I does not say the earth was in a 'destroyed state'
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
The lexicon says
formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness
To destroy would indicate that God took something that already had form and then leveled/dismantled/destroyed it. Giving a completely different picture to what the scripture says. That before God began creating upon it, the earth at the very start was without its proper form and void of life.
I see no mystery to that at all. Anyone who has ever done pottery will know you start with a random lump of clay and shape it. God is the potter and we are the clay.
Calling me a liar is quite offensive.
There is no gap found in Genesis 1 to be discovered. There are simply verses one after the other describing how God created. No destroying, no recreating. Someone might try and make a gap between verses 1/2/3 but that is not what the gap theory is about at all.
When we go over to Exodus this puts paid to any idea that there may have been a gap between God creating the heavens and the earth with the creation upon it.
Exodus 20:11
For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Since the heavens is included within the 6 days. It is all one sequence of events.
Now if the heavens had not been included within the 6 days an argument could be made for a gap, a gap where the null and void earth simply sat for an undetermined amount of time, but that is not the gap theory that you or others mean who hold to the 'gap theory'.
You are free to believe in whatever gap you want, I looked into this some years ago and strongly disagree with it. I have no need to revisit it.
You can pick and choose what you want. Yet, Jeremiah knowing the Hebrew of Genesis 1:2, and more important... the rebellious Jews he was prophesizing against, knew the Hebrew intent.
Jeremiah quoted Genesis 1:2 Hebrew to tell them how they were to be judged. He needed to add that in their case they will not be utterly destroyed. Why? For Genesis 1:2 spoke of an utter destruction.
Now can you try reasoning with the Word of God, and stop defending tradition of men? For the Word of God says one thing. You keep saying what you have been told to believe and is now being shown to not agree with God's Word.
Here is Jeremiah quoting Genesis 1:2, and describing what had happened to the old earth, as a warning of how severely God was about to judge rebellious Israel...
YET! Jeremiah in verse 27 adds that in their case, unlike Genesis 1:2.. there world will not be utterly destroyed!
Jeremiah 4:23-27
I looked at the earth,
and it was formless and empty; (same Hebrew as Genesis 1:2!)
and at the heavens,
and their light was gone. (we see light already missing in Genesis One)
I looked at the mountains,
and they were quaking;
all the hills were swaying.
I looked, and there were no people;
every bird in the sky had flown away.
I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert;
all its towns lay in ruins
before the Lord, before his fierce anger.
This is what the Lord says:
“The whole land will be ruined,
though I will not destroy it completely.
Jeremiah had to alter what Genesis 1:2 says, to let Israel know that it will not be utterly destroyed like the old world was speaking about in Genesis 1:2!
“The whole land will be ruined,
though I will not destroy it completely." (like the old earth was destroyed!)
The Jews and Jeremiah both knew what the Hebrew of Genesis 1:2 indicated. Its when Gentile believers later on tried to translate that they missed what was being intended. Jews at the time of ancient Israel, when Genesis was read to Jews (knowing Hebrew) had no problem knowing what was indicated. Utter destruction! And, after Jeremiah prophesied against them Israel was soon destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Destroyed as the words in Genesis 1:2 spoke of!
The traditions of men teachings are a real snare to those wanting truth, because the traditions have a loyal following in the emotions of those accepting the tradition without the facts.
If Genesis 1:2 meant what you claim it to be? The warning giving by Jeremiah to the Jews about to be judged by God would have seemed lame and silly...
Standing on His Word! GeneZ