Page 23 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

TN_01_MacArthur_Bible_Jan.qxd 8/8/03 14:22 Page 4

JANUARY 2
DAY 1: How does the Bible challenge or agree with current scientific theories?
Scientific theories, by their very definition, are subject to change and adjustment. Scripture
remains as God’s revealed unchanging declaration of truth.The Bible was not written as a challenge
to any particular scientific theory,but scientific theories have often been designed to challenge and
undermine biblical statements.They either agree with scripture or are mistaken.
The description in Genesis 1:1 that “God created the heavens and the earth”yields three basic
conclusions:1) creation was a recent event measured in thousands not millions of years ago;2) cre-
ation was ex nihilo,meaning that God created out of nothing;3) creation was special,with light and
time being the first of God’s creative acts, since the day-count (Gen. 1:5) began before the creation
of sun and moon (Gen. 1:16).
One key in evaluating scientific theories depends on our understanding of the biblical word
“created.”Although the Hebrew word used in Genesis 1:1 can be used to describe the act of shap-
ing or altering existent matter (Is.65:18),such is not the case with the Bible’s first words.God spoke
the heavens and earth into existence. Both context and the rest of Scripture bear witness to God’s
creativity without use of any preexisting material (Is. 40:28; 45:8,12,18; 48:13; Jer. 10:16; Acts 17:24).

January 2 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were
naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which
I commanded you that you should not eat?”
12 Then the man said, “The woman whom
Genesis 3:1–4:26
You gave to be with me, she gave me of the
Now the serpent was more cunning than tree, and I ate.”
3 any beast of the field which the LORD God 13 And the LORD God said to the woman,
had made. And he said to the woman, “Has “What is this you have done?”
God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every The woman said, “The serpent deceived
tree of the garden’?” me, and I ate.”
2
And the woman said to the serpent, “We 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent:
may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 “Because you have done this,
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the
midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall You are cursed more than all cattle,
not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” And more than every beast
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You
4 of the field;
will not surely die. For God knows that in the On your belly you shall go,
5
day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and And you shall eat dust
you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” All the days of your life.
15
6 And I will put enmity
So when the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, that it was pleasant to the Between you and the woman,
eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, And between your seed and her Seed;
she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to He shall bruise your head,
7
her husband with her, and he ate. Then the And you shall bruise His heel.”
eyes of both of them were opened, and they 16 To the woman He said:
knew that they were naked; and they sewed
fig leaves together and made themselves “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and
coverings. your conception;
And they heard the sound of the LORD God
8 In pain you shall bring forth children;
walking in the garden in the cool of the day, Your desire shall be for your husband,
and Adam and his wife hid themselves from And he shall rule over you.”
the presence of the LORD God among the trees 17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have
of the garden. heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten
Then the LORD God called to Adam and from the tree of which I commanded you, say-
9
said to him, “Where are you?” ing, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
10
So he said, “I heard Your voice in the gar-
den, and I was afraid because I was naked; and “Cursed is the ground for your sake;
I hid myself.” In toil you shall eat of it
4