Science Behind Things

Does the Bible Contradict Itself? – Genesis 1:11-19

July 13, 2007 on 9:38 pm | In Creationism | 3 Comments

Genesis 1:11-19 says,

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth’; and it was so.  And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  So the evening and the morning were the third day.  Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;  and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth; and it was so.  Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.  God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth,  and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

According to the passage above, plants appear on the THIRD DAY of creation, although the sun is not made until the FOURTH.  Is this a problem for photosynthesis?  And what about temperature?  With no sun to provide heat of any kind, would the temperature of the atmosphere be at or near Absolute Zero (-459 degrees Fahrenheit)?

Well, photosynthesis for the plants on day 3 is not a problem, because God created light two days earlier on day 1 (in verses 3-5).  So the sun not being created until day 4 is not a problem.

Also, there is no scientific dilemma involving the temperature of the planet at the time, because conditions are clearly, from the Bible, not anywhere near absolute zero, since water exists (Genesis 1:2b, “…the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters“).  In order for “the waters” to exist, the temperature must have been above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.  It was probably warmer, though, due to “the light” added in verse 3, and the need for the plants to survive in verses 11 onward.

So there you have it.  No contradiction.  I’ll look at other tough passages in the coming weeks and months.