For OEC's and TE's - Genesis creation order

[Jase]

For those who ascribe to Old Earth Creationism and/or Theistic Evolution, what about the ordering of Genesis 1 in terms of creation? For example, the Earth was created before the stars. The plants before the sun, etc.

I know the Hebrews used parallel poetry in Genesis. Is that why it's out of order? How do you fit in the order with the OEC/TE belief?

 

[Mallon]

Personally, the order means nothing to me. I don't see why it's theologically important, let alone scientifically accurate.
EDIT: well, the more I think about it, the more I feel that one step in the order might be theologically significant, and that is the last: that God created mankind last, as the crowning jewel of His beautiful creation.

 

[rmwilliamsll]

For those who ascribe to Old Earth Creationism and/or Theistic Evolution, what about the ordering of Genesis 1 in terms of creation? For example, the Earth was created before the stars. The plants before the sun, etc.

I know the Hebrews used parallel poetry in Genesis. Is that why it's out of order? How do you fit in the order with the OEC/TE belief?

As Kline's Framework interpretation points out:

the days are 2 triads. first creating the kingdoms and then filling them.

the heavens-->sun moon stars
the sky-->the birds
the land--->animals & the sea--->fish

it is an example of God's providence, thinking ahead to provide what is necessary for His creation at the right time.

plus the continuing theme of kingdoms and kingship. with man ruling as vicegerent under God.

it is fully Hebraic parallelism.

 

[Assyrian]

It is not a problem for day age either if the appearance of lights in the sky on day four came as a result of the thick blanket of clouds (Job 38:9) that covered the primordial earth clearing, possibly as a result of the plants from day 3 changing the atmosphere. After all Job talks of
the morning stars singing together when the foundations of the earth were laid Job 38:6&7, which would be odd if there weren't actually any stars or planets at that stage.

A bigger problem for YEC should be the very different orders of creation in Gen 1 and 2. Did God create:
plants, animals, man then woman (Gen 1),
or
man, plants, animals and woman (Gen 2)?

 

[Jase]

It is not a problem for day age either if the appearance of lights in the sky on day four came as a result of the thick blanket of clouds (Job 38:9) that covered the primordial earth clearing, possibly as a result of the plants from day 3 changing the atmosphere. After all Job talks of
the morning stars singing together when the foundations of the earth were laid Job 38:6&7, which would be odd if there weren't actually any stars or planets at that stage.

A bigger problem for YEC should be the very different orders of creation in Gen 1 and 2. Did God create:
plants, animals, man then woman (Gen 1),
or
man, plants, animals and woman (Gen 2)?

I believe the morning stars is a metaphor for angels. As to the 2 creation counts, there is just one, said 2 different ways. Common theme in hebrew parallel poetry.

 

[Assyrian]

I believe the morning stars is a metaphor for angels.

Apparently very specific angels, we have the rest of the angelic host coming in in the second half of the verse.
Job 38:7 when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

But why should these angels leading the heavenly chorus be given the title morning stars if there were no morning stars when they sang their celebration? It all seems very anachronistic. God's description to Job seems to assume there were actual morning stars around at the time.

As to the 2 creation counts, there is just one, said 2 different ways. Common theme in hebrew parallel poetry.

Certainly if you recognise the poetry in in the Genesis creation accounts, then any problems in the literal order of events disappears.

 

[gluadys]

For those who ascribe to Old Earth Creationism and/or Theistic Evolution, what about the ordering of Genesis 1 in terms of creation? For example, the Earth was created before the stars. The plants before the sun, etc.

I know the Hebrews used parallel poetry in Genesis. Is that why it's out of order? How do you fit in the order with the OEC/TE belief?

No. It is out of order because the ancient Hebrews did not know the correct order. The correct order was only known when the science of geology was developed and fossils were studied scientifically.

The biblical writers used what seemed to them to be a logical order, and the two creation stories use a different order.

 

[JohnR7]

Is that why it's out of order?

There is nothing out of order, people just need to learn how to read. They are trying to skim the surface to much.