Day Three: Dry earth, seas, grass herbs and trees
Genesis 1:9-13 “9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so. 10 And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good. 11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. 13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.”
In Day One the Triune God, by His all-powerful word brought the space/matter/time mass of the universe into existence at an instant, the beginning. Noting developmental deficiencies, He proceeded to energize and initialize the Deep moving on the faces of the waters. Light was decreed and produced, darkness separated from it and the finished products named. Day two’s continuing work wrought the Expanse of the Heavens and mightily separated the waters. If all the mass of the universe was, say, 2 or 3 light-years in diameter, spherical, and rotating under a directional light, and if all the mass of planet earth is by inference dissolved solute in the watery mass left under the heavens, then the amount of the divided Deep that is above the heavens was all the rest of the mass of the universe. This is what is implied. That tremendously great portion above is awaiting further development, and, here, at Day Three the activity concentrates on the below waters. The inequality of the quantities reveals an amazing condescension operating in the plans of God, for the vastly inferior quantity below seems to retain in the Mind of the Creator a vastly superior amount of focused attention. We know that size is a non-issue for an omnipresent God, being all present everywhere, and all transcending everywhere, all at the same time. But man is a different being; to us it is a wonder. To the important details of the under-heaven-waters, then, our text proceeds. With all the gravity and mass in the elemental waters above held aloft, activity is focused terrestrially.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and it was so. How did the earth come into being, get its pre-flood form, and its present form? The cause of the hydrosphere, Seas, is a gathering command, whereas the cause of the lithosphere, dry Earth, is an appearing command. Are the two commands interactively related? How much of the physics of these systems is, at this point, instituted? That becomes grist for observation, logical deduction, and hypothesis testing induction. By testimony and faith we know they are framed, sustained, and consummated (brought all the way to their future temporal end) by the powerful word of God. This is where good science will begin. (2Pet.3:3-10). Robert V. Gentry’s polonium 210, 214 and 218 fossil radio halo studies seem to be evidence of an instantaneous forming of these short lived elements along with the granite crystals they are encased in. So we can surmise that nuclear genesis’ radioactive heat may have been utilized. In any event the periodic table of the elements is part of this design. That it was in fact instantaneous, we have God’s record: “and it was so.” At this point in earth time, the antediluvian system of geology is finalized. The geophysical features of crust, mantle, and core, (with continental foundation granites resting perhaps on pillared basil systems encasing about half the water that is today in the seas, Gen.7:11, 8:2; Job 9:6; Ps.75:3; q.v. Prov.8:23-36) was instantly constructed as engineered. That unique watering system of the fountains of the deep that broke up during the flood and their physical systems were established with this word. The surface waters were gathered into one place whose shallower waters were going to be a home for the teaming sea life which we see, today, fossilized in flood sediments all over the earth. Geophysical preparation for the pre-flood biosphere is now engineered in accordance to God’s commanding and designed words. "10 And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it was] good." It was good. Balanced, resplendent, functional, and ready. Physical air, earth, and sea with all their elemental properties and support systems balanced and primed are ready for living things.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. Physical chemistry was already established, but now we have a new thing. This word creates instantaneously diverse information packed DNA/RNA/Protein organic photosynthesizing life forms. Living systems so complex, their billions and billions of self replicating parts so interdependent, that since the 1950’s molecular biology has exploded with discoveries. “Let the earth bring forth…” seems so simple for the Creator. And indeed it is. But we today are seeing power and wisdom in these systems that humbles human wisdom in the dust by all comparisons. Information driven biochemistry is so unlike physical chemistry; it all ways has been, but now we understand why. All forms of plant life are practically designated in the terms grass, herb, and tree. And they are good. Molecular informational language and translation systems organize and control this Word’s fiat decrees with explicit commands millions of molecular words long in precisely arranged irreducibly complex sequences. These living systems, first by their complexity, declare their instantaneous creations and secondly, the durability of their information storage systems everywhere proclaim: “after his kind.” Their bio-compatibility with herbivores, not yet created, is because they are going to be for food for them. They make food out of light, absolutely ingenious. "12 And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good." As these botanic forms rose out of the physical elements already guided by their physical chemical laws, their unique replicating information driven apparatus, molecular machines, cell walls, tissues, and anatomies formed a new kind of chemistry, operationally the same, but totally different in kind. Chirality, non random handedness, in bio-molecules is only one instance. DNA, RNA, and protein machines are the obvious. Chemicals do not do information on their own. Information has no weight and occupies no space; recording mediums do, but the knowledge and precise instructions imprinted in them do not. This invalidates the atheistic materialistic hypothesis, and shows the true source of presuppositions guiding this propaganda. To not see this as so, is to reject God’s plane demonstration manifest in the things that are made. Indeed, God’s omniscience and the intricacy of His plans operated in His works by his word is what true science was instituted in man to seek after. It is an epistemological necessity for objective human science that The Creator be omniscient. Nothing is accident with omniscience, but neither is it mechanical determinism as if the elements in their own independent natures were in charge. A free personal God is in charge.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day. Two “goods” are uttered this day. The first, after the earth and seas were formed and named, and the second, after botanical life was brought forth. The division of the deep allows the isolation of the under-waters on day two. No uttered “good” was placed there, for that utterance occurs this day after the water gathering and dry land is made to appear. Those works were anticipatory to these works, and so make a finished unit together. Next, plants finish another preparatory unit. Light and air, as well as soils, are needed for plants. The carbon dioxide in the air, and water in the soils, plants will use to make oxygen and food for animal life yet to come. With the day’s work over, God notes the earth-time frame in which they began, the third 24 hour lightening and darkening period, the third day. The gravitational and expansion forces in the three volumes (universal day two masses), as well as the vast spatial distances, though staggering to man's imagination, are yet estimate-able, calculate-able, and know-able. And their staggering quantities impress mankind with the bigness of God, His power. Just so, the works of day three stagger us as well with God’s wisdom, His science. As these days also unfold the purposive nature of these works, it ought to impress us with the foresight of God and His providences. This is the beginning of His working all things together for good.
