Creation Series, Part 2
Genesis 1:6-8
Introduction
- Picking up from last week …
- As a building requires a builder, creation must have a creator
- Even the energy in the universe requires a source, it requires a creator
- There is an irrational logic proving that something popped up from nothing
- We have a Creator, and the Creator has given us a clear account of His story
- APP: What we find ourselves in is a situation what separates all of us
-- If you do not believe this account, you fall into one of these two categories:
1. Theistic Evolutionist: Believes that God is real, yet He used evolution to evolve all things in this world to include the creation of mankind
2. Naturalistic Evolutionist (which most non-believers are): Believes that everything evolved by accident, and that there is no God nor Creator
-- Claims to use the formula: “Nobody times Nothing equals Everything!”
-- This is absolutely the wrong angle for us and is at the heart of our beliefs
- There is no middle ground on this issue and it is here we must answer for ourselves
- Before we can even see the Redeemer who is Jesus, we must see the workmanship
- 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
- APP: It is not our place to speak for God; but we use God’s Word to demonstrate truth
- Last Sunday night we answered the ancient question, “How old is the Earth?”
-- Gen 5 gives us the dates of the Patriarchs, and through OT we have 4,000 years
-- From the arrival to the Messiah to today we have approx. 2,000 years
-- Thus, the Earth is approximately 6,000 years old … period!!
- The creation and formation of the Earth took 6 days, and last week we viewed Day 1
- Today, we will look at Day 2 and 3 (tonight) and see His marvelous workmanship
- Let’s read up to our text so we have the complete view of where we are
- Stand and read Genesis 1:1-8 (KJV)
- Pray
Point 1 – The Dawning of Day 2
- This message will be a teaching message; plenty of space to take notes on bulletin
- At the beginning of Day 2, we see that the Earth is covered in water (the deep)
- Then God said (again, notice how things happen – He speaks and it is so) …
- Firmament is the Hebrew word, “raqiya”; means something that is spread out
- APP: When God speaks, a space is created between the water and outer space
- IMP: Remember from last week the root foundation is water (read Genesis 1:2)
- Simply stated, there is a protective layer that is created between two things:
-- 1. The seas below
-- 2. The water above (which refers to atmospheric clouds, water vapor, etc.)
- This includes the Earth’s breathable atmosphere – or the SPACE that we live now
- God says let there be a separation (firmament), between the below and the above
- But, then, He also refers to this area (or expanse / raqiya) also as heaven (verse 8)
- This is the atmospheric heaven that when we look up, we see with our eyes
- Better stated: Consider it the ozone; the blue sky; the protection from space
- No one can survive in outer space; it’s a proven fact because it is a total vacuum
- There is no air, there is only space (hence its name); loaded with celestial bodies
- Now, remember we saw in Genesis 1:1 that God created the “Heaven” (this is space)
- So, consider this; first He created THE heaven and THE Earth (let’s explore this)
-- Question: What was there before there was a Heaven and an Earth?
-- Answer: John 1:1 says clearly, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
-- Therefore, in the beginning there was God; He is eternal and nothing created Him!
- APP: If you cannot stand on this fact; you’ve missed the purpose of Jesus Christ
-- Jesus did not simply die to save you from your sins; but to redeem God’s creation
-- There was a time when there was perfection and a Savior wasn’t needed
-- But today we live in the time when a Savior is required because of our sin and death
- This reference to space/heaven also refers to the Earth’s atmosphere
- IMP: He did not recreate something already done; this is a new creation
- It is the very foundation of the space that we inhabit; and God did it with a word
There was not some evolutionary process that occurred, one word spoke it all
-- The Psalmist grabs this concept in one sentence: Psalm 104:2 says, “He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent.”
-- This demonstrates God’s ability to cover the whole Earth with one swift motion
- It is our place then to understand this creation; and explain it to others
- TRANS: Now, let’s draw out attention to something plain; yet easily overlooked
Point 2 – Do we understand the simplicity?
- (v7): God separated the space and created an area in between (says it twice – v6)
- Why would God say this twice and give Moses it to write down twice?
- Simple; to make sure that you and I would get it and not miss the simple facts
- God gives us several places in scripture to draw our attention to the important things
- Jesus says things like “Verily, Verily” to point out important facts; verily = truly
-- John 3:3, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
-- John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
- With these verses of truth in our minds; let’s see something extremely wonderful:
- John 8:58, “Jesus said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”
Conclusion
- Now, let me try to sum up this morning so that we don’t get lost in scripture
-- 1. The Heaven and the Earth was created and consisted of water
-- 2. God performed surgery on His creation, and cut an expanse between the waters
-- 3. Simply: Water went up and some water stayed down here on Earth
-- 4. This created space, and it is in this space that we lived
- One important thing to examine here and we will close: the words, “it was so”
- This refers to something that was permanent; fixed; unchanging in its state
- Look in v3, “it was so” is not there, because that light was not permanent
-- There was light there and that light separated the darkness; but it is not fixed
-- So, in verse 7 when He says “it is so”, that is a permanent status of the waters
- This morning, we can clearly see that we have water below and water above
- It is there because God created it that way, and it is where we need to stand/defend
- Tonight we will see the conclusion of this work … and look at Day 3
-- Special interest: Tonight we’re going to reveal how to deal with Evolutionists
- Pray
