Creation Series

DAY 4

SUN,

               MOON,

                                  and STARS

               GENESIS 1:14-19  

                    ( Job 26:13 )

    I.  In General...vv. 14, 15

        1.  The command given...."let there be lights"...in vs. 3 ( chaos of lights )...now collected, modelled, different lights.

             a.  God...Father and former of lights.  ( Luke 8:16; Dan. 12:3 )

 

        2.  The intended use.

             a.  Distinction of times...( day/night; summer/winter )...( Ecc. 3:1 )

             b.  Direction of actions...( weather...( Matt. 16:2, 3 )...( walking/working...( John 11:9; 9:4 )...

                  Psalm 8:3, 4 )

QUOTE:  "The lights of heaven are made to serve us, and they do it faithfully, and shine in their season, without fail:  but we are set as lights in this world to serve God; and do we in like manner answer the end of our creation?"  Matt. 5:14  "We burn our Master's candles, but do not mind our Master's work."

   II.  In Particular...vv. 16-18

         1.  Observe...the lights of heaven...sun, moon, stars.

              a.  Sun - greatest light...Psalm 19:1-6 )

              b.  Moon - lesser light.

                    i.  greater in regard to it's "borrowed" light.

                   ii.  inferior to most stars, but by its virtue of office it becomes "ruler" of the night...Matt. 20:26 )

              c.  Stars.

                    i.  rule ( not supreme dominion )...vv. 16-18...Psalm 136:9 )

                   ii.  give light...Jer. 31:35

         2.  Learn.

              a.  Sin and folly in worshiping these lights...Deut. 4:19 )

              b.  Duty and wisdom; prayer and praise to the God who created them for us!             

          

           

         

Creation Series

CREATION
DAY 3 - DRY LAND & PLANTS
Genesis 1:9-13

"Designed for the children of men to inhabit and to maintain"

 I..  HABITATION FOR MAN.  ( vv. 9, 10 )

     A.  What was confusion...( v2 )...is now order and both made useful.  

          1.  Waters gathered in one place.  ( Seas )

               a.  Above or below ground, they communicate with one another.  ( Ecc. 1:7 )

          2.  Waters/Seas many times picture "troubles and afflictions".  ( Ps. 42:7; 69:2, 14, 15 )

          3.  The waters bound by the Almighty hand of God.  ( Ps. 104:6-9; Job 38:10, 11 )

     B.  Separation of Water and Land.  ( Earth ) 

          1.  God forms the dry land.  ( Ps. 95:5; Jonah 1:9 )

II.  FURNISHED FOR MAN TO MAINTAIN.  ( vv. 11, 12 )

     A.  Earth becomes fruitful upon its spoken existence for a perpetual time.

          1.  Grass for cattle.

          2.  Herb for man. 

          3.  Vegetables.

     

     B.  The Earth is the Lord's AND the fullness thereof.

          1.  Earth was empty and void...v. 2...yet through the spoken word of God is now full and useful.  

               ( Hosea 2:9 )

          2.  Matthew Henry comments that "Though the use of them is allowed to us, the property still 

               remains in him, and to his service and honour they must be used."

          3.  Providence...continued creation. ( MH )

          4.  Fruits normally are influenced by the sun and moon ( Deut. 33;14 ), here are fruit BEFORE 

               they ( sun/moon ) are created...."what a Mighty God we serve."

          5. Matthew Henry comments that "it is good to provide things necessary before we have occasion to

              use them."

          6.  "God must have the glory of all the benefit we receive from the products of the earth, either for 

               food or physic."

