What is more rare? - Earth's ability to support life or - That major formational events were described in order, 3000 years ago?

Some people get caught up in the beginning of the universe versus the Word of God.  The point of this section is not to enter this debate, but show why even how Genesis 1 is written gives me more confidence in the Word of God as coming from beyond man's imagination.  People overlook the striking crazy similarities of Genesis to the scientific account.

Before I look at some of the things that excite me, let me first explain my perspective.  Genesis 1 is a story from a Jewish storyteller.  This means there is a point of view and there is a flexibility in the words of the story.  It is more important that the storyteller make an impact with their words than to get all of the details precisely right.  Even if God had written down everything perfectly, I don't know how it could have been written in a meaningful way to both the original Jews and to the modern thinker.  

It doesn't mean that Genesis should be treated as a fairy tale or a myth.  Even if you take it as that, you need to consider how crazy it would be for a write in 1300 BCE to have had such an accurate and precise account of the creation of our world.  If I had been that person, without the scientific knowledge we have today, my story would be significantly different.  So let's look at some of the most important points.   

One other point, the science of these points is also uncertain.  For example, the first example talks about the formation of water on the earth.  there are at least three major theories of where it came from (late veneer, early atmosphere, and Icy Planetesimals) and there is most likely truth in all three.  Just as there is uncertainty in the Biblical interpretation, there is also uncertainty in the scientific models.  

Before a star is formed, there is a protostar and protoplanetary disc.  From these the star and planets are formed.  As part of the earlier formation, water is formed throughout the inner protoplanetary disc.  This was shown in ALMA observations of HL Tauri observed at estimated 100,000 years after the beginning of its formation.  Beyond the water forming, rocky protoplanets also form, collecting surrounding particles and gases (including the water).  As the sun becomes more dense hydrogen fusion begins, where the star becomes bright for billions of years.  This fusion then heats up the planetary disc and additional changes start occuring.  

This is what Genesis 1: 2-3,7 says in the English Standard Version.  

  "The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep ...... “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness...... And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse."

Notice how the words imply a rocky, formless earth (i.e. the protoplanet) with waters ("the deep").  Then the sun begins to shine, the inner earth begins to cool and a crust forms. .  These changes of the world will cause the separation of the water vapor from liquid.  The atmosphere and the oceans form.  

Now the question of the hour.......does this sound like a story which a person in the Bronze age would have come up with? Earth and water covering it before the sun?

Assuming that the atmosphere is being created means that several large events are occurring in the scientific record which will take the planet from a volatile planetary body to one that is both stable enough for more advanced chemical reactions, but still unstable enough to create the conditions we have today (i.e. plate tectonics, tides, etc).  Key structures of earth have to be created, for example, a magnetic field to protect us from the sun.   The uniqueness of the earth from a scientific standpoint can't be denied, but is not really discussed in the Biblical record.  Would anyone in the Bronze era even have the words to describe these events?

The earth is starting to cool allowing the formation of the earth's crust from the molten interior.  The atmosphere is primarily carbon dioxide as the oxygen (O2) has either been stripped from it or has been absorbed by chemical reactions into the crust.  

Now the key concepts.  The scientific record has two very significant events occurring.  Late in formation of the crust, plate tectonics start to occur.  This is not a minor event -- it is critical to both the development of life and unusual (no other planet in our solar system shows it occurring) It is debatable what occurred to start plate tectonics, but it is not debatable of its significance.  Where the surface of earth has been covered entirely of waters, solid land begins forming above its surface as some areas are pushed upwards, while other areas form cavities.  

At the same time, "life is beginning".  Probably, early bacteria created glucose and oxygen out of carbon dioxide and water, in an anaerobic process.  These early bacteria become more complex using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen.  The great oxidation event occurs. Eventually, the overflow of excess oxygen replaces methane in the atmosphere.  This cooled the planet even more.  Ozone began to form, protect the earth from ultraviolet rays.  Oxygen is also the foundation for respiratory life which allows more complex organisms to develop.  

Day 3 in the Biblical record captures these two event occurring.  Gen 1:9,11 (ESV) says,   “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear...... Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth."

The first part is pretty self-explanatory.  Plate tectonics start to occur with land appearing out of the oceans of the earth.  Again, is this something that a Bronze Era individual would have known?  

The second part of the day 3 is more nebulous.  Note, the phrase "according to its kind" is used in the description of plants and later in the animals, too.  This doesn't imply that every species is created at that time, but rather that the different types of species are made.  The rest of the species of plants will form from this origin.  Scientifically, we see photosynthesis taking off and soon (geologically speaking) plant life flourishing first in the seas and then on the land.  

My interpretation of "according to its kind" may be wrong.  I have many friends who would say that this interpretation is corruption, that I am assuming too much in these words.  These same individuals would take offense to my interpretation that the days of creation are not days, but longer periods of time.  Again, I am not trying to say one interpretation is right or wrong.  I am saying that the Hebrew outline of the formation of our world is eerily similar to the scientific record.    

There is other possible ways to interpret the Hebraic words that allow for this development.  I think there are multiple options to understand the passage, just as there are multiple ways to interpret the scientific record.  In reality, we see this throughout the Bible and I think this is intentionally done by God.  See my section about the Word of God to understand my broad understanding of the written word and reality.  

Its totally striking to me that the Genesis record has the plants occurring before the sun, moon, and stars are in the skies and before the animals are formed!  After all, a Bronze Age person would have understood some of the inter-dynamics of the sun and animal life with plants.  

As oxygen is created, methane is removed from the atmosphere.  Since the beginning of the earth, it has been shrouded in a methane induced haze.  There is scientific debate as to how thick the haze was, but there is no doubt that with the production of oxygen in mass, that follow-on chemical reactions removed the vast majority of this haze from the atmosphere.  Suddenly, the Sun, Moon, and stars appear overhead to an observer on the earth.  

This is what Gensis 1:16 (ESV) says, "And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars."

Note, in this verse and the previous verse about the plants, a different Hebrew word is used for made, than the previous word for created.  Made is more of a process, where creation is more of a new act.  This supports the idea that the earth and the moon were already created.  

Again, my final question is, would a Bronze Era person have any understanding that plants had to occur before the sun was visible from the surface of the earth?

The final two days are similar to the advent of plant life.  There are multiple ways people have interpreted the Biblical record to match the scientific.  I find it fascinating that the Biblical record records marine and avian life before terrestrial life.  And the avian is told to fill the earth, thereby implying they are on land, too.  

No doubt the scientific starts with the marine so that portion makes perfect sense.  The creatures that fly are not as easy to reconcile.  The word used for avian life is used in a general sense and taken to its greatest extent, can mean anything flying, including insects, dinosaurs, and even bats (mammal's).  Scientifically, the evolutionary lines pass from marine, to amphibians, to reptiles, to birds, and then to mammals.   Technically, it is even correct to call modern day birds, dinosaurs!

The framework for all life was just set up by God in these explosions of life.  I will let the scientists and theologians try to work out the details.  I would just remind you that both have multiple interpretations of the facts at hand.  The key to me is this text written in the Bronze Age puts all of the pieces together.

I talk more about humans in other sections of this website.  Note they come last.  And note that current scientific DNA analysis says that all homo sapiens come from one common male and female descendants.  They existed roughly 150,000 years ago.  Adam and Eve are not ruled out by the DNA record, they are very real.