We recently watched an episode of the reality television show Judge Judy where she heard a case brought by a babysitter who was not compensated for her work caring for a couple’s baby. In her resume, the babysitter did not inform the baby’s parents that she was incarcerated for crimes she committed. Once the parents found this out, they released her from their employment and refused to pay her for her services. Their reason was that she lied on her resume. The babysitter took them to court and the case was heard by Judge Judy. Both the parents and the babysitter needed to write the reason for their case (babysitter) and response (parents). As the case proceeded, although the babysitter said she was found guilty of one crime, the judge reveals she was guilty of numerous crimes. There was a huge gap in her representation … and there was a huge gap on her resume.
1) The Gap Theory. There are those who believe there is a huge gap between Genesis chapter 1:1 and chapter 1:2. It’s like this:
Ge 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
GAP
Ge 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
In essence the Gap Theory says that the world existed, then the gap and the destruction of the earth resulting in the earth being recreated. This theory is also called “old-earth creationism, gap creationism and ruin-reconstruction theory”. There is also slight changes with it being labeled “modified gap theory or precreation chaos theory”. They argue like this … Between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2, satan rebelled in heaven and was cast out. He ruined the original creation rendering it formless and empty with darkness engulfing the earth, leaving it in need of reconstruction. This Gap would be millions if not billions of years long. Whatever problems arise with creation are dumped into the “Gap”! What would follow such belief would be either an evolutionist belief or a six day creation belief. There are two factors (possibly many more) that help us reject such a belief.
(i) There is no Biblical support for such a view. There are no Scriptures to uphold such a belief.
(ii) In this view, death came before the fall of man into sin. The Bible says sin came first with death as a consequence of sin as a punishment.
2) How did Moses, the human author of Genesis (as well as Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) learn the truths of Genesis chapter 1 to 3 (and all of Genesis)? We ought not to underestimate our human forefathers, nor those who were the spiritual forefathers from Abraham onwards.
(i) Moses had access to “oral traditions”. It was common for “oral literature” to be passed down through the decades, from family to family. This is true for many cultures in Eastern and African countries. Some might think this hard to believe. I personally know of a man who has learn many Books of the Bible off by heart. In my hearing he was asked to recite the Book of Romans. He started at chapter 1:1 and eventually he was asked to stop. My point is that people have the capacity of hearing, learning and remembering huge amounts of information that they are able to carry forward.
(ii) Moses would have had access to written documentation. Remember he was schooled in the courts of Pharaoh. Egypt was very advanced in many disciplines such as brain, tooth and other intricate surgeries. By the time of Moses, Egypt and before that, ancient Sumer (Southern Iraq) were writing records. Those found from ancient Sumer were written with sharpened reeds on to clay and then baked. They are still readable.
(iii) Most importantly, Moses was spiritually regenerate. He was born of the Spirit and would fall into the category of:
2Pe 1:19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
(iv) The result would be Words from God (Genesis) that are inspired, inerrant, infallible and authoritative.
3) The earth, a home for man. We have established that Genesis 1v2 is not a continuation of verse 1! Rather from verse 2 and for the rest of the chapter, the focus is earth! Yes there are the heavens that come into creation but the focus is this planet. We live here, work here, procreate here, sin here and die here. The Lord Jesus came to this earth to serve us here. It is here on this earth that Jesus died for our sin because it is here on this earth that our forefather sinned resulting us being born with a sinful nature and demonstrating our rejection of God through rebellious sinfulness. From creation through to sin and from expulsion from the Garden to work the earth, from a sinful disposition that results in spiritual and eternal death, from God’s rescue plan to the end of the Gospel age … the Bible is all about this earth with the focus on man and God’s Messianic plan of salvation. The Bible is all about right now and eternity! Consider:
Isa 45:18 For this is what the LORD says — he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited — he says: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
Right here we find the wonderful purpose of God creating the heaven and fashioning and making the earth.
(i) Evolution is not the founder of the planet. God is!
(ii) He did not create the planet to be empty.
(iii) God created planet earth to be inhabited, and that is what Genesis one tells us. God making a suitable home for the human race … and just in case anyone gets ulterior ideas about who is speaking, God says … “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
God instructed both Adam and Noah to fill the earth. They did not put this high on their agenda. The account of Babel’s Tower resulted in God taking the matter into His own hands, confusing language by giving people different tongues forcing them to spread to different locations throughout the earth.
Ac 17:24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”
There are other considerations in this text, but for us today I want you to see that God places mankind where He wants them, when He wants them there. The planet was created to be indwelt.
Father, we know there is much injustice and discrimination on earth, but we also know that generally we live where You want us to live. The planet is beautiful and home for us whilst in the flesh. Thank You that You have prepared another place for those who have been saved by grace through faith … heaven. We cannot wait to be with You in that glorious place. Amen.