The Forming

Transcript

If you have your Bibles with you this morning, would you please turn with me to Genesis chapter 1 We’ll be looking at verses 3 through 13. And if you don’t have a Bible There are some Bibles in front of you in the seat below There you will find a Bible and you can find our text on page 1

Now I’m going to read our text. We’ll pray and then we’ll hear what the Lord has to say to us this morning Genesis chapter 1 verse 3 through 13 And God said let there be light and there was light and God saw that the light was good And God separated the light from the darkness And God separated the light from the darkness God called the light day and the darkness he called night and there was evening and there was morning the first day And God said let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters And let it separate the waters from the waters And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse From the waters that were above the expanse and it was so and God called the expanse heaven

And there was evening and there was morning the second day And God said let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place And let the dry land appear and it was so God called the dry land earth and the waters that were gathered together. He called seas And God saw that it was good And God said let the earth sprout vegetation plants yielding seed and Fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed each according to its kind on the earth and it was so And it was so The earth brought forth vegetation Plants yielding seed according to their own kinds And trees bearing fruit in which is their seed each according to its kind And God saw that it was good And there was evening and there was morning the third day Family this is the word of the Lord Thanks be to God

Let’s pray Our father and our God we thank you for your word We thank you that it is true We thank you for what it communicates to us We thank you for how it transforms us But we confess Father that without the help of the Holy Spirit We can’t know your word. It wouldn’t mean anything to us And it wouldn’t transform us So we pray oh Lord in God that you would give us the help of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the text To shine light into the darkness of our minds and our hearts So that we might see you clearly and plainly in your word Father we pray that along with the help of illumination You would help to bend our hearts to the truth of your word And that it would mold us more into the image of Jesus

Freedom from False Gods

We pray these things in Christ’s name Amen I want you to imagine the scene for a moment I want you to imagine the scene for a moment A massive wilderness stretching out under the blazing sun And in this wilderness you have a people Hundreds of thousands of people They are the Israelites And there they stand in the wilderness exhausted and beat down But free for the first time in generations Right behind them The land of Egypt The place and people of their bondage and oppression for generations For over 400 years The Israelites lived in Egypt Surrounded by so-called gods that dominated every aspect of life Like Ra the sun god Or Nun the god of the waters Or Osiris the god of agriculture And even Pharaoh himself Who claimed divinity This polytheistic worldview shaped their environment And likely their perspective on God or the gods

But now for the first time in a very long time The Israelites were free God had brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm They had seen their God the God of the Bible Yahweh Humiliate Pharaoh and the false gods of Egypt with plagues That struck at the very heart of Egypt’s religion Like the sun being blotted out in darkness The Nile River turning to blood and even the death of Egypt’s firstborn The one true and living God had proved his power But these newly freed people needed to understand something deeper than power It’s not enough for Israel’s God to be stronger than Egypt’s gods They needed to understand that Yahweh alone is God The gods of Egypt were nothing Pretend gods mere creations of human hands and imagination And to help the Israelites understand or remember who their God is

Moses stands before his people and begins to tell them a story Not a new story and not just any story But the oldest and most significant story of all The story of creation It’s a story that answers the question lingering in their hearts Who is the God who just rescued us? Is he like the gods of Egypt? Just another God in a long line of deities fighting for power Or is he something more? And so Moses standing in the wilderness With the newly freed Israelites Begins by stating that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth He doesn’t begin with gods wrestling for control Or the chaos of ancient spiritual forces Like the stories that the Israelites had heard over and over again While in Egypt He begins with the one true God Sovereign and eternal who spoke the world and everything in it into existence

And Moses recounts Through each day How this God Their God Brought light from darkness Order from chaos And life from nothing And as Moses spoke The Israelites would have recognized This incredible contrast The same contrast they saw When God poured out his judgment on Pharaoh With the plagues When God said Let there be light It was a direct challenge To the Egyptian God Ra The supposed sun God When he separated the waters And formed the heavens It was a rebuke to the non-existent God Nun The supposed God of water When he caused the earth to bring forth vegetation It was a declaration of supremacy Over Osiris The supposed God of agriculture You see just like the plagues Each Was a demonstration of God’s power But it was also a mockery Of the false gods they had left behind in Egypt For a people surrounded by these so-called gods

