The Bible begins with God. It does not attempt to prove His existence; it takes this for granted and reveals His attributes.
Creation is expressed in two sense through scripture,
Immediate creation and
Mediate creation.
Genesis is contrary to MATERIALISM, because it says the material things of the creation are not eternal but had a beginning.
Note: Genesis is contrary to EVOLUTION too, because it says God personally created the world. It is impossible to reconcile the theories of evolution with the teaching of the Bible.
Immediate Creation is an free act of God where creation took place without any existing substance, Looking from “Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” The word “created” is translated from the Hebrew word “bara.” Here it means to create from nothing but in Genesis 1:27, “bara” refers to the creation of man, and we know from Genesis 2 that Adam was formed out of the dust of the ground and that Eve was fashioned out of the man. Where word bara is verb that points/identifies universe came into existence from without any existing substance or material but from the word of God which is also identified by works of trinity. Genesis 1:1. The Hebrew word for God here is elohim. This is a plural noun, but the verb is singular. This teaches that there is one God in a plurality.
Ref: Neh 9:6 Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. All things were created for God’s glory Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.
Mediate Creation is creating through existing substance, When God first created the earth, it was without form and void, dark and lifeless. But it did not remain in this condition; God began work immediately to bring order out of chaos and to fill the darkness with light. (Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed ever beast of the field, and every fowl of the air).
“Looking at the six days of creation in Gen 1:3-31. Each day of creation begins with the phrase “And God said” Gen 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24.
By creation we mean that free act of the Triune God by which in the beginning for his own glory he made, without the use of pre-existing materials, the whole visible and invisible universe. – A. H. Strong
Is there a gap between Genesis 1:1-2 ? (According to the “gap theory,” God created the universe in Genesis 1:1 and between then and the event described in verse 2, a great catastrophe occurred. Philosophy Originated by Thomas Chalmers, Scottish scholar, and George H. Pember (1876) theory promoted by Scofield Reference Bible 1917)
God creates light (Gen 1:2-5) we see God’s Word as the source of creation, the light which was created on the first day must have been in a fixed location somewhere in the universe describing the 24-hour day God begins with “the evening and the morning.” The Jews follow this example by beginning their day at evening.
The Bible says that the creation began when God brought nonliving matter into being and it first existed in a state of chaos. Even nonliving matter did not spontaneously generate from nothing; it had to be created. The evolutionist believes that life evolved from nonliving matter, but even if that were true it does not explain the origin of the nonliving matter or gasses. Evolution simply has no reasonable explanation for the existence of matter or life. Science has never observed something coming from nothing.
Apart from the miraculous works of God, the universe has no life. The scientist can see and analyze the building blocks of life, such as atoms and the components of the cell, but these things themselves are not alive. The mystery of life is something that lies infinitely beyond the material, and can be understood only by faith in the God of life.
Chronology from Adam to Moses (B.C.)
The date of creation from Archbishop James Ussher (1581-1656)
4004–Adam created; lived 930 years (Genesis 1-2)
3876–Abel martyred; lived 128 years (Genesis 4)
3874–Birth of Seth; lived 912 years (Genesis 5:3)
3382–Birth of Enoch; lived 365 years (Genesis 5:18)
3317–Birth of Methuselah; lived 969 years (Genesis 5:21)
3130–Birth of Lamech; lived 777 years (Genesis 5:25)
2948–Birth of Noah; lived 950 years (Genesis 5:28-29)
2448–Birth of Shem (Genesis 5:32)
2247–Birth of Peleg (Genesis 10:25; 11:16)
2126–Birth of Terah (Genesis 11:24)
1996–Birth of Abram (Genesis 11:26)
1920–Birth of Ishmael (Genesis 16:15)
1896–Birth of Isaac (Genesis 21:2-3)
1837–Birth of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25:24-26)
1758–Birth of Reuben (Genesis 29:32)
1757–Birth of Simeon (Genesis 29:33)
1756–Birth of Levi (Genesis 29:34)
1755–Birth of Judah (Genesis 29:35)
1745–Birth of Joseph (Genesis 30:24)
1571–Birth of Moses (Exodus 2)
all actual historical records agree in substance with the Bible’s short chronology. … there is no good reason not to accept the simple literal biblical chronology.
Willmington’s Guide to the Bible summarise:
Gap theory is UNSCIENTIFIC as evolution itself as a theory is completely unscientific, defying the second law of thermodynamics [that the universe is in the process of decay and decline rather than in a process of evolving upwardly.
Gap theory is UNSCRIPTURAL. Paul states in Romans 5:12 and 8:20- 22 that man’s sin brought about death, even of animals. But the gap theory would have Adam walking on top of a gigantic fossilized animal graveyard!
Gap theory is UNNECESSARY. The most natural interpretation of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 is taking it at face value, without addition or subtraction. Genesis 1:1 thus becomes a summary statement of creation. In the first verse God tells us what he did. In the remaining verses He tells us how He did it.
That’s where gap theory fails.
The word of God is not a scientific manual, but it is scientifically accurate, even in its earliest pages of record (Bible), which were written thousands of years ago.
The Bible says plants and animals reproduce after their kind (Gen 1).
The Bible says the earth is hung upon nothing (Job 26:7).
The Bible says the earth is a circle (Isaiah 40:22).
The Bible says there are paths in the sea (Is 43:16).
The Bible says there are trenches in the sea (Gen 7:11; Job 38:16).
The Bible says the air has weight (Job 28:25).
The Bible says there are springs in the sea (Job 38:16).
The Bible says the sea has great depth (Job 38:16).
The Bible describes the way of light and the place of darkness (Job 38:19)
The Bible describes the parting of light (Job 38:24). That the light creates wind is described in Job 38:24.
The Bible describes the amazing hydrological cycle (evaporation, atmospheric circulation, condensation, precipitation, run-off) (Job 38:25-30; Ecc 1:7)
The Bible says the heavens cannot be measured and the stars are without number (Gen 22:17; Jer 31:37)
The Bible describes the circuit of the winds in (Ecc 1:6).
The Bible says the life is in the blood (Lev 17:11).
References:
Way of Life publications C.A. ( Advanced Bible Study)
Lectures in systematic theology by Henry Thiessen
KJV Bible