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Genesis 1

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” - Genesis‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭NASB‬‬

  1. “In the beginning…”
    1. Filter: The beginning of what?
    2. Bible:  
      1. Holman Old Testament Commentary
        1. the beginning of the universe not of all things, since God is eternal (John 1:1; Eph. 1:4; Col 1:15-17)
          1. John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
            1. Barnes’ notes on the Bible
              1. The “Word” - ‘Logos’     
                1. A “word” is that by which we communicate our will
                2. The Son of God may be called ‘The word’ because he is the medium by which God promulgates His will.
            2. Logos is a thought that becomes an action.  Jesus is the personification of this with God.
            3. This verse shows that God was before the beginning (and so was Jesus) so this cannot be the beginning of God.
          2. Ephesians 1:4 - just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
          3. Colossians 1:15-17 - He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
      2. Kidner classic commentaries.
        1. The variations on this theme in Isaiah 40ff. show that the beginning is pregnant with the end, and the whole process present to God who is First and Last (e.g. Isa. 46:10; 48:12) 
          1. Isaiah 46:10 - Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
          2. Isaiah 48:12 - “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last.
      3. Beginning of our personal story - between us and God.  
        1. It shows our origin 
          1. Genesis 1:27 - “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
        2. It shows how we were separated from God
          1. Genesis 3:8  - “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.”
        3. It shows what He did to bring us back
          1. John 19:30 - “Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.”
        4. It shows what we need to do to get back
          1. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
        5. It shows the end of the story
          1. Revelation‬ ‭14:14-20‬
            1. “Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” Then He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. Then another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles.”
            2. Matthew 25:46 - “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.””
          2. When does the story end?  When it is over.
            1. 2 Peter 3:9 - “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
            2. Matthew 24:36 - ““But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”
“In the Beginning God…” - Genesis 1:1


  1.  Who is