AnalysisofthesequenceoflifedescribedinGenesis1

ByMartinPoenie

Plants,FruitTrees

Sun,MoonandStars

Lifeinoceans Birds Sea

Monsters

DomesticandWildMammals

Humans

Sun,Moon

ProkaryoteBacteriaArchaea

Lifeinoceans

Birds

Mammals HumansAmphibians ReptilesFloweringPlants,Fruittrees

Insects

Bible

Science

PhotoSyntheticbacteria

1.AcomparisonoftheBiblicalandScientificsequenceoflivingthings

2.Whenwerethesunmoonandstarsformed?• Genesis1:1(NASB)

1 InthebeginningGodcreatedtheheavensandtheearth.

• Day4.Genesis1:14-18(NASB)14 ThenGodsaid,"Lettherebelights(maor)intheexpanseoftheheavenstoseparatethedayfromthenight,andletthembeforsignsandforseasonsandfordaysandyears;15 andletthembeforlights(maor)intheexpanseoftheheavenstogivelight(or)ontheearth";anditwasso.16 Godmadethetwogreatlights(maor),thegreaterlight(maor)togoverntheday,andthelesserlighttogovernthenight;Hemade thestarsalso.17 Godplacedthemintheexpanseoftheheavenstogivelight(or)ontheearth,18 andtogovernthedayandthenight,andtoseparatethelight(or)fromthedarkness;andGodsawthatitwasgood.

SunMoonandStars:DigressiontheHebrewuseofrepetition• Togetabetterunderstanding,weneedtofirstdiscusstheHebrewuseofrepetition

WestartwithGen2:19• Genesis2:19(NASB)

19 OutofthegroundtheLORD Godformedeverybeastofthefieldandeverybirdofthesky,andbroughtthem tothemantoseewhathewouldcallthem;andwhateverthemancalledalivingcreature,thatwasitsname.

• IsthetextsayingthatGodformstheanimalshere– atthistime?Aretheyformedafterman?Inchapter5“birds”aremadeonday5.Isn’tthisacontradiction?

Keil andDelitzsch andKeil’s NewCommentaryonGenesis2:19

• Inotherwords,thetextissimplyrestatingthatGodformedtheanimals(backinGenesis1)

Keil’s NewCommentaryonGenesis

Hereisanexampleofrestatement

• Isaiah37:1-6(NASB)1 AndwhenKingHezekiahheardit, hetorehisclothes,coveredhimselfwithsackclothandenteredthehouseoftheLORD.2 ThenhesentEliakim whowasoverthehouseholdwithShebna thescribeandtheeldersofthepriests,coveredwithsackcloth,toIsaiahtheprophet,thesonofAmoz.3 Theysaidtohim,"ThussaysHezekiah,'Thisdayisadayofdistress,rebukeandrejection;forchildrenhavecometobirth,andthereisnostrengthtodeliver.4 'PerhapstheLORD yourGodwillhearthewordsofRabshakeh,whomhismasterthekingofAssyriahassenttoreproachthelivingGod,andwillrebukethewordswhichtheLORD yourGodhasheard.Therefore,offeraprayerfortheremnantthatisleft.'"

• 5 SotheservantsofKingHezekiahcametoIsaiah.WhydoesitsaythattheycametoIsaiahwhent theysaidthatinverse2?

•6 Isaiahsaidtothem,"Thusyoushallsaytoyourmaster,'ThussaystheLORD,"Donotbeafraidbecauseofthewordsthatyouhaveheard,withwhichtheservantsofthekingofAssyriahaveblasphemedMe.

Otherexamples

• Jonah2:3-4(NASB)3 "ForYouhadcastmeintothedeep,Intotheheartoftheseas,Andthecurrentengulfedme.AllYourbreakersandbillowspassedoverme.4 "SoIsaid,'IhavebeenexpelledfromYoursight.NeverthelessIwilllookagaintowardYourholytemple.'

• Zechariah7:1(NASB)1 InthefourthyearofKingDarius,thewordoftheLORD cametoZechariahonthefourthday oftheninthmonth,whichis Chislev.

• Zechariah7:4(NASB)4 ThenthewordoftheLORD ofhostscametome,saying,

AclearexampleinGenesis:DidGodputAdaminthegardentwice?

