Plants,FruitTrees
Sun,MoonandStars
Lifeinoceans Birds Sea
Monsters
DomesticandWildMammals
Humans
Sun,Moon
ProkaryoteBacteriaArchaea
Lifeinoceans
Birds
Mammals HumansAmphibians ReptilesFloweringPlants,Fruittrees
Insects
Bible
Science
PhotoSyntheticbacteria
1.AcomparisonoftheBiblicalandScientificsequenceoflivingthings
2.Whenwerethesunmoonandstarsformed?• Genesis1:1(NASB)
1 InthebeginningGodcreatedtheheavensandtheearth.
• Day4.Genesis1:14-18(NASB)14 ThenGodsaid,"Lettherebelights(maor)intheexpanseoftheheavenstoseparatethedayfromthenight,andletthembeforsignsandforseasonsandfordaysandyears;15 andletthembeforlights(maor)intheexpanseoftheheavenstogivelight(or)ontheearth";anditwasso.16 Godmadethetwogreatlights(maor),thegreaterlight(maor)togoverntheday,andthelesserlighttogovernthenight;Hemade thestarsalso.17 Godplacedthemintheexpanseoftheheavenstogivelight(or)ontheearth,18 andtogovernthedayandthenight,andtoseparatethelight(or)fromthedarkness;andGodsawthatitwasgood.
SunMoonandStars:DigressiontheHebrewuseofrepetition• Togetabetterunderstanding,weneedtofirstdiscusstheHebrewuseofrepetition
WestartwithGen2:19• Genesis2:19(NASB)
19 OutofthegroundtheLORD Godformedeverybeastofthefieldandeverybirdofthesky,andbroughtthem tothemantoseewhathewouldcallthem;andwhateverthemancalledalivingcreature,thatwasitsname.
• IsthetextsayingthatGodformstheanimalshere– atthistime?Aretheyformedafterman?Inchapter5“birds”aremadeonday5.Isn’tthisacontradiction?
Keil andDelitzsch andKeil’s NewCommentaryonGenesis2:19
• Inotherwords,thetextissimplyrestatingthatGodformedtheanimals(backinGenesis1)
Keil’s NewCommentaryonGenesis
Hereisanexampleofrestatement
• Isaiah37:1-6(NASB)1 AndwhenKingHezekiahheardit, hetorehisclothes,coveredhimselfwithsackclothandenteredthehouseoftheLORD.2 ThenhesentEliakim whowasoverthehouseholdwithShebna thescribeandtheeldersofthepriests,coveredwithsackcloth,toIsaiahtheprophet,thesonofAmoz.3 Theysaidtohim,"ThussaysHezekiah,'Thisdayisadayofdistress,rebukeandrejection;forchildrenhavecometobirth,andthereisnostrengthtodeliver.4 'PerhapstheLORD yourGodwillhearthewordsofRabshakeh,whomhismasterthekingofAssyriahassenttoreproachthelivingGod,andwillrebukethewordswhichtheLORD yourGodhasheard.Therefore,offeraprayerfortheremnantthatisleft.'"
• 5 SotheservantsofKingHezekiahcametoIsaiah.WhydoesitsaythattheycametoIsaiahwhent theysaidthatinverse2?
•6 Isaiahsaidtothem,"Thusyoushallsaytoyourmaster,'ThussaystheLORD,"Donotbeafraidbecauseofthewordsthatyouhaveheard,withwhichtheservantsofthekingofAssyriahaveblasphemedMe.
Otherexamples
• Jonah2:3-4(NASB)3 "ForYouhadcastmeintothedeep,Intotheheartoftheseas,Andthecurrentengulfedme.AllYourbreakersandbillowspassedoverme.4 "SoIsaid,'IhavebeenexpelledfromYoursight.NeverthelessIwilllookagaintowardYourholytemple.'
• Zechariah7:1(NASB)1 InthefourthyearofKingDarius,thewordoftheLORD cametoZechariahonthefourthday oftheninthmonth,whichis Chislev.
• Zechariah7:4(NASB)4 ThenthewordoftheLORD ofhostscametome,saying,
AclearexampleinGenesis:DidGodputAdaminthegardentwice?
• Genesis2:8(NASB)8 TheLORD Godplantedagardentowardtheeast,inEden;andthereHeplacedthemanwhomHehadformed.
