Most of us have read
Genesis many times over. Though many disagree, I find no good reason to view
the account of creation in Genesis as anything but literal. Reading the Bible
isn’t as difficult as one might think. You use the basic lessons of grammar and
literary style and apply them just as you would as you read any other work of
literature.
This morning I want
to share several observations from the creation account as found in Genesis
chapter 1. First of all it is important to know that God created everything in
this universe by simply speaking it into existence. Psalm 33:9 reminds us of the power of God’s spoken Word, “For He
spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” This should cause us
to recognize the power and authority of God over us and everything else in
existence. The psalmist declares this in the previous verse of Psalm 33 saying, “Let all the earth
fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” As we
read the story of creation we must take hold of His majesty. We can also begin
to build our faith right here in chapter one of the Bible for if God can speak
the earth and all that’s in it into creation, then we can trust that He can
accomplish anything we might ask of Him in prayer.
Observation two is an
interesting thought to ponder. God commands the light to shine and then
separates the light from the darkness, yet take note of something. God didn’t
speak the sun, moon, and the stars into existence until day four. The light
that illuminated the earth on day one must be the light of God. We see this
will occur again in Revelation 21:23 which tells us “…the city has no need
of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined
it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”
It is the light of God in which we must walk if we are to call ourselves
Christ’s as we see in 1 John 1:5-7, “This
is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light,
and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship
with Him and yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as
He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood
of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The
third observation we can see here in the beginning of creation is that God
establishes the principle of separation. Just as God separated the light from
the darkness, the day from night, and the waters from the land, we are called
to be a separated people. Moses was instructed by God to tell the nation Israel
to separate themselves from the nations around them and the Jews suffered every
time they violated this commandment. We Christians are called to be holy which
means to be separate from the world. Our commandment is found in 1 John 2:15-16 which tells us, “Do not
love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love
of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of
the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from
the Father, but is from the world.” Many of our problems and a great deal of
suffering in our lives is simply the consequences of our friendship with the
world.
The
fourth observation I call attention to, is that on day five God does something new in His work of creation. He
blesses the creatures He made. Genesis
1:21-22 says “God created the great sea monsters and every living
creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every
winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed
them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas,
and let birds multiply on the earth." This is the first time in the Bible
we see the word blessed. Later when God creates the first man and woman He
blesses them as well. God promised to bless Abraham through His covenant with
him and He continues to offer blessings to us as He fulfills the promises He
made throughout the entire history of man as recorded in scripture. What
greater blessing could one desire than to be reunited in relationship with God
through His son, Jesus.
Another
important concept came into being on day six. When God created man He made him
in His own image. Despite man’s attempt to deny the truth of God’s creation
through the lie of evolution, this fact declares that man and animals have a
distinct difference. The lack of belief in this is the root of all our societal
ills because man does not value life. We are made in the image of God. We have
a value beyond anything else on this earth. Though sin has sullied us greatly,
through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit we can grow more like Jesus
everyday. This great hope is found in 1
John 3:2-3, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not
appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like
Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this
hope fixed on Him purifies
himself, just as He is pure.”
The
sixth observation we must see in this story is that our God, our creator is
worth our worship, praise, and obedience. We must echo what David says in Psalm 8:3-4, “When I consider Your
heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have
ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You
care for him?” That God would create us to have relationship with Him is
amazing. Then is spite of our sinful nature and our constant rebellion against
Him, He sent Jesus to come make a way for us to be restored to communion with
Him. What a glorious affair.
Every
morning we should rise out of bed and take time to see all the goodness of
God’s creation. When we look at each other we should seek to see the image of
God that He has created in each of us. In spite of the fallen nature of this
world it is still imbued with the glory of God. Let us rejoice and offer Him
His due worship. God created and then said it is good. Who are we to argue?
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