The Beginning - Part Two

 Last week as I began this series in Genesis, we looked at the opening verses which speak of God's activity on that first Creation Day. I want to continue our examination of those creation days, focusing today on days two through five. We’ll look more closely next time at the sixth day, on which God created Man.

 

By the way, when I use the word, ‘Man” I mean ‘Humanity” – unless, of course the context specifically refers to a male, as in the creation of Adam. And also, as an aside, I want to be clear that I believe each of the six days of creation were 24-hour periods, and not eons of time, as taught by many godless – and even many godly – men and women.

 

The unfathomably omnipotent Creator, who exists outside of time and space, and who CREATED time and space when He also created all that is seen and unseen simply by ‘speaking’ – He is certainly able to set aside the laws of nature and time and space because He ‘invented’ – to use a human term – He invented them. He is able to set aside those laws at any time He chooses and for His purposes.

 

That’s why Elisha could make the ax head float (2 Kings 6). It is why Sarah could conceive long after menopause and Mary could conceive without natural sexual intercourse. It is also why Jesus could walk on water and defy the law of gravity when He ascended bodily into the clouds after His resurrection.  

 

They’re called ‘miracles.’ They’re called ‘super-natural’ events. And, oh, by the way – miracles are the very reason you and I are even saved from God's wrath for our sins. When we were ‘dead’ and necrotic in our sins – that’s the Greek word St Paul used in that Ephesians 2:1 text – when we were necrotic and decomposing in our sins, God ‘spoke’ -as it were – and by His grace made us alive to become His children.

 

You may remember the ‘Dry Bones’ example in Ezekiel 37. I spoke of it a time or two ago during my Sunday message. God showed Ezekiel a huge panorama of dry and sun-bleached bones scattered across the landscape. God was speaking to the prophet about the nation of Israel, but the application certainly applies to God's miraculous intervention in YOUR life and mine: “Can these bones live?” God asked Ezekiel. And he responded, “O Lord God, You know.” Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’”

 

Can these bones live?

 

Your family, or friends, may have in times past said to God the same thing about YOU – “Oh, Lord, can [insert your name here] come to life? Can she/he live?”

 

What was God's answer to Ezekiel? And what was His answer to those who asked Him the same question about you? Well, you’re here today, aren’t you? You’ve turned your life to Christ, haven’t you? You’re born again by faith in Christ’s atoning work for you on the cross, aren’t you? 

 

Can these bones live? THAT is why you and I can have faith in the omnipotent God who supernaturally brought the universe into existence – we can have faith that the dead and dry bones of our loved ones – our children, our grandchildren, our siblings, and all else who we love – that is why we can have faith that the God who created it all in six 24-hour periods is still able to raise the spiritually dead to life.

 

Well, let’s move on, and to make the primary point I want to make in today’s message, I highlight the events of those first five days of creation: Day One – Creation of the universe, including planet earth. God also created light on this day. Day Two: God created the sky and the oceans. Day Three: God created the dry land and vegetation. On Day Four, God created the sun, moon, and stars. Day five He created birds, and creatures who live in the waters. Which brings us then to the sixth day. We’ll look more closely next week at that day, but here is the text with which most of you are familiar when God said:

“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. . ..”  [And]God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

 

Well, let’s return to those first five days of Creation and see if we cannot make some important applications to ourselves.

As we saw last week, on that first creation day, God created light itself. It would not be until the fourth creation day that He created the sun, moon, and stars to give light to the earth. And the point? God didn’t need to first create the sun and moon to give light to the earth. God the Father created light – and everything else – through God the Son. And God the Holy Spirit hovered over His creation.

 

Listen to what He tells us through St Paul’s infallible words: And now listen to St Paul to the Christians at Colossae (1:16-17): For by Him [the Father] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 

 

Listen also to St John’s proclamation: (John 1:1-5) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

 

Jesus Christ IS light, and so He is the SOURCE of light. As He said of Himself, (John 8:12) “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

 

I know we spent time last week on this point, but I bring it up again because we need—I need – to get that message deep within ourselves. If we are NOT striving to walk moment by moment in Christ’s light, then by default we are moving toward darkness. And therein lies the reason for humanity’s history of evil. And it’s not that God hasn’t repeatedly warned us of drifting toward darkness. For example, here is the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul:

 

(Romans 1:21, 24, 26-28, 32) “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened . . . Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity . . . [And to] degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind . . . and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

 

Can you imagine creatures like we all are – puny, insignificant, legends in our own minds – like pompous mosquitos turning our hearts away from our incomprehensibly omnipotent creator?

 

Sure, you can imagine it. So can I. Why? Because that’s what and who we were before we came to Christ. And those who are honest with themselves, that is what we still are even after we come to Christ. If it were not so we have no reason to repent of anything because we would always do what our Creator God tells us to do.

Let’s move on. Not only are all things in the universe created through Christ – but all things in the universe are created FOR Christ. That’s what Scripture tells us in that text I just read from Colossians “[A]ll things have been created through Him and FOR Him.”

 

ALL things. That includes you. And me. God created you and me through Christ and FOR Christ. When was the last time that truth filtered its way through your thoughts?  You – we – are created FOR Jesus. And for what purpose are we created FOR Him? That’s easy to answer. All we have to do is look at why couples seek to have children – to love them. All we have to do is look at why couples seek to adopt children – to love them.

