A possibility that God made the universe “with age” is valid. But something I doubt. Why have man, who he knew would increase in knowledge and reason over time, enter into a gopher hole with no way out? Why would the universe, the manifestation of God’s creative abilities, set us up for failure?
My $0.02 anyway.
“Why have man, who he knew would increase in knowledge and reason over time, enter into a gopher hole with no way out? Why would the universe, the manifestation of God’s creative abilities, set us up for failure?’
I don’t see why it would be a set up for failure?
The Genesis account, not to repeat myself, has God creating Adam as a full grown man. So, God himself tells us His creation is made with age.
It is a straight narrative. There is no ‘hiding of the ball,’ here.
He made, for example, the creeping things (insects) on day five as I recall. He didn’t make the eggs, later to turn into larva, etc. The were creeping already.
Same day he made the flying creatures (birds certainly). They weren’t all in eggs in a next. They were flying.
I think that just as God created man with age, he also did so with earth. Notice that God didn’t create a newborn babe to grow up, but, an adult male and female. The garden was fully stocked as well. If it wasn’t created with age, which I believe, then I think we’d have a few scriptures stating that God created a field and planted seeds. However, it doesn’t say that.
I think this is just a side issue and if God wanted us to know the answer, then he would’ve made sure it was in His Book. I think its more important that we believe in the CREATOR.
JMO.