• Genesis2:8(NASB)8 TheLORD Godplantedagardentowardtheeast,inEden;andthereHeplacedthemanwhomHehadformed.

• Genesis2:15(NASB)15 ThentheLORD GodtookthemanandputhimintothegardenofEdentocultivateitandkeepit.

• Ifnot,whydoesthetextsayittwice?

BacktotheSunMoonandstars

• Genesis1:16-18(NASB)RESTATEMENTconnectinguswithGen1:116 Godmadethetwogreatlights,thegreaterlighttogoverntheday,andthelesserlighttogovernthenight;Hemade thestarsalso.

• ADVANCEMENTOFTHEISSUE• 17 Godplacedthemintheexpanseoftheheavenstogivelightontheearth,18 andtogovernthedayandthenight,andtoseparatethelightfromthedarkness;andGodsawthatitwasgood.

Wehavetorememberthattheexpanse(firmament)cameaftertheinitialcreationofthesunmoonandstars.• TheHebrewwordforlightis“or”thewordforlightshereis“maor”whichreferstoaluminousbodyratherthanlightitself.Inourcasethen,itissayingletthevisiblesourceofthelightshineinthefirmament.• Thisnowbecomesscientificallyquiteplausible.EvidencefromZirconcrystalsshowsthattherewasliquidwateronearthasfarbackas4.1billionyearsago.CarlSagansuggestedtherewasaparadox,thatthesunwas<75%asbrightbackthenasnow.Howthencouldtherebeliquidwateronearth?TheremusthavebeensomekindofgreenhouseeffectduetohighCO2,watervapor,methaneorsomething.Thesecouldhaveobscuredtheimagesofthesunandmoon.

3.Thebeginningsoflife• Asageneralprincipleacoupleofpointsshouldbemade.• 1Bara(tocreate).Baradoesnotinitselfmeantocreateoutofnothing.

• Psalm102:18(NASB)18 Thiswillbewrittenforthegenerationtocome,Thatapeopleyettobecreated(bara)maypraisetheLORD.

• Herewehavereferencetoanewgenerationyettobecreated(Bara).Willtheybecreatedoutofnothing?TheywillbenewanddifferentbecausetheywillpraisetheLord.

• ThusBaraisusedwhensomethingnewanddifferent appearsinthecreation.Itdoesnotmeantheywerecreatedoutofnothing.Thuswemightconsiderwhenarepresentativefirstappears.

Generalpoints(cont)

• TheBibledoesnotdescribeeverytypeoflife.Instead,itappearstodescribewhatismostsignificantinthelifeofthepeopleatthetime.• Thegoalofplantlifeiszera (plantsmakingseeds)andetz peri (fruittrees)• Littleissaidofwhatwasintheseasdespitebeingfulloflife• Flyingthingsultimatelypointstobirds• Mammalsaremainlydividedintotwomainkindswildanimalsanddomesticatedbeasts

TheplantsandtheHiphil verbs

• Genesis1:11-12(KJV)11 AndGodsaid,Lettheearthbringforthgrass(Litdashe deshe orsproutsprouts),theherbyieldingseed,and thefruittreeyieldingfruitafterhiskind,whoseseedis initself,upontheearth:anditwasso.

• Dasha Deshe (sproutsprouts).Theidenty ofthesproutsisamatterofinterpretation.ItisinferredtomeangrassbutitisnotthefoodGodgivestotheanimals(Eseb)norisitcommonword“grass”thatanimalsnormallyeatintheBible(eseb orchatsir).Itisusuallyassociatedwithnew greenstuff.

• TheverbtosproutisintheHiphil orcausativeform.InthisformGodisthecauseoftheactionbutHedoesnotcarryouttheaction.Hecausestheearthtocarryouttheaction.

• Thisisfollowedbytwoparticiplesseedbearingplantsandtreesmakingfruitwhicharetheultimategoal.

Didplantsformhere?Itsoundslikeit– ordoesit?

• 12 Andtheearthbroughtforthgrass,and herbyieldingseedafterhiskind,andthetreeyieldingfruit,whoseseedwas initself,afterhiskind:andGodsawthatitwas good.

• BroughtforthistheHiphil ofYasa (orYatsa)meaningtogoforth.Itdescribesthebeginningofaneventnottheendofit.• “Rememberthisdayinwhichyouwentout(yasa)fromEgypt”(Ex13:3)

• SoherewhatGodsawwasthattheearthwascausedtogoforthorgetstartedtowardtheaimofmakingplantswithseedsandfruittrees.Itdoesnotmeanthateverythingwascompletedhere.