This story of creation Wasn’t just an account of Beginnings It was a confrontation with idolatry But even more than that And most importantly For the Israelites It was an invitation To know the one true creator Whose power and purpose Stands unmatched in the world He is the creator of all things The sun The earth The planets Everything the Egyptians had worshipped as divine It was all the work of God’s Eternal and powerful hands And family this is the context Of Genesis 1 And this is how they would have Landed This is how Moses’ audience Would have understood What was being declared in Genesis 1 It wasn’t just a story About how the world came to be It was a story that Redefined everything they knew About the gods of their oppressors About creation itself And about the God who called them To be his people

The Structure of Creation

And as Moses begins This story of creation He structured it in a way That revealed Not only God’s creative power But his wise purpose and order Moses explained how In seven days The one true God Unfolded his divine plan For his people Six days of work And one day of rest The first three days God bringing shape And structure And boundaries To what was once formless and void The next three days Were days of filling God populating his creation With life and beauty The last Was the day of resting God resting from his work In the world And with this context This morning We’re going to focus our attention To see what they reveal Not just about The God who brought the Israelites Out of Egypt But most importantly About the God who is still Forming and shaping And redeeming his creation today Now before we

Dive too deep Into the days of creation I do think it’s important To mention That Christians Throughout history Have understood these days of creation So while Genesis 1 Clearly declares God as the creator The way we understand The nature and timing of these days Has been the subject Of thoughtful discussion For centuries So let me give you A few examples Of the five most common Explanations for the days of creation So first you have The literal 24 hour day view The perspective holds That each day in creation Is a literal consecutive 24 hour period And according to this view The universe was created In six ordinary days So this view Kind of takes Genesis And its text at face value Secondly you have The framework view This interpretation Sees the days of creation As a literary framework For creative work Rather than a kind of

Chronological timeline The focus is more On the theological message Rather than the literal Sequence of events Third you have The day age view In this view Each day represents A long undefied period Of time Which could mean Millions of years. This can also mean An extended period Not just a 24 hour day Fourth you have The gap theory This view suggests That there is a significant Gap of time Between Genesis 1 verse 1 And Genesis 1 verse 2 This belief Is that the initial Creation described In verse 1 Was a kind of Old earth While affirming The biblical account And then fifth The analogical day view According to this perspective The days of creation Are God’s work days Which would be similar To human days But just not necessarily The same kind of Duration of time This view emphasizes These are the five most popular views.

Are important for us to understand Now as we consider these views I do think it’s important To understand that Christians Who love the Lord Who honor his word Have reached different Conclusions about these specifics Of how the world was created These differences often Come down to how they Interpret certain words The genre of the text Of the world So family what this means Is that we have to Approach this discussion With a certain level Of humility And charity While we may hold To convictions about These ideas We got to remember That the central truth Of Genesis 1 The truth that unites us Is that God is Now with that said I do want to make it clear That the last three views That I mentioned I think are reactions To modern science Which in many ways I view as a bit problematic But we can still

Day One: Light and Darkness

Exercise charity here And just to put my cards On the table I know you’re wondering I along with the other elders hold to a literal view. I’ll let y’all figure out the details. But regardless of position Charity is required And in the end When we are with the Lord All our questions Concerning creation Will be answered Amen So we will have to Defer our certainty On the subject Until we are with Jesus Okay So As we now look at The first three days Of creation Let’s not focus on How we might differ In interpretation But on how these days And what these days Reveal About the God Who created the world And calls us to know Him Okay Now To help us along I’ve broken up our text Into three sections Can you guess what they are

Okay obviously day one Day two Day three Day one Day two Ocean and sky Day three Land and sea Okay So with that Let’s begin Where Moses begins Day one Light and darkness We see this in verses Three through five And God said Let there be light And there was light And God saw That the light was good And God separated The light from the darkness God called the light Day And the darkness He called night And there was evening And there was morning The first day It’s pretty Straight forward But before we Get into the details Of day one I do think It’s important to remember Where we left off Last week To help us With some context Moses in verse Two tells us That The earth Was without form And void And darkness Was over the face Of the deep And the spirit of God

Was hovering Over the face Of the waters So before God begins To form the world The best way We could describe The conditions Of the world Was dark Wet And empty Okay It’s as simple As we can make it These are The kinds of Conditions That aren’t Necessarily suitable For living creatures And this is why God begins To form it And the first Of this forming Comes with this Declaration Let there be light And then Out of nothing Or rather Out of darkness Light began Covering the earth Now The question You might be asking And rightfully so Is how was there Light If God had Yet to create The luminaries Okay Because if you’re familiar With the creation account You know that The sun The moon And the stars The things that Kind of shine light On everything They weren’t created Until the fourth day

