And God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8

I’ve Looked At Clouds

Genesis 1:6-8 speaks of the expanse and barriers that God created concerning the earth. It could be He created an atmosphere surrounding the physical sphere of the earth and then surrounded the earth with a blanket of water, a sort of mega-cloud that covered the whole earth. It’s amazing to think that the clouds we see floating in the sky today are filled with tons of water. According to the USGS an average cloud, which is just a little more than 1/2 mile x 1/2 mile x 1/2 mile, weighs an estimated 1,105,500 tons. That’s  a whole lot of water. So imagine with me what it was like on the second day when God put an expanse between the water on earth and the water in the sky–He floated water above the earth and surrounded the earth with a cloud. The earth surrounded by this water blanket would have created an interesting weather pattern. It would have the effect of protecting us from the sun’s UV rays. It would also have the effect of homogenizing or equalizing the climate throughout the earth. This means that the early animals and plants of the earth might have enjoyed a beautiful warm climate wherever they went on the planet. Scientists have found Woolly Mammoths frozen in the ice of Siberia with tropical vegetation in their digestive tracts. And they’ve also found vegetation 200 feet below the ice near the South Pole. I don’t claim to know the process with which God created the earth, I’m just saying, given the account in Genesis, and God’s comment to Job in Job 38:9, these discoveries fit the descriptions in scripture.

Earth’s Deteriorating Magnetic Field

Another barrier of protection provided by God is the earth’s magnetic field. The magnetic field shields us from destructive charged particles that originate from the sun. The German mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss was the first to measure the magnetic field of the earth, starting in 1845. Since that time we’ve measured it continually and we’ve found that it’s deteriorating. (see National Geographic)

Earth’s Deteriorating Ozone Layer

A third protective barrier provided by God is the earth’s ozone layer. This layer protects us from the sun’s radiation. (see EPA) While there’s much debate as to the reason why, no one argues that the ozone layer is deteriorating.

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[Image via: drcohn – Creative Commons]