Genesis 1:1-3 reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” The creation story is one with which Christians are quite familiar. Its fundamental premise is that God created the heavens and earth, light and darkness, and thereafter, every living creature that inhabits the Earth. God is the master architect of all things. What is uncertain, however, is the true age of the earth and biblical silence on certain majestic creatures, such as dinosaurs, etc.
Some Christians believe that dinosaurs were created during the six 24-hour days of God’s grand creation scheme. But this position begets a question: What happened to the dinosaurs and how did they become extinct? In answer, these same Christians argue dinosaurs and the like probably did not make it into Noah’s Ark and where summarily destroyed by the Great Flood which God wrought on the world to punish man’s iniquities. But that would run in variance with the scriptures that tell us that Noah brought two of every kind of animal into the Ark. In essence, this position directly contradicts the word of God and attempts to invalidate it. Such a position is untenable because, in its attempt to justify the existence of these creations, it questions the veracity of the scriptures and the obedience of Noah – who the bible records to have obliged God’s request to the last detail.
On the other hand, other Christians contend that such dinosaurs and other creatures are in fact millions of years old, and, therefore, predate the creation story starting from Genesis 1:3. In essence, they state that there was a gap between Genesis 1:2 and Genesis 1:3 during which dinosaurs and other inexplicable creatures existed. This resurrects the age-old question: How old is the Earth? Bible scholars have theorized that the earth is about 6,000 plus years old. And there isn’t much debate about this dating. So, how do we Christians explain the fact that scientists say the Earth is billions of years old! And, if indeed these creatures existed before the creation of Adam and other creatures, how were they created and why did they become extinct? To these, many Christians do not have an answer. One thing is certain, however; dinosaurs existed at a time, after all, we have all witnessed their grand fossils in many a museums across the globe. That fact is incontrovertible. What remains to be determined is how to explain their existence in a manner that does not contravene the word of God.
Surely, these are complicated questions and deep mysteries that require direct revelation from the Most High; after all, he is the Alpha and Omega. He existed before time and he shall exist after time. No postulation or scientific insight can and should diminish the bravura of God’s creation. It is not surprising, however, that scientific data and conclusions are at variance with scriptures. Certainly, all these discussions highlight the fact that there’s so much about God that we still do not understand, especially as it pertains to creationism. Nonetheless, it is important for Christians to be educated about and well informed of all these theories that seek to challenge the veracity of the gospel. Furthermore, Christians need to immerse themselves in the word of God and seek to develop a profound relationship with God, whereby their understanding of the Word is increased and their faith is solidified. Understand, however, that when people challenge your faith, you may not always have the right answers. But we must be prepared to engage in these discussions for we can’t hide in a corner or bury our heads in the sand and hope the tides of cyncism will pass. No! Remember, we are the children of the Lord of Host. Therefore, the onus is on us to know what we believe and why we believe it, and be prepared to defend our faith. For if you don’t bury your feet deeply in the word of God, stand firmly and erect for battle, the prince of deception, using logic and science, will wage war on your faith. And if he can make you doubt an aspect of your faith, he might succeed in eroding your confidence in God’s word, which is the truth. That would be a tragedy indeed.
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