Genesis
1:1-18
Gen 0003 God Creates a Birthday Present for Adam PT1
Notes by Lay teacher, Sammy Horner
Feb. 22/2007
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
In the beginning
God. There are those who would like to do away with the last word in that sentence because they do not want to give credit
to God or to be answerable to Him. I have chosen to accept that “In the beginning God”.
Create (To)
Usage Number:
1
Strong's Number:
<H1254>
Original Word:
בָּרָא, bārā’
Usage Notes:
"to create, make." A verb which has a profound theological significance, it has only God as its subject. Only God can "create"
in the sense implied by bārā’. The verb expresses creation out of nothing, an idea seen clearly in passages
having to do with creation on a cosmic scale: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" (Gen.
1:1; cf. Gen. 2:3; Isa. 40:26; Isa. 42:5).
...
created -- not
formed from any pre-existing materials, but made out of nothing.
Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the
face of the waters.
the earth was
without form and void -- or in "confusion and emptiness," as the words are rendered in Isa 34:11...
...the Spirit
of God moved -- literally, continued brooding over it, as a bird does, when hatching eggs… The Spirit, by working on
the elements, combined, arranged, and ripened them into a state adapted for being the scene of a new creation. The details
of the process are described in a natural way as an onlooker might describe the scene as in C.S. Lewis describes the scene
in “The Magicians Nephew” would have done, who beheld the changes
that successively took place.
—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary
Notes for 1:2
The statement
"the earth was formless and empty" provides the setting for the creation narrative that follows.
Many try to
interject the Gap theory here…
…I now
look at this differently.
During the second
and third days of creation, God gave form to the universe; I believe this is when God put the elements and the laws of science
together. During the next three days, God filled the earth with living beings. The "darkness . . . over the surface of the
deep" was dispelled on the first day, when God created light.
1:2 The image
of the Spirit of God hovering over the waters is similar to a mother bird caring for and protecting its young (see Deuteronomy
32:11,12; Isaiah 31:5). God's Spirit was actively involved in the creation of the world
(see Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30). God's care and protection are still active.
—Life
Application Bible Notes
3 And God said,
Let there be light: and there was light.
Notes for Verse
3
Verse
3. God said -- This phrase, which occurs so repeatedly in the account means: willed, decreed, appointed; and the
determining will of God was followed in every instance by an immediate result. …
…by the
command of God, light was rendered visible; the thick murky clouds were dispersed, broken, or rarefied, and light diffused
over the expanse of waters. The effect is described in the name "day," which in Hebrew signifies "warmth," "heat"; while the
name "night" signifies a "rolling up," as night wraps all things in a shady mantle.
—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary
The phrase "let
there be" is one word in the Hebrew (hayah). It is a strong, active imperative. God is commanding "light to become," to come
into existence. Light is not eternal; it has not always been in existence. Light came into existence just like everything
else in the universe. God created light.
Now, refer back
to Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."… …What, then, does it mean here in Genesis 1:3 when it says that "God said, 'Let there be light': and there was light"?
I believe that
God created the elements on the first day and then proceeded to form and call the elements into order as set forth in the
narrative from Gen. 1:2 forward. God created the atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, gases, or chemicals—whatever the
most minute particles or mass and energy are. God then set in motion the natural laws that are to govern the heavenly bodies.
This would mean that the stars and suns began in a gaseous stage and then developed into a solid state of mass and gas just
as they do today throughout the far reaches of space. When God said. "Let there be light," He was setting in motion the natural
law that would take matter and energy and develop suns and stars that would give off light, matter and energy that would continue
to develop suns and stars throughout all the ages. This is certainly what happens today, just as the laws to reproduce after
there own kind were set into motion by His command. Today new stars are being born and formed all throughout the universe.
The laws that cause this to happen were created and set in motion by God.
The laws which
govern their movement were not yet created or put into motion. The heavenly bodies were just hanging there in space, They
were not yet performing their function, not rotating, not set in motion, not flying through space. When God said, "Let there
be light," the combustible energy that radiates light was given the stars or suns. The physical laws which govern them were
put into operation, and the suns of the universe began to operate. They began to perform the function for which they were
created: they gave off light.