 

You and I were created by God so He could love us. Speaking to Israel through Jeremiah, God says what is applicable to all humanity: (Jeremiah 31:3) “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”

 

Look again at each creation day and notice how systematically God worked to create an environment perfectly conducive to life and health and safety. First light, then the sky and seas, then dry land with vegetation, then the sun and moon, then creatures of the waters, followed by creatures of the dry land – including Mankind. All of creation, from the first day to the last were put into place for the sake of – and for the benefit of – the crown of God's creation – you and me.

Shortly after Nancy and I brought our second dog in our family, Nancy’s brother and wife sent us a small wooden plaque that reads: “This house is maintained entirely for the comfort of the dogs.”

 

Well, no – our house is NOT maintained for their comfort. We maintain it for OUR comfort – Nancy’s and mine.  But it is absolutely true to say that God created the UNIVERSE – including our planet – for the sake of and for the benefit of Mankind.

 

I don’t know how YOU feel about such a privileged position in which we stand before God, but listen to the Psalmist express his awe: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens . . . 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? Yet You have made him a little lower than God [some translators – angels], and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

 

How majestic is Your name. How awesome. How fearful is His name – at least, He should be feared, because if we do not hold to ourselves a healthy fear of God then we WILL eventually do things that will bring us His displeasure and His discipline.

 

What is a ‘healthy fear’ of God? It’s one that does not cower and recoil from Him as if He is a capricious and ever-angry God impatiently waiting to smite us for something or for anything. A healthy fear of God recognizes His love for us, His absolute right to give us His commandments for our good, and who WILL punish those who persist in disobedience.

 

Ananias and Sapphira are examples. They didn’t have a healthy fear of God, lied to the Holy Spirit, and ended up suddenly dead. You can read that story in Acts 5. Demas, who had joined St Paul on some of his missionary journeys did not have a healthy fear of God and ended up turning his back on Christ. You can read that in 2 Timothy 4. Then there is King Solomon. He started well, but lost his fear of God, married pagan women and soon worshiped and made sacrifice to their idols – perhaps even allowing human sacrifice to Molech. You can read that horrible story in 1 Kings 11. And then there is the story of Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10. Those sons of Aaron the High Priest of Israel even ate a meal with God on Mount Sinai. But they’d lost their fear of God and, Scripture tells us, offended God in their worship and were suddenly struck dead.

 

God makes it abundantly clear throughout His word that those who lose their fear of God will always end up offending Him. If it has been a while since you’ve read the second and third chapters of Revelation, you might do that today and refresh your memories about Christ’ warning to the Christians in those churches.

 

The point? If we are NOT striving DAILY to walk obediently, moment by moment in Christ’s light, obeying His commandments, repenting as often as necessary, then by default we are moving toward darkness and a loss of a healthy fear of God.

 

I need to start bringing this message to a close, and to do so, I want to reiterate once again our focus on the POWER of our God – not only over creation, but also over our individual lives and circumstances.

 

When a young child is with his father and is frightened, what does he typically do? He hides behind his daddy’s legs. Or what does an infant in mom’s arms so when she’s frightened? Won’t she turn from the perceived danger and hug closer to mommy?

 

Children mistakenly believe that their parents can protect them from all danger. But parents know they cannot protect their children from all dangers. We cannot even protect ourselves from all dangers. Why?

Because we are frail and fragile humans.

 

But Christians know the One who is not frail, nor powerless, nor weak, nor helpless. That One is, as Martin Luther framed it, “a mighty fortress . . a never-failing bulwark. The One is our helper amidst the flood of mortal ills – [always] prevailing.

 

Listen to what God tells us through Isaiah – and may the Holy Spirit plant this well within our souls: (Isaiah 51:12-13b) “I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies and of the son of man who is made like grass, that you have forgotten the Lord your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, that you fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor, as he makes ready to destroy?”

 

Regardless of the circumstances and regardless of the enemy attacking us – our God is an awesome God. He reigns from heaven above, with wisdom, power, and love, our God – our heavenly Father – is an awesome God.

Many years ago, as I considered the unmatched and unparalleled power of my God – or our God and Creator – I wrote this short poem. I still pray that one day the words I wrote will be inscribed on my heart. But for now, I close this message with that poem which speaks directly to the six days of creation during which our omnipotent God simply SPOKE – and all things came from into existence – created from ‘nothing’ (creatio ex nihilo).

 

When I finally leave this body and stand in the presence of my Father's glory, when He reaches from His throne and draws me into His lap, when I then understand what I could not understand in life –

 

The enormity of His incomprehensible power, the limitlessness of His reign

over every atom of eternity, that no creature in heaven or on earth can open what he shuts or shut what He opens – That the totality of creation throughout countless galaxies bow at His presence . . .

 

I think my first thought – when I realize where I am and in whose arms I rest – my first thought will not be shrouded in sorrow for my many sins, for things I did or did not do in life.

 

I think I will be most sorry that I didn’t trust Him more, when I had so many chances to do so.

 

Our world is falling apart. Some might say our world is on fire. Satan seems to have not only been unleashed but appears to be gaining ground with every passing week. But the Christian – the child of Almighty God – you and I must ever remember Who it is we serve and Who it is who calls Himself our Father.

 

“Fear not,” He tells us again and again. “I have called you by name. You are mine!” (Isaiah 43:1-2).