Creation Series, Part 5
Genesis 1:20-23
Introduction
- We are right in the middle of a series discussing the Creation of everything we see
- 1) We have a Creator, He is God, and He has given us a clear account of His story
- 2) What we find ourselves in is a situation that separates all of us: Do we believe?
-- If you do not believe this account, you fall into one of these two categories:
- Theistic Evolutionist: Believes that God is real, yet He used evolution to evolve all things in this world to include the creation of mankind
- Naturalistic Evolutionist (which most non-believers are): Believes that everything evolved by accident, and that there is no God nor Creator
-- Evolution uses the formula: “Nobody times Nothing equals Everything!”
-- This is absolutely the wrong angle for us and is at the heart of our beliefs
- Before we can even see the Redeemer, who is Jesus, we must see the Creator
-- We must see the Glory of a Creator who specifically put each thing into place
- APP: If we cannot see the work of the Creator; can we see the work of a Messiah?
- As a believer, we have to be willing to refute the commentaries of today
- Scientists, teachers, and pundits from all walks of life wish to denounce Creation
- It is critical that we are able to demonstrate a clear logic in our thinking
-- But, not only clear logic … but a Biblically based explanation to the Creation account
- IMP: There is NOTHING in scripture that supports something evolved from anything
- What we have seen to date is that God has created:
1. The Earth
2. The skies above (including the atmosphere)
3. The land and the seas
4. The vegetation that we see around us
5. The lights in the sky (to include the sun and the stars)
- Stand and read Genesis 1:20-23
- Pray
Point 1 – Let there be life! (v20-21)
- There is so much in these two verses that I could preach a series just on this area
- Many were surprised when Gen 1:1 took almost 45 minutes to preach/explain
- Even when we consider the size of the universe, our minds can barely grasp it
-- And even with this I was just scratching the surface of the majesty of God
- The Bible is very clear that all that we see is created in 6 days
- But, the first living beings are created on day 5 (plants/vegetation aren’t living)
-- What does this mean? It means they are not conscious living beings
-- They are organisms, but they are not considered things that are alive
-- Living creatures are considered living things that move; plants do not move
- Grasping the importance of life and the reproduction of life is critical today
- It is what separates all creatures that live and were created by a majestic God
- We see here two important concepts to grasp WHAT is being created on Day 5
-- 1. Conscious Life = Living creatures that are created
-- 2. Reproductive Life (the life cycle of things that need to reproduce)
- The first thing we see God doing is that He fills the waters with life
- His creation of the creatures in the sea is done across the board all at once
-- Let’s try to wrap our minds around this concept and see just what God does …
- He does not create one being and then begins to evolve things in others
- When God speaks the life into the seas; ALL creatures were created at once
-- The Hebrew word here (once again) is “bara”; to create from nothing
- Notice, there is nothing else added to this verse; no historical chart; nor evolution
- God speaks (v20), and these things are instantly created in the Earth by His word
-- In a moment; as fast as you can blink your eyes; God spoke all these things to life
- God does the very same thing regarding the birds of the air; He speaks them to life
- Now, look at where the birds fly: “above the earth in the open firmament” (space)
-- The Hebrew word used here literally means, “on the face of heaven”; (in front of)
- Now, what I really love is the creation of what is in the sea (v21); notice specifics
-- KJV: And God created great whales
-- CEV: God made the giant sea monsters
-- NIV: God created the great creatures of the sea
- What is the importance of mentioning these creatures specifically by name?
- When God created vegetation He didn’t get into describing redwood vs. spruce
- The Old Testament is filled with references to large sea creatures (likely dinosaurs)
- One of the most memorable we see is in Job where God references Leviathan
- Job 7:12, “Am I the sea, or the monster of the deep …”; Hebrew word “rahab”
- Job 38:4, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” (We discussed this a few messages ago, very critical to understand God’s position in the creation of everything and His assertion of authority)
- Then in Job 41:1-2 says, “Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook or tie down its tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through its nose or pierce its jaw with a hook?”
-- Job 41 continues on to describe this huge beast that lives in the sea … self-research
-- Job 42 shows the APPROPRIATE response to God, esp verse 6; repent and hush!
Mankind’s Perversion:
- Ancient mythology began to develop its own explanations of these sea creatures
-- They became god-like to the people; bad god’s that opposed the good gods
-- The great sea monster almost became a deity to the people of the time
-- The Jews would have believed these myths and passed them on through generations
- So, look at God’s clarification of whom these are when He describes this to Moses
- (v21) “God created the great creatures of the sea”; period, end of story, no more myths
- APP: Do not get into the trap of adding to God’s word …
- TRANS: Day 5 brings about conscious life first; and then we get to reproductive life
Point 2 – Multiplication is ordered (v22-23)
- Again we see the critical phrase, (ref: reproduce) “according to its own kind” (NIV)
-- Henry Morris (Christian apologist (or defender)) said, "The first introduction of animal life was not a fragile blob of protoplasm that happened to come together in response to electrical discharges over a primeval ocean as evolutionists believe”
-- (Affirmation) Psalm 148:7, “Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths.”
- (v22) is a blessing that God has given them; God blesses their reproduction
-- God tells them to reproduce; and then speaks a blessing over them for doing it
- We obviously know that we have different kinds of birds and fish; each to its own
-- What does this imply for us? We see on Day 6 – but more important is this
-- There is no evidence of evolution here; none at all – all in one day these are created
- Rev John Macarthur wrote, “All living organisms characteristically have three properties. They are (1) self-sustaining, that is they have the capability to sustain their own life, like those little tiny, tiny wheels going around inside of you. They are self-sustaining. Secondly, they are self-repairing. That is they fix themselves as they go. And most definitively (3rd), they are self-reproducing.”
- APP: This is really what separates the things created on Day 3 (plants) with Day 5
Conclusion
- Let’s stop here so that we can take some time to ponder all we’ve heard today
- As God puts things in place we come to almost the crown of His creation
-- I want to encourage you to come back tonight as have a we sneak peak at Day 6
-- On Sept 11th I want to encourage you to be here as we discuss this in detail
- This morning, let me leave you with these simple thoughts:
-- We have a creator that has given you everything; He simply spoke it into being
-- We’ve a God that has planned everything we see in advance; but consider this:
-- God, did not, for any reason, create everything we see for us; but for Himself
- APP: (simple) You and I are not the be all-end all … we are NOT the meaning of life
- All things were created and put into place to exalt the Creator who is God
- This is why it’s critical for us to see that our worship begins at Genesis Chapter 1
- It does not begin when God breathes life into us; nor when we fell and needed Jesus
- The worship we are to have for God is because He has put all things into place
- So, where are you on accepting this and applying it to your life?
- This is really where we have to come to grips with who we are in His creation
- With every head bowed and every eye closed:
- Do you start believing at Genesis 1 or do you start believing when it suits you?
- If the answer is not Gen 1, I dare say that you must examine your faith
- If you cannot believe God’s word from Genesis 1:1; how can you believe John 3:16?
-- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- Pray