In geology, every where mankind sees God’s great power in the workings of all these things and they bear the marks of their history. Satan would induce men to misread it, but God has provided testimony of things we needed to know about, so that our thinking might not be lead astray. “Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?” (Jer.5:22). It can be as simple as sand, but mankind must accept God’s testimony. Mankind is in the balance; which way will he tilt? Foundation granites, volcanic flows, canyons, buckled layers of sedimentary rock, fossils, vast fields of unbuckled thick sedimentary rocks, mid ocean ridges, cracked torn and overridden oceanic plates, primordial water 5, 7, and 10 miles under the basil granites, compression and expansion forces, weathering, all kinds of data exist, the creator can not lie: will mankind reject His testimony? From where then will his world view devolve? All man’s thoughts have consequences; that is why we will answer for them. “For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb.4:12). “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” (Rom.2:16). These are the true facts of our existence; God loves us and provides for our good; the lie always ravages and destroys mankind, because the father of lies hates God and His mankind.
So it is with biological sciences. With the added levels of intelligent designs that show case His glory, power, wisdom, and providence, we are in a balance. Information theory comes in at this level with language, syntax, codes, translations, and purpose. Intelligence, true, is not physical. Indeed it is personal, soulful, and spiritual. But it has left its impression on the biochemical mediums. We are discovering it. Not just on this micro-level is God’s wisdom displayed, but on the macro levels as well. Unique but adaptive plant macro structures complex in their parts, products, and interactions in higher still eco-systems, show levels higher still. “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:” (Pro.6:6). Christ asked us to consider lilies, (Mat.6:28 and Lk.12:27). Plants show forth the wisdom of God because his word made them. (q.v. Proverbs 8:22-36) Wisdom after all is their design.
Food is their assigned function later in the creation account after animals and men come onto the scene. The reason plants have organic molecules like animals is for that purpose. Eating them would be useless, were not that the case. That truth, if mankind will not deny it outright against the facts, ought to show any of them how much goodness is in the will and purposes of God toward them. Why do you think God said it was good? What is the criteria of His personal judgment? It was good to His own purposes: why? How can you tell? It is the same kind of information in this text: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb.12:2). That text is about salvation, but the same mysterious joy in making man’s environment bountiful for him operates in this judgment of “good”. These are the things that make us wonder, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” (q.v. Job 7:17, 15:14, Psa.8:4, 144:3, Heb2:6). God designed our tongues as well, though that is for day six, yet plants are good for food by design, not accident.
A few of these issues are listed below:
TRUTH 1: Fiat (commanded existence out of the previously nonexistent) organization of the lithosphere and the hydrosphere from the lower waters along with the physics and chemistry with which He maintains it lawfully/rationally in an open system. “Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Heb.1:3)
LIE 1: Naturalistic cause and effect in a closed system theories: astronomical planet forming theories and molten/cooling geologic theories.
TRUTH 2: Fiat (divine command grammatical) organization of Botanical DNA life out of earth elements, biochemical organization of the biosphere. Intelligence and power. Plants planed for food.
LIE 2: Spontaneous generation, chemical evolution, plant evolution. Time plus chance. No purpose.
TRUTH 3: Fiat (with mere, but powerful words) fixity of “kinds” by reproduction. Variation within kinds. Intelligent Providence.
LIE 3: No fixity of kinds. Natural selection and upward mutation of kinds. Evolving variation among kinds from other kinds. Unintelligent change with survival of the fittest.
TRUTH 4: The Biogenetic Law and instantaneous intelligent powerful creation. Death, as result of historic fall into and curse upon sin, has not entered the creation yet. Hope is preeminently a rational verifiable expectancy of the resurrection, the redemption of the body, a new heavens and earth, based on the same personal Word that has created and framed it all to begin with, and solidly founded upon His historic space/time work of atonement.
LIE 4: Death is the mechanism of advancing reproductive life, a part of all that ever was, is, and ever will be. Hope is an irrational leap of blind faith in human evolution: CHANGE to socialist and communist utopias. Final form=Anti-christ
TRUTH 5: The God of the Bible is good willed toward mankind providing for his fulfillment, laying up for his needs.
LIE 5: The God of the Bible is ill disposed toward mankind inhibiting his progress, begrudging his needs.
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