• Genesis2:15(NASB)15 ThentheLORD GodtookthemanandputhimintothegardenofEdentocultivateitandkeepit.
• Ifnot,whydoesthetextsayittwice?
BacktotheSunMoonandstars
• Genesis1:16-18(NASB)RESTATEMENTconnectinguswithGen1:116 Godmadethetwogreatlights,thegreaterlighttogoverntheday,andthelesserlighttogovernthenight;Hemade thestarsalso.
• ADVANCEMENTOFTHEISSUE• 17 Godplacedthemintheexpanseoftheheavenstogivelightontheearth,18 andtogovernthedayandthenight,andtoseparatethelightfromthedarkness;andGodsawthatitwasgood.
Wehavetorememberthattheexpanse(firmament)cameaftertheinitialcreationofthesunmoonandstars.• TheHebrewwordforlightis“or”thewordforlightshereis“maor”whichreferstoaluminousbodyratherthanlightitself.Inourcasethen,itissayingletthevisiblesourceofthelightshineinthefirmament.• Thisnowbecomesscientificallyquiteplausible.EvidencefromZirconcrystalsshowsthattherewasliquidwateronearthasfarbackas4.1billionyearsago.CarlSagansuggestedtherewasaparadox,thatthesunwas<75%asbrightbackthenasnow.Howthencouldtherebeliquidwateronearth?TheremusthavebeensomekindofgreenhouseeffectduetohighCO2,watervapor,methaneorsomething.Thesecouldhaveobscuredtheimagesofthesunandmoon.
3.Thebeginningsoflife• Asageneralprincipleacoupleofpointsshouldbemade.• 1Bara(tocreate).Baradoesnotinitselfmeantocreateoutofnothing.
• Psalm102:18(NASB)18 Thiswillbewrittenforthegenerationtocome,Thatapeopleyettobecreated(bara)maypraisetheLORD.
• Herewehavereferencetoanewgenerationyettobecreated(Bara).Willtheybecreatedoutofnothing?TheywillbenewanddifferentbecausetheywillpraisetheLord.
• ThusBaraisusedwhensomethingnewanddifferent appearsinthecreation.Itdoesnotmeantheywerecreatedoutofnothing.Thuswemightconsiderwhenarepresentativefirstappears.
Generalpoints(cont)
• TheBibledoesnotdescribeeverytypeoflife.Instead,itappearstodescribewhatismostsignificantinthelifeofthepeopleatthetime.• Thegoalofplantlifeiszera (plantsmakingseeds)andetz peri (fruittrees)• Littleissaidofwhatwasintheseasdespitebeingfulloflife• Flyingthingsultimatelypointstobirds• Mammalsaremainlydividedintotwomainkindswildanimalsanddomesticatedbeasts
TheplantsandtheHiphil verbs
• Genesis1:11-12(KJV)11 AndGodsaid,Lettheearthbringforthgrass(Litdashe deshe orsproutsprouts),theherbyieldingseed,and thefruittreeyieldingfruitafterhiskind,whoseseedis initself,upontheearth:anditwasso.
• Dasha Deshe (sproutsprouts).Theidenty ofthesproutsisamatterofinterpretation.ItisinferredtomeangrassbutitisnotthefoodGodgivestotheanimals(Eseb)norisitcommonword“grass”thatanimalsnormallyeatintheBible(eseb orchatsir).Itisusuallyassociatedwithnew greenstuff.
• TheverbtosproutisintheHiphil orcausativeform.InthisformGodisthecauseoftheactionbutHedoesnotcarryouttheaction.Hecausestheearthtocarryouttheaction.
• Thisisfollowedbytwoparticiplesseedbearingplantsandtreesmakingfruitwhicharetheultimategoal.
Didplantsformhere?Itsoundslikeit– ordoesit?
• 12 Andtheearthbroughtforthgrass,and herbyieldingseedafterhiskind,andthetreeyieldingfruit,whoseseedwas initself,afterhiskind:andGodsawthatitwas good.