4 And
God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
Notes for Verse
4
Verse 4. divided
the light from darkness -- refers to the alternation or succession of the one to the other, produced by the daily revolution
of the earth round its axis.
—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary
Light fulfilled
its function. God looked and saw that the light was good: it was valuable, very valuable; it fulfilled its purpose and its
function...
Light divides
darkness to give some light to the earth and universe.
Light makes
things grow. Life cannot exist without light. Man, animals, green plants, and algae—all are dependent upon light in
order to live upon the earth. Green plants and algae convert light into energy, and they grow thereby (the process is known
as photosynthesis). Without light there would be no plants upon earth to feed man and animal. Light is an absolute essential
for life and growth.
Light
gives heat and warmth.
Light
gives color and beauty to things.
Light
enables man and animals to see; light exposes things—all the universe and all the earth—so that man and animals
can see and carry out their function in a world of variety and beauty.
When "God saw
the light, [He saw] that it was good." Light in the spectrum that we see it allows us to see the beauty in color and to observe
His creation.
As Mr. Dave
stated, “Adam and mankind is going to love this.” And God saw the light, that it was good.
5 And God called
the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Can you say
Day?
6 And God said,
Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made
the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it
was so.
Firmament --
an expanse -- a beating out as a plate of metal: a name given to the atmosphere from its appearing to an observer to be the
vault of heaven, supporting the weight of the watery clouds. By the creation of an atmosphere, the lighter parts of the waters
which overspread the earth's surface were drawn up and suspended in the visible heavens, while the larger and heavier mass
remained below.
The second day
of creation, takes place. God is ready to create the physical laws that will cause the clouds, fog, and mist to leave the
face of the earth and rise up and hang in the sky above the earth.
God is now ready
to create the firmament, i.e., the atmosphere, the air, the expanse, the space between the clouds above and the earth below.
"The Second Day: Creation of the Firmament (The Atmosphere and Air Space Encircling the Earth)."
How did God
do this? By His Word. "God said, 'Let there be a firmament' " (Genesis 1:6). God used the power of His Word; God spoke the
firmament—the atmosphere and clear sky—into being.
"The heavens
declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).
"The heavens
declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory" (Psalm 97:6).
"For the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).
"It is he that
buildeth his stories in the heaven, and hath founded his troop in the earth; he that calleth for the waters of the sea, and
poureth them out upon the face of the earth: The LORD is his name" (Amos 9:6).
God Himself
made the laws that caused the clouds and fog to arise from the earth and hang in the sky above. God created the laws of nature
that put a circle of air and atmosphere around the earth. God Himself stands behind the atmosphere and the physical laws that
govern it.
Note "And
it was so" (Genesis 1:7). What God said was done. He commanded and it happened. His Word could not be resisted. God and
God alone is the Sovereign Lord of the universe; Therefore, when God planned the atmosphere and air space for the earth, He
said, "Let there be a firmament" (Genesis 1:6) and "it was so" (Genesis 1:7). The power and energy of God's Word went to work
and created the firmament, created the atmosphere and air space that encircles the earth. Note that the words "and it was
so" are used 6 times in the creation account (Genesis 1:7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30).
8 And God called
the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
The
first heaven is the atmosphere and air space encircling the earth, the heaven or sky where birds fly.
The
second heaven is outer space where the heavenly bodies are. It is where all the suns and stars and planets of the material
universe operate.
The
third heaven is the place where God is, the place where He and all believers live and are to live eternally. The third heaven
is the spiritual world, the spiritual dimension of being.
9 And God said,
Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
Verse 9. let
the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place -- the upheaving of some parts, the sinking of others, and
the formation of vast hollows. Thus a large part of the earth was left "dry land," and thus were formed oceans, seas, lakes,
and rivers which, though each having its own bed, or channel, are all connected with the sea (Job 38:10
Ec 1:7).
“God also
created plant life on the third day.
What force to
cause such a reshaping of the earth's crust? God spoke. He commanded the waters to gather together and the dry land to appear.
When God commanded,
gigantic upheavals took place all over the earth. Massive volcanic eruptions caused whole land masses to fire and thrust up
out of the waters.
