GENESIS LESSON 4
In the last lesson we learned about the application of light on
this earth giving all things the power to be.
In this lesson, we will begin with
Genesis 1:6 "And God said, Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."
It seems at this point, when this was written, that water or
atmosphere prevailed. It seems that there was no distinction between
earth and heaven.
This was a dimension difficult for us to understand. We do know
that atmospheric pressure controls the waters and keeps them from
floating away. We do know that light affects atmosphere, water, and
all substances.
I do not believe that God expects us to scientifically figure out
how this all came about. He just expects us to have faith that He did
it.
Genesis 1:7 "And God made the firmament, and divided the waters
which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above
the firmament: and it was so."
There are planets like Jupiter, which have the same density of
water. It does not mean that this is water. All of this is God's
business. As I said before, our part is to believe that God spoke and
this was a creative announcement. From His command, it became.
This separation mentioned here separated the heavens, and then in
Genesis 1:8 "And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and
the morning were the second day."
The scientists tell us, that after you go about 45 miles up into
the atmosphere, there is no barrier for all the expanse of Heaven. It
seems to have no end.
Somehow God fixed this 45 miles of atmosphere that surrounds the
earth in every direction to make it support life as we know it. So
far, scientists have not found any other planets with the same
peculiarities of earth.
At the end of the second day there is no phrase "and God saw that
it was good". Anything we might say about this would be just
supposition.
God has so perfectly made up the earth and all that surrounds it.
The atmosphere around the earth is oxygen and nitrogen, which are
mixed in exact proportion as 20 to 80 in 100 parts. If this
combination was altered, the earth would either burn up if there
was too much nitrogen, or everything would die if there was too
little nitrogen. The perfect balance of the atmosphere is a necessity
to life on this earth. God in all of this shows His perfections.
Genesis 1:9 "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be
gathered together unto one place, and let the dry [land] appear: and
it was so."
In verse 9, you could assume that there had been a flood and the
waters subsided, or you could believe that this was speaking of the
atmosphere being gathered. As we said before, it is unimportant which
happened. All we need be concerned with is the earth we live on now.
Whether another habitation of this earth was so, or not, doesn't
matter for our study here.
In this statement, we see that dry land does appear. It is
very interesting to me, that in the new heaven and new earth there will
be no sea. Revelation 21:1 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:
for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea."
Genesis 1:10 "And God called the dry [land] Earth; and the
gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that [it
was] good."
This separation of the land and water created the world as we
know it today.
In verse four, when God applied the light to this earth and
divided the light from the darkness, He did not call the darkness
good, only the light. When He separated the water from the dry land He
said both were good.
You see darkness, or negative things, are not good. God is
goodness to the ultimate. Satan is negative and everything bad.
Genesis 1:11 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the
herb yielding seed, [and] the fruit tree yielding fruit after his
kind, whose seed [is] in itself, upon the earth: and it was so."
You see God not only created the first plant life, grass, fruit,
trees etc., but He also provided the way for it to perpetuate itself.
We mentioned before how plant life could not exist without the
light acting on the chlorophyll in the plant leaves and causing it to
grow.
Notice, too, the first three words "And God said", and the last
four words say it all "and it was so".
Genesis 1:12 "And the earth brought forth grass, [and] herb
yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed
[was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good.
These two verses tell us that God's thoughts and wishes are
carried out to the utmost, and that they are also good.
In verse 13, we see again that God starts His day with evening
and ends with the morning.
Genesis 1:13 "And the evening and the morning were the third day."
Genesis 1:14 "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament
of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,
and for seasons, and for days, and years:" Genesis 1:15 "And let them
be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth:
and it was so." Genesis 1:16 "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." Genesis 1:17 "And God set them in the firmament of the
heaven to give light upon the earth," Genesis 1:18 "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."
The sun and the moon are not creative Light. They are fixtures
that we see creative Light in. The sun is one explosion after another,
but if the energy to cause the explosion was removed, the sun would go
out. The moon is a reflection of the sun. They were made for the
purpose of shining the Light upon the earth, for separating or
lighting the day and the night.
The Scripture says they were also to be for telling the seasons,
and the days, and the years. In the Jewish calendar a month occurs at
every new moon.
Notice especially, verse 15, because it is very explicit that it
does not create light. It only gives light to the earth. Both are just
huge light fixtures. God can turn them off at will, and there will
come a time that there will be no need for them. We will be in the
presence of the Light and there will not be a separation of Light;
only one eternal day in the presence of Jesus. Jesus is the Power.
There are just the holders, and separators of His Light.
Revelation 22:5 tells it all. "And there shall be no night there;
and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God
giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever."
Revelation 21:23 tells us who this Light is, "And the city had
no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory
of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof." (you see
Jesus is the Light). Where His presence is there is just eternal day,
as we read in Revelation 21:25 "And the gates of it shall not be shut
at all by day: for there shall be no night there."
The source of all Light is Jesus. All other things we associated
with light are receiving their strength from Him. In St. John 8:12
Jesus calls Himself the Light, "Then spake Jesus again unto them,
saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
You see, "God is" above His creations for He is all intelligence
and goodness as well as power, glory, and King.
In the most exalted sense, He is our Father in Heaven.
The perfect knowledge of God is His alone.
It relates to Himself and everything beyond Himself.
It includes all things that are actual and all things that are possible.
"He is Creator God". On this I will close this lesson.
Notes.
Questions 4
1. What does the application of light do to this earth?
2. What does atmospheric pressure do to waters on the earth?
3. God does not expect us to scientifically figure out how the
creation occurred, but what does He expect?
4. What planet has the same density as water?
5. Does that have any bearing on our study?
6. When God names something, what does that tell us?
7. How many miles do you go up before there are no atmospheric
barriers?
8. What phrase is omitted at the end of day two?
9. What does the atmosphere consist of?
10. What will happen if the slightest percentage of change occurs?
11. In the new heaven and the new earth, what will be omitted?
12. In Genesis 1:11, how has God provided for the perpetuation
of grass and all plant life?
13. What causes a plant to grow?
14. Besides giving light, what is the purpose of the sun and moon?
15. In heaven will there be night? Explain
16. In the heavenly city there is no need for the sun and moon for the
______________is the light.
17. Genesis 1:17 shows that God is what?
18. Who is omnipotent?
19. Who is God King of?
20. In the most exalted sense, who is God?
Notes
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