The Tree Of Life & The Origin of the Species by Philip Bruce Heywood

Author:Philip Bruce Heywood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing & Rights Co.

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Gen.2:4,5

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

This marathon sentence means exactly what it says. It is an awe-inspiring dissertation of hard, down-to-earth fact. This compact, complex statement is the key that turns the lock. It is the horse on which the scientifically factual side of the creation account rides. It is the pith, and the essence, the principle, by which creation can be explained rationally.

The meaning of this sentence runs deep. First, it is clearly and obviously asserting that all vegetation was made before it obviously grew in the earth. The pre-existence of all plant species. The species were made and created in a definite order, but they were manifested on Earth at the time when they were needed! They were manifested to suit a purpose. The timing of their manifestation receives little attention from the Bible, being left to man to discover from fossils.

How does our text inform us of manifestation to suit a purpose? By asserting that, although they had already been made, the plants did not grow and were not in the earth, partly because there was as yet no rain to water them and no man to till the ground.

Although not obvious at first glance, the text goes deeper than asserting pre-existence of vegetation. It implies pre-existence of all species. It is properly understood along the lines of: “This is the nub of the matter of the ‘comings into beings’ of the stars, the sun, the Earth, space, the landscape, plants, animals, man, everything. ‘Comings into beings.’ not ‘coming into being’ – many different ‘comings,’ many different ‘beings.’ ‘These (plural) are the generations (plural) of the heavens and the earth (meaning all things)’. A whole variety of processes, leading to a whole variety of products. More than one process, enacted at more than one time, leading to any one finished product. Part of this ‘comings into beings’ process is the creation of all things, in fullness and completeness, at a point in time – the day of creation. A secondary but integrated part of these ‘comings into beings’ is manifestation at the appropriate moment. The plants are a prime illustration of this secondary aspect of ‘comings into beings.’ Integrated creative accomplishment involving a variety of processes over time!”

Genesis presents a scientific model, highly sophisticated. Four main divisions of life were made or created, these divisions being, in chronological order: plants, aquatic animals, land animals, man. Every species of each division came into existence on the day that division was made or created. Individual species are then evidenced in the earth, over time, according to a definite purpose.

We have barely scratched the surface, either of the biblical text or the model of creation which may be derived from it.

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