Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

  - Genesis 1.3

What then hinders open minds from supposing that what can be achieved during a lengthy interval of time can [also] be naturally accomplished in a moment, by the command of the most powerful Governor?

  - Augustine Hibernicus, On the Miracles of Holy Scripture, Irish, 7th century[1]

I confess to being a six-day, young earth creationist. I see no reason not to believe what the Bible reports concerning the manner of God’s bringing the world into existence. I regard the account in Genesis 1 as a reliable description of what actually happened.

“But the laws of science...!” Yes, I hear that with regularity, even from Christians. God is not bound by “laws” of science, unless, of course, you’re prepared to wait around for “billions and billions” of years while the new heavens and new earth evolve to their finished and perfect state.

News flash: There are no “laws” of science. There are only descriptions of how God faithfully works to uphold the universe and all things in it by His Word of power.

Yeah, He’s that wise and that powerful.

“But science tells us that the earth is so old, evolution is so true, and so forth. How can you deny what science teaches?” Simple. I choose to believe what the Bible plainly says.

In fact, I think failing to believe what the Bible says has contributed to the decline of the fear of God on the part of human beings. The psalmist calls on the world to fear God precisely because He has the power to create everything in a moment, by the mere Word of His mouth (Ps. 33.8, 9). Take that ability away, and God Himself becomes subject to the “laws of science.”

Huh uh, not goin’ there.

No, I don’t think the description we have in Genesis 1 and 2 is exhaustive; nor do I think science is bogus or that no evolution of any kind has ever occurred.

However, I do believe the Biblical account to be accurate, and certainly not beyond the realm of what God is elsewhere described in the Bible as able to do.

What keeps many people from seeing this is they’ve grown up in a society imbued with and pervaded by the notion that science and its methods and findings are the last word on everything. They aren’t, and never can be.

We do not start, when it comes to understanding the Bible, with the limitations imposed on us by the protocols and conclusions of naturalistic science. How stupid would that be?

Remember: Science says that dead people don’t rise from the dead.

Naturalistic science insists that only what you can see, feel, hear, taste, and touch is real – matter in all its various forms. Naturalistic science insists there is no spiritual realm and that the human mind, operating with science and logic, is the final bar of appeal in all matters of truth.

And we’re going to use this as our foundational hermeneutic for reading and understanding the Bible?

I don’t think so.

Start with the Word, and with the most powerful Governor that Word reveals. Let the Word speak for itself, clarify itself, enlarge upon itself. Go to it daily, and over and over again. Read, listen, contemplate, and learn to know God for Who He is, not Who science says He must be (or not).

Let God be true and every other worldview a lie (Rom. 3.4).

This is the way to truth.

Psalm 33.4-9 (Truro: “Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns”)
Joyfully shout! His Word is true; He does His work in faithfulness.
His love prevails the whole world through; the Lord loves truth and righteousness.

God spoke and heaven came to be, and all its hosts His Spirit wrought.
He heaps the waters of the sea; the deeps their dwelling place are taught.

Let all below now fear the Lord; let all in awe of Him abide.
The worlds exists by Jesus’ Word; let all on earth in Him confide.

Teach me to trust Your Word, O Lord, and to walk in all its ways.

Speaking of the Word
I trust by now you have found your way to the two columns at our website which daily expound the Word of God in detail. Our Scriptorium column walks you through books of the Bible, a few verses a day, then offers the week’s lessons bound in a free, downloadable PDF for review and group use. Our present study is in 1 Peter. Meanwhile our In the Gates column looks at the Law of God from a variety of angles, demonstrating the value of God’s Law and guiding us in how to read and live it. Presently our In the Gates series is offering day and evening meditations in the Law, precisely as instructed by Psalm 1. Get your Bible and head over to these columns. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly (Col. 3.16).

Psalms to Pray for Today and Thursday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.17-24; Psalm 144
Evening: Psalm 69

Thursday
Morning: Psalm 119.25-32; Psalm 145
Evening: Psalm 70

T. M. Moore, Principal
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.