THE GREAT ANTI-EVOLUTIONARY PASSAGE

What a verse for denying the doctrine of evolution! And that is Isaiah 45:18. It reads: "For thus says the Lord who created the heavens. He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, He formed it to be inhabited."    "For" in Hebrew is the word "key" and means "Yes, indeed!" This follows verse 17 that ends with "You need not be confounded world without end!"    The word "thus" is the Hebrew word "ko" and can mean "in the same way." The verse then starts: "For in the same way ..." This is introducing the fact that "the Lord created the heavens." "Yes indeed, the Lord in the same way created the heavens ..."    The Lord is Yahweh, meaning "the Everexisting One." This name comes from the common "to be" word that has the thought "Simply to be, to exist." The Lord "just IS!" He has always been, and always IS.    "Created" is from BARA. This is in what is called the Kal Participle form. It would be translated "the Lord" is the One who is characterized as "The One who creates." God is the only One who can be applied to this verb. He is the only One who creates out of nothing. No human being, or other so-called god can do such! He is not part of His creation. He creates uniquely and originally from nothing. He is not a part of physical matter. He is separate from His creation though He sustains it and keeps it going!    God created "the heavens" (plural). This refers to all of the galaxies in space, all of the heavens and the planets and stars. Isaiah then simply says "He is God!" The verb is implied. Isaiah just says "He God!"    Isaiah then says "He formed the earth..." "Formed" is the Hebrew word YAZER and it is in the Hophal form. It should be translated "the earth was formed, molded (as a potter who fashions the clay) ..." The earth was shaped as He wished!    The earth was both SHAPED and then MADE in order to be inhabited for animal and human life. The earth and its life forms did not evolve; the earth was made for a distinct purpose and that was to sustain life just as the Lord wished!    "He established it." The Hebrew verb "to establish" means "to set it up," "put it in its place," "to found it and give it permanence, firmness and solidity."    He created it not to be a waste place. "Waste" in the Hebrew is "a solitude place, emptiness, nothingness, a deserted nonentity." This is the key to understanding the earth. It was made to be inhabited by life that God would create. It was not meant to be empty and purposeless."    "A waste" place is the Hebrew word "tohu" and means "a nonentity, chaos, nothingness" (see 40:17).    The Rabbis say "God is the sole Power of the world which He created for man to dwell in and not for confusion. He does not hide in darkness but reveals Himself in justice and righteousness. Isaiah ends this great verse about creation with God proclaiming "I am the Lord, and there is none else."    --Dr. Mal Couch (10/10)