Origins #3: Dinosaurs In The Bible Series

ORIGINS #3: DINOSAURS IN THE BIBLE

(November 2010 – Beausejour Church – Pastor Chris Jordan)

THE MYSTERY OF THE DINOSAURS:

This morning on Discovery Channel there was a program: “Last Day of the Dinosaurs!”

People – especially children – love dinosaurs. They have fascinated our generation! From movies like Jurassic Park and The Land before Time, to TV shows and kids toys, they are everywhere.

• Sauropods – i.e. the brachiosaurus

• Ceratopsid – i.e. the triceratops

• Ankylosaurs – i.e. the stegosaurus

• Theropods – i.e. the T-Rex

(These are just a sampling of some of the many different groupings).

WHERE DID THE DINOSAURS COME FROM?

THE EVOLUTIONISTS VIEW:

“Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals that were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous (about 65 million years ago).” (www.wikipedia.org).

• Dinosaurs evolved from some reptile that had evolved from an amphibian. However, where is the missing link / transitional form? There is none.

• Dinosaurs lived millions of years before humans and therefore never lived together.

• Note: When they dig up a dinosaur bone, it does not have a label attached showing its date. These are guesses based on indirect dating methods. No evidence!

• They say dinosaur history is recorded in the fossil layers in the earth.

• The mystery: 65 million years ago the dinosaurs all died off – how? Asteroid maybe?

• Some dinosaurs have evolved into birds.

THE CREATIONISTS VIEW:

“Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:24-25).

• God made the dinosaurs with all other land animals and human beings on day six of creation.

• Dinosaurs could not have died out millions of years before human beings because there was no death before Adam’s sin (see Romans 5:12).

• If this is true, then are there dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible?

DINOSAURS IN THE BIBLE: (USE THE KJV FOR OVERHEAD SCRIPTURES)

• Why don’t we see the word ‘dinosaur’ in the Bible?

• The Bible was first translated into English in 1611 (King James Version).

• The word ‘dinosaur’ wasn’t invented until 1841 –by Sir Richard Owen, a British scientist. (Dinosaur = deinos meaning terrible or wonderful, and sauros meaning lizard).

• We shouldn’t be surprised that we don’t see that word in the Bible!

• However, we do see many descriptions of dinosaurs in God’s Word:

1. BEHEMOTH:

“Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you; He eats grass like an ox.” (Job 40:15).

• What is this creature called a behemoth? Some footnotes in certain Bibles say it might be the hippo or the elephant, but does that really fit here? No!

“See now, his strength is in his hips, And his power is in his stomach muscles. He moves his tail like a cedar; The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are like beams of bronze, His ribs like bars of iron.” (Job 40:16-18).

• This description says he has a big belly. A hippo has a big belly. An elephant has a big belly. But do any of those fit the rest of the description?

• Neither a hippo nor an elephant have a tail like a cedar tree.

“He is the first (chief – reshiyth) of the ways of God; Only He who made him can bring near His sword.” (Job 40:19).

• This phrase suggests that the behemoth was the largest land animal that God made.

• There is no creature alive today that fits this description. However, it does sound a lot like a sauropod like a Brachiosaurus or an Apatosaurus.

2. LEVIATHAN:

“Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook, Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower? Can you put a reed through his nose, Or pierce his jaw with a hook? … Can you fill his skin with harpoons, Or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hand on him; Remember the battle-- Never do it again! Indeed, any hope of overcoming him is false; Shall one not be overwhelmed at the sight of him? … Who can remove his outer coat? Who can approach him with a double bridle? Who can open the doors of his face, With his terrible teeth all around?” (Job 41:1-2, 7-9, 13-14).

• The NLT calls this creature a crocodile, but this doesn’t fit at all.