Why I Believe Genesis 1:1-2

I believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Is this contrary to Science? I don't think so. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the scientific method as: "a method of procedure that consists of systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses." Science tries to prove something by direct observation and experimentation. When something cannot be seen, science will put forth a theory and then will test the theory against the available evidence until it can be "proven" if it can not be directly observed.

The creation of the universe, the "Big Bang" if you will, cannot be directly observed. Science is trying to do that by looking into deep space, back billions of years, seeing light from the edge of the universe, to show that the universe started from this massive explosion of a "singularity" into the universe we know today. Using physical laws and theories, science has shown that this is the best current explanation or "belief" for the origin of the universe, but it does not fit all of the laws and theories exactly so there is still room for speculation. Many also believe that Science does not allow room for God since God cannot be directly observed using a scientific method.

I do believe that the "Big Bang" is a plausible origin of the heavens as we know it. But what caused the Big Bang? Was it due to the sheer laws of physics coming together explosively or did it happen from the mind of an all knowing, all-powerful Creator? I don't believe this can be answered scientifically and that either "theory" takes faith. To me the theory of a Creator God makes more sense than an explosion due to the pressure of physical laws, especially since those laws most likely did not exist prior to the explosion. It seems to me that before the Big Bang, there were no physical laws because there was no physical reality. Physical reality came into existence the instant that the explosion happened and not a nanosecond before. God, on the other hand, would be outside of the space-time continuum that is our present reality and so could bring to bear such an event.

Looking at Genesis 1:1-2 it reads: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (NKJV)"

Now if we look at the Hebrew words from the original text we find that some have multiple meanings. The words in Genesis 1:1 could mean:

• Created = formed, shaped or fashioned
  
• Heavens = visible universe
  
• Earth = physical matter (as opposed to space)
  

And similarly for Genesis 1:2, the words could mean:

• Earth = physical matter
  
• Was = came into existence
  
• Without form = a place of chaos, lack of elemental form as we know it today
  
• Void = emptiness
  
• On, over = throughout, filled
  
• Face = presence, sight, in front of
  
• Deep = deep place = space
  
• Spirit = breath, wind, blast
  
• God = works of God
  
• Hovering = moving, shaking
  
• Waters = violence, transitory things

And thus Genesis 1:1-2 could be paraphrased:
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the universe and all physical matter. 1:2 And all matter came into existence without elemental structure, and emptiness; and darkness filled the entirety of space. And the breathe of God blew throughout the presence the transitory elements.

Now I am not a Hebrew scholar so I may be stretching the meanings somewhat but I think you get the idea. Genesis 1:1-2 seems to be in line with a creation similar to what scientists are proposing with the Big Bang theory. Genesis 1:1 could be the singularity of the "Big Bang" and Genesis 1:2 could describe the explosion at the moment of creation. The Creation as outlined in Genesis 1:1-2 supports the scientific evidence of the Big Bang and vice versa.

I believe there is something that Science cannot "prove" and that is the existence of God. So you need to have faith to believe in Him or faith to believe He does not exist. There are many signs that He does exist, such as those espoused by Creation Scientists of which I consider myself one - Intelligent Design and Irreducible Complexity (see Reasons to Believe) being two, but since God is not directly observable many scientists will write Him out totally. I think if you look at the evidence for God, you must conclude He is real, that He directly touches our existence and that He has created us for a reason with a purpose.

Isaiah 40:21-22 "Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, He who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. (NKJV)"