127. THE CREATION OF THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH
In our last lesson, we learnt that the Bible is God's word and in that Word we read of His plan and purpose with the earth.
This lesson will deal with the beginning of that purpose € the creation week.
The wonders of nature show the work of God in creation (Psa. 19:1), but many people today do not believe that God created all things in the beginning. At school young people are taught that living things came into being by a chance combination of chemicals millions of years ago. They are taught that different forms of life developed by a process called "evolution". It is taught that man himself "evolved" from lower animals.
This is not true, and cannot be proved. Scientists themselves admit that it is a 'theory" (that is, an attempt to explain how everything came into being, instead of accepting God as the Creator). The wonders of nature cannot be explained if we leave out God as the Designer and Creator. In the Bible, God tells how all things were made and reveals His purpose in creating them (Refer to the comments on evolution at the back of this section).
Genesis 1; 2:1-3
THE PURPOSE OF CREATION (Num. 14:21; Hab. 2:14).
The purpose of God in creation was to fill the earth with His glory, but this has not yet been completed. The beauty and wonder of the physical creation, from the immense heavenly bodies to the tiniest flower or in sect, show God's amazing handiwork. However, the glory to be seen in the Kingdom will be seen in men and women who show God's character in their lives. Throughout the ages, God has been calling out of the na tions "a people for His Name" (Acts 15:14). These people will be the redeemed from all ages who will show His glory in the Age to come, in a world that will be restored to its original beauty and peace. What a wonderful Kingdom it will be, when the immortalized saints will show the perfect characteristics of God in their lives; teaching by their instruction and by their example the way the mortal people should serve God.
The history of mankind has been a record of wickedness and misery. Even the glories of nature are being ruined by man's selfishness and stupidity, but God will put an end to this when His Kingdom is set up on earth. Then everything will truly reflect His glory, as prophesied in such scriptures as Psalm 72 and Micah 4:14.
"IN THE BEGINNING" (Gen. 1:1-2; Prov. 3:19).
The name of the first book in the Bible "Genesis", means beginning . This introduces us to God as the Creator. God Himself has declared that He created the world and mankind (Isa. 45:18). This is a remarkable verse for it is another quotation showing that God is one (see Lesson No. 1) and that He has created the heavens and earth with design and purpose. It was not created in vain. The earth shall be inhabited by people who one day will give honour and glory to God as they experience the joys and wonders of the Kingdom Age.
In Genesis 1:1,2 we are told that "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." The earth was "without form and void" -without order, in complete? darkness and empty of life. So God com menced to set everything in order, ready for the life He intended to place there, to carry out His purpose.
Verse 2 tells us that the "spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." This Spirit is God's power € by which all things were made (Psa. 104:30; Job 33:4). This work of organization happened about 6,000 years ago. God said the word, and the angels carried out the command; so the work was done (Psa. 33:6-9; 103:20-21).
THE SIX DAYS OF CREATION (Gen. 1:3-31).
Each of the days in the Creation week was a period of 24 hours. For we read "the evening and the morning was the first day", and so on. But notice the order of the creation.
1st Day € vv. 3-5: God caused light to shine through the darkness. The light He called Day, and the darkness, Night.
2nd Day € vv. 6-8: God made the firmament (the atmosphere or heavens) and divided the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmament. He caused clouds to form and the sky to appear.
3rd Day € vv.9-13: The waters on the earth were gathered together into seas, causing the dry land to appear, which God called Earth. Then God caused grass, other plants and all kinds of trees to grow on the earth.
4th Day € vv. 14-19: God made (or "appointed" € compare Psa. 104:19) two great lights, the sun to rule the day and the moon (together with the stars) to rule the night. These were placed to provide the condi tions needed for life on the earth.
5th Day € vv. 20-23: Fish appeared in the seas. Also other creatures which live in the water, and birds of all kinds were created to fly in the air.
6th Day € vv. 24-31: God made the animals that live on the land such as cattle, wild beasts and reptiles. He looked upon all His handiwork and saw that it was good. But none of these things could respond and give glory to God in the way He desired. So man was formed in the image of God, so that he was capable of reflecting God's character, and he was made head of the animal creation. The fruits and products of the earth were to be used as food for man and beast. "And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good." With man in peaceful harmony with all of God's creation, the work of God's hands must in deed have been very beautiful. It is one of the joys of the future Kingdom on earth for us to behold the world made like unto the garden of Eden and to marvel at the beauty of God's recreative work.
When God said that His creation was "very good", this included man. In this state man was neither mortal nor immortal. He was "very good" physically, and he was surrounded only by good conditions. As yet he had not been tested to see if he would obey his Maker.
7th Day € Gen. 2:2-3: On this day God rested, or "ceased" from the work (Gen. 2:2-3). Later in history, the seventh day or "sabbath" was set aside as a "day of rest" for Israel, that they could rest from their own labours and spend the time in doing the things of God (Exod. 31:16-17). The prophet Isaiah showed Israel how they should have kept the sabbath. They had turned the "day of rest" into a day of self pleasure and caused their people to suffer hardship. Rather, they should have shown mercy and kindness and delighted to do God's will (see Isa. 58).
God said, that the sabbath was "a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever; for in 6 days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." This proves that the days of creation were literal 24-hour days as we know them.
There is no command for Christ's followers to keep the seventh day "sabbath" only. They must look upon every day as one to be used in God's service.
THE SEVENTH DAY REST AS A TYPE OF THE KINGDOM (Heb. 4:4-11).
The Sabbath rest pointed forward to the seventh millennium (one thousand years) from creation, when the Kingdom of God will be set up on the earth. In Hebrews 4:9-11 we read € "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that hath entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest."
The "rest" of one thousand years will be a time when mankind will be called upon to cease from their works and turn their attention to the ways of God, They shall gladly say, "Come ye and let us go up to the moun tain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem" (Isa 2-2-4) So it will be a time of peace and goodwill toward men for the prophet says nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more" (v.4).
The saints (the immortalised followers of Jesus Christ) shall live and reign with Christ a thousand years, this being the future "rest" promised to the people of God (Rev. 20:4, 6).
REFERENCE LIBRARY:
See "Five Facts That Show the Theory of Evolution to be False" € Appendix Pages
"Elpis Israel" (J. Thomas) € Chapter 2
"The Story of the Bible" (H. P. Mansfield)-Chapter 3
"The Visible Hand of God" (R. Roberts)-Chapter 2
"Wrested Scriptures" (R. Abel) € Section C
"First Principles of Bible Marking Course" € (C.S.S.S.) € pages 12-15
PARAGRAPH QUESTIONS:
1. What was the purpose of God in creation?
- What part did the angels have in the work of creation?
- What was the "sabbath"?
4. Explain how the "sabbath" Rest points forward to the Kingdom Age.
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1. What was the order of creation as recorded in Genesis 1? How long did it take?
2. Describe how you would explain to a school friend why you reject the theory of evolution and why you believe that all things were created by God in 6 days.