This Article: (8 Pages)
- 1. Miracles in context
- 2. The Beginning: Life as the first... Miracle
- 3. Out of the Ground
- 4. Miracle of Feeding the Thousands
- 5. Miracles as Extension of what is... Familiar
- 6. Resurrection, the Greatest Miracle
- 7. The Characteristic of Miracles
- 8. Faith
2) The Beginning: Life as the first Miracle
Probably the first stumbling block for people is found in the first few chapters of the Bible in the book of Genesis. The arguments that have long raged over a miraculous six day creation are due to a multiplity of human theories, including Evolution. They can be resolved by examining the opening verses of Genesis 1.
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1-2)
This beginning is an unspecified beginning and the same expression “without form (to lie waste/desolate) and void (emptiness, in ruin)” as applied to the state of the earth at the time of creation, was also used by Jeremiah to describe the state that the land of Israel would become when the people were punished and scattered by God because of their faithlessness. Although their land was to become desolate, waste and wild, there was a promise that it would not be desolate forever, as there would not be “a full end”. Jeremiah chose the expression 'without form and void' that describes the earth that was in existence before the creation account begins. Jeremiah described the desolation to come on the land of Israel as follows.
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light....
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. (Jeremiah 4:22-27)
Both Genesis and Jeremiah together shed light on the state and existence of the earth before the six days of creation began. The actual “beginning” of the earth is not specified. However it is clearly stated that there was darkness and the earth was without order and void of life.
The first incident, or miracle, that is then described is the movement of the spirit of God on the “face of the waters,” which covered the earth,
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Genesis 1:3-5)
This is clearly described as the work of the first day. It was the defining and dividing of night and day, as seen from on earth not the creation of the earth. For there to be light the sun already had to exist.
This is a strong indication that the waters existed before the reorganising work of creation began. How long the earth had existed in that state is not shown, but there is room for any length of time that the evidence of geology may claim. The earth had a history before the creation account as evident from the command addressed to Adam to “replenish” the earth, which is to repopulate the earth..
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth. (Genesis 1:27-28)
This simple explanation of the creation of all life, explains the observed facts, that various lifeforms exist as male and female. This describes a miracle. By contrast other explanations of the origin of life sound convoluted and fail to explain the fact of the existence of males and females. They rely on the occurrence of life coming from nothing, which is scientifically impossible! It is easier to believe life began as a miracle, with the power for life coming from life, that is, God.
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