Creation

In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth and the earth was (became) without form, dark and empty. This is a description of a wreckage, the result of a cataclysm (catastrophe). The curse of God was upon the chaos. We can only speculate about what happened. We do know that Satan, or Lucifer, was one of the highest in the order of created beings and it apparently went to his head. He thought he could take over from God. (Isaiah 14:12; Ezekiel 28:12) He forgot, that as a created being, he owed his existence to God, so his scheme was doomed to failure. Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning." (Luke 10:18) However, God saw a good use for Satan and his demons. He would let him live and be a tempter to the man He was going to create. God knew Adam would fall, but He had plans for that too. Jesus, God's son, volunteered to take man's sin on Himself and pay their penalty. He was the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) God, knowing all things, knew this was the only way to produce the kind of people He wanted, not untested, but tested, tried and true, in His image and likeness. This would fulfill His purpose declared in Isaiah 45:18 that God created the earth, not in vain, but to be inhabited, not by fallen rebellious shiners, but by children of God, living in harmony, love and peace. Genesis 1:3 begins the story of the restoration of the earth. Notice again, the earth was without form, (a wreck), dark and empty, and apparently completely covered with water: 1. The Holy Spirit begins to move on the water and God says, "Let there be light." Here is a preview of our salvation. Into the wreckage that sin made of our lives, the Holy Spirit begins to move. Then God commands the light to shine, and suddenly we see the truth. Then God separates the light from the darkness. Darkness cannot comprehend the light. (John 1:5) "Into my bondage, sorrow and night, Jesus has come, bringing His freedom gladness and light. Jesus has come' to me." 2. On the second day, God restores the firmament or atmosphere of the heavens. Likewise, God restores the heavens to us. "Hereafter you shall see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of God." (John 1:51) "Our citizenship is in heaven." (Philippians 3:20) 3. On the third day God gathers the waters together and makes the dry land and plants and fruit to appear. Isaiah 57:20 says, "The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt." The dry land symbolizes the people of God, rising out of the world of sin. The plants and fruit trees represent good deeds and fruit of the Spirit. God is filling the earth (and us) with good things and bringing order out of chaos. "Lord, you drove the heathen out of your land and planted your people there." (Psalm 44:1) "That my people might be called trees of righteousness, the plants of the Lord." (Isaiah 61:3) 4. On the fourth day, the Lord makes the sun, moon and stars. Jesus, symbolized by the sun, appears on earth. (Malachi 4:2, Revelation 22:16, 2 Peter 1:19) The church, symbolized by the moon, appears. (Song of Solomon 6:10, Revelation 12:1) The Christian, symbolized by the stars, begin to shine. "They shall shine as the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) 5. On the fifth day, God creates the sea and air creatures. Jesus said He would make the disciples fishers of men, changing from sea creatures (sinners) to flying creatures, (living in the heavenlies). (Ephesians 1:3) Isaiah 40:31 tells us that if we would wait on the Lord, we would mount up like eagles. In Matthew 24:28 the Christian is, again, compared to the eagle. "Where the carcass (body) is, the eagles will gather." This passage is speaking of the coming of the Lord, indicating that the eagle Christians will be aware of His coming and will gather together more than ever. Brother, sister, if you've been a Christian a long time and still haven't learned to fly, it's time you wake up. (Song of Solomon 5:2,Isaiah 50:4, Ephesians 5:14, Romans 13:11) Read, especially, Matthew 25 where the bride is sleeping. 6. On the sixth day, God creates the land animals for our sustenance and also as a type or illustration of the kind of people we are. For example, many people are completely helpless as far as doing anything for themselves. They need someone to dig out the truth from the Bible, to tell them what to do, which way to go, etc. These are the sheep. There are people crafty as the fox, lazy as the sloth, dirty as the pig, mean as the snake. Then you have people that are as busy as the bees, useful as the horse or oxen, as loyal as dogs, etc. God crowns the sixth day with the creation of man. These six creative days are a pattern for the creation of Sons of God. To recap, we were, like the world, ruined by sin. The Holy Spirit began to move in our lives. The Lord made the light shine in us. He then separated us from the world. Then He made the light to shine out from us like the stars. He made sea, air and land creatures, not only for our sustenance, but to illustrate the kinds of people we can be. We can be lambs or lions, blue birds or vultures, whales or minnows. It's our choice. The wolf in sheep's clothing chose that kind of life. But, let us never forget, it is the lamb that sits on the throne. (Revelation 22:1 & 3) The consummation of God's tremendous project is at hand - the revelation of God's sons. Romans 8:19 & 23 says the whole creation is waiting and groaning for the manifestation of the Sons of God, immortal, incorruptible, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:52 & 53. "They shall rule and reign with Christ forever." (Revelation 2:26 & 3:21) Don't miss it!!