The Hands of God ("Retouching")

I just finished reading a small phamplet study book by Radio Bible Class called "The Genesis Account Of Creation: Defusing The Controversy" (http://www.rbc.org/bible-study/discovery-series/bookletDetail.aspx?id=55904). For the most part the book was an excellent read, but unfortunately it also had a bit that I disagreed with. As I read the phamplet it discussed different controversy's that stand out in our world today on the issue of Creation. One of the biggest "pushes" that was included in the phamplet though was the difference that many Christians have today about the age of the earth. Granted in the area of "theology" to some this really doesn't play an important role, but in all actuality the way that we read Genesis chapter 1 is one of the firm bases of our theology!

In keeping in touch with our short study on Anthropromorphisms I wanted to go back and retouch on the Hands of God. Again remember God really doesn't have hands, but the Bible ascribes Him as having hands to help those of us with finite minds to be able to better comprehend Him in our human minds. In Psalm 19:1 we find the psalmist writing, "The heaven's declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork." Handiwork meaning work done by hands. If I were a carpenter (which I'm not) and I made a beautiful shelf, that would be an example of my handiwork. The ability that I had to make something. The earth upon which we stand daily, and upon which our eyes settle was created by a Holy Awesome Creator, which is our God.

In the phamplet spoken of above, the topic focuses as I mentioned upon the age of the earth. Some Christians today subscribe to the idea that the world is millions/billions years old. Others believe in what is called a "young earth". Personally I believe the world to be somewhere in the range of 10,000-6,000 years old. Ken Ham a Christian who has studied the book of Genesis (www.answersingenesis.com) has helped "nail" down an approx. time line of the creation of the world. One reason that 6,000 years old is chosen, is simply because the oldest trees alive on earth today are 6,000 years old. Something before that date apparently destroyed the trees that were alive before that time. Something such as a massive global flood would fit that scenario perfectly. :)

Some have sat down with the genealogies of the Bible and done an approx. timeline of the age of the earth up until the time of Christ which we already know thanks to our Gregorian calendars was approx. 2,000 years ago. ANYWAYS...

Back the phamplet again, the topic towards the end of the book, seemed to focus on the need that we have not to argue about the age of the earth, but to focus on the just agreeing with what we know to be true. Now, I'm all for agreeing on what we know to be true, but the actual attention was placed more on not bickering about what we don't know.

Below is an excerpt from the phamplet, so you understand what I mean. Page 26.

"Shouldn't the Genesis account of creation be read literally? A significant feature of the controversy over the age of the earth as it is understood from the first chapter of Genesis is the principle of historical grammatical interpretation that is so foundational to historical orthodoxy. The aim of the historical-grammatical method is to discover the meaning of the passage as the original author would have intended, and what the original hearers would have understood. (AMEN! - emphasis added) Those who hold to a young-earth view say they are reading the account "literally" and are therefore more in line with belief in biblical reliability, a cardinal conviction of evangelical Christianity. Because they read the Genesis 1 creation account as describing events that took place over a period of 6 successive 24-hour days, they see any attempt to read more time into the process as opposing the Word of God."

Forgive me for being a "Literal Interpreter", but when I read a book, or a document, etc...I don't try to "read into it" more than what the original author intended. That is one reason our government is so messed up today! Its because they tried to take the Constitution of this great nation and they tried to "read into" the author's meanings. I had a professor in Bible College who used to say something to the effect, "When the text makes sense, leave it alone!" Okay, so I really slaughtered his saying, but the idea was, if what you are reading makes complete sense don't read anymore into it! For example, if I said, "The Banana is yellow." Nobody questions what color the Banana is! Why? Because its yellow! But if I wrote, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." for some reason that gives everyone the right to begin to try and decide what heavens, and what earth were created, how they were created, when they were created, etc...but what is ironic is that in the following verses after Genesis 1:1 we have recorded for us exactly what happened! Nobody questions whether or not Jesus hung on a cross, why? Because it says he did, but for some reason they question whether or not he was really dead when he was put in the tomb! Why? Again for the same reason, they feel that they have the ability to decide what really happened versus what God's Word actually says.

I enjoyed the last highlighted quote that can be found on page 32 of the booklet. "What we know and agree on is far more important than what we don't know or fully understand." Had Martin Luther just "agreed" with what the Catholic church was doing there would have never been a Reformation. Had Paul, Peter and the other disciples never taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather kept to the "Law" of the Old Testament for the sake of agreement we wouldn't have the New Testament. Agreeing to agree is the new push among "evangelical christians" today. Why are there so many "non-denomination" churches today? Its because people can't decide what they truly believe so its better to "get along" rather than hurt people's feelings.

I know I need to close this blog page, but as I write other ideas come to mind. For example, I think of the time that Paul apologized in one of his letters. He upset the people he had written to previously as he pointed out there sins, and when he writes back he basically says, "I'm sorry that I upset you, but I'm not sorry that I pointed out your problems." If we are just apathetic to sit back and agree with others just for the sake of agreement, I find it hard to say that we would be following through with the cause of Christ.

If we can't stand up and say that God's Word tells us that the World was created in six 24 hour days, how then can we believe the other truths of the Bible? How can we believe that He will always be with us, how can we believe that he will always meet our needs? How can we believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Savior of the world. Was he really born of a virgin? Is he really coming back? If we can't LITERALLY interpret God's Word, please then do tell me, what exactly can we do?