Chapter 6: The Ten Commandments and The Days of the = Creation Week

= In=20 1971, two students had the courage to politely challenge one of = their=20 professors (me) to defend his position on the origin of all = things. That=20 seemed to be a fairly easy job since I was convinced that huge = volumes=20 of factual scientific evidence proved evolution (over billions = of years)=20 to be true. By 1972, this professor's stomach was churning with=20 frustration! The evidence for an old universe promoted as proven = fact by=20 evolutionists was nowhere to be found. This is not to say that = there is=20 lack of writing on the subject of evolution, but that there is = no true=20 scientific evidence that is not based on assumptions (refer back = to the=20 beginning of Chapter 2, "seven basic assumptions").

=20 It was obvious to me back in = the early=20 70's that evolution needed long periods of time. Couldn't those = days of=20 Genesis 1 be a billion years each? If we can somehow impose long = periods=20 of time onto the text of Genesis 1, evolution and the Bible = quite nicely=20 harmonize with each other. Or so I thought.

Those days of Genesis are 24-hour days! If we = believe the=20 Bible, they cannot be one billion years each. Even the logic in = the Ten=20 Commandments demands 24-hour days [It wouldn't hurt any of us to = review=20 the Ten Commandments], so let's make some observations from = Exodus=20 20:1-20:

1.   And God spake all = these=20 words, saying,
2.   I=20 am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of = Egypt,=20 out of the house of bondage.
3.   Thou shalt have = no other=20 gods before me.
4.  =20 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any = likeness=20 of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth = beneath,=20 or that is in the water under the earth:
5.   Thou shalt not = bow down=20 thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a = jealous=20 God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto = the=20 third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6.    And showing = mercy=20 unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my=20 commandments.
7.   =20 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; = for the=20 Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in=20 vain.
8.    =20 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9.     Six = days shalt=20 thou labour, and do all thy work:
10.  =20 But the seventh = day is the=20 sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, = thou, nor=20 thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, = nor thy=20 cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11.  =20 For in six days, = the Lord=20 made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and = rested the=20 seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and = hallowed=20 it.
12.   = Honour thy=20 father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land = which the=20 Lord thy God giveth thee.
13.   Thou shalt not=20 kill.
14.   = Thou=20 shalt not commit adultery.
15.   Thou shalt not=20 steal.
16.   = Thou=20 shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
17.   Thou shalt not = covet thy=20 neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, = nor his=20 manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor = any thing=20 that is thy neighbour's.
18.  =20 And all the people = saw the=20 thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, = and the=20 mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they
removed, = and stood=20 afar off.
19.  =20 And they said unto = Moses,=20 Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with = us,=20 lest we die.
20.  =20 And Moses said = unto the=20 people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his = fear may be=20 before your faces, that ye sin not.

Did you notice that man's work week is parallel = to God's=20 work week (Exodus 20:9-11)? Thus, if man works six 24-hour days, = then=20 the logic of Exodus 20:11 requires that God worked six 24-hour = days and=20 rested during the seventh day as man is to rest one day a=20 week.

Hebrew scholars universally agree that the days = (the=20 Hebrew word "yom") of Genesis 1, are 24-hour days. These = scholars may=20 not necessarily believe that God has the ability to create = everything in=20 six normal days, or they may not even believe that the Bible is = God's=20 inspired Word, but they do believe the Hebrew word, yom, means = 24-hour=20 day. Liberal scholars have tried to claim that some primitive = writer who=20 had no knowledge of science and geology wrote down a brief = account of=20 the origin of man in overly simplistic terms. Many scholars say = that it=20 does not matter what the words say, but simply that it is the = meaning or=20 the message behind these "word-symbols" that is important. = However, if=20 that is true, then we might as well throw out the Hebrew and = Greek=20 lexicons (dictionaries). Every word in Genesis 1, is in the = Hebrew=20 lexicon. Every word has a definite meaning and we can look up = what that=20 meaning is. It is not some nebulous "word-symbol" that is = limited in=20 meaning only by the extent of the imagination of the = reader.

