In a recent lecture at Southampton University a speaker held the view that the opening chapter of Genesis was not a literal account but should be understood as a true myth with allegorical undertones.
According to its Kind
Genesis 1:11 reads "then God said 'let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind whose seed is in itself, on the earth' and it was so." Also Gen 1:25 "And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."
Kind literally means ‘type’ or ‘species’. Read in its common sense literal rendering animals were made according to their species to reproduce according to the likeness of their species. Similarly with plants the point is emphasized yet further as plants yielded seed after their own kind, according to their kind whose seed is in itself. (Gen 1:11)
Noah was commanded "And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds after their kind, of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive." (Genesis 6:19-20)
Theistic Evolutionists may struggle to reconcile their interpretation of the fossil record with Genesis account. According to Moses, the author of the Torah, it is clear from the above paragraphs that at no stage from creation to the flood did animals evolve from one species into another.
And God Saw that it was Good
In Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25 the phrase "And God saw that it was good" is mentioned. This begs the question is the survival of the fittest demonstrated by animals killing each other a good thing?
The Genesis narrative rejects the notion that animals were eating each other as Genesis 1:30 says "Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food; and it was so." The same was true of mankind as herbs were provided as food. It was not until Genesis Chapter 9 when God established the Noachic covenant that animals were permitted as food for humans. (See Genesis 9:3)
Adam Came from Dust
Did humans evolve from monkeys? The name Adam means "man, red earth dust and clay" as Adam was created from the dust of the ground. Scripture consistently presents the doctrine that Adam was the first man created. Genesis 5:1 Chronicles 1, Matthew 1 and Luke Chapter 3 record the same as factual chronology and list Adam’s literal descendents. Jude 14 explains that Enoch was the seventh descended from Adam. Romans 5:12 explains that "therefore just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because all sinned." Finally Luke Chapter 3 tells us that Adam was the son of God. Adam was therefore clearly created. He did not evolve.
 |
