Proposition 1: Genesis 1 is Ancient Cosmology
Genesis 1 was written in the context of what the ANE understood about cosmology. There was no attempt to make it match up with modern science. And God chose not to correct their misconceptions. And, since we view the text as authoritative, it is dangerous to change the meaning into something it never intended to say. “In contrast, it makes perfect sense that God communicated his revelation to his immediate audience in terms they understood.”
In the entire Bible, there is not instance where God revealed to Israel a science with was beyond their culture.
In the ANE, there was no dichotomy between the natural world and the supernatural world. There was no natural law. Deities were responsible for everything.
“Though we long for the Bible to weigh in on these issues and give us biblical perspectives or answers, we dare not impose such an obligation on the text. God has chosen the agenda of the text, and we must be content with the wisdom of those choices. If we attempt to commandeer the text to address our issues, we distort it in the process.”
Quotes from: John H. Walton. “The Lost World of Genesis One.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-lost-world-of-genesis-one/id870735215?mt=11