More than ninety-eight percent of the time that = yom (day)=20 is used in the Old Testament (over 2,500 times), it means = 24-hour day or=20 the daylight part of a standard day. The rest of the time it = refers to=20 such things as the "Day of the Lord", which scholars argue could = be=20 anywhere from a 24-hour day to 1,000 plus years to eternity. The = fact is=20 that Genesis 1, uses yom with clarifiers such as day one, day = two, etc.=20 Everywhere else in the Bible that yom is used with clarifiers = (numbers=20 one, two, three, etc.) it unquestionably indicates a 24-hour = day.=20

God used every word He possibly could to show us = He is=20 referring to one rotation of the earth in front of its source of = light=20 or 24-hour "yoms" in Genesis 1. He literally says, "...There was = evening=20 and there was morning, day one; ...there was evening and there = was=20 morning, day two"; etc. Each day had an evening and each day had = a=20 morning. In Genesis l:5, God says, "And God called the light = Day=20 (yom), and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the = morning=20 were the first day."

Notice that each day was part light and part = darkness.=20 This eliminates theistic evolution and day-age theories, since = each day=20 (one billion years?) would be half light and half dark! You = cannot=20 evolve anything in 500 million years of darkness or, for that = matter, in=20 500 million-year stretches of unrelenting sunlight.

We might ask, "How old was Adam when he died?" = Genesis 5:5=20 reads: "And all the = days that=20 Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died." = If one=20 single Genesis 1 day equals one billion years as evolution = demands, and=20 Adam lived through at least half of day six, all of day seven = and 930=20 more years, then how old was Adam when he died? Was he, let's = say, 1=20 billion 500 million 930 years old? Or did he die at the age of = 930? You=20 can't have both! = You can't=20 have long periods of time (day-age, theistic evolution, = progressive=20 creation) and the Bible. Either Adam was 930 years old when he = died, or=20 you can throw out Genesis 1:1 through 5:5!! =

God had words that He could have used if He had = wanted us=20 to understand those days of Genesis, Chapter 1, to be longer = than 24=20 hours. One of these Hebrew words is "olam". Olam means a long = period of=20 time and can even mean everlasting. God put all the necessary = words into=20 the Hebrew text to make it unmistakably clear to the reader -- = these are=20 24-hour days.

"And God said, Let there be lights in the = firmament of the=20 heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for = signs, and=20 for seasons, and for days, and years".

God here differentiates between days and seasons = and=20 years. How can anyone stretch a Genesis 1 day into a billion = years and=20 then make any sense at all of Genesis 1:14? If a day is a = billion years,=20 then how long is a season or a year? Is a Biblical year 365 = billion=20 years? Even the most radical evolutionists claim the universe is = not=20 much older than twenty-billion years! God lines up all these = time words=20 for us in one verse to prove that He means 24-hour days. You = can't make=20 any sense at all of Genesis 1:14, if you insist on the theistic=20 evolution or day-age or progressive creation views. (Don't = forget -- we=20 do not subject the Bible to science, we subject science to the = Bible.)=20 If "science" tells us we must have long geologic ages to explain = the=20 existence of all things, but the Bible says God did it all in = six normal=20 days, then we must believe the Bible by faith and know that = science has=20 some more research to do to catch up with the Bible.

=20 The Ten Commandments in the = Bible are=20 one of the root causes of belief in the evolution model. = Scientifically=20 credentialed people closely examine God's creation. What they = see is the=20 handiwork of God (Romans 1 and Psalm 19), but they nevertheless = choose=20 to believe the lie of evolution because they do not want to = acknowledge=20 their sin, as recorded in the Ten Commandments. To accept belief = in God,=20 who wrote those Ten Commandments with His own finger, becomes=20 unthinkable. Belief would place man in a position of submission = and=20 obedience to his Creator. Furthermore, this position of = submission and=20 obedience demands responsibility before this holy God and = ultimately,=20 the certainty of judgment -- realities that people do not like = to think=20 about. We know we are sinners. We cannot even live up to our own = standards, let alone God's righteous standards. It is easier to = live in=20 the fantasy-land of evolution than in reality when we are = separated from=20 our Creator by our own unholiness and pride. Life appears to be = less=20 complicated and more comfortable as we believe the lie of=20 evolution.

