Beloved, I am pleased to share with you today the above theme from Gen 1. 1-2 onwards. Indeed, the Holy Spirit opens this book in a particularly striking way. He brings us without preamble before God, in the essential fullness of his being, and shows us in the middle of this scene where only He is at work and operates. We hear God breaking the silence of the earth, we see Him shining in the darkness that covers it, in order to create for Himself a sphere in which He can manifest His eternal power and divinity.
There is nothing here that satisfies vain curiosity, nothing about which the mind of man is called to speculate; It’s the sublimity and reality of divine truth, in its moral power, acting on the heart and on the mind. The Spirit of God does not want to nourish man’s curiosity or satisfy it with subtle theories. Geologists can probe the bowels of the earth, and derive from it materials by means of which they claim to supplement or contradict the divine writings; They can expand their speculations about fossil debris but the docile disciple clings to the inspired pages he reads, he believes, he adores. Let it be in this spirit that we continue the study of this book, and may we thus realize what it is to “inquire diligently into the Lord in his temple!” (Ps 27.2-6).
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” The first words of the sacred book place us in the presence of the One who is the infinite source of all true blessing. The Holy Spirit does not laboriously reason to prove the existence of God; he does not enter into this way: God reveals himself, he makes himself known by his works. « The heavens tell the glory of the strong God and the expanse announces the work of his hands. » “All your works shall celebrate thee, O Lord!” Only the unbeliever or the atheist seek reasoned proofs of the existence of the One who, by the words of his lips, called the worlds into existence, and revealed Himself as the sovereignly wise God, the Almighty, the eternal God.
What other than God could have created anything? “It is he who brings out their army in numbers; He calls them all by name. By the greatness of its power and its powerful strength, not one is lacking! (Isaiah 40:25-26). “The gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.” In the book of Job, chapters 38-41, Jehovah himself calls for creation as irrefutable proof of his sovereignty. This call, while presenting to the mind the clearest and most convincing demonstration of God’s omnipotence, at the same time touches the heart with its astonishing condescension. Everything is divine: majesty and love, power and tenderness!
“And the earth was desolation and empty, and there was darkness on the face of the abyss.” This is certainly a field in which only God could act. Man, no doubt, in the pride of his heart, has shown himself only too disposed to intervene in the work of God, in spheres of action of a much higher order; But here man has no place until, like all things, he becomes the object of creative power. God is alone in the work of creation. He looks from the eternal light of his dwelling, and considers this formless and empty sphere, on which he will unfold and execute his wonderful plans and counsels, and where the second person of the Trinity will live, work and die, in order to manifest, at the sight of the astonished worlds, the glorious perfections of the Divinity.
We hold perfectly certain that all true discoveries, whether “in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters that are under the earth,” are in harmony with what is written in the Word of God; All other so-called discoveries are worthy only of being rejected entirely. The heart must be perfectly assured of the fullness, authority, perfection, majesty and full inspiration of the sacred volume. This will be the only effective safeguard against rationalism and superstition. An exact knowledge of the Word and complete submission to its content are the two great desirable objects of the present day.
There are “the children of light,” and “the children of darkness”; The difference is sharp and solemn. Stars are distant lights that shine in other spheres; we see their twinkles; Moreover, they have little to do with our system. « A star differs from another star in glory. » So it will be in the coming kingdom of the Son: Sun of glory, he himself will shine with a living and eternal brilliance; and the Church will faithfully reflect her rays all around, while the saints, each individually, will shine in the special glory that the righteous Judge will bestow upon each as a reward for his faithful service during the dark night of his absence. This thought should encourage us to walk more ardently and energetically in the footsteps of our absent Lord (Luke 19:12-27).
The lower parts of creation come next: the sea and the land produce living beings in abundance. All things having been put in order now, only one leader was missing: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping animal that crawls upon the earth. And God created man in his image; he created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. And God blesses them; and God said unto them, Bear fruit, and multiply, and fill the earth and subjugate it; and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven, and over every living thing that moves on the earth. The reader will notice that after speaking of man in the singular, Scripture speaks of him in the plural; after saying, “He created him,” she says, “He created them,” and, “God blessed them” (vv. 27-28).
The formation of women is introduced in fact only in the next chapter, although, already here, God “bles” them and “their” hands over the universal government. All the lower orders of creation are placed under their common dominion: Eve is blessed with all blessings in Adam, and it is also from him that she derives all her dignity. Although not yet called into existence, it is, in God’s purposes, considered a part of man: “Your eyes have seen my formless substance, and in your book my limbs were all written; day by day they were formed, when there was none yet” (Psalm 139:16).
