I’m currently involved in a study of Genesis. The first nine chapters have turned out to be fairly controversial as nearly every writer and commentator tries to make the narrative of Genesis align with current scientific views of the beginning of the universe and the beginning of life on planet earth. There are a number of ingenious efforts to do so…the gap theory, theistic evolution, progressive creationism, etc. All of these are ways to try to adjust what seems to be the natural reading of Genesis to the age of the universe and earth as projected by many contemporary scientists and to find a place where evolutionary theory can also fit into the Genesis account. Some of these attempts have some merit and are possible interpretations of Genesis, as scholars study possible meanings of Hebrew words, etc. But many of these attempts seem to be a result of giving science more authority or, at least, the same authority as scripture.
The question arises…what if you cannot marry current scientific views with the Genesis account in any satisfactory way? Do you choose science over scripture or do you keep insisting that science find other explanations for their observations and theories until they can match the Genesis narrative in satisfactory ways. By the way, there are a number of high caliber PH.D’s out there who do hold to the natural reading of Genesis. They assign dating miscalculations to results of a world-wide flood and point to many geological and paleontological observations that don’t fit the evolutionary model.
I really don’t want to try to evaluate all the views that arise from the first few chapters of Genesis, but I do want to point out the danger of letting culture have so much influence over us that we begin to choose the current views of intellectuals and influencers over scripture. When it comes to faith, it is imperative that we constantly align our thoughts with God’s thoughts. It is imperative that we give God’s word more authority than the words of men. Does that mean that natural science, history, archaeology, and so forth cannot inform our understanding of scripture? Of course not. But we dare not begin to ignore scripture that conflicts with those views or do violence to a text in order to make it fit the “current scientific view.”
I keep saying “current view,” because science is always changing, while the word of God is eternal. If you scan the New Testament, you will find dozens of scripture warning, us to be directed by heavenly wisdom, rather than the wisdom of the world. You know the old propaganda adage that says if a lie is told often enough and with enough conviction, people will begin to believe it is true. What we see in our culture, in our schools, and in the media is a steady promotion of anti-biblical views and values designed to desensitize us and indirectly make us believe that a cultural stance is true because we see it and hear it all the time.
In our culture, theories are regularly presented as proven facts, as if, no one with any intelligence even questions what is being presented. Many are “following the science” because it lends credibility to their narrative, rather than because it is true. Evil is called good and good is called evil so often that we begin to wonder if we have misread our Bibles. If we don’t read our Bibles, we are certainly easy prey for the world’s propaganda. There is always danger in coming into agreement with Satan…the prince of this world. Adam and Eve adopted his view of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and their alignment with Satan ushered sin and death into the world. Alignment with Satan, in any part of your life, will open a door for his activity in your life and the life of your family and the results will be destruction.
I am simply posting a warning here that choosing between the values and positions of the world and God is a serious thing that has real consequences. As believers, I think we need constant course corrections in our thinking because we are so inundated with lies from the enemy with every facet of culture as his vehicle. With the steady drum beat of culture everywhere we look, we can slowly but surely be drawn away from God’s truth. When we feel the pull to agree with something that doesn’t seem to agree with God, we need to slow down and pray for wisdom. Perhaps, our biblical understanding needs to be tweaked but, perhaps, we are being drawn away from truth in the name of science, education, religion, art, or tolerance.
Paul wrote, “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:26-31).
This verse suggests that much of what the world presents as wisdom, intellect, and truth are just the opposite of heavenly wisdom, intelligence, and truth. So, evaluate what you are hearing, seeing, and being told by the voices of the world. Do not be afraid to disagree and do so without being disagreeable. Do not be afraid to stand on biblical truths and values, even in the face of criticism and ridicule because you will be receiving praise from heaven.