Isthereascientificcorrelateofthis?• Floweringplantsandfruittreesarethelasttypeofplantstoappearinthefossilrecord.Certainlytothinktheyformhereiscompletelyatoddswithscience.• However,thisisexactlywhenphotosyntheticorganismsappear.Cyanobacteriabecomethechloroplastsofallplantlife.

13 C-Depleted Carbon Microparticles in >3700-Ma Sea-Floor Sedimentary Rocks from West Greenland Minik T. Rosing 1999 SCIENCE 283:674

Carbon deposits in Rock

The Earliest Evidence For Life

Determine 13C to 12Cratios

Living Organisms Preferentially Accumulate 12C

12CO213CO2

14CO2

12C / 13CCarbon from livingOrganisms exhibit13C depletion

14CO2

DecaysRapidly

How do we know when life originated? Evidence comes from 12C/13C ratios in carbon deposits.

PlantsuseanenzymecalledRubiscotofixcarbon.Plantspreferentiallyusecarbon12.Thisfeatureallowsustodetermineifcarbondepositscamefromoil.

Rosing’s CommentintheSciencearticle

“In analogy to modern oceanic pelagic shales, the precursor organic detritus of the graphite globules could have been derived more or less continuously from planktonic organisms that sedimented from the surface waters. Thus, these organisms could have been photoautotrophic”

In other words, they were photosynthetic

13 C-Depleted Carbon Microparticles in >3700-Ma Sea-Floor Sedimentary Rocks from West Greenland Minik T. Rosing 1999 SCIENCE 283:674

EarliestFossilsLookLikeMatsofCyanobacteria3.5BillionYearsOld

Photograph

Drawing

LightandRamanImagesshowthesemicrofossilsaremadeofcarbon

Schopf et al., 2002 Laser--Raman imagery of Earth's earliest fossils Nature 416:73

Stromatolites arestructuresmadefrommatsoffilamentousbacteria(usuallycyanobacteris)

4.Onthefifthday• Genesis1:20-21(NASB)20 ThenGodsaid,"Letthewatersteemwithswarmsoflivingcreatures,andletbirdsflyabovetheearthintheopenexpanseoftheheavens."21 Godcreatedthegreatseamonstersandeverylivingcreaturethatmoves,withwhichthewatersswarmedaftertheirkind,andeverywingedbirdafteritskind;andGodsawthatitwasgood.

• Animallifeinthewaters• Flyingthings• SeaMonsters?

Day5posessomeinterpretiveproblems/issues• Wasitintendedthatallday5animalscamefromthewaters?• Obviouslythefirstgroupdid• Theterm“SeaMonsters”suggestthatthattheybeganinthewaters• Thewordtranslated“Birds”doesnotspecificallymeanbirdssowhatarethey?Theirplacementseemstocomebetweentwotypesofwaterbornecreatures.Furthermore,daysixisallaboutlandcreatures.Doesthatmeanthatthe“birds”comefromthewaters?

PartoftheinterpretationdependsonwhatyoudowiththeGedolim Tanninim (“SeaMonsters”)• Firstofallthecreaturetranslated“SeaMonster”or“whale”isinfactgedolim tanninym.Thereisnothinginthetextherereferringtoseaorwater.• Sowhatarethegedolim tanninym?

• Tanninym isthepluran oftanninwhoserootreferstobeingelongate.Gedolim,alsoplural,meansgreat.AderivativeofGedolim – migdal,referstoatower(oftenthehighestpointinthecity).

Atannincanbeasnake(nachash)

• Exodus7:8-9(NASB)8 NowtheLORD spoketoMosesandAaron,saying,9 "WhenPharaohspeakstoyou,saying,'Workamiracle,'thenyoushallsaytoAaron,'Takeyourstaffandthrowit downbeforePharaoh,that itmaybecomeaserpent(tannin).'"• Exodus7:15(NASB)

15 "GotoPharaohinthemorningasheisgoingouttothewater,andstationyourselftomeethimonthebankoftheNile;andyoushalltakeinyourhandthestaffthatwasturnedintoaserpent(nachash).