No rational person would argue that God's Ten = Commandments=20 are invalid or inaccurate or harmful to society. If obeyed by = everyone,=20 we would have a near-perfect, crime-free and pollution-free=20 world.

=20 Did you notice that the = seven-day=20 creation week is mentioned in the Ten Commandments (Exodus = 20:11)? Is=20 this not fascinating? In view of all the many things the Creator = could=20 have mentioned to be preserved forever, He chose, in the midst = of His=20 Ten Commandments, to call attention to the original seven-day = week of=20 creation.

There is no question about the English = translation of the=20 Ten Commandments. What we read is precisely what God said. He = said, "For in six days the Lord = made=20 heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is..." = (Exodus 20:11)=20 That means exactly what it says. In a literal six days, the Lord = made=20 everything that exists, whether it exists in the heavens or on = the earth=20 or in the seas. He made it functionally mature and = with the=20 appearance of age. That would include the entirety of the=20 macrouniverse (stars, planets, sun, moon, comets, asteroids, = angels,=20 etc.) and the microuniverse (the molecules, atoms and quarks, of = elephants, beetles and sharks). A six-day creation leaves no = room at all=20 for theistic evolution and its billions of years, or for a "gap" = between=20 Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. Some of the early twentieth century Bible = scholars=20 came to believe in a "gap theory" due to the influence of = evolutionary=20 "science". These godly men believed that science had established = great=20 geologic ages and "prehistoric" man to be a proven fact. They = went to=20 the early Chapters of Genesis and attempted to subject the Bible = to=20 science by postulating a "gap" between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. But = the sun,=20 stars, heat, light, atmosphere and universe were not yet = created.=20 Nothing existed nor could it exist in the supposed "gap" between = Genesis=20 1:1 and 1:2. There was no "pre-Adamic" race of wicked people = living in=20 the "gap". Not only could they have not existed without light, = but sin=20 and wickedness did not enter the universe until the fall of=20 Adam.

"Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered = into the=20 world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for = that all=20 have sinned."=20

A sobering result of Adam's sin was death, but = before=20 Adam's sin there was no death. If there was no death = before Adam=20 (the very clear statement of God's word), then it would be = impossible to=20 have "pre-Adamic" people dying.

Actually, the entire creation was affected by = Adam's sin=20 and it still "groans" with thorns, thistles and entropy as it = awaits its=20 redemption. Romans 8:22-23 states:

"For we know that the whole creation groaneth = and=20 travaileth in pain together until now.
And not = only they,=20 but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, = even we=20 ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to = wit, the=20 redemption of our body."=20

Holding to the "gap" position not only demands = death=20 before the Fall, but it also forces changes in the Biblical = text.=20 Genesis 1:2 must be changed from "And the earth was = without=20 form and void" to "and the earth became without form = and=20 void." God uses the very same word for "was" in Genesis 2:25 and = 3:1.=20 Genesis 2:25 says: "And they=20 were both naked..." Adam and Eve were not created = with=20 clothes and then "became" naked. The same can be said for the = serpent in=20 3:1. It is not that he "became" crafty after not being crafty; = he=20 was crafty from the beginning. The Gap theory = necessitates=20 changes in other Biblical texts also. For a comprehensive study = of=20 problems with the Gap theory please read Dr. John=20 Whitcomb's book The Early Earth: Revised Edition. We do = not need=20 to accommodate Scripture to what we might believe to be factual = science=20 -- the geological ages -- by imposing a gap between Genesis 1:1 = and 1:2=20 or by stretching the 24-hour days of Genesis 1 into long ages of = geologic time. Men who have done this, most probably in all = innocence,=20 violate a basic rule: The Bible must never be subjected to = science, but=20 science must always be subjected to the Bible.