Well The answer Is that This particular light That broke Into the darkness Is a different Kind of light Than the light We see From the sun The moon And the stars This specific light Emanates From God Himself Which means This light Isn’t just About illumination It’s a manifestation Of God’s Own glory It’s the radiance Of his presence I mean He constantly Describes God as light Psalm 104 2 tells us That God Wraps himself In light Like a garment Habakkuk 3 4 speaks of The radiance Of his glory Shining forth And 1 John 1 5 Says that God is light And in him There is no Darkness at all So before Anything else Was formed God reveals Himself As the source Of all light The one who Reflects The darkness And chaos And this Light It doesn’t just Brighten Creation It reflects The holiness The purity

And the life Giving nature Of God Himself And what Begins With this Moment In Genesis With light Coming into The world In many ways Is already Beginning to Point us Forward To where You see this in John 1 The same verse That tells us That Jesus Was there In the beginning With God Who spoke The world Into existence Also tells us In verses 4 and 5 That in him Was life And the life Was the light Of men The light Shines in the darkness And the darkness Has not overcome it You see Just as the light In Genesis 1 Drove out The darkness Jesus Came into Our dark And fallen world This is why Jesus says Of himself In John 8 12 I am the light Of the world Whoever follows Me Will not walk In darkness But will have The light Of life So Jesus

Is not just A reflection Of God’s light He is the light He is The very glory Of God Who walked Among us The Bible tells us In 2 Corinthians For God Who said Let light shine out Of darkness Has shown In our hearts To give the light Of the knowledge Of the glory of God In the face Of Jesus Christ But this motif Of the light shining In the darkness Doesn’t end there is this moment In Jesus’ Earthly ministry Where we get a glimpse Of this light That emanates From himself We see this On the Mount Of Transfiguration As Jesus Stands before Peter James And John Jesus’ Face is said To shine Like the sun His clothes Become radiant As light So On this mountain It’s as if For just a moment The veil Of his flesh Is pulled Back In his glory The same glory

That illuminated Creation In Genesis 1 Is fully revealed To his disciples And at that moment The disciples realize That they aren’t just looking At a good teacher Or at a prophet They are witnessing The same light That overcame The darkness In the beginning Of creation You ever wonder Why these disciples Would go on To turn the world Upside down Risking their very lives To proclaim Jesus? Because they saw The glory Of God Shining brighter Than the sun Something that We will all One day see So again This isn’t a reflected Or borrowed light Jesus Is the light The source of all light And this light Isn’t just A reminder Of the beginning It’s also A foretaste Of the end Revelation 21 23 Tells us that In the new Jerusalem In the new heavens And new earth That the city Will have no need Of sun

Or moon To shine on it For the glory Of God Gives it light And its lamp Secondly Jesus is the lamb Of God Who will be the lamp Lighting the new heavens And the new earth For all of eternity The light of Genesis The light of the transfiguration The light of Jesus As the light of the world It all points To God’s eternal plan And most prominent feature He is the light And therefore He brings light Into the darkness So this first Act of creation Is so much bigger Than what it Sounds like On the surface This is a divine Revelation Of Jesus Who is the light Who comes to bring light Into our dark world Now just Consider this for a second How this act Of brightening light Into the world Would have hit The Israelites In the wilderness Just as they were Delivered from Egypt

The Israelites Coming out of Centuries of slavery In Egypt Who were so immersed In polytheistic culture They would have understood God’s creation Of light In Genesis 1-3 As a direct And powerful Challenge To the Egyptian Worldview Especially because Of their pagan Worship of Ra You see The Egyptians Viewed Ra The sun god As the supreme god He was considered The most powerful deity In the Egyptian pantheon Often called The king of gods He was believed To bring light And life And order To the world They also believed That Pharaoh Was the son of Ra Considered as divine As the divine Embodiment of Ra On earth Reinforcing Pharaoh’s Rule and authority As sacred And unchallenged So here With the god Who created light Who emanated life And light From himself Without any help From the sun Or the moon Or the stars This would have been

