5. The Bible

The observable facts in the Bible

We have been looking at the observable facts in science. We now want to see what the equivalent is for the Bible. If we think about it, we'll see that it is the text of the Bible that we can think of as the observable facts. We looked carefully at the observable facts in science, so we must look equally carefully at the text of the Bible.

So let's see what the Bible text says about the start of things. Let's look at the first few words of the Bible:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1 v 1

Leaving aside for the moment the argument about whether a Creator was involved, this sentence tells us that the universe, including our earth, came into existence at some point called 'the beginning'.

The Bible then goes on to say:

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the dee

Genesis 1 v 2

We are told that at one stage our earth was covered with water, uninhabited and dark.

Opinions vary among Bible students over what the text is saying about the beginning of the universe and our earth, and how long it all took.

For instance, some Bible students think that there could be a time gap between 'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth' and 'Now the earth was formless and empty'. So they think the Bible could be saying the universe was made some unspecified time before planet earth came to be how it is now.

Regardless of these differences of opinion about details, we can see that the Bible text tells us that planet earth came into existence and was at one stage covered with water, totally uninhabited and dark.

The first two chapters of the Bible then tell us that our world as we know it today came into being in six stages. The record seems to be of what someone on the earth would see as events happened. At each stage God gives instructions, and the record then confirms that the instructions are carried out.

The Bible tells us that at the first stage the instruction from God is:

Let there be light.

Genesis 1 v 3

For the first time, light reaches the water that covers the earth. We are also told that:

God ... separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.'

Genesis 1 v 4 and 5

The waters now experience the vital cycle of day and night.