My position, quite frankly, is of one who = committed his=20 life to the Lord Jesus Christ later in life than most (age 27) = and who=20 endured a gut-wrenching five-year struggle with this issue. When = I came=20 to faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I became a = theistic=20 evolutionist. I then saw, as many men and women have seen (when = exposed=20 to the true truth of the Bible), the total "rightness" = and=20 reality of God's six-day creation. The science I studied showed = the=20 incredible complexity of every plant, animal and insect and yet = had no=20 sane answer to the "why" and "how" of this complexity except to = say, "no=20 one plus nothing equals everything" or "all that 'is' results = from the=20 impersonal plus chance plus time." Our God, the Almighty = Creator, does=20 not need time. He is above time. The Creator, the Lord Jesus, = displayed=20 His supernatural ability to act without time restraints through = His=20 miracles. When we believe Genesis 1 as it is written, we bow in = worship=20 and in submissive trust of our awesome, infinite Creator. As Job = said:

"I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that = no=20 thought can be withholden from thee." =

"I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: = but now=20 my eye seeth thee."

"Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent = in dust=20 and ashes." (Job 42:2, 5, 6) =

Earlier, we mentioned (Scott Huse,=20 The Collapse of Evolution, and Walter Brown, In the=20 Beginning) the documentation showing that the details of = evolution=20 and the specifics of Genesis 1 do not match up. For example, = evolution=20 says reptiles developed first and then birds evolved out of = reptiles,=20 but the Bible says birds came first (Genesis 1:20-23) and then = reptiles=20 (Genesis 1:24-26). If we again go back to thinking about the = days of=20 Genesis, then certain things are not logical when we hold to = long=20 periods of time. For example, God made plants on the third day = (Genesis=20 1:12, 13), but He created insects on the sixth day. Many plants = need=20 insects to pollinate them. How could they survive more than two = billion=20 years, while waiting for insects to "evolve"?

Evolutionary theory does not have the answers = for how we=20 got here. Evolution forces us to throw out the clearly written = and=20 easily understood words of Genesis 1-11, since the two are not=20 compatible. Do we believe the Bible or have we placed our trust = in the=20 foolish speculations of men, based on the foundation of the=20 scientifically unprovable assumptions of so-called science (see = the=20 beginning of Chapter 2, "seven basic assumptions")?

Since origins are scientifically unverifiable = for either=20 evolution or creation, then we are dealing with "faith". No = human was=20 there to verify the "Big Bang" and no person was there to = witness the=20 Creation.

Many of us easily profess to believe in Jesus = Christ as=20 the virgin-born Son of the one true God and in His resurrection = from the=20 dead. We accept this truth, without flinching, but we limit God = to a=20 "Trial and Error" entity not capable of "speaking the Creation = into=20 existence", but rather relying on billions of years and an = evolutionary=20 process to finally "get it right".

It is my contention that the main reason for = rejecting a=20 creationist view (especially in light of the statements by = evolutionists=20 which give the creationist position credence) is mankind's basic = pride=20 and rebellion. Evolution allows us to be independent of God so = that we=20 do not feel any accountability to God. Evolution takes some = pressure off=20 our conscience!

The current, pervasive New Age teaching that "we = each have=20 within ourselves the god consciousness and can achieve godhood = by our=20 own strength as we learn to look within ourselves and develop = our full=20 potential" further fans the flames of self-sufficiency, = selfishness and=20 independence from any power greater than ourselves. This New Age = teaching promotes evolution and is deadly deception. It is the = way of=20 death as it leads people to reject the Lord Jesus Christ as = their=20 personal Savior. New Age evolutionary thinking also convinces = people=20 that they cannot believe the first eleven chapters of = Genesis to=20 be the literal Word of God.

