3500 Years Ago
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a man living around 1500 BCE; no cars, no airplanes, no space flights, no telescopes. It shouldn't be surprising that the author of Genesis had a radically different understanding of the cosmos than we do.
The author of Genesis believed the earth was flat. He believed the sky was like a dome covering the earth with the sun, moon and stars placed neatly inside. He believed water was above and below the earth, separated by the expanse of the sky.
Genesis states, "And God said, 'Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.' So God made the expanse and separated the water from under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse sky" (Genesis 1:6-8).
and,
"God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth" (Genesis 1:16-17).
The expanse of the sky separating water from water actually makes sense from the perspective of a man with a very rudimentary understanding of the universe. We shouldn't assume he knew anything about the evaporation process. Wouldn't it seem obvious to him that a great storehouse of water must reside above the earth if rain falls out of the sky (which is also blue like the oceans)?
More passages referring to water above and below the earth: Genesis 7:11, 8:2, Exodus 20:4, Psalm104:3, 136:6, 148:4, Jeremiah 10:13.
The author of Genesis believed the earth was flat. He believed the sky was like a dome covering the earth with the sun, moon and stars placed neatly inside. He believed water was above and below the earth, separated by the expanse of the sky.
Genesis states, "And God said, 'Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.' So God made the expanse and separated the water from under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse sky" (Genesis 1:6-8).
and,
"God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth" (Genesis 1:16-17).
The expanse of the sky separating water from water actually makes sense from the perspective of a man with a very rudimentary understanding of the universe. We shouldn't assume he knew anything about the evaporation process. Wouldn't it seem obvious to him that a great storehouse of water must reside above the earth if rain falls out of the sky (which is also blue like the oceans)?
More passages referring to water above and below the earth: Genesis 7:11, 8:2, Exodus 20:4, Psalm104:3, 136:6, 148:4, Jeremiah 10:13.
posted by R.K. at 1:17 PM
3 Comments:
How do you know that the writer of Genesis thought the earth was flat? I know that the ancient Greeks believed that, but I don't see evidence of this in God's Word.
If the physical universe was created to cater to earth and the sustaining of life here - wouldn't outer space and all it contains be "like" a dome around earth? But the writer of Genesis never actually says this anyway.
If you research science, you will see that the earth has an o-zone layer in the upper atmosphere around the earth. Before the flood, there was also water layer there as well. Both of these layers protected earth from the sun and kept the earth regulated in moisture and higher in oxygen levels. There weren't clouds and evaporation then like there are now. There was no rain before the flood. This water layer also helped people to live longer, plants to grow bigger, etc. We can see from science that because of prolonged exposure to the suns radiation, our physical bodies wear down much faster. The flood was caused by this water layer falling to the earth in addition to water under the land coming up. We no longer have this layer, but even now scientists are researching other layers in space around the earth that contain water vapor.
I've read this information in one or two secular books and seen it in history channel documentaries - but here's an online article in case you want to learn more: Link
Even some Bible colleges are beginning to teach this now, so I hope that pastors will begin to pass this information out to the people in their churches so that they don't let inferror human logic lead them to doubt God's Word. The truth shall set us free!
I think Genesis describes quite plainly that the earth is flat. God created an expanse of the sky BETWEEN the waters; God then placed the sun, moon and stars INSIDE the expanse of the sky. Think of the expanse as a covered dome stadium with the sun, moon and stars placed inside. Water was above the dome and also under the earth below it (as described also by the great deep that burst forth during the flood in gen 7:11).
I struggle to see how our current understanding of the universe could fit into this story.
This is my first time visiting your site.
Interesting that you should think that Genesis implies that the earth is flat.
My Aussie friends believe that the sky is above them, but according to my perception they are underneath me (with both the ground, center of the earth, and the ground beneath them, them, and the sky above them, under me).
The earth is only flat if I am the center of that universe, or if my Aussie friends are, or if you are (from each, our own perspective).
But if you take into account our collective perspectives, then, and only then, is the earth round (in our perception of things).
I guess that, it's all in the perspective.
Thanks to gravity, anywhere, radiating from the very centre of the core of the earth is up(at least according to the human race).
Obviously when you start with a false premise you will always come to a false conclusion.
Since God is the only one still living that was here at the beginning we need to begin there.
Then we need to build on that, based on His account of what happened.
When we speak, we expect to be taken literally. Do the same for God. Don't take things out of context, so check carefully as to who is speaking, is it God or man.
If you sincerely want to know God's perspective on things just ask Him. He will be glad to tell you, but only if you really want to know.
You say of yourself:
"I was once a believer in God living in the matrix of faith. I decided to take the pill of doubt and a new reality emerged..."
I find this to be a very sad statement.
The basis for any friendship is faith (trust)in your friend (in their goodness, in that they care for you, and that you can trust them to not harm you).
When you choose to doubt these things about someone who is your friend, then you are no longer their friend, for there is no longer any faith (trust).
You made a choice, "I decided", to doubt your friend, and so you are no longer their friend.
That does not mean your friend does not love you as much as he always did. You chose to break the faith (trust) that is the basis for all friendship. You can choose faith, and once again trust your friend.
He hasn't changed, you have.
Why did you change?
Did you mistake doubt for critical thinking?
According to m-w.com (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)
Doubt is "FEAR, SUSPECT, DISTRUST".
Critical thinking is "exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation".
Doubt will utterly destroy a friendship, but critical thinking will enhance it.
Critical thinking involves careful evaluation of all the evidence before drawing a conclusion.
This involves at least temporarily setting your emotions aside.
Doubt involves the powerful emotions of fear, suspician, and distrust, which will always cloud one's judgement.
God does not expect us to check our brains at the door to faith,
but can easily withstand the careful evaluation and scrutiny of even the most brilliant among us (Albert Einstein was a believer).
Or did you become hurt or offended by some injustice in life?
Please remember that just as you cannot give what you do not have, nor can God.
God can only give what He is.
God is life, not death.
God is wholeness, not sickness.
God is love, not hate.
God is peace, not fear.
God is restoration, not separation.
GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!
Anna
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