At sundown on October 2nd we began the Jewish New Year of 5777.
According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the birthdate of the World’s
creation, yet today some followers of the G-d of Israel and Messiah Yeshua seem confused about G-d’s
role in creation.
In ancient Jewish thought, the first century Jewish
philosopher Philo argued for the intentional and direct creation of the
universe, in opposition to the Aristotelian view of the eternality of matter.
He also argued based on Proverbs that in his creating G-d used an agent called
the Logos, which is interesting as we consider the teaching of Paul in the New
Testament regarding Messiah Yeshua’s role in creation as well, though Paul
argues that the Messiah is not just an agent of G-d but G-d himself.
Traditional Jewish belief teaches that the earth is about 6,000 years old,
calculated by the genealogies found within the Torah, and Maimonides taught
that if there seemed to be inconsistencies between science and Scripture, than
we need to study both more. As a person of faith, I maintain a firm belief in a
very big G-d. I do not understand or comprehend all of the details of how G-d
has created or ordered his world, but I accept as fact that the Scripture teach that G-d is the initiator, creator and sustainer of all that exists, which must
limit my personal speculation, and therefore requires me to accept the limits
of what I can thoroughly know for sure through science.
I am not ignorant about the discoveries of science, but I
have to put the teachings of the Scriptures first. In Adam all die, but in
Messiah all become alive. Hard to do if Adam never actually lived! Messiah
Yeshua said, “When the Son of Man returns will he find faith on the earth?” It
seems not too much.
Forward for Messiah!
Rabbi Kirk Gliebe