Included early in Genesis is the account of Noah = and the=20 flood. If evolution is true, then a global flood taking place = about 5=20 thousand years ago is impossible! Evolution demands millions of = years,=20 not just a few thousand, for creatures and ecosystems to evolve. = We=20 sometimes hear this historical event referred to as the flood of = Noah.=20 It was not Noah's flood. It was God's flood! The flood was God's = judgment on the sin which had spread to cover the earth. Genesis = 6:5-14a=20 describes God's heartbreak at the sinfulness of mankind and His=20 recognition of Noah as the only righteous man on the face of the = earth.

"And God saw that the wickedness of man was = great in the=20 earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart = was only=20 evil continually.
And it repented the Lord that he had made = man on=20 the earth, and it grieved him in his heart.
And the Lord = said, I will=20 destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both = man,and=20 beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it=20 repenteth me that I have made them.
But Noah found grace in = the eyes=20 of the Lord.
These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a = just man,=20 and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
And = Noah=20 begat three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth.
The earth also was = corrupt=20 before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
And God = looked=20 upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had = corrupted=20 his way upon the earth.
And God said to Noah, The end of all = flesh is=20 come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through = them; and,=20 behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Make thee an ark = of=20 gopher wood...."

What has God told us was His purpose in sending = the global=20 flood? Genesis 6:5 records that God saw the great wickedness and = evil in=20 mankind. Genesis 6:17 states the actual purpose of the flood: "... to destroy all = flesh." The=20 types of life to be destroyed are more specifically listed in = Genesis=20 7:21-23:

"And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, = both of=20 fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing = that=20 creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
All in whose nostrils = was the=20 breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
And = every=20 living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the = ground,=20 both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and to fowl of = the=20 heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only = remained=20 alive, and they that were with him in the = ark."

The purpose of this great judgment by water was = to destroy=20 all dry-land life. Dry-land life extended well beyond the Tigris = and=20 Euphrates valley! The flood was not designed to destroy marine = life=20 although many water creatures were destroyed by the flood as is = seen in=20 the fossil record.

Peter tells us (II Peter 3:5-13) that there are = three=20 heaven and earth systems in God's eternal plan. The first system = was=20 totally destroyed by the water of the flood which was the = judgment of=20 God in Noah's day. Remember it was the violence (Gen. = 6:11) that=20 moved God to judgment! (What is the content of the movies and = cartoons=20 that you and your family are watching? Have you noticed the = geometric=20 increases in violence?)

The second heaven and earth system (our present = system, II=20 Peter 3:7) will be destroyed by fire so hot as to destroy even = the=20 foundational molecules of the earth and sky (II Peter 3:10). The = root of=20 sin, wickedness and violence will finally be burned out of = existence.=20 So, how are you investing your resources (time, money, talents)? = Only=20 three things will not be burned up -- God; God's Word, the = Bible; and=20 people. Are you investing eternally in God's Word and = people?

The third heaven and earth system is called the = new=20 heavens and new earth (II Peter 3:13). This eternal, righteous = heaven=20 and earth system is also referred to in Romans 8:21, Revelation = 21:1 and=20 perhaps Isaiah 65:17. It will last forever. Only those whose = names are=20 written in the Lamb's Book of Life will inherit the New = Heavens=20 and New Earth. Have you come to the sacrificial Lamb, the = Creator Jesus,=20 in faith believing that He alone has the power and right to save = your=20 soul? Have you committed the rest of your life to Him and to His = service?

The Lord Jesus contrasted the days of Noah and = the flood=20 judgment to His Second Coming:

"And as it was in the = days of Noah,=20 so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. = They did=20 eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in = marriage, until=20 the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the = flood came,=20 and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26, 27)=20

The flood is treated in the Bible as an actual = event. Noah=20 is not some mythical character. The Lord Jesus and writers of = the Bible=20 believed and taught about a literal man named Noah and an actual = global=20 flood. Nowhere in the Bible is the flood characterized as a = local river=20 overflow as some scholars have hypothesized. The words of = Genesis 6-9=20 have concrete meanings in the Hebrew lexicons. These are not = symbols=20 depicting a mythological event recorded by some primitive scribe = whose=20 concept of the world was limited to the banks of the Euphrates = and=20 Tigris Rivers. This flood covered "...all the high = hills that=20 were under the whole heaven..." (Genesis 7:19 Emphasis = added). The=20 heaven here referred to is the atmospheric heavens surrounding = our earth=20 where the birds fly (see Genesis 1:20).