• Numbers21:9(NASB)9 AndMosesmadeabronzeserpent(nachash)andsetitonthestandard;anditcameabout,thatifaserpentbitanyman,whenhelookedtothebronzeserpent,helived.

Atannincanalsobeacrocodile

• Ezekiel29:3(NASB)3 "Speakandsay,'ThussaystheLordGOD,"Behold,Iamagainstyou,PharaohkingofEgypt,Thegreatmonster(gadol tannin)thatliesinthemidstofhisrivers,Thathassaid,'MyNileismine,andImyselfhavemadeit.'

• The“monster”wasdoubtlessacrocodile.The“hooks”inthejawstorenderthe“monster”helplessdescribedthestandardmethodforcaptureanddestructionofacrocodile(v.4).NewAmericanCommentary- NewAmericanCommentary– Volume17:Ezekiel.

Bothexamplesoftanninarereptiles

• Thequestiontheniswhethergreatreptilesisafairtranslation?

• Thisispartlydependentonwhetheralltheday5animalsareunderstoodasbeingwaterborne.

• Topartlydealwiththisquestionwewanttonextlookatthe“birds”.•

Thepuzzleoftheflyingthings

Genesis1:20(NASB)20 ThenGodsaid,"Letthewatersteemwithswarmsoflivingcreatures,andletbirdsflyabovetheearth intheopenexpanseoftheheavens.“

ThetranslatorheretranslatestheHebrewwordowph asbirds.ThereisaspecificHebrewwordforbird,itistsippor.

Leviticus14:6(NASB)6 "Asfor thelivebird(tsippor),heshalltakeittogetherwiththecedarwoodandthescarletstringandthehyssop,andshalldipthemandthelivebirdinthebloodofthebirdthatwasslainovertherunningwater.

Owph simplyreferstoflyingthingsandcanrefertoinsects,birdsorbats(seeLev11).InGen1:20thetextliterallysaysletflyingthingsfly(Owph,Uph)

Biblicalclassification

WiththeOwph,wecanseethatBiblicalclassificationisbasedonafeaturethatcrossesmanylines.Withtheowph,thecommonfeatureishavingwings.Itisnotaclassificationbasedongeneticrelatednesslikethoseusedtoday.

ThusinLeviticus11weseeowph usedtorefertoinsects,birdsandbats.

Giventhatowph referstoallflyingthingsbuttheorderofappearanceisatthetimeflyingthingsfirstappearthefirstflyingthingsshouldbeinsects.However,birdswouldbethemostsignificantflyingthingtopeople.

WhataretheflyingthingsofGen1:20Itislikelythattheowph hereultimatelyreferstoalldifferenttypesflyingthings.ScientificallyFlyinginsectscamefirst,flyingreptilescamenextbutbirdsarecloselyrelatedtothedinosaurs.Infact,somedinosaurshadfeathersandbirdsareconsidereddinosaurs.

Itislikelythattheflyingthingsareunderstoodascomingfromtheland.Genesis2:19(NASB)19 OutofthegroundtheLORD Godformedeverybeastofthefieldandeverybird(owph)ofthesky,andbroughtthem tothemantoseewhathewouldcallthem;andwhateverthemancalledalivingcreature,thatwasitsname.

Genesis1:22(NASB)22 Godblessedthem,saying,"Befruitfulandmultiply,andfillthewatersintheseas,andletbirdsmultiplyontheearth."

Conclusiononthegedolim tanninym.

• Iftheflyingthingscamefromtheland,thereisnocompellingreasontothinkthatthegedolim tanninym hadtoreferonlytoanimalsfromthewater.

• Howeverthereweretanninthatwereinthewateraswell.

• Inmyview,gedolim tanninym couldrefertodinosaurs.

Summaryforday5

• Day5beginswithlifeinthewaterandendswiththebirdsandgedolim tanninym

• ScientificallylifedoesbegininthewatersinwhatistermedtheCambrianExplosion.ThetermexplosionisremarkablegivethattheemphasisoftheBible(swarmwithswarms)isabouttheabundanceoflifeintheoceans.Theflyingthingsincludinginsects,flyingreptilesandbirdsalsoappearinthisperiod.Whileotherinterpretationsarepossible,Itentativelytaketheviewthatthegedolim tanninym arethegreatreptiles(dinosaurs).

