young earth or old earth: special creation is finished

Previously:
young earth or old earth: underlying assumptions
young earth or old earth: underlying assumptions, part two
young earth or old earth: underlying assumptions, part three
young earth or old earth: special creation continuing?

We are looking at the ways that day age theory does violence to theology. We noted three instances in Scripture (there are more) in which the work of special creation is presented as finished: Gen 2:1-3, Exo 20:8-11, and Heb 4:3-4. We quoted the day age theorists, who believe that God’s work of special creation has been continuing throughout history. Why does this matter, whether special creation is finished or not? What difference does it make?

It is important because there is more at stake than whether special creation is finished. If it is not, then Scripture is not inerrant. That is the heart of the matter. The Scriptures present events happening one way, consistently, throughout its 4000 year history of being written; and day agers present events happening a different way. Is Scripture true, or isn’t it? If events did not happen as Scripture records, then how can Scripture be wholly true and inerrant? If it is false in this point, then in what other points is it false? But who was there to witness these events? No one, but God. God left us His record of what happened, if we trust His truthfulness.

Also, we read in Gen 1 that when God created the living things, we see this unique and specific wording employed in each instance:

plants yielding seed according to their own kinds;
and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind;
So God created … every living creature … with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds;
and every winged bird according to its kind;
And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds;
and the livestock according to their kinds;
and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind.

Why this constant repetition and emphasis? We have learned from science that every living thing, including man, reproduces after its kind, because every living thing carries within itself the means to reproduce itself. Plants bear seed, some animals lay eggs, and some animals and man bear young, but all contain seed after their kind. Even amoebas reproduce themselves after their kind.

The point is screaming at us, theology in concert with science, as truth always is, that special creation is a finished work! God created the original kinds, and every new organism which has appeared on the earth since the seventh day has done so by reproduction, not creation. Thus the need for Noah to build an ark and take on board two of every land animal, male and female, and himself and his wife and his sons and their wives.

To be continued …