Would God move Noah to build an ark 437 feet = long, 73 feet=20 wide and 44 feet deep for a local river overflow? The ark was = big enough=20 to carry, on one deck, all the kinds of dry land animals needed = to=20 repopulate the earth. Scientists have estimated that Noah would = have to=20 take about 35,000 sheep-sized animals on the ark to give us all = the=20 kinds of creatures we have today. The ark was big enough to = carry=20 125,000 sheep-sized animals. 35,000 creatures could have been = kept on=20 one of the three floors in the ark. Noah probably took young = animals=20 (even baby dinosaurs) since they would eat less and take up less = space.=20 Noah and his family could have lived on the top deck and he = could have=20 trapped the insects on the bottom deck.

Would you need an ark to save birds during a = local river=20 overflow? Have you ever heard of a local river overflow that = lasted=20 longer than a year? The Genesis flood did.^[1] Why=20 would God give Noah 120 years to build the ark (Genesis 6:3) = when it=20 would have been much easier to move his family and flocks out of = the=20 Mesopotamian Valley? In 120 years Noah could have moved quite a = distance=20 away from the flood if it was just a local river overflow! Dr. John Morris has an excellent video on this = very=20 subject called The Deluge, filmed on location at Mt. = Ararat in=20 Turkey. It is produced by I.C.R., P.O. Box 2667 El Cajon, = CA 92021, (619)=20 448-0900.

Could God have taken care of Noah, his family = and that=20 ark-load of creatures for a whole year? Genesis 8:1 begins by = saying: "And God remembered Noah, = and every=20 living thing, and all the cattle that was with him...." That word "remembered" = is a=20 special word. It has the idea in the text of the Hebrew language = of=20 intimate care and watchfulness. The concept of knowing needs and = acting=20 on that knowledge is contained in the word. It was not that Noah = was=20 stranded in the ark and God had been busy doing other things. = Then God=20 suddenly looked down and said, "Oh, my! I just remembered Noah." = This=20 word carries with it the concept of meeting needs.

Some creationists have posited that the process = of=20 hibernation may have begun during the flood. Perhaps many = animals slept=20 through most of the ride. Numerous animals that do not normally=20 hibernate can be made to do so in certain laboratory conditions. = The=20 ability to hibernate is displayed by such animals as: bats, = skunks,=20 woodchucks, prairie dogs, badgers, bears, certain mice, humming = birds,=20 garter snakes, turtles, toads, spiders, beetles, dragonflies,=20 grasshoppers, garden snails, etc. etc. It is not impossible to = believe=20 that some, if not many, animals slept a good part of that year. = Many=20 Bible "scoffers" refer to Noah and the Ark as just a myth or = story and=20 not an actual historical event. This could be, in part, because = of the=20 seeming impossibility of so few people caring for that large a = number of=20 animals. Hibernation of the animals and insects would definitely = have=20 decreased the time demands for feeding and scooping by the eight = human=20 ark passengers. No one can say exactly what went on in the = sealed ark,=20 but God knew and cared and saw to it that the remnant of His = creatures=20 survived.

Remember what happened when Noah came out of the = ark?=20 Three major things come to mind: the altar, the rainbow and the=20 drunkenness. The first recorded event in the life of Noah after = his=20 departure from the ark was his worship. He built an altar to the = Lord=20 and worshipped His Savior. Genesis 8:20-21: =

"And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and = took of=20 every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt = offerings=20 on the altar.

