Creation vs Evolution - Part 2
The Biblical Age of the Earth
-Introduction
-In our lesson last week - an introduction to a series of lessons on creation vs evolution -
we began by looking at 1 Pet 3:15.
-When it comes to the hope that we have, we need to be ready to give an answer /
make a defense / provide evidence.
-We need to be able to provide an appropriate and accurate answer to “why?”
-Why do we believe, teach and practice the things that we do? Why is the N.T.
church unique and very important?
-Without solid answers to - “Why?” - it’s difficult to develop a solidified faith.
-Last week, I made reference to a good friend of mine who had struggled somewhat with
some questions and doubts regarding his faith - including some of the basics of his faith.
-Listen carefully: Those questions/doubts are ok (and even good) as long as we
pursue the answers for these things.
-We should not believe things “just because” or based solely upon what another
person (family, Bible class teacher, preacher, elder, etc.) has told us.
-I appreciate certain family members, Bible class teachers, preachers, elders, etc., who
have helped me down through the years. Yet, my faith isn’t based upon what another
person has told/taught me. My faith is based upon God’s word (Rom 10:17).
-What if they would have taught me something different?
-Here, we see the importance of providing a Bible-based answer to the question(s)
of “Why?” If a person doesn’t have backing from God’s word, what happens
when somebody teaches him/her something different?
-This is why I like to say quite often, “Don’t take my word for anything but take God’s
word for everything.”
-Creation vs Evolution and Time
-Consider once again some information from the text book that I borrowed (Biology,
Miller, Kenneth R., Levine, Joseph S., © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. as Pearson
Prentice Hall, Boston, Massachusetts 02116)
-“Geologic evidence show that Earth, which is about 4.6 billion years old, was not
‘born’ in a single event. Instead, pieces of cosmic debris were probably attracted to
one another over the course of about 100 million years…” (pg 423).
-Page 421 contains a geological table representing the various layers of rock and
corresponding dates or ages. According to the chart, the top layer of rock dates
from the present day back to 1.8 million years ago. The earliest (deepest) layer
dates back to a time period from 650-544 million years ago.
-On page 373 I found the following: “Most Europeans in Darwin’s day believed that
the Earth and all its forms of life had been created only a few thousand years ago.
Since that original creation, they concluded, neither the planet nor its living species
had changed. A robin, for example, has always looked an behaved as robins had in
the past. Rocks and major geological features were thought to have been produced
suddenly by catastrophic events that humans rarely, if ever, witnessed” (pg 373).
-Seems to me like a tactic used in debate - pick one bit of information which is
obviously false and attach another statement to it that you want to present as
also being false.
-For example: People actually thought the Earth was flat. They also believed
that this Earth was created by an Almighty God. When the 2nd, truthful
statement is combined with the 1st which is obviously false, people may
assume and accept the idea that the 2nd is also false.
-Yet, I point out this information from the book to indicate quite a difference in ideas
regarding the age of this Earth
- billions of years vs thousands of years.!”
-Biblical Age of the Earth
-Can we know the approximate age of the earth? Yes, we can! How? The Bible tells us.
-Let’s divide time into three categories: 1. Adam to Abraham; 2. Abraham to Jesus; 3.
Jesus to our present day
-Let’s consider that 3rd category of time. Since dates are classified in accordance with
Jesus, it’s easy to conclude that approx. 2,000 years have passed since Jesus was here.
-Now then, let’s consider the 1st category: Gen 5 and Gen 11
-Gen 5:1-5 - These verses show that the days of Genesis 1 were not vast periods of time.
If they were, Adam would have had to have been much older than 930 at his death.
-Consider: Adam was created sometime on the 6th day. He then lived through the
seventh day of creation and beyond. Therefore, if the days of Genesis 1 represented
thousands or millions of years, Adam would have had to live longer than the time
represented by at least one of those days (the 7th day). Yet, we’re told that from
the day he was created to his death, he lived 930 years.
-Therefore, we can take the Day-Age theory and therefore the concept of Theistic
evolution and put them where they belong - in the garbage.
-Click here for the chart - “Adam to Abraham” - approx 2,000 years
-That leaves us with the 2nd category - Abraham to Jesus
-1 Kings 6:1 - Very helpful verse. History records reveal that Solomon began the
temple in 966 B.C. The Exodus/giving of the Law took place 480 years prior to this.
966 B.C. + 480 years = 1446 B.C. - The date of the Exodus & giving of the Law.
-Page 2 on chart - Abraham to Joseph - From the birth of Abraham to the death of
Joseph - 2369 -2008 = 361 years.
-What does the Bible tell us in terms of history regarding events between the death
of Joseph and the Exodus? - the time of the Egyptian bondage.
-This is usually thought of in terms of 400 years, yet I believe there is evidence
in the scriptures that it may have actually been a shorter duration. (That will
have to wait for a different lesson sometime.) Yet, let’s go ahead and allow
for 400 years.
-Abraham’s birth to Joseph’s death: 361 years + 400 years for bondage = 761 years
-1446 B.C. + 761 years = 2207 years (birth of Abraham to Jesus)
-approx. 2,200 years
-Conclusion: Adam to Abraham - 2,000 years
Abraham to Jesus - 2,200 years
Jesus to today - 2,000 years
Age of the Earth 6,200 years approximately
-Summary and Invitation
-Remember, the text book stated, “Most Europeans in Darwin’s day believed that
the Earth and all its forms of life had been created only a few thousand years ago.”
-The Bible supports such a view and rejects the timeline as represented by
the Theory of Evolution.
-1 Pet 3:15 - Can we defend the idea of a young earth? Absolutely.
-Yet, many who support the idea of the Theory of Evolution would simply reject this
information because it comes from the Bible. If a person doesn’t believe that the
Bible is the inspired word of God, then they disregard evidence from within it.
-So, we’ll continue in our series of lessons and will include information from outside
of the Bible as well. We’ll then consider again if the evidence supports creation or
evolution.
-Again, it seems that some don’t want to believe in creation by way of an Almighty God
in heaven due to the logical step that would then follow: “What is God’s will for me?
What is my responsibilities toward Him?”
-Matt 7:21
-Have you submitted to the will of God by obeying the Gospel and living within it?
-Believe (Jn 3:16, 8:24), Confess (Matt 10:32; Rom 10:9-10), Repent (Luke 13:3,5;
Acts 17:30), Be Baptized (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38), Walk in Newness of Life
(Rom 6:4).
-If you’ve obeyed the Gospel but haven’t remained faithful, then return to
faithfulness by acknowledging your shortcomings, repent and pray for forgiveness
(1 John 1:7-9, Acts 8:22-24).