Then the second Man, the Lord from heaven, will sit on his throne and, with the Church his bride, he will reign over the renewed creation. This Church was born from the tomb of Christ, it is part of “his body”, “his flesh and bones”. He, the Head; it, the body, together make one Man. The Church, thus being part of Christ, will occupy a unique place in glory. No creature was united to Adam as Eve was, because none other than it was a part of himself. Thus too the Church will occupy the closest place to Christ in the glory to come. It’s not only what the Church will be, but what she is that deserves our admiration. It’s now the body of which Christ is the head, “the head”; it’s the temple in which God dwells.
The order of God’s creative work was this: In the first four days, God brings light and order out of the bosom from darkness and confusion. The first day, light; the scene of celestial power above the earth, on the second day; He separated what was formed and in order, on the one hand, from the powerful but formless mass, from the waters, on the other; Then he adorned with beauty and fertility the habitable and orderly scene, on the third day. The symbols of a guiding power were visibly placed in their place on the fourth day. The theatre of man’s development and domination was formed; The man wasn’t there yet. But before creating man, God created living beings of every kind in the seas, on the earth and in the air, which were to spread and multiply the proofs of God’s life-giving power, by which he could communicate to matter a living energy. Thus, not only was a scene formed where God’s counsel to man could unfold, but also those existences appeared that man was to govern in such a way as to manifest his energies and rights, according to God’s will and as holding His place, as His ‘vice-manager’ on earth. Man is apart and distinct from everything, the centre of everything, the dominator of all creatures, in which he is interested because they belong to him, living in his own sphere of happiness according to his nature, ordering, as for other creatures, all things in blessing, for all are subject to him.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped for your better understanding.
The creation of the universe:
- The heavens, creation of
Gen. 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 1 Ch 16:26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, and the Lord has made heaven. Psalm 102:26 You have formerly founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. Isaiah 40:22 He sits above the circle of the earth, and those who inhabit Him are like locusts; He spreads the heavens like a light cloth, He unfolds them like a tent, to make them His home.
- Creator
Neh 9:6 It is you, Jehovah, you alone, who have made the heavens, the heavens of heaven and all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all these things, and the host of heaven bows down before you. John 26:7 He stretches the north over the void, He suspends the earth over nothingness. Acts 14:15 exclaiming: O men, why do you do this? We, too, are men of the same nature as you; and, bringing you good news, we exhort you to renounce these vain things, to turn to the living God, who made heaven, earth, sea, and all that is therein. Heb 11:3 It’s by faith that we recognize that the world was formed by the word of God, so that what we see was not made of visible things.
- Earth, facts about the
Gen. 10:25 Two sons were born in Heber: the name of one was Peleg, because in his time the land was divided, and his brother’s name was Jokthan. 2 Sam. 22:8 The earth was shaken and trembled, The foundations of heaven shuddered, and they were shaken, because he was irritated. Job 26:7 He stretches the north over the void, He suspends the earth over nothingness. Psalm 24:1 Psalm of David. To the Lord the earth and what it contains, The world and those who inhabit it!
- Power of God, is infinite
John 42:2 I recognize that you can do anything, and that nothing stands in the way of your thoughts. Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven, He does whatever He wants. Mt 19:26 Jesus looked at them, and said to them, “It is impossible for men, but for God all things are possible.” Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God.
From all the above, we note that ina word, man is placed in the midst of all this creation thus prepared. But that is not all: he was not to come out of matter by a mere act of God’s will, like the animals created by that power which calls things that are not as if they were, and they exist (Rom. 4:17). God formed man from dust, then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life; and man became a living soul, in immediate relationship with God. As the apostle says somewhere in a quote: We are his race (Acts 17:28). It’s not said about him: “Let the earth produce!” but: “Let’s make man!” and he created man in his image; he created him, no doubt, to multiply like other living creatures, but he gave him dominion over them and made him the center and head of God’s creation on earth. The seeds of this fertile land were given to him for food; The green grass she produced was likewise given to animals. Violence and death did not yet exist. We shall see, in chapter 2, another principle of immense importance, which appears in relation to man, when the question of his relationship with God is put forward. Here it is the creation of man, as distinct from all others; it is presented as the work or creature of God, the leader and center of all else, the ruler over all created beings. But we may notice that although man represents God and is made in his likeness, there is no question here of justice or holiness; These were introduced through redemption and participation in the divine nature. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in truth to pray with me:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my personal Lord and Savior. I acknowledge that you died at the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and my faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me into your divine family, so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom by walking according to your ways.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to be baptized by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power and glory, now and for ever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “Formation of Man and Woman, the Garden of Eden.” (Gn 2)
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.