​The world itself is about 6,000-10,000 years old.  Anything that old would have to be highly valuable, preserved over time, and most likely on display and highly guarded in a museum somewhere.  No one could actually possess it, but millions would want to see it.  So, it is astounding that there is something even older than the world that anyone can have.  It is better than silver, gold, and rubies (Pro. 8:10,11).  It is something that kings, princes, nobles, and anyone in authority all need and use (Pro. 8:15,16).  It is something that the Lord possessed in the beginning and was “set up from everlasting” (Pro. 8:22,23).  Solomon declared that this ancient thing was around before there were seas, springs, mountains, hills, fields, or even dust (Pro. 8:24-26).  This extremely aged and valuable thing was with God “When he prepared the heavens” (Pro. 8:27) and “when he appointed the foundations of the earth” (Pro. 8:29).  In fact, it was beside God as “a master craftsman” (Pro. 8:30; NKJV).  It calls out to every man and woman today (Pro. 8:1-4).  It is wisdom!  James said, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).  Since God possessed wisdom before the world was created, then He knows best how to give it.  Everyone will face various trials in life and we need to ask God for valuable wisdom to handle them.  We don’t have to worry about God “upbraiding” or criticizing us because He understands our weaknesses and inadequacies and truly desires to help us obtain wisdom.  Through His providence, His Word, and the various experiences of our daily lives, wisdom is granted to the faithful who ask God for it.  We all need to be “wise unto salvation” (2 Tim. 3:15) and God alone can provide the age-old wisdom we need to find life and favor from Him (Pro. 8:35)

Derrick Coble

​     The opening words of the Scriptures directly from the Holy Spirit state, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" (Gen. 1:1,2).  This sounds easy enough to understand, but some have suggested there was a “gap” of time between these verses.  The idea is that there lived successive generations of plants, animals, and perhaps even pre-Adamic men.  Some even say that God destroyed this original creation because of a Satanic rebellion and the wording of Genesis 1:2 would be better rendered as, "the earth became waste and void."  Here are two simple reasons why this theory is false:
     First, the gap theory is false because no biblical scholars have ever translated "was" as "became" in Genesis 1:2.  Henry Morris, in his book Scientific Creationism, observed that in only six of its 264 occurrences in the Pentateuch is it rendered "became."  He further stated that another Hebrew word (haphak) would have been better used here if the idea of a change from some previously different state was to be conveyed.
     Second, the gap theory is false because it implies that death was in the world before Adam.  The theorists believe there was a race of people who were completely wiped out before the creation of Adam and Eve.  Yet, this is a direct contradiction of New Testament teaching which reveals that sin and death entered the earth as a result of Adam's sin (1 Cor. 15:21; Rom. 8:20-22; Rom. 5:12).  Furthermore, the apostle Paul stated, "And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit" (1 Cor. 15:45).  Thus, there was no man before Adam—he was first. 
     God created all things at the beginning of time on earth.  There was no gap.  It is harder to disbelieve God’s Word than to believe it!

Derrick Coble