Light

[Slaney]

Hello, can anyone point me to a good explanation of the light in Genesis, & the light from the sun. Was it that the sun was there on the first day but it wasn’t set into motion by the power of God until the fourth day ?

This is the Douay Rheims Explanation, as good as any I’ve seen, but hard to grasp…

[16] **Two great lights: God created on the first day, light, which being moved from east to west, by its rising and setting, made morning and evening. But on the fourth day he ordered and distributed this light, and made the sun, moon, and stars. The moon, though much less than the stars, is here called a great light, from its giving a far greater light to the earth than any of them.

And why is the moon here called the greater light, surely it’s the sun ?

I hope this is posted in the right section.

 

[rcwitness]

My guess is that the six days of creation are not literally 24hr periods…?

Michael

 

[Granum_Frumenti]

This is the Douay Rheims Explanation, as good as any I’ve seen, but hard to grasp…

[16] **Two great lights: God created on the first day, light, which being moved from east to west, by its rising and setting, made morning and evening. But on the fourth day he ordered and distributed this light, and made the sun, moon, and stars. *The moon, though much less than the stars, is here called a great light, from its giving a far greater light to the earth than ***any of them.

And why is the moon here called the greater light, surely it’s the sun ?

Bishop Challoner’s note is comparing the light of the moon to the light of the stars (of the night sky), not the light of the moon to the light of the sun.

I hope this is posted in the right section.

It is.

 

[Falco]

I’ve always thought that the daylight was behind an overcast cloud cover, and when that cleared the sun and moon were visible.

The moon is the greater light in size/diameter.

 

[Slaney]

Anyway not that it matters because we don’t know everything, because everything hasn’t been made known to us. Some people drive cars, but don’t know diddly squat how they work, doesn’t mean they don’t.

The reason I asked this question is because it is used on atheists web-sites and anti-God websites as a stick to beat believers with.

Had to remind them that the " Light " was around on the first day, what this light was I don’t know, because they say the sun wasn’t made until the fourth day.

Haydock Bible Commentary below

**Ver. 3. Light. The sun was made on the fourth day, and placed in the firmament to distinguish the seasons, &c.; but the particles of fire were created on the first day, and by their, or the earth’s motion, served to discriminate day from the preceding night, or darkness, which was upon the face of the deep. (Haydock) — Perhaps this body of light might resemble the bright cloud which accompanied the Israelites, Exodus xiv. 19, or the three first days might have a kind of imperfect sun, or be like one of our cloudy days. Nothing can be defined with certainty respecting the nature of this primeval light. (Calmet)

Ver. 4. Good; beautiful and convenient: — he divided light by giving it qualities incompatible with darkness, which is not any thing substantial, and therefore Moses does not say it was created. (Calmet) — While our hemisphere enjoys the day, the other half of the world is involved in darkness. St. Augustine supposes the fall and punishment of the apostate angels are here insinuated. (L. imp. de Gen.) (Haydock)**

Also anybody with the brain the size of a peanut could come to the conclusion that the universe is too complex to be created by chance, from the tiniest micro-organism to the gigantic. If we even look at the human body it is so complex I don’t think man will ever understand it, take one, the human eye, it is so complex & brilliant, only God could have made it.

 

[CalCatholic]

Anyway not that it matters because we don’t know everything, because everything hasn’t been made known to us. Some people drive cars, but don’t know diddly squat how they work, doesn’t mean they don’t.

The reason I asked this question is because it is used on atheists web-sites and anti-God websites as a stick to beat believers with.

Had to remind them that the " Light " was around on the first day, what this light was I don’t know, because they say the sun wasn’t made until the fourth day.

Haydock Bible Commentary below

**Ver. 3. Light. The sun was made on the fourth day, and placed in the firmament to distinguish the seasons, &c.; but the particles of fire were created on the first day, and by their, or the earth’s motion, served to discriminate day from the preceding night, or darkness, which was upon the face of the deep. (Haydock) — Perhaps this body of light might resemble the bright cloud which accompanied the Israelites, Exodus xiv. 19, or the three first days might have a kind of imperfect sun, or be like one of our cloudy days. Nothing can be defined with certainty respecting the nature of this primeval light. (Calmet)

Ver. 4. Good; beautiful and convenient: — he divided light by giving it qualities incompatible with darkness, which is not any thing substantial, and therefore Moses does not say it was created. (Calmet) — While our hemisphere enjoys the day, the other half of the world is involved in darkness. St. Augustine supposes the fall and punishment of the apostate angels are here insinuated. (L. imp. de Gen.) (Haydock)**

Also anybody with the brain the size of a peanut could come to the conclusion that the universe is too complex to be created by chance, from the tiniest micro-organism to the gigantic. If we even look at the human body it is so complex I don’t think man will ever understand it, take one, the human eye, it is so complex & brilliant, only God could have made it.

I would just tell those atheists, that when God created the universe with ‘The Big Bang’ and the universe was still forming its stars and everything was still pretty close together (though expanding), there was probably a lot of light while he formed the earth and our solar system, that will probably shut them up. I would remind them that the Bible is not a science book.

 

[Slaney]

I would just tell those atheists, that when God created the universe with ‘The Big Bang’ and the universe was still forming its stars and everything was still pretty close together (though expanding), there was probably a lot of light while he formed the earth and our solar system, that will probably shut them up. I would remind them that the Bible is not a science book.

Yes there was most likely a Big-Bang during Creation, & a powerful light, wrought from the will of God, thanks, yes the Bible is not a science book.

 

[Jim_Baur]

God is love.

Our God is a consuming fire.

Sun of Justice.

God so loved the world that He sent His Son.

In other words, the light is His love.