          7.  God hears....( Hosea 2:21, 22 )         

  

               

Creation: Day 2 - Firmament

August 29, 2010

CREATION

Day 2 - Firmament

Genesis 1:6-8

I.  The Command of God Concerning it:  "let there be a firmament", ( an expansion ).

     A.  All that is visible above the earth.  ( Job 26:7; 37:18; Ps. 104:3; Amos 9:6 )

          1.  The Air  ( the receptacle ).

          2.  The Celestial Globe

          3.  The Spheres and Orbs of light above     

2.  The Creation of it: "And God made the firmament"

      A.  The work of God's fingers.  ( Ps. 8:3 )

3.  The Use and Design of it:  ( Deut. 11:10, 11 )
     A.  Divide the waters from the waters.
     B.  Waters in clouds/waters covering the seas. 
     C.  Egypt moistened/fruitful with waters below, but Canaan from above.  ( Micah 5:7 )
     D.  Chambers/Store chambers.  ( Ps. 104:13; 115:9, 10 )
     F.  Treasures of snow, hail.  ( Job 38:22, 23 )

4.  The Naming of it: "HEAVEN"
     A.  His throne is above it.  ( Ezekiel 1:26 )
     B.  Heavens rule.  ( Dan. 4:26 )
     C.  God in Heaven.  ( Job 22:12 )

"The height of the heavens should remind us of God's supremacy and the infinite distance there is between us and him;  the brightness of the heavens and their purity should remind us of  his glory, and majesty, and perfect holiness;  the vastness of the heavens, their encompassing the earth, and the influence they have upon it, should remind us of his immensity and universal providence."          

Creation Series

August 15, 2010

CREATION

Day 1- Day and Night

Genesis 1:3-5

1.  THE FIRST OF ALL BEINGS....LIGHT!

Matthew Henry makes the statement that the first "being" God created was "light".  The first question that came to mind was, "How can 'light' be a being".  With the help of my Pastor, D. Jason McNeese, the question was quickly answered.  We find that answer in John 1:4.  Thank God for the Preacher!

God created light for "us" to see his handiwork for "the darkness and light are both alike to Him"  ( John 9:4; 3:21 )  Matthew Henry goes on to explain that though we see God's wondrous works by it, we cannot completely understand it ( Job 38:19, 24; Romans 11:33 )

The "light" helps us to be "led to, and assisted in, the believing contemplation of him who is light, infinite and eternal light" ( 1 John 1:5; James 1:17...."...Father of lights,...1 Timothy 6:16..."an inaccessible light,"... ).  When we become a new creature, Henry says, the "first thing wrought in the soul is light:"  AMEN!

2.  LIGHT MADE BY THE WORD OF GOD'S POWER.  ..."let there be light"...Genesis 1:3

"Christ is the Word,"..and "Light"....John 1:1, word; vv. 4, 5, 7, -9....light; also 9:5 ).Matthew Henry says, "opening the understanding, scattering the mists of ignorance and mistake, and giving knowledge of the glory God in the face of Christ".  2 Corinthians 4:6; 1 John 5:20

3.  HE APPROVED THE LIGHT.  Genesis 1:4a

"It was "useful and profitable";".  ( Ecc. 11:7...sweet; Prov. 15:30...rejoiceth the heart

4.  GOD DIVIDED THE LIGHT FROM THE DARKNESS.  Genesis 1:4b   

They can never have true fellowship again...."or reconciled"...2 Corinthians 6:14...yet darkness has a purpose...Job 7:2

"In heaven there is perfect and perpetual light, and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness, and no gleam of light."  Matthew Henry speaks of the great gulf between these two places...earth...where these to interchange with one another....that's good stuff!

5.  THE LIGHT "DAY"......THE DARKNESS "NIGHT".  Genesis 1:5

God gave each it's own name.....and is the Lord of both...Psalm 74:16....Henry asks us to be "working for Him every day and rest in Him every night..."

6.  THE EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE FIRST DAY...Genesis 1:5c       

 

 

Digging Again the Wells

August 8, 2010

CREATION INTRODUCTION

PART 2 - GEN. 1:2 

We looked last week at the creation of heaven and earth in its "EPITOME"...this week we will look at it in its "EMBRYO":

The first matter and the first mover:

1.  "A chaos was the first matter." ( earth ), created on the 3rd day ( Gen. 1:10 ).  Also known as the "deep"...Matthew Henry comments on its destitution, its vastness, and "because the waters which were afterwards separated from the earth were now mixed with it."  Through this gradual process Henry comments that God is showing us "the method of his providence and grace."

