ORIGINS

Genesis 1-11 Universe: Origin of the Universe (Part 1)

James River Community Church

David Curfman

February – May 2013

What’s really out in space? Hubble Space telescope has provided the most extraordinary views over the last 22

years

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khySM1YBQvA

"Who can study the science of astronomy and contemplate the star-lit heavens with

knowledge of the dimensions of the celestial bodies, their movements and their

enormous distances, without bowing his head in reverence to the power that brought

this universe into being and safely guides its individual members?"

- Dr. Arthur Harding, University of Arkansas

Outline 1. Genesis 1-11 (Introduction)

2. Genesis 1:1-31 (Universe Part 1)

3. Genesis 1:1-31 (Universe Part 2)

4. Genesis 1: 3-12 (Earth)

5. Genesis 1:13-25 (Plants and Animals)

6. Genesis 1:26-31 (Man – male and female)

7. Genesis 1:32-2:4a (Rest, the week, Sabbath)

8. Genesis 2:4b-2:24 (Man and Woman, Garden of Eden &

Marriage)

9. Genesis 3-5:1a (Sin & Curse)

10.Genesis 5:1b-6:9a (Decay)

11.Genesis 6:9b – 10:1a (Flood & Justice)

12. Genesis 10:1b -12:4 (Nations and Languages)

Universe: Objectives Ground rules (repeat):

◦ Rely on Holy Spirit for direction

◦ Open discussion

◦ Learn from each other

◦ Challenge the assumptions

◦ Listen to opinions and data and Word of God

◦ Respect each other

Develop a preliminary background of Genesis, Chapter 1

Understand the primary models for origin of the universe

Understand the Big Bang Theory overall time and sequences

Understand assumptions, data, and challenges of the Big Bang

Theory

Understand the importance of this portion of Scripture

Earth: Genesis 2:4a & 1:1-31; 2:1-4a

The creation progresses over two triads of

days looking back respectively to “without

form and void” of

◦ Day 1 – Heavens and Formless, Void, & Watery

Earth (v. 1); Separated Light & Darkness (v. 3)

◦ Day 4 – Sun, moon and stars; Separated Light &

darkness (v. 14)

◦ Day 2 – Sky & Water (v. 6)

◦ Day 5—Fowl & fish for sky and water(v. 21)

◦ Day 3 – Land, seas, & vegetation (vv. 9–11)

◦ Day 6—Animals & humans (vv. 24–30)

The pattern of each day is similar:

an announcement (“God said”)

a command (“let there be”)

a report (“and it was so”)

an evaluation (“it was good”)

a chronological framework (e.g., “the first day”).

*From http://www.answersingenesis.org

Universe: Origin Models How did the Universe begin?

◦ Spoken into existence by God – Genesis literal Account

◦ “Big Bang” – current secular model.

◦ God spoke Big Bang

◦ Intelligent Design

◦ “Cyclical Universe” and “Steady State Universe” – i.e. “Universe is Eternal”

What was the intent of Moses in writing Genesis Chapter 1?

◦ Literal – one day is 24 hours (Young Earth)

◦ Figurative – one day = millions of years (Day=Age Theory). Hebrew “Yom” could be a period of time

(Next week)

“Big Bang,” (v1) then “recreation” (Gap Theory).

one day = 24 hours, but millions of years in between (Punctuated Day Theory)

◦ Framework – God’s accommodation to the limitations of human knowledge

(understandable to finite and frail human beings).

◦ Liturgical Hymn – Repetitive nature of each day.

Universe: What is the Big Bang

Theory? “Actually not a theory on the origin of the universe, the initiation of

creation, or what came before the big bang, rather a theory on the

expansion of the universe from a single point (initially faster than the

speed of light)” – Discover Magazine

Proposed by Edwin Hubble in 1929 (along with others)

Suggests that the universe (space-time-mass) had a “beginning” 13.75

Billion years ago. Time started at this point. Didn’t really “explode” but

“expanded”

Suggests that, initially, infinite matter and temperature existed in zero

space and time (“singularity,” where all laws of physics break down

including time)

Suggests that the universe is expanding (rather than contracting from

gravity) at the an increasing rate

Suggests that, as the space expanded, matter came with it (like dust on a

balloon).

Universe: How does the Big Bang theory

depict the shape and size of the Universe?

“We now know (as of 2013) that

the universe is flat with only a

0.4% margin of error. ” – NASA

Suggests that the size of the

universe is 46.5 billion light years

In class discussion on distances

Universe: What Data Supports the Theory?