And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the = Lord said in=20 his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's = sake;=20 for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; = neither will=20 I again smite any more every thing living, as I have=20 done." =

As a result, God gave Noah the promise of the = rainbow. Was=20 the rainbow God's Covenantal sign to man that He would never = again send=20 a local river overflow? Of course not! If it was a local river = overflow=20 in the known "world" of the writer's day, then the rainbow as a=20 covenantal sign means nothing. There have been many local river=20 overflows in the Middle East since Noah's day. The rainbow means = God=20 will never again destroy life upon the earth with a = flood.

The account of Noah's drunkenness is also = important in the=20 study of creationism. There may be several reasons for the = inclusion of=20 this episode in God's eternal Word, but it could very readily = serve as a=20 hint that man is no longer living in heaven and earth system #1 = now that=20 the flood is over. The pre-flood environmental and ecological = system=20 (#1) was destroyed by the flood. The present heaven and earth = system=20 (#2) is different.

Reading certain selections from II Peter 3 = presents to the=20 reader God's eternal plan, which includes three heaven and earth = systems: The heaven and earth of Adam and Noah (system #1); the = present=20 heaven and earth (system #2); and the New Heavens and new Earth = of=20 eternity (system #3).

3.    Knowing = this first,=20 that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after = their own=20 lusts,
4.    = And=20 saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the = fathers fell=20 asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of = the=20 creation.
5.   =20 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word = of God=20 the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water = and in=20 the water:
6.  =20 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with = water,=20 perished:
7.   =20 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same = word=20 are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of = judgment and=20 perdition of ungodly men.
10. =20 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the = night; in the=20 which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the = elements=20 shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that = are=20 therein shall be burned up.
13. =20 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new = heavens=20 and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (II Peter 3=20 selections)

It is probable that heaven and earth system #1 = had a=20 heavier atmosphere than our present system (#2). The increased=20 atmospheric pressure was the result of God taking water off the = surface=20 of the earth (see Genesis 1:6-8) and putting it above = atmospheric heaven=20 or, more specifically, the expanse or firmament that the birds = fly in=20 (see Genesis 1:20). These "waters above" came down in Noah's day = and may=20 have set up the condition that quite possibly caused Noah's=20 drunkenness.

Alcohol ferments faster and gets into your blood = and brain=20 more quickly in system #2 than it did in system #1 because the=20 atmospheric pressure was reduced by at least one half as the = water came=20 down as rain. Alcohol fermentation rates are doubled when the = pressure=20 is cut in half. It appears that Noah was caught by surprise. He = was=20 God's righteous man. He had not forgotten to make an altar and = sacrifice=20 in worship of his Lord and Savior. Noah probably made the same = amount of=20 wine that he made before the flood. But now, in system #2 with = the=20 atmospheric pressure less than one half of what it was in system = #1 when=20 Noah entered the ark, the wine would ferment at least twice as = fast and=20 get into his physical system twice as fast -- catching Noah with = a=20 surprise inebriation. We have no record that Noah ever got drunk = before=20 or after this incident. Perhaps one reason our Creator gives us = this sad=20 account is to hint at the difference between system #1 and = system=20 #2.

=20 Our present heaven and earth = are=20 vastly different than the pre-flood heaven and earth of Noah's = day. That=20 is the reason we do not have dragon flies with a wingspread of = 32=20 inches, or chambered nautilus shells eight feet tall or 300,000 = pound=20 dinosaurs walking the earth today. And yet people lived in = system #1 and=20 are still thriving in system #2. Only God could have designed = life to=20 work efficiently in two significantly different systems. There = is no one=20 like Him!

6. =20 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou = art=20 great, and thy name is great in might. =

12. He = hath made the=20 earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, = and=20 hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.=20

^[1]=20 For much=20 more information about the Flood-judgment of God read: The Genesis Flood by = Henry=20 Morris and John Whitcomb (Philadelphia: = The=20 Presbyterian & Reformed Pub. Co., 1961).

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