• BroughtforthistheHiphil ofYasa (orYatsa)meaningtogoforth.Itdescribesthebeginningofaneventnottheendofit.• “Rememberthisdayinwhichyouwentout(yasa)fromEgypt”(Ex13:3)
• SoherewhatGodsawwasthattheearthwascausedtogoforthorgetstartedtowardtheaimofmakingplantswithseedsandfruittrees.Itdoesnotmeanthateverythingwascompletedhere.
Isthereascientificcorrelateofthis?• Floweringplantsandfruittreesarethelasttypeofplantstoappearinthefossilrecord.Certainlytothinktheyformhereiscompletelyatoddswithscience.• However,thisisexactlywhenphotosyntheticorganismsappear.Cyanobacteriabecomethechloroplastsofallplantlife.
13 C-Depleted Carbon Microparticles in >3700-Ma Sea-Floor Sedimentary Rocks from West Greenland Minik T. Rosing 1999 SCIENCE 283:674
Carbon deposits in Rock
The Earliest Evidence For Life
Determine 13C to 12Cratios
Living Organisms Preferentially Accumulate 12C
12CO213CO2
14CO2
12C / 13CCarbon from livingOrganisms exhibit13C depletion
14CO2
DecaysRapidly
How do we know when life originated? Evidence comes from 12C/13C ratios in carbon deposits.
PlantsuseanenzymecalledRubiscotofixcarbon.Plantspreferentiallyusecarbon12.Thisfeatureallowsustodetermineifcarbondepositscamefromoil.
Rosing’s CommentintheSciencearticle
“In analogy to modern oceanic pelagic shales, the precursor organic detritus of the graphite globules could have been derived more or less continuously from planktonic organisms that sedimented from the surface waters. Thus, these organisms could have been photoautotrophic”
In other words, they were photosynthetic
13 C-Depleted Carbon Microparticles in >3700-Ma Sea-Floor Sedimentary Rocks from West Greenland Minik T. Rosing 1999 SCIENCE 283:674
LightandRamanImagesshowthesemicrofossilsaremadeofcarbon
Schopf et al., 2002 Laser--Raman imagery of Earth's earliest fossils Nature 416:73
4.Onthefifthday• Genesis1:20-21(NASB)20 ThenGodsaid,"Letthewatersteemwithswarmsoflivingcreatures,andletbirdsflyabovetheearthintheopenexpanseoftheheavens."21 Godcreatedthegreatseamonstersandeverylivingcreaturethatmoves,withwhichthewatersswarmedaftertheirkind,andeverywingedbirdafteritskind;andGodsawthatitwasgood.
• Animallifeinthewaters• Flyingthings• SeaMonsters?
Day5posessomeinterpretiveproblems/issues• Wasitintendedthatallday5animalscamefromthewaters?• Obviouslythefirstgroupdid• Theterm“SeaMonsters”suggestthatthattheybeganinthewaters• Thewordtranslated“Birds”doesnotspecificallymeanbirdssowhatarethey?Theirplacementseemstocomebetweentwotypesofwaterbornecreatures.Furthermore,daysixisallaboutlandcreatures.Doesthatmeanthatthe“birds”comefromthewaters?
PartoftheinterpretationdependsonwhatyoudowiththeGedolim Tanninim (“SeaMonsters”)• Firstofallthecreaturetranslated“SeaMonster”or“whale”isinfactgedolim tanninym.Thereisnothinginthetextherereferringtoseaorwater.• Sowhatarethegedolim tanninym?
• Tanninym isthepluran oftanninwhoserootreferstobeingelongate.Gedolim,alsoplural,meansgreat.AderivativeofGedolim – migdal,referstoatower(oftenthehighestpointinthecity).
Atannincanbeasnake(nachash)
• Exodus7:8-9(NASB)8 NowtheLORD spoketoMosesandAaron,saying,9 "WhenPharaohspeakstoyou,saying,'Workamiracle,'thenyoushallsaytoAaron,'Takeyourstaffandthrowit downbeforePharaoh,that itmaybecomeaserpent(tannin).'"• Exodus7:15(NASB)
15 "GotoPharaohinthemorningasheisgoingouttothewater,andstationyourselftomeethimonthebankoftheNile;andyoushalltakeinyourhandthestaffthatwasturnedintoaserpent(nachash).
• Numbers21:9(NASB)9 AndMosesmadeabronzeserpent(nachash)andsetitonthestandard;anditcameabout,thatifaserpentbitanyman,whenhelookedtothebronzeserpent,helived.
