Unlocking The Old Testament

Genesis 2

David Pawson says God wanted the story of creation to reach everybody in every time and in every place, so he made it utterly simple. So Genesis 1 was not written in scientific language but in simplistic language. It takes a genius to be that simple. The structure is beautifully put together, so orderly and mathematical. There are 3 ways of handling the problem of science vs scripture - repudiate, segregate or integrate. God is Creator and Redeemer. Physical and spiritual belong together. Scripture and science are overlapping circles - they are dealing with some things that are the same and therefore there are apparent contradictions between them. We need to remember 2 important things, science changes its views. What was once thought of as scientific fact, is no longer. And traditional interpretations of scripture change. Each of the 7 days in which God created everything, can be looked at in different ways: 24 hours, an era, a myth, a day on which Moses was taught by God part of what he created, or a God day (i.e. time is relative).

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Genesis 3

David Pawson notes a radical shift in style, content and viewpoint from Genesis chapter 1 to chapter 2. In chapter 1, God was the centre and everything was from His perspective. Chapter 2, man is the centre. There are 3 dimensions to our relationships which every human needs – with God above, with creatures below and with other people. When sin comes in, all these relationships are spoiled. There is an affinity with God that humans have and animals don’t, because we were made in his image. We are like God and yet not like God. We need to keep that balance to have a good relationship with Him. God retains moral authority over us. He has the right to tell us what is good for us. Science poses two questions in relation to creation. Where does prehistoric man fit in? and Is man directly and physically related to the animal world? David gives answers. Nothing has yet been found that is half ape, half man. Mutations deform and cause species to die out. Inter-breeding usually causes sterility. The effect of the evolution theory on humans is devastating suffering. Fascism, capitalism, communism and early colonialism all wiped people out in the name of progress and “survival of the fittest”. This idea when applied to human beings, has caused more suffering than any other idea. It has also faced us with two huge choices, a mental choice as to what we believe and a moral choice, what we do.

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