    

     a.  "nothing in it desirable"..."without form and void".  Isa. 34:11

     b.  "shapeless,...useless"..."shadow of things to come".  Heb. 10:1; Jer. 4:23

     c.  "darkness, was upon the face of the deep."  Gen. 1:2: representation of

          "an unregenerate graceless soul:...disorder, confusion,...every evil

          work...empty of all good,...."for it is without God;"

2.  "The Spirit of God was the first mover:" ( v. 2 )

     Matthew Henry, refers to the earth and recalls the valley of dead bones and

     asks can these live again? ( Ezekiel 37:9 ); Psalm 33:6; Job 26:13

     a.  Elijah upon the dead child is looked at as a hen gathering her chicks in

          Matthew 23:37.

     b.  The Eagle stirring up its nest in Deut. 32:11.

Matthew Henry states..."That God is not only the author of all being, but the fountain of life and spring of motion."   Amen!

Lastly, Henry speaks of how this same power to create something from nothing will be the same power that brings "our vile bodies" out of the grave of and will "make them glorious bodies."  ( Job 10:22 )

GOD'S THOUGHT FOR ME:  The mother's womb...empty, void, dark, yet through the act of love is created "chaos"...void and without form, a child.  Then as the mother nurtures herself and child, 9 months later through childbirth, the waters that were once mixed in and around us are separated from us...Amen!, a new creation of God comes forth from the pouring out of "blood and water" from the womb.

SPIRITUAL APPLICATION:  This same process is seen in the redemption of the lost sinner into the redeemed family of God.  In Genesis 3 we have man fallen into sin...doomed for eternity until an act of love on the cross of Calvary...through the out-pouring of "blood and water"... John 19:34...God caused us to become a new creature in Christ...2 Cor. 5:17...that aught to make us shout and we are just in the first two verses of the entirety of God's precious and Holy Word!

Genesis 1 ( M. H. Commentary )

August 1, 2010

CREATION INTRODUCTION
 PART 1 - Gen. 1:1 

Genesis 1:1, 2; also 

Psalm 119:130; Hebrews 11:3

     Here we see God ( Elohim ) creating "heaven and earth".  Matthew Henry asks us to look at four things:

     THE EPITOME

          1.  The Effect Produced - heaven and earth, its whole frame and furniture of the universe. (  

               Acts17:24 )

                    a. Great variety.

                    b. Great beauty.

                    c. Great exactness and accuracy.

                    d. Great power. 

                    e. Great order.

                    f. Great mystery.

          2.  The "Author" and cause of this great work - "GOD"

                a. Elohim - the power of God the Creator.

                    i. El - the strong God.

                b. Elohim - the plurality of persons in the Godhead.  ( Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ) in the 

                    Hebrew.  Trinity. ( Prov. 8:30; also John 1:3, 10; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2 )

          3.  The "Manner" in which this work was effected:
               a. God created it from "nothing"...

                   cre·ate - 1. to cause to come into being, as something unique that would not naturally evolve or  

                                     that is not made by ordinary processes. ( www.dictionary.com )

          4.  "When" this work was produced:
               a.  "In the beginning"..."time began with the production of those beings that are measured by time."
                    ( John 1:1; Psalm 121:2; 124:8; Neh. 9:6; Acts 17:24, 25; Rev. 4:11 )...though God requires 
                    nothing from us to create...He does indeed require our praise "because of" creation.

Introduction

Dear Christian Friends,

The Lord has laid on my heart to start a new weekly blog ( Sundays )...I pray it will be a blessing to you and your families....The desire for this comes from Genesis 26:18....to dig again the wells of Abraham!