1689.4.1 (Of Creation) states that it simply pleased God in the beginning for the manifestation of the glory of his power, wisdom and goodness to create the world in six days.
What more do we need?
Made in God’s Image
The first three chapters of Genesis are absolutely foundational to the Christian faith. But for the past 160 years or so they have been under increasing attack and denial. These chapters are so critical and important that every Christian should make a serious study of them in order to be fully convinced in his or her mind. But convinced of what is the question. Convinced of the truth. Genesis 1 posits the belief that God made all things—everything that exists came from God. The entire universe was made by God. All animals, all plant life, and all humanity find their origin in God as their Creator and Sustainer. On Day 6, God created man (Gen. 1:26–29). He is called Adam. God also created Eve and gave her to Adam; she became his wife (Gen 2:23–25). Adam was given dominion over all animal and plant life (1:29, 30; 2:19, 20). He was to work the garden in which he was placed and was forbidden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death (2:15, 16). When God had completed his creation he exclaimed that it was very good (1:31). These are the bare facts of the Genesis record (1:1–2:25). [Read more…]
The Big Cleaver
Genesis 2:24 speaks of leaving & cleaving as a man’s responsibility when he takes a wife to himself. It is interesting to note from the English perspective that the word “cleave” offers two distinct meanings. Both are verbal: one means to adhere to and the second means to divide or split asunder. The Hebrew word “dabaq” signals “to cling to”, “to be joined to” and the Latin “adherebit” confirms this. The second English meaning apples to the “leaving” part – for a man does divide from his father and mother to form a new union. Marriage really is the Big Cleaver and thank God for it.
Barbaric Cosmology
The idea that morality can be simply derived from natural reason is barbaric to say the least. We could apply the source of morality to anything apart from God, and frankly the idea would still be ultimately barbaric. It is a monumental leap of vain imagination for anyone to consider (as most cosmologists do) that the universe arose from nothing, and that this “nothing” in turn was certain to give rise to something. As Maria sang, “nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could; so somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good.” (from Sound of Music). Pathetic theology, to say the least, but she makes a connection. The only way something comes from nothing is if God does it. To think that some random process spontaneously explodes out of nothing is intellectual folly, nevertheless it is indulged in persistently.
Cosmology refers to origins – origins of the universe. Darwin hypothesized about origins. His followers continue the tradition. Uncertainty marks their work. If science is supposed to convince – it has not done a good job here.
Creation – Genesis 1:1
3 facts:
1. The Time of Creation – “in the beginning”
2. The Agent & Action of Creation – “God created”
3. The Extent of Creation – “the heavens & the earth”