[ ] 1/16/2011 #916
IN THE BEGINNING
WHEN GOD SPOKE
Genesis 1:1-8
INTRODUCTION: In the beginning, God created matter from nothing. He spoke heaven and earth into existence. The earth was without form. Like a potter who works with clay, God fashioned the earth as it pleased Him.
On Christmas Eve, 1968, the three astronauts of Apollo 8 circled the dark side of the moon and headed for home. They saw the glistening blue and white hues of earth in their window. In that moment, what do you think those men did? They did not quote Einstein or Shakespeare or Darwin. Only one thing could capture the magnificence of the moment. Millions of people around the world heard the voice from outer space begin to read: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The astronauts read Genesis 1:1 to a worldwide audience. In that moment no other words would do.
I. WORD OF GOD IN CREATION
A. GOD SPOKE WITH PURPOSE.
When God speaks, it is always with purpose.
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11
B. GOD SPOKE WITH POWER.
When God speaks, it is with power. “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Psalm 33:9
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:3
“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water.” 2 Peter 3:5
Psalm 33:6 “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”
Psalm 33:9 “For he spoke and it was done; he commanded and it stood fast.”
Psalm 148:5 “For he commanded and they were created.”
II. WORK OF GOD IN CREATION
A. DAY ONE: LIGHT.
1. Decree of God. (v. 3) “God said, Let there be light.”
The source of light was from some other source than the sun. The sun was not created until day four (v. 16). The Bible reveals “that God is light” (I John 1:5). No one knows what light is. Someone has said that light is “one of the most mysterious entities in the universe.” In physics it is spoken of a E=mc2 (energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared).
2. Delight of God. (v 4a) “God saw the light, that it was good.”
God’s creation of light was perfect and pleasing to Him.
3. Dividing of the day. (v. 4b) “God divided the light from the darkness.”
4. Dominion over the day. (v. 5) “God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”
In ancient times, to name something or someone implied having dominion or ownership.
“The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.” Psalm 74:16
God established the seven-day week marked by day and night. The 24 hour period of time refers to the rotation of the earth on its axis.
B. DAY TWO: FIRMAMENT.
The word firmament in Hebrew means “expanse.” The word “firmament” is synonymous with the word “heaven.” The word “firmament” used in v. 6 is referring to the atmosphere. Today we would use the word “space.” The earth was covered with water at creation (v. 2).
1. Separating of the waters.
a. Power in separating the waters.
God spoke and the waters separated. One body of water was suspended above the “firmament” from the water that covered the earth.
“For by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in water.” 2 Peter 3:5
b. Purpose in separating the waters.
The waters were separated so life could be sustained on earth.
2. Suspension of the waters.
It has been suggested that the waters suspended above the earth were like a vast vapor canopy. This would have created a kind of ‘greenhouse effect.” This would have produced ideal conditions for life. This may explain the extremely long life spans of the patriarchs who lived hundreds of years, and it may help us understand where some of the water came from for the great flood of Noah’s day.
This theory would explain the tropical conditions that were in the early earth. The arctic regions today were once tropical. Elephant, mastodons and other animals were frozen suddenly. Some had undigested food still in their mouths. Actually, varieties of fossilized mastodons, mammoths, and other elephants are widely distributed across North America and around the world.
John Phillips, Exploring Genesis: “The amount of vapor continually suspended in the air above us is estimated 54 trillion, 460 billion tons! Water is 773 times the weight of air, so that gives some idea of the power required to separate the waters from the waters. The annual precipitation, in the form of rain and snow that falls upon the earth is the equivalent of 186,000 cubic miles—enough to cover the entire earth to a depth of three feet.”
Lessons for life:
1. God created light for the universe. This reminds us of Jesus who is the light of the world.
2. God created water. This reminds us of Jesus who gives “living water” to the thirsty.
3. It should give you comfort in knowing the Creator God is caring, protecting, providing and loving.
4. Sin bought death to the entire human race. The sinner is separated from the loving Creator. Jesus came to earth to reconcile the sinner by shedding His own blood. Have you repented of your sin and trusted Jesus as your Savior?