A STUDY IN GENESIS
The last two weeks we have been discussing the first declarations of God to mankind. We learned in Genesis 1:1 that God is the answer for everything. In Genesis 1:2, we see God build upon His declaration in verse one and we saw the Context Rule being applied. We need to keep this rule in our back pocket because without it, Genesis can quickly become an area of debate rather than historical facts. Today, we examine Genesis 1:3-5. Before we begin, we need to understand that God has prepared hidden philosophical gems, scientific treasures, and personal love notes throughout this chapter. While we unfortunately do not have the time, I would recommend that you dig into each of these topics on your own. If you are wanting to know more about the veracity and monumental scientific data backing up a literal six day creation, please go to the Institute for Creation Research. Here you will find great minds who have followed the science to realize that God is behind it all. However, for our purposes today we will be hitting only the highlights.
Genesis 1:3-5 “3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that [it was] good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”
God declared there to be light. As you can see in the rest of Genesis chapter one; the sun, moon, and stars are not present until day four. God spoke and it was, this means that the very word of God is power. At day one, God’s word is doing something that is unique. It is bringing definition, character, and separation. Only God can immediately have definition to His creation, thus giving us His signature in the scientific community. Nothing He is creating has to accumulate, evolve, or mutate, His scientific signature is that all creation has immediate distinction and definition. In the philosophical world, we could say, His creation from the beginning has presence. This means it has purpose designed and unified with the rest of creation, this is why at the end of each day He declares it is good. So when God says, “Let there be light” prior to what we know to be the sources of light, we are being drawn to a philosophical and spiritual truth. God is the origins of life and light. Undoubtedly as we read further in Genesis this theme will be played out even more.
His word brings character and uniqueness, “the light, that it was good.” At this point we need to realize that night, which for many is considered evil or foreboding, was in fact characterized by God as good.
God’s word separates, just look at Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
But God is not done! At this point, He does something that only He can do. He creates the construct of time. “So the evening and the morning were the first day.” God is designing the foundation for mankind to prosper. Before the sun, moon, or stars, the day was established. Even in the first day of creation we see God’s word is actively creating the needed environment for man to grow spiritually and intellectually; all before we even get to the physical preparation of the land for mankind’s arrival.
Day one proves that God makes all things good. What we see today as bad, was not always that way; we see that God was designing the world for us prior to our arrival. He was thinking of you and I. This is all in day one! Next week we will continue evaluating the intentions of God on our behalf.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL