Genesis Revised – Day 3, Opening Land

Earth develops dry land in creation’s third season interpreted by nature.  The structured circular poetry conveys an outline of this time viewed by science.  Without the overburden of unbiblical “perfectionism,” the ancient text matches the evidence perfectly.

Genesis 1

⁹ And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. (NIV)

No matter what the poet’s concept, inspiration lets this passage match science perfectly.

Geologically, dry land actually grew out of the ocean.  Plate tectonics recycled the surface.  Volcanism combined oceanic plates with water and gas to form new kinds of stone.  These stones (the continents), were lighter than oceanic bedrock, so in a collision, they always rode above.  Additionally, erosion allowed sedimentary stones to form (often underwater).  With more plate collisions, new kinds of stones formed above the water.

¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. (NIV)

Grains and fruit trees were some of the first domesticated plants.  They were very important for the survival of communities larger than a couple families.  Not listing other kinds of plants did not negate their existence.  The poet simply praised God for supplying these.  Actually, this passage is quite generalized, and generalization allows it to be read as evolution.  I discuss this further in Day 5.

Paleontologists have found that plants were the first multicellular life form to colonize dry land.  Once established, evolution diversified their “kinds,” and they filled the earth quickly, long before any critter ventured onto land.  Long after that happened, grains and fruit trees developed.  Our species grew up with these as the dominate plants on Earth.

To be continued:

[Lessons from Creation’s Parables: Genesis and Standard Science, Sung as One, by Jo Helen Cox.]

Also in this series:

Genesis Revised – Introduction + Day 1, The Big Bang

Genesis Revised – Day 2, Opening Sky and Ocean

Genesis Revised – Day 4, Filling the Universe

Genesis Revised – Day 5, the Evolution of Life

Genesis Revised – Day 6 v24-25, the Land Animals

Genesis Revised – Day 6 v26-27 and “God’s Image”

Genesis Revised – Day 6 v28-31 “Dominion”

Genesis Revised – Day 7

Genesis Revised – The Second Genesis

Also see series:

Genesis Revisited

Eden Revisited