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How God Upholds The World
Contradictions: Hanging on Pillars of
Nothing?
Is the earth immovably set on pillars or hanging on nothing?
by Erik Lutz
Erik Lutz, AiG–US, explains why the Bible records both a
statement that the earth is immovably set on pillars and that it is hanging on
nothing.
The “Problem”
“For
the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world
upon them.” (1 Samuel 2:8)
“He stretches out the
north over empty space; He hangs the earth on nothing.” (Job 26:7)
At first glance, these verses appear to contradict each
other: how can the earth rest on pillars and at the same time hang on nothing?
In addition, the idea of earth having
“pillars”
and “foundations”
seems to defy observations made by astronauts who have seen our planet from
afar.
To some, it may even sound vaguely like certain pagan
beliefs, such as the Hindu idea that the earth is supported on the backs of
four elephants that stand on the shell of a gigantic tortoise.
But we should not view these biblical statements as myths,
because God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
The Solution
The supposed contradiction quickly
disappears when we examine the context of each passage and recognize it as
figurative language.
First Samuel 2:8 was
spoken during a prayer by Hannah after she dedicated her son Samuel into the
Lord’s service.
Job spoke the other verse while talking with his friends about man’s weakness
in light of God’s majestic power.
This sort of poetic imagery (pillars, foundations, etc.)
is commonly used in Scripture to describe how God upholds the world.
For example, consider what the Lord said to Job:
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have
understanding. Who
determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who
stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its
cornerstone[?]” (Job 38:4–6)
We know that the earth does not literally have foundations
and a cornerstone like a building; instead, God uses this figurative language
to create a mental picture for Job.
In the same way, animals do not talk
and laugh, yet God also tells Job that the horse “laughs at fear” and “when
the trumpet sounds, he says ‘Aha!’” (Job 39:22, 25, ESV).
This is something we are all familiar with in everyday
speech.
For example, if someone is not
particularly sane, we might say he’s “got
bats in the belfry,” “losing his marbles,” “coming unglued,” or “vacant upstairs.”
All of these are obviously not literal statements but
rather figures of speech that give a more interesting look at the concept
being expressed.
Critics of our ministry often ridicule Answers in Genesis
because we endorse the historical-grammatical hermeneutic.
They claim that we must take everything in the Bible in a
wooden literal sense.
However, the historical-grammatical hermeneutic recognizes
figures of speech are used in everyday language, and we should interpret them
as such.
When we interpret Scripture, we strive to find the
author’s intended meaning.
Just as we use figurative language today, so also the
writers of Scripture often used figures of speech, especially in passages
written using poetic language like the examples above.
So, God hangs the earth on nothing, but it’s not just dangling
in space.
He has firmly fixed an orbit for our planet and upholds it
securely in its proper place in our solar system.
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