the pieces alone. This demonstrates that the covenant was entirely dependent upon God for its fulfillment and not upon Abram.