new Year, bible reading program starts again with genesis.
Still being in, I have to "deal" with it somehow, but the first time reading the account with a free mind, this brought some thoughts:
I remember, in some old creation or evolution book of the society, some scientist was qouted saying, that the order of creation in the genesis account is in line with science, that it could possibly not be of human source.
But when reading it myself, I thought, well it sounds kind of messed up. For example, it claims, that the stars were made after even the plants were created:
genesis 1: And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
ok, some try to expalin this away, by claiming that some kind of veil hindered the light of the already existing sun, moon and stars to shine through, but this is our interpretation in order to fit the genesis report into modern science. (see this site: http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/model.html)
There is also the claim, that the bible, even though no scientific textbook, when it touches scientific subjetcs, it is accurate, and written in a way, that normal people back then would understand it.
Now here is my point, how would a person of old antiquity understand the genesis account, or rather how would he, not knowing modern science, describe it?
Well, he would start with what he considers the big framework of creation, the heavens and earth. Then God makes light, maybe the sun (after the earth obviously, since it circles around it !) then he would put in plants (even to ancient people, it seemed obvious, that animals eat plants, therefore plants need to be first), then maybe the animals, oh and the stars, which circle around the earth again and so forth...
Now how ould a creator really describe its works to simple people back then ?
maybe something like, ok, I made the heavens with the stars, the sun, then the earth, circling around the sun, then, the plants etc...
Its not hard to express it in simple words and still acurrate, but today, believers have to find excuses, explanations in order to fit the creation report into modern science...