Page 17 - Florida Sentinel 9-7-18

God brings order to the world.
In the ancient Near East- ern understanding of the world, Heaven referred to the firmament, or the massive transparent dome that covers the earth. The blue color of the sky was attributed to the chaotic waters that the firma- ment separated from the earth (Genesis 1:7).
The earth was thus sur- rounded by “waters” above and below (Deuteronomy 5:8). The firmament was thought to be substantial; when the windows of the fir- mament were opened, rain fell (Genesis 7:11–12).
In Hebrew, the word for “heaven” is always plural. Similarly, the Greek word for “heaven” in the New Testa- ment also frequently appears in the plural. The use of the plural probably does not mean that the ancient He- brews conceived of more than one heaven. Heaven is the place of the stars, sun, moon, and birds. It is also the abode of God (Deuteron- omy 26:15) and where God is enthroned (Psalm 11:4).
The Scriptures
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the fir- mament of the heaven to di- vide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abun- dantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after
his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and mul- tiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multi- ply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth
day.24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cat- tle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
God Creates the Celestial Bodies (Genesis 1:14–19)
God speaks the sun, the moon, and the stars into ex- istence, specifically for the telling of time. When one re- members that the sun is so huge that more than 1.3 mil- lion Earths could fit inside of it and that staring into it can quickly damage one’s eyes, it is no surprise that many cul- tures throughout human his- tory have attributed supernatural power to the sun.
But Genesis tells us that each of these great bodies is created for the good of the rest of creation, specifically humans, the only ones to whom days, years, signs, and seasons each have lasting and significant meaning.
Notable in this text is the fact that the sun and moon are not even named, instead
referred to as the greater and lesser lights. This characteri- zation further emphasizes that though these great bod- ies in the sky appear physi- cally imposing, they were created by God for His glory and for our good —not as powerful apart from God. The Creation of
Sea Creatures (vv. 20–23)
God continues with His creation by calling forth sea creatures and birds. The ob- jects of Day 5 of Creation are the first to be blessed and commanded. Here we see a hint that this is the beginning of history where creatures are concerned, as God does not fill the Earth instantly but rather commands and enables His animal creations to partner with Him in that work. God, by His power, in- fuses them with life and the means to reproduce accord- ing to their kind, or species. God also creates “the great whales,” or sea monsters, a staple of ancient mythology that are often depicted as at odds with the gods. Instead, there is no competition here.
Power lies firmly in the hands of the Creator.
The Creation of Land Creatures
(vv. 24–25)
Day6isthelastdayof creation and the climax of it. On this day, God creates the beasts of the field in the same manner that He created the birds and reptiles. His com- mand here is not to the sea, however, but to the earth, commanding it to produce life, a work that is only possi- ble through the matchless power of the Word of God.
We know through experi- ence and experimentation that death and non-life do not naturally produce life, so it may appear as though God is commanding the impossi- ble. But that ignores the sheer creative power of the Word of God, which com- mands and, by virtue of that command, makes things so. The combination of that command to the Earth and the term “beast of the earth” show us that what may ap- pear to be animals coming up from the dirt is truly a mira- cle wrought by a magnificent
God.
When you see the birds of the air, reptiles, or other ani- mals, thank God for His cre- ation and for the joys of life. Remember that the world around you is not a random, naturalistic combination of pre-existent matter, but rather the meticulous work of a loving, sovereign God. Let the taste of a good meal, the joy and beauty of a sun- rise or sunset, and the aroma of a sweet-smelling bouquet conduct your joy upward to the God who created them and to Christ, who died so that your joy might be full.
As we look forward to the new heaven and new earth, we must remember that it will not be merely a spiritual reality but an em- bodied one. Take time this week to enjoy something in nature, and consider how it glorifies God. Let each day be filled with joy and gratitude that God would adorn His creation with such splendid glory.
God Creates Plants And Animals Genesis 1:14-25 (KJV
Thank God For His Creations
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