Depressions
were created to receive and hold what seemed to be a limitless tonnage of onrushing, raging waters.
Whatever physical
laws caused the volcanic eruptions and depressions—whatever physical forces exist that have such power—those laws
or forces were created by God. All physical laws were spoken into being by God. All physical laws were created and put
into operation by God. The gigantic upheavals in the earth's crust happened because God commanded the surface of the earth
to be reshaped.
God spoke. "it
was so"
"You laid the
foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters
stood above the mountains. At Your rebuke they fled; at the voice of Your thunder they hastened away. The mountains rose,
the valleys sank down to the place which You appointed for them" (Psalm 104:5-8, Amp.).
10 And God called
the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
What are
the purposes for which the land and waters were created?
To
provide a place for both man and animals to live, both land and sea animals.
To
provide a place for the food to grow and for the water to sit and flow so that life might be sustained upon planet earth.
11 And God said,
Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in
itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Now the dry
land and waters were ready to provide a home for the life which God was about to create. Now God can create the first living
things for planet earth: that of vegetation or plant life.
12 And the earth
brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his
kind: and God saw that it was good.
God saw that
His creation was "good," the vegetation of the earth fulfilled its function and purpose. What is the function of the earth's
vegetation? To provide food, to supply oxygen to the atmosphere, to help in controlling climate, to keep the dry land from
eroding away, to decay and provide the fossil fuels of the earth, and to capture energy from light and convert it to chemical
energy (photosynthesis).
13 And the evening
and the morning were the third day.
14 And
God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,
and for seasons, and for days, and years:
"The Creation
and Distribution of Light Upon Earth to Regulate the Seasons, Days, and Years."
15 And let them
be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And
God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
Caution: the notes
below, we looked at again in “God Creates a Birthday Present for Adam PT2.” After looking at the text in Hebrew
we came to the conclusion that we disagree with the —Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary— Listen to the audio of PT2 and see if you agree.
Notes for Verse
16
Both these lights
may be said to be "made" on the fourth day -- not created, indeed, for it is a different word that is here used, but constituted,
appointed to the important and necessary office of serving as luminaries to the world, and regulating by their motions and
their influence the progress and divisions of time.
—Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Bible Commentary
The heavenly
bodies serve as signs for the earth (Genesis 1:14). The word "signs" (othoth) means something that is engraved or marked.
The
heavenly bodies are signs that men use for direction, whether upon land or sea; signs that guide a compass by day or night.
The
heavenly bodies are signs that indicate weather conditions.
"He answered
and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be
foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not
discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:2-3).
The
heavenly bodies are signs that declare the glory of God and point a person to God.
"The heavens
declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork" (Psalm 19:1).
"The heavens
declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory" (Psalm 97:6).
"For the invisible
things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).
The
heavenly bodies are signs that control the oceans and their tides day by day and month by month.
The moon influences
the tides of the seas.
The heavenly
bodies provide seasons for the earth (Genesis 1:14). How were seasons created? Note two significant facts.
a. The
earth not only rotates on its own axis, but it also rotates around the sun. Its journey or orbit around the sun is about 583,400,000
miles (or 938,900,000 km). The earth travels along in its orbit about 66,000 m.p.h. (or 106,000 km). It takes about 365 days
for the earth to revolve around the sun. This is how we measure our years. One year is one trip or revolution of the earth
around the sun.
b. The
axis of the earth tilts about 23 1/2 degrees. It is this tilt and the earth's revolving around the sun that creates the seasons
of the year. Because of the tilt, different parts of the earth face the sun more directly at different times during the year.
Of course, the more directly a place faces the sun, the warmer it is, and the more indirectly, the cooler it is. It is this,
the warmth and coolness of the earth's surface that gives seasons to the earth.
What is the
purpose of seasons upon earth? Seasons provide...
periods
for agriculture, for farming.
periods
for the migration of animals.
"Yea, the stork
in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming;
but my people know not the judgment of the LORD" (Jeremiah 8:7).
—Preacher's
Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary
"To every thing
there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Eccles. 3:1).
17 And God set
them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule
over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
