"Genesis 1 states that your god created the earth and heavens on the first day, and the stars on the third."
Tell me about your god and his origin, position, and creative acts
Where did the material universe come from, who are you, and why are you on the earth .... is there any purpose to your life?
You have the wrong interpretation of the Genesis account by the way
He tells us that in the beginning He created the heavens and the earth. We are not told when or exactly how this was done. We know by observation that these things exist because we can detect them with our senses.
There has been much controversy about when and how He created the material universe and observable life forms, particularly humans of our kind who have been created in His image.
This is primarily because of the credibility factor and questions arising from the apparent inconsistencies of what the Bible says and what humans think they observe by discoveries and evaluations of the material world.
Several positions have developed over time for the purpose of either proving or disproving the validity of the Bible as an accurate record of the past, present, and future in regard to the material universe and related life forms.
The positions range from a total rejection of the Bible as truth choosing to rely upon scientific discovery and observation to total reliance on the Bible as the Word of God and authority on creation.
I will address the apparent disparity between the Biblical account of creation, genealogical time inconsistencies, and related observations of the material world.
There are a number of approaches that deal with these issues and at least three significant ones.
The first is that the heavens and earth are very old and the Lord has used an evolutionary process of creation which has taken a very long time to reach the level of human kind.
The attempt here is to extend the six creation days in Genesis into long immeasurable lengths of time.
Creation and evolution continue during each of the six periods. Human evolution then becomes the end result which occurred about 6,000 years ago.
Proponents blend evolutionary processes to account for a very old earth and the recent appearance of humans of our kind to fit the biblical genealogical time frame of about 6,000 years for human existence.
A second theory proposes that the heavens and the earth are in fact very young and only about 6,000 to 10,000 years old. Much is done to refute modern scientific methods and evaluations in order to prove this.
If true, then there is no need to make reconciliation for the time differences between the observed apparent age of the universe and the human genealogical record in the Bible.
I would suggest that neither of these theories give adequate understanding of the Biblical account of creation and related observations made through discovery and analysis.
They are both self limiting and do not provide the best presentations for supporting the Genesis record of creation.
The first theory ignores the literal 24 hour day indicated by the rotation of the earth and the life form "kind after kind" process.
There is also a tendency to support or compromise with the pure theory of evolution which does not include a creator.
There is no need for compromise on this issue in order to support the Bible's picture of creation. Genesis clearly tells us that the Lord used six 24 hour days to do His work.
There is also clear explanation that distinct life forms were created separately and that they reproduce in kind, not by evolution from one species to another.
The second theory limits His creative time frame to only a few thousand years with no indication of any previous knowledge of His existence or actions.
Attempts are also made to prove scientifically that the earth and universe are very young and this is an exercise in futility.
What was the Lord doing before 6,000 years ago ? Did He sit around for billions of years doing nothing and then start His process of creating the universe ?
In the beginning He created the heavens and the earth "together".... at the same time. Genesis 1:1 states this fact.
Our solar system's components were created in the beginning and were not later additions to the universe. Neither was the earth created first with the other components like our sun and moon added later.
We know today that the earth's orbit is dependent upon the existence of the sun's gravitational attraction, not the other way around.
The earth was obviously present in Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. To say that the Lord then created and added the sun and moon next is absurd.
One must use common sense and allow for guidance of His Holy Spirit in the process of interpreting His Word.
Those who manipulate scriptures in order to support their unique interpretations of the Bible cause one to question their credibility.
The heavens and earth are in fact very old by observation and by evaluation through at least a few proven physical laws like the speed of light. Even our own solar system has the visible markings of age, degeneration, and judgment.
We have evidence today that planets close to the earth once had environments like the earth. Now they are desolate and uninhabitable. What happened to them and when ?
There is a third view of these issues which I consider to be much more correct and convincing with no need to compromise, twist, or deceive. The Lord's Word is totally true, complete, and reliable when understood properly.
There is not a great deal of scriptural information addressing this subject, but there is enough to grasp an understanding that makes sense.
Not everything in the Bible can be proven by human intellect and observation and must be accepted on faith.
Genesis chapter 1:1 indicates that the Lord created the heavens and the earth in the beginning. This opening statement tells us that He exists and that He created the heavens and the earth in the beginning.
There is a summary of His creating and forming activities in Genesis that includes the beginning, reconditioning of the earth, creation of replacement life forms, and creation of humans in His own image. [Genesis 2:1-8]
This summary is a recap of how the heavens and the earth came into existence and the generations or phases of His actions.
The "day" (time) in which the Lord "created" is not just one day, but the times and generations of His creative and forming acts. [Genesis 2:4]
These included those in the beginning and those about 6,000 years ago. Humans were His final act of creation for this present generation.
He will renovate and create again after this present age of man's rule of the earth comes to an end. [2Peter 3:10; Revelation 20, 21]
We are not told when the beginning of His creative acts took place. There is substantial evidence in scripture that satan and the fallen angels rebelled against Him sometime between the beginning of creation and Genesis 1:2.
We can only speculate as to what was going on during the time from the beginning and Genesis 1:2.