Atannincanalsobeacrocodile
• Ezekiel29:3(NASB)3 "Speakandsay,'ThussaystheLordGOD,"Behold,Iamagainstyou,PharaohkingofEgypt,Thegreatmonster(gadol tannin)thatliesinthemidstofhisrivers,Thathassaid,'MyNileismine,andImyselfhavemadeit.'
• The“monster”wasdoubtlessacrocodile.The“hooks”inthejawstorenderthe“monster”helplessdescribedthestandardmethodforcaptureanddestructionofacrocodile(v.4).NewAmericanCommentary- NewAmericanCommentary– Volume17:Ezekiel.
Bothexamplesoftanninarereptiles
• Thequestiontheniswhethergreatreptilesisafairtranslation?
• Thisispartlydependentonwhetheralltheday5animalsareunderstoodasbeingwaterborne.
• Topartlydealwiththisquestionwewanttonextlookatthe“birds”.•
Thepuzzleoftheflyingthings
Genesis1:20(NASB)20 ThenGodsaid,"Letthewatersteemwithswarmsoflivingcreatures,andletbirdsflyabovetheearth intheopenexpanseoftheheavens.“
ThetranslatorheretranslatestheHebrewwordowph asbirds.ThereisaspecificHebrewwordforbird,itistsippor.
Leviticus14:6(NASB)6 "Asfor thelivebird(tsippor),heshalltakeittogetherwiththecedarwoodandthescarletstringandthehyssop,andshalldipthemandthelivebirdinthebloodofthebirdthatwasslainovertherunningwater.
Owph simplyreferstoflyingthingsandcanrefertoinsects,birdsorbats(seeLev11).InGen1:20thetextliterallysaysletflyingthingsfly(Owph,Uph)
Biblicalclassification
WiththeOwph,wecanseethatBiblicalclassificationisbasedonafeaturethatcrossesmanylines.Withtheowph,thecommonfeatureishavingwings.Itisnotaclassificationbasedongeneticrelatednesslikethoseusedtoday.
ThusinLeviticus11weseeowph usedtorefertoinsects,birdsandbats.
Giventhatowph referstoallflyingthingsbuttheorderofappearanceisatthetimeflyingthingsfirstappearthefirstflyingthingsshouldbeinsects.However,birdswouldbethemostsignificantflyingthingtopeople.
WhataretheflyingthingsofGen1:20Itislikelythattheowph hereultimatelyreferstoalldifferenttypesflyingthings.ScientificallyFlyinginsectscamefirst,flyingreptilescamenextbutbirdsarecloselyrelatedtothedinosaurs.Infact,somedinosaurshadfeathersandbirdsareconsidereddinosaurs.
Itislikelythattheflyingthingsareunderstoodascomingfromtheland.Genesis2:19(NASB)19 OutofthegroundtheLORD Godformedeverybeastofthefieldandeverybird(owph)ofthesky,andbroughtthem tothemantoseewhathewouldcallthem;andwhateverthemancalledalivingcreature,thatwasitsname.
Genesis1:22(NASB)22 Godblessedthem,saying,"Befruitfulandmultiply,andfillthewatersintheseas,andletbirdsmultiplyontheearth."
Conclusiononthegedolim tanninym.
• Iftheflyingthingscamefromtheland,thereisnocompellingreasontothinkthatthegedolim tanninym hadtoreferonlytoanimalsfromthewater.
• Howeverthereweretanninthatwereinthewateraswell.
• Inmyview,gedolim tanninym couldrefertodinosaurs.
Summaryforday5
• Day5beginswithlifeinthewaterandendswiththebirdsandgedolim tanninym
• ScientificallylifedoesbegininthewatersinwhatistermedtheCambrianExplosion.ThetermexplosionisremarkablegivethattheemphasisoftheBible(swarmwithswarms)isabouttheabundanceoflifeintheoceans.Theflyingthingsincludinginsects,flyingreptilesandbirdsalsoappearinthisperiod.Whileotherinterpretationsarepossible,Itentativelytaketheviewthatthegedolim tanninym arethegreatreptiles(dinosaurs).
