I agree with you completely on that point. Now apply your own logic to that statement. If Jeremiah used the phrase to show the results of destruction from God's judgement, what must it necessarily mean in Genesis.
I am glad we can agree on something.
You said:
How can Satan be a murderer from the beginning if he was created perfect in all his ways?
The time of the beginning is marked by the Lord Jesus Himself in Matthew 19:4-5. Verse 4 (Matthew 19:4) where our Lord mentions “
at the beginning made them male and female” is a reference in Genesis 1:27. Verse 5 (Matthew 19:5) where our Lord mentions “
leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh” is a reference to Genesis 2:24. Jesus refers to the creation of male and female on day 6 in Genesis 1:27, and the cleaving to one's wife and becoming one flesh in Genesis 2:24 as being... “
at the beginning.” So any point of the 6 day creation is the beginning (Which is
Genesis 1-2).
You said:
The restoration that occurred from Gen1:2 onwards was a beginning for man. The word beginning doesn't always have to mean the very first instance of something in relation to all things, only in relation to it's context. In the verses you quoted the context is always in relation to the creation of man but we weren't the first of God's creation. We know there is a whole history of the Lord dealing with angels that we only get the merest glimpse into. Part of the reason we were created and given dominion of the Earth was to resolve the angelic conflict. Angels get to see first hand when they look at us why the Lord is right and Lucifer is wrong.
It has been said the gap can't be there because it doesn't say clearly enough there is one but you can't build arguments from what is not there. Why doesn't it say the angels sang for joy in Genesis 1 when God created everything or even mention their creation? One would think that would be the logical place to put it if the whole first chapter of Genesis is really about the creation of all things.
Even if you disagree with everything else I have said, there is one thing you should understand. I believe there is a gap because of the language used and the use of the same/similar language elsewhere in scripture. It has absolutely nothing to do with the age of the Earth so please don't use that argument as it has no bearing on my thinking. I have no idea how old the Earth is and I don't believe science really knows either. Thanks.
ps. I hope you both don't mind me answering in the single post.
In Psalms 104: I believe the creation of angels takes place on day 2 of the six day creation week.
Day 1 - “Who coverest
thyself with light as
with a garment:” (Psalms 104:2).
Day 1 - “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that
it was good:” (Genesis 1:3-4).
Day 2 - “who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:” (Psalms 104:2).
Day 2 - “And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which
were under the firmament from the waters which
were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven.” (Genesis 1:7-8).
Day 2 - “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:” (Psalms 104:4).
Day 3 -
“Who laid the foundations of the earth,
that it should not be removed for ever.” (Psalms 104:5).
Day 3 - “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry
land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry
land Earth;” (Genesis 1:9-10).
Day 3 - “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (Job 38:4).
“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:7).