If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees. ~ Hal Borland
God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning -- the second day. Genesis 1:8
So far in Genesis we have seen God create the heavens and the formless earth. We have seen God create light and define its separation from darkness. And we have seen the creation of a great expanse (which is possibly a description of the creation of our atmosphere).
That is a great and complex amount to have been created. But what does it mean to create something? More importantly, what does it mean to create life?
First, perhaps, we would need to define life. What do you first think of when you hear "the creation of life"? What first comes to mind as having been created?
One of the more broad definitions of life (dictionary.com) is simply stated as "living things collectively." Is it possible, then, for what has been created thus far in Genesis to be defined as having life?
For me, reading Genesis 1:8 provokes an interesting reaction. It is a verse that seems quite easy to ignore. Why, though, is that the case? I would say it is because we have read it before.
"And there was evening, and there was morning" -- the repetitive summary and defining layout of a day.
Repetitive is boring, right?
Wrong! Repetition in the Bible means it is something extra-important to pay attention to. For me, this particular repetitive phrase provides a feeling of rhythm. God not only made creation, but He gave it a rhythm. In a sense, God provided nature with a heartbeat.
What significance is there in saying that nature has been created by God with a semblance of life?
For one, it allows a deeper comparison between God's relationship with nature and His relationship with us. We have already seen how God has intentionally acted in nature: to take something defined as having no form and steadily shaped it into something that is functional, beautiful and awe-inspiring.
What do you think this shows about how God will act in our lives? Please share.
There are several places in the Bible where the correlation between God's provision for nature and provision for man is specifically stated (Matthew 6:25-34, for one). We are not even finished reading the first chapter of Genesis and God is already proving His intentional action and provision in our individual lives!
God orchestrates, in great detail, the life of His creation -- to grow it and allow it to reach its most beautiful and fullest potential. How much more time and energy our God will give to work and grow us -- as individuals and as a Christian community -- to the great potential for which He has intentionally created us! Praise God!
This proof that we are given is our basis for faith...primarily trust. What is it that you struggle with entrusting to God? How do you think an understanding of both God's power and His intentional provision can help you grow in trusting Him?
Trust in God is a primary part of faith that many people struggle with. It is so easy to get stuck in the difficulties of our lives and forget God's overarching faithfulness. He does not ask us to just give Him our Sunday mornings or our five minutes of prayer before bed. He asks us to give Him the entirety of our lives. Absolutely everything. That includes our trust.
I urge you to pray and work this week to let God grow you in your trust in Him.
What did God show you through this verse? I would love to know! Please share in the comments.
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water. So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. Genesis 1:6-7
When looking into the account of creation, it is easy to get caught up in the details of trying to explain how the Bible really does not contradict the scientific theories of how the world, the universe, and everything came to be. One theory is called the Big Bang Theory, which many Christians make certain to hotly refute. The theory that everything came from nothing at some random point back in time without the help of any outside force not only sounds ridiculous, it attempts to completely negate both the necessity and existence of God. It is possible, however, that in our zeal to refute this particular theory, we miss an incredible opportunity to explain how God and science are not a contradiction, but rather different vantage points of the same story.
According to the Biblical account of creation, the earth was initially formless, or some undefinable mass (Gen 1:2), and was surrounded by darkness. Then God created light, and after that separated the "water from water" with what is described as an "expanse." This word expanse is actually linked to the word in Genesis 1:1 for heavens.
It really is incredible how this account correlates with the scientific view of how the world, and the universe, began. After the unexplainable beginning of matter, the universe was first a hot and dense conglomeration of particles that quickly expanded outward into the distance (an indefinable mass). Over time, regions of matter gravitationally attracted and formed things like gas clouds, stars (the creation of light) and galaxies, among other things. The gaseous cloud that eventually formed the Earth was (like the rest of the universe) rotating. This caused the heavier particles to separate toward the center of the rotating cloud-sphere, leaving a thinner gas between those inner particles and those still shifting throughout the rest of the universe. In essence, the formation of the atmosphere separated the liquid-like mass of the Earth from that of the rest of the universe (separating water from water).
Truly, though, all of that is of little importance. Certainly, it can be a powerful way of showing God's necessary role in creation. It also works to further emphasize how God is not only outside of time, but that He created time, and thus has complete control over time -- all that we know of was created in 6 days. Surely there are arguments debating whether the term day truly refers to the set time of 24 hours or more along the lines of millions of years, but those arguments are of no importance in this instance. The Bible is not meant to teach us how the world was created, because that is something we could never hope to comprehend. There are other, far more important things these verses can tell us. (I am by no means saying that evangelism is unimportant. I am stating that the primary purpose of the Bible is more in line with the following statement.) The Bible is not just an historical account -- the Bible shows us valuable information about the qualities of God.
