Page 17 - Old Testament Survey Student Textbook- short
P. 17

F. Origin of man
               Man is the most highly developed and organized entity in the known universe. He is complex and
               capable of very difficult and complex activities, thoughts, behaviors, and interrelations. To suggest that
               man is nothing more than the random act of time and chance as organisms evolved through billions of
               years of mutations and random occurrence is absurd.
               Even more illusionary given the mathematics of probability. The true record of man’s creation is
               recorded in Genesis.

               G. Origin of marriage
               When you think about it, the idea that marriage as it universally exists today (or until recently) evolved is
               preposterous. Marriage finds its roots in Genesis as monogamous, patriarchal, social stabilizing, and
               procreative. Only after the fall do polygamy, infanticide, matriarchy, homosexuality, and promiscuity.

               H. Origin of evil
               The concepts of goodness, truth, beauty, love, etc. find their origin not in society but ultimately in the
               Creator Himself. They are characteristics fundamental to His very nature and He has expressed them in
               His creation. The presence of physical and moral evil in the universe is explained in Genesis. However,
               evil is explained as temporary and a deviation from the perfect, as an intruder into God’s design. It is the
               absence of the nature and character of God. God explains in Genesis that evil will exist for a season but
               will ultimately be crushed through our kinsman redeemer.

               I.  Origin of language
               Not only does Genesis describe the variety of languages that we hear, but also explains the difference
               between the chattering of animals and the symbols, and specificity of human language. To think that
               language could have developed by random chance from the grunting of animals to modern language is
               absurd and the only logical account of language development is recorded in Genesis.

               J.   Origin of government
               The development of organized government is recorded in Genesis with man not only responsible for his
               actions but also for the maintenance of orderly social structures through systems of laws and
               punishments.

               K. Origin of culture
               The book of Genesis tells of the origins of the characteristics that we would think of as necessary for
               modern cultures to arise. Skills such as metallurgy, music, agriculture, animal husbandry, writing,
               education, navigation, textiles, and ceramics are described along with the development of urbanization.

               L.  Origin of nations
               Today almost all scholars universally accept the concept of one race. However, conventional wisdom
               told mankind for hundreds of years that there were many races and some were superior to others.
               However, Genesis clearly teaches that we all descend from 2 common ancestors therefore we are all of
               the same race. Genesis also clearly explains the formation of distinct people groups or nations. This is
               accurate to what we observe today.

               M. Origin of religion
               There are many religions in the world today and all share the common idea that there is a consciousness
               greater than or outside ourselves, some unifying truth or ultimate reality that we should strive to
               maintain. Many are organized but some are fragmented and disorganized, yet they all find the need to
               somehow worship something greater than themselves. Genesis clearly describes where this knowledge


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