For people coming Out of Egypt Where they would have Been surrounded By all of these Symbols And all of the Myths of Ra’s Dominance Genesis 1-3 Was a theological Declaration The god Who brought them Out of Egypt Is not only the creator Of life And light But he is light Himself In other words It was a reminder That Ra And Pharaoh Were far from Being gods They were powerless False gods Under Yahweh’s Dominance And knowing this Would have strengthened Their faith You see If god Could speak light Into existence And bring them Out of Egypt’s Darkness Then he could also Guide them through The wilderness And into the Promised land So god Not only reveals Who he is In creation But he also Exposes the false Gods of Egypt For who they are Nothing but Idolatrous figments Of Egypt’s Imagination So God brings

Light into Darkness To reveal Himself And saw that it Was good Meaning god Was satisfied In bringing Light And order Into the darkness And chaos Of the world And Moses Continues The story Of creation He then Describes how god Separates The light And calls them Day and night Now this isn’t Just a kind of Random or Unimportant detail About light And darkness It’s actually Different from the Act of creating Light The act of Separating and Naming Light and Darkness Actually accomplishes Two very profound Things First It establishes Time By separating The light from The darkness And naming them Day and night God creates The framework Of time As we Understand it These Cycles Of light And dark Become the means By which Time is Organized Morning and Evening Day after day It’s this Cycle of time That god Creates This is the Foundation Of order

In creation I mean just Think about This for a second How would Our life Be if there Was no Structure or Order of time It would be Chaos I think about People who live in Alaska And it’s just like You know I don’t even know What to do with that I can’t even deal With the fact that The sun doesn’t come Out here Until like Eight o’clock It’s confusing God didn’t just Create these Elements of the Universe He set them in Motion He gave them Rhythm and Boundaries and Symmetry and Order and Purpose So it’s in this Act of separating And naming That god Establishes time For us Secondly It Demonstrates God’s Sovereign rule And delegated Authority So not only Does god Establish time But he also Demonstrates his Authority over It by naming It Light By naming The light Day and The darkness Night

And to Name something Was to Declare ownership And authority Over it By naming Light and Darkness God declares His sovereign Rule over Time and Creation But what’s Crazy is that This act of Naming With this Act God in His goodness He actually Passes it on To his Humanity Later in Genesis 2 We’ll see how This isn’t just Like a practical Task to keep Adam busy Or to keep Him from being Bored It’s a Way of Adam Exercising Dominion Over Creation Adam’s Naming Is an Extension of God’s Sovereign Authority That gets Delegated to Humanity To rule Under God’s Sovereign Authority And So Day One Concludes With God Creating Light And Then Separating It From The Darkness And On The Second Day God Continues His Work Of Forming By Creating Light On The Second Day And God Said Let There Be An Expanse In The Midst Of

Day Two: Ocean and Sky

The Waters And Let It Separate The Waters From The Waters And God Continues His Work Of Forming Light On The Second Day And So Day One Where God Not Only Creates But He Separates Here He Creates The Expanse And Then He Separates The Waters From The Waters Above And The Waters Below And In This Act Of Creating The Expanse God Begins Structuring The World Ordering What Was Called The Red Sea The Imagery Of God Dividing The Waters Would Have Carried Crazy Significance They Had Just Seen First Hand How God Ruled Over The Chaotic Waters Holding Them Back Into Chaos Establishing The Expanse As The Boundary Between The Waters Above And The Waters Below Much Like What Was Happening At The Red Sea And I Think What’s Happening Is That The Ocean And The Sky Are Entirely Made Of Water And This Separation Of Water The

Ocean And The Clouds Are Very Fundamentally Necessary For Life Clouds Are A Crucial Part Of The Weather Systems That Sustain The World It Creates This Cycle In Which The Cloud Carries Moisture Which Then Falls As Rain Then It Nourishes The Earth And This Separation Of Water And The Sky Are Entirely Made Of Water The Ocean And This Separation Of Water Then Falls As Rain Then It Nourishes The Earth And This Separation Of Water And This Separation Of Water Then Falls As Rain Then It Nourishes The Ocean And This Separation Of Water Then Falls As Rain Then It Nourishes The Ocean And This Separation Of Water And This Separation Of Water Then Falls As Rain Then It Nourishes The Ocean And This Separation Of Water Then It Nourishes The Ocean And This Separation Of Water And This Separation Of Water Then Falls As Rain Then It

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