5.TheKTextinctiontookoutessentiallyalllargevertebrates• “AlmostallthelargevertebratesonEarth,onland,atsea,andintheair(alldinosaurs,plesiosaurs,mosasaurs,andpterosaurs)suddenlybecameextinctabout65Ma,attheendoftheCretaceousPeriod.”

• http://mygeologypage.ucdavis.edu/cowen/~GEL107/KT.html

• Onland,reptileslargerthanabout44pounds(20kilograms)sufferedextinctionathigherratesthansmallerreptiles

6.Day6

• Genesis1:24-25(NASB)24 ThenGodsaid,"Lettheearthbringforthlivingcreatures(NepheshChayyah)aftertheirkind:cattle(behema)andcreepingthings(remes)andbeastsoftheearthaftertheirkind";anditwasso.25 Godmadethebeastsoftheearthaftertheirkind,andthecattleaftertheirkind,andeverythingthatcreepsonthegroundafteritskind;andGodsawthatitwasgood.

• Remes (creepingthings)• Behemah (domesticatedmammals)• Nephesh Chayyah (Livingcreatures)

Day6• Genesis1:24(NASB)24 ThenGodsaid,"Lettheearthbringforth livingcreaturesaftertheirkind:cattleandcreepingthingsandbeastsoftheearthaftertheirkind";anditwasso.

• Onceagainwehavethehiphil formofyatsa (Godcausedtheearthtobringforth).Godtellstheearthtobringforthanimallife.Aspreviously,Godcausesbutdoesnotdotheaction.

• Wemightaskwhyismade(asa)usedinsteadofcreate(bara).Arethesecreaturesnotrepresentingsomethingtotallynew?

Day6dealswithmammalsandcreepingthings(remeś)• Althoughremeś oftenreferstoseacreatureshereitseemstorefertosmallmammalsandperhapssmallreptilesaswell

• Psalm104:25(NASB)25 Thereisthesea,greatandbroad,Inwhichareswarms(remeś)withoutnumber,Animals(chayyah)bothsmallandgreat.

• Theverbrāmaś (verbformofremes)emphasizesthescurryingofsmallerfour-footedmammalsTheologicalWordbookoftheOldTestament.

• OnthebasisoftheselattertwousagesitappearsthatremeśmeansnotonlysmallmammalssuchasrodentsbutthesmallreptilescommoninthegravelandrocksofPalestine.TheologicalWordbookoftheOldTestament.

Whyremes?

• Ifwehadbirdsanddinosaursonlandalready,whyheretheemphasisoncreepingthings?

• Speculation• Thetransitionfromthedinosauragetomammalswasmarkedbyabigextinctionevent– theKTextinction.Therearevariouscontroversiesastowhatcausedit– agiantmeteor,volcanicactivity,climatechangeetc andhowfastthetransitionwas.However,thearchaeologicalrecordshowedthatessentiallyalllargeanimalswentextinctandwhatproliferatedafterwardsweresmallmammals.

Day6humans

• Genesis1:27(NASB)27 GodcreatedmaninHisownimage,intheimageofGodHecreatedhim;maleandfemaleHecreatedthem.

• Whoarethemaleandfemale?AretheyequatedwithAdamandEve?• Godtoldthemtosubduetheearth.Thewordsubdueiskabash andindicatesitwillbeastrugglerequiringgreatstrength.

• GodtoldthemGenesis1:29(NASB)29 ThenGodsaid,"Behold,Ihavegivenyoueveryplantyieldingseedthatisonthesurfaceofalltheearth,andeverytreewhichhasfruityieldingseed;itshallbefoodforyou;

• GodtoldAdamofeverytreeofthegarden“eatingyoushalleat”(aHebrewdoubleverb,youshallsurelyeatoryoumusteat).

SummaryofthesequenceinGenesis1• Godmadelightandthesunmoonandstarsonday1.• Godmadetheexpanse(theatmosphere)thatmayhaveobscuredthevisiblesourcesofthelight• Godbegantheprojectofmakingplants.Inmyviewthisbeganwithmakingphotosyntheticbacteriawhichbecamethebasisofallplants.• Godclearstheexpansesothatthesourceofthelight(maor)becomesvisible.• Animallifebeginsintheoceans• Flyingthingsarise• Dinosaurs• Smallmammalsproliferate• Largemammalsappear• Humans