How many of the people of the world in the day of Seth believed that God created the universe? What percentage of the population believed in creation just prior to the Flood? Why? What percentage of the people of the world believe in Creation just after the Flood? How many of the people in Abraham’s day believed in Creation? From just a couple of generations after the flood, the Biblical account of creation was been less and less accepted by the general population of the world. Does that mean that all false religion teaches some form of atheistic evolution? If some heathen religion says that Thor, or Zeus, or George, made the first man and called him Bill, then that is not Biblical Creation, because whether or not it is close to the truth it is not the truth. The fact is that at from the days of Nimrod, the majority of the world’s population has not properly worshiped Jehovah as the Creator of all things. If the Lord isn’t the Creator, what do people usually begin to do with their worship? (Worship the creature.)
So the descendants of Shem, who remained faithful to the Lord, have been surrounded by proponents of various kinds of evolution. Just about every variety of polytheism rejects Creation. Generally speaking all of the “inclusivists” reject Biblical Creation. So when the Lord called, saved and taught Abraham about Creation and Himself, that man was almost alone in an evolutionary world. We might assume that Moses was taught the truth about Creation by his mother, but remember that his formal education was steeped in Egyptian polytheism and evolution. How long had Israel been exposed to Egypt before the exodus? (400 years.) Whether Israel still retained the Creationism that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had been taught, no one can say, but for ten generations it had been surrounded by various principles of evolution. And after the exodus, she may, or may not, have believed the truth – but again she was surrounded by evolutionary heresy and has been ever since. In this sense, the world has not changed since the days of Nimrod. Thank God there have always been a few vocal rebels against the more common heresy.
Again there are not a great many specific references to Creation in the historical books of the Bible. But there are enough which clearly testify to Creation, to prove that Israel continued to officially believe Genesis 1 and 2. And there are plenty of indirect statements which suggest that many individuals still did.
The Book of Joshua.
Are there any miracles in the Book of Joshua? I read the other day that a “coincidence is when God performs and miracle and remains anonymous.” Are there any coincidences in the books of Joshua and Judges? There are multitudes of miracles which really do appear to be mere coincidences, and it’s impossible to prove to an unbeliever that they aren’t, even though we know the truth. And yet, there are plenty of Biblical miracles which are so outstanding that their Author cannot stay hidden. And most of those true miracles are so spectacular that believers are quick to realize that only the Creator could cause them, even though they aren’t actual creations. What was the first big miracle of the Book of Joshua? (Crossing the Jordan.) How does that miracle suggest the Creative power of God? When Joshua was telling Israel that they were going to cross the dry river bed in flood season, how did he speak of the Lord (3:11-13)? How did Jehovah become Lord of all the earth? Did He win it in battle against Satan or other gods? Did the walls of Jericho fall flat because of the stomping of Israel’s feet for seven days? If a bulldozer pushed over the walls of Jericho, would there have been much rubble? Was there? How likely is it that the Creator changed the molecular composition or properties which caused the rock and mortar walls of Jericho to disintegrate? Doesn’t that sound like the work of the Creator?
What is the greatest miracle in the Book of Joshua? (Sun stood still.) Turn to Joshua 10:12-14 and let’s read. Has science yet come up with an adequate explanation for Joshua’s long day? If God is really the Creator, then he created the Sun and the Moon, and the astrological laws which govern them. Could He as easily suspend those laws as create them in the first place?
Was Abraham a Creationist? As Joshua approached the end of his life, he could see the upcoming attacks upon the Truth of God. So he challenged the nation to remain faithful to God as Abraham was (24:2-3, 14-17). Israel had seen the Creative power of God throughout their days in the wilderness. For example they had seen manna six days a week for nearly forty years, and then it stopped as if it was turned off with a faucet. At least for a moment they promised to remain Creationists.
There is another Creationist incident in Joshua – go back to Joshua 2. I hope that you remember the history – Joshua sent a couple men into Jericho to reconnoiter. It was probably more for Israel’s heart than for military knowledge. What happened as night began to fall, and the spies were still inside the gates? Rahab is one of the most blessed stories of sovereign grace saving an undeserving soul that is to be found in all the Bible or in all human history. Notice verses 8-11 – there is no proof of this, but couldn’t Rahab’s words be interpreted as a Creationist?
The Book of Judges.
Was Israel more or less godly during the period of the Judges? Are we surprised that there aren’t great statements of faith in God’s creative power to be found there?
Are there any miracles in Judges? Generally speaking do miracles ever testify to God’s Creatorship? Describe the account of Gideon’s call into God’s service. How does that testify to Creation? What happened to Gideon’s offering? How strong was Samson? Was that common or natural? Supernatural?
The Days of the United Kingdom.
It is open to debate, but according to Bishop Usher, about 800 years passed between the call of Abraham and the call of Samuel. Samuel was the last of the ……….? (Judges.) Samuel was also the first of the ……….? (Prophets.) So in the midst of evolutionary false religions, and after a particularly difficult period of Israelite history, Samuel comes on the scene.
Were Samuel’s parents godly people? What did they believe about Creation? In I Samuel 1:3, 11 what do the words “the Lord of hosts” suggest? What did Hannah believe about God’s power over her body? Hannah’s Song: I Samuel 2:1-10. What do we have here about creation? What are these references to God’s “anointed” and to a “king”? Could these have anything to do with the promises of God to Adam and Eve after their fall?
I think that we’ll come back to the writings of David and the other Psalmists next week. But there are still possible references to the Creator in the histories of David. What do you suppose the godly in Israel meant when they said things like “all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine, O Lord” (I Chronicles 29:11)? What did Solomon mean when, at the dedication of the Temple, he said – “LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart: But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” Solomon concluded his dedicatory prayer by saying that his desire was that “all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.” When Solomon finished his prayer and the Temple was filled with the glory of God, what was in the Holy of Holies? What was in the Ark of the Covenant? What did the 4th commandment say?
The Days of the Divided Kingdom.
Were there any miracles performed in the apostate Northern Kingdom? (Elijah and Elisha.) Do you think that Satan could have caused oil to miraculously appear in the widows container? Can Satan or any false god, bring life to an actual dead person? When Naaman had his leprosy cured at the Name of the Lord, does that testify to the Creator? Are floating axe-heads common occurrences?
Why did Northern Israel go into captivity? What sort of religion had she accepted. II Kings 17:14 – “Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God. And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.”
In contrast to Israel, Judah had a few more years of blessings, because of grace and a few good, godly leaders. What did Jehosaphat mean in II Chronicles 20:6? What did Hezekiah think about the Creator according to II Kings 19:15-19? At one point Hezekiah was sick and at the point of death, but he sought the face of God, and the Lord was gracious towards him. Isaiah was sent with some good news for him, and Hezekiah asked for a sign from God. What was that sign? (Sun dial moved back.) How did that miracle take place?
There is one other major testimony to the historicity of the Book of Genesis. What does the word “chronicles” mean? (An historical record.) How does I Chronicles begin?
There is testimony to God’s creation and the history of Genesis constantly all the way through the Bible.