So, what do these two verses share about who God is?
For me, the combination of the phrases "Let there be," "So God made" and "And it was so" have an important message. There is no rash or uncontemplated action through God's process of creation -- He decides what He wants, and He makes it happen. God does not act impulsively, but decidedly. Additionally, the process of creation, rather than simply immediately causing all of creation to be as He envisions it in its finality, shows God's patience and care for all of His creation.
This last thought is something I would like for you to dwell on. In the midst of the problems of this broken world, it is easy to forget the love and care that God gives. It is also easy to forget that God does not work according to our personal time-line -- and then get frustrated when we don't see Him acting when we expected. We need to remember God's ultimate wisdom in deciding when and how to act, and trust that He will always choose that which is for our very best good.
Do not say 'It is morning,' and dismiss it with a name of yesterday. See it for the first time as a newborn child that has no name. ~Rabindranath Tagore
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning -- the first day. Genesis 1:5 (NIV)
The story of creation is one which most people know, even those who don't believe in it. It's one of the first lessons that a new believer learns, and one of the few sections of the Bible that most people quote (aside from John 3:16). It is so easy to simply skim over the entire first chapter of the Bible: surely you've heard or read Genesis 1 several times before. But the Bible should never be something we should read for the sake of reading, nor skim over. The Bible is intended to help us learn, understand and change.
Knowing this, let us take another look at our verse for this week. This is the first record in the history of creation where God verbally provides a name for a piece of His creation. What does this mean? Why does He not only separate the light from the darkness but also provide them each with distinct names? I have heard it said that there are in fact two different kinds of light mentioned in Genesis: physical and spiritual. However, as I do not have any understanding of that myself, I do not want to pursue that speculation at this time.
Why do you think God chose to name individual parts of creation? What does it mean to give a name to something? Please respond in the comments.
There are a few reasons for naming something you have created. One is like designing the cover of a book -- it helps to define a little about what is inside without the reader needing to actually reading. In other words, a name helps us understand a little of creation without needing to understand all of it. Another is related to a piece of advice I have heard for children growing up on farms: never name the farm animals. The reason for this advice is simple: once you have given something a name, you become much more attached to it and its well-being. I think both of these views can be a part of God's reason for naming His creation. I also believe it is an excellent emphasis of His authority over what He created.
So, why do you think God chose to name His creation? I believe the answer you find will continue to help you understand the character of God -- and how He wants you to have an intimate relationship with Him. I am certain there are several reasons - including some which none of us will ever understand - so I will start with a few that I have noticed.
God intentionally chose to provide a name to His creation. He knows that such an action creates a bond or relationship between the "namer" and what is being named. God actively decided to create, care about, and take care of His creation. Genesis 1:3 describes when God created light, Genesis 1:5 describes when God cared about the light, and the rest of the history of light is God taking care of the light He created. God is still taking care of light to this day!
What does this tell us? First, that God is intentional in His actions. Second, that God is active in pursuing His relationships with His creation. Finally, this tells us that God is actively interacting with His creation to this day.
This has a lot of implications for us as believers. It can help us remember that God will never be absent in this world, even though it may seem as if all is falling to pieces. We can certainly be reminded of how much God cares for us as individuals: He gave us each a name, too! God cares about our well-being and has far greater knowledge of what that really means. God also wants to be in a relationship with us as individuals. We are more deeply loved by God than we can ever hope to realize, because the depth of His care for us goes infinitely beyond our comprehension! How great is that?!
What can we do with this deepened knowledge of God's character and relationship with His creation?
Well, we can stop worrying about being perfect in everything -- we never have been and never will be. God's loving care goes beyond our imperfections to help us grow to the greatest well-being He has planned for us.
Going along with that: God made everything, so that means He is in control. No matter how busy or pressured or stressed we feel, it's not up to us!
God wants us to actively pursue Him in an intimate and personal relationship. He doesn't want us to wait for Him to act in our life, but rather to have us constantly looking for His guidance and seeking His presence. We don't need to wait for perfection in order to come into the presence of God: Jesus already took care of that!
How do you think this verse can impact your life? How can the knowledge of the depth of God's love change your relationship with Him and those around you? What else has God shown you through this verse? Please share in the comments.
Remember as you go: God created you with a purpose, and intentionally named you so that He might actively pursue a deep and intimate relationship with you. You are more valuable than you can ever imagine! May you rest today and always in the peace and strength of the love of God.