1. Cosmic Background Radiation (low level microwave) at 3˚K (-270 ˚C)

filling the universe

2. Expansion of the Universe – Other galaxies moving away from Milky

Way at great speeds as evidences by shift in the Red light spectrum of

galaxies (e.g. like Doppler effect; blue light is coming closer) over time

(last 50 years) Using measurements of the change in expansion rate,

the age of the universe is calculated to be 13.75 billion years old

3. Abundance of helium and hydrogen in the universe supports nuclear

fusion at big bang

“Three excellent reasons exist for “believing” in the big-bang theory” –

PBS.org

4. Ages of earth and moon rocks are dated at 3-4 billion years when

using radiometric dating techniques (2 weeks)

5. Distances to farthest stars are over 40 billion light years when using

energy spectrum measurements

Universe: Tweaks to the Big Bang Theory

Original Prediction Observation Tweak

Universe is spherical Universe is flat (“Flatness

Problem”)

Dark Matter

Expansion is slowing Expansion is increasing Dark Energy

Background radiation is

non-homogenous due

to interstellar distances

greater than time

allowed to contact

Background radiation is

homogenous (“Horizon

Problem”)

“Inflation” – A period

during initial bang (light

went faster than speed

of light)

Even distribution of

Matter

Massive super clusters of

galaxies

Dark Matter

Time flows at constant

rate

Time slows as you

approach the speed of

light (Einstein)

Unanswered

Galaxies are flat Galaxies are lumpy Dark Matter

Universe: What is Dark Energy and Matter?

Dark Energy – Since the expansion of the universe is not slowing down due to

gravity but rather speeding up, dark energy (anti-gravity) is pushing things apart. “the

invisible stuff constituting most of the mass of the universe” – Discover Magazine..

“Dark energy is not directly observed, but rather inferred from observations of

gravitational interactions between astronomical objects” - NASA

Dark Matter – “Invisible matter that we can’t detect”(NASA) that causes galaxies

to be flat rather than spherical and the outer parts rotate as fast as the inner parts.

Universe: Unanswered Questions for the Big

Bang Theory

Question Answer Comment

What about the First Law

of Thermodynamics -

Conservation of Energy

and Matter?

At Big Bang,

physical laws

don’t apply

None

What was the cause of Big

Bang?

No answer Some say “Uncaused” or “Eternal”

How do we measure

distances in space?

Cosmic

distances ladder

Only measure accurately to 500

light years using parallax….some

astronomers feel entire universe

could fit 200 light-years away!

Does star movement

require expansion?

No answer Is the universe expanding or are

stars and galaxies merely moving?

Or are we moving?

How do we measure age? Distance and

moon rocks

Little proof on radioactive dating

Methods (2 weeks)

Do all scientist agree? No See article in session

Universe: How do we measure

distances?

Universe: What Do the Scripture Say?

Genesis 22:17 – “stars of heaven” represent an extremely large quantity. God will

multiply Abraham’s descendants “as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is on

the sea shore.” See also Genesis 32:12 (this represents a number which is uncountable by

humans: “the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.”)

Nehemiah 9:6 – You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens,

and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You

give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

Job 9:8 – He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

Job 38:4 -"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

Psalm 89:11 – The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and

all that is in it.

Psalm 102:25 – In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are

the work of your hands.

Psalm 115:15 – May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 124:8 – Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalm 136:5 – Who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.

Psalm 148:5 – Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and

they were created.

Universe: What Do the Scripture Say?

Isaiah 40:22a – Indicates the earth is round “circle of the earth.”

Isaiah 40:22b – Indicates the universe is expanding God “stretches out the

heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.”

Isaiah 42:5 – This is what God the LORD says--he who created the heavens and stretched

them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its

people, and life to those who walk on it:

Isaiah 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.

Jeremiah 10:12 – But God made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his

wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

Jeremiah 33:25 – Indicates the universe obeys physical laws—“the ordinances

of heaven and earth” The universe is neither haphazard nor arbitrary; nature

conforms to logical, mathematical relationships set in place by the Lord.

Jeremiah 51:15 - "He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom

and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.

Universe: What Do the Scripture Say?

Mark 13:19 – God created the world

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was

God.

John 1:2 – He was with God in the beginning.

Acts 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.

Acts 14:15 – God made Heaven and Earth and everything in them.

Romans 1:19–20 - God’s power revealed through creation.

Ephesians 3:9 – God created all things

Colossians 1:16 – All things created by the Son

Hebrews 1:10 – He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you “laid the foundations of”

(established/completed/) the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

Hebrews 11:3 – By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's

command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and

power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Universe: Comparison of Key

Creation accounts

*From http://www.AnswersinGenesis.org

Introduction: Why is Genesis 1

important?

God is the creator

The universe testifies to God’s “eternal power

and divine nature” (Rom. 1:19-20)

The stars and planets all support the home of the

“image of His creation”

Matter is not eternal, God is.

“By faith we understand how the universe was

created” (Heb. 11:3)

Next week – Exegesis on Genesis 1 (old-earth and young earth).