5.TheKTextinctiontookoutessentiallyalllargevertebrates• “AlmostallthelargevertebratesonEarth,onland,atsea,andintheair(alldinosaurs,plesiosaurs,mosasaurs,andpterosaurs)suddenlybecameextinctabout65Ma,attheendoftheCretaceousPeriod.”
• http://mygeologypage.ucdavis.edu/cowen/~GEL107/KT.html
• Onland,reptileslargerthanabout44pounds(20kilograms)sufferedextinctionathigherratesthansmallerreptiles
6.Day6
• Genesis1:24-25(NASB)24 ThenGodsaid,"Lettheearthbringforthlivingcreatures(NepheshChayyah)aftertheirkind:cattle(behema)andcreepingthings(remes)andbeastsoftheearthaftertheirkind";anditwasso.25 Godmadethebeastsoftheearthaftertheirkind,andthecattleaftertheirkind,andeverythingthatcreepsonthegroundafteritskind;andGodsawthatitwasgood.
• Remes (creepingthings)• Behemah (domesticatedmammals)• Nephesh Chayyah (Livingcreatures)
Day6• Genesis1:24(NASB)24 ThenGodsaid,"Lettheearthbringforth livingcreaturesaftertheirkind:cattleandcreepingthingsandbeastsoftheearthaftertheirkind";anditwasso.
• Onceagainwehavethehiphil formofyatsa (Godcausedtheearthtobringforth).Godtellstheearthtobringforthanimallife.Aspreviously,Godcausesbutdoesnotdotheaction.
• Wemightaskwhyismade(asa)usedinsteadofcreate(bara).Arethesecreaturesnotrepresentingsomethingtotallynew?
Day6dealswithmammalsandcreepingthings(remeś)• Althoughremeś oftenreferstoseacreatureshereitseemstorefertosmallmammalsandperhapssmallreptilesaswell
• Psalm104:25(NASB)25 Thereisthesea,greatandbroad,Inwhichareswarms(remeś)withoutnumber,Animals(chayyah)bothsmallandgreat.
• Theverbrāmaś (verbformofremes)emphasizesthescurryingofsmallerfour-footedmammalsTheologicalWordbookoftheOldTestament.
• OnthebasisoftheselattertwousagesitappearsthatremeśmeansnotonlysmallmammalssuchasrodentsbutthesmallreptilescommoninthegravelandrocksofPalestine.TheologicalWordbookoftheOldTestament.
Whyremes?
• Ifwehadbirdsanddinosaursonlandalready,whyheretheemphasisoncreepingthings?
• Speculation• Thetransitionfromthedinosauragetomammalswasmarkedbyabigextinctionevent– theKTextinction.Therearevariouscontroversiesastowhatcausedit– agiantmeteor,volcanicactivity,climatechangeetc andhowfastthetransitionwas.However,thearchaeologicalrecordshowedthatessentiallyalllargeanimalswentextinctandwhatproliferatedafterwardsweresmallmammals.
Day6humans
• Genesis1:27(NASB)27 GodcreatedmaninHisownimage,intheimageofGodHecreatedhim;maleandfemaleHecreatedthem.
• Whoarethemaleandfemale?AretheyequatedwithAdamandEve?• Godtoldthemtosubduetheearth.Thewordsubdueiskabash andindicatesitwillbeastrugglerequiringgreatstrength.
• GodtoldthemGenesis1:29(NASB)29 ThenGodsaid,"Behold,Ihavegivenyoueveryplantyieldingseedthatisonthesurfaceofalltheearth,andeverytreewhichhasfruityieldingseed;itshallbefoodforyou;
• GodtoldAdamofeverytreeofthegarden“eatingyoushalleat”(aHebrewdoubleverb,youshallsurelyeatoryoumusteat).
SummaryofthesequenceinGenesis1• Godmadelightandthesunmoonandstarsonday1.• Godmadetheexpanse(theatmosphere)thatmayhaveobscuredthevisiblesourcesofthelight• Godbegantheprojectofmakingplants.Inmyviewthisbeganwithmakingphotosyntheticbacteriawhichbecamethebasisofallplants.• Godclearstheexpansesothatthesourceofthelight(maor)becomesvisible.• Animallifebeginsintheoceans• Flyingthingsarise• Dinosaurs• Smallmammalsproliferate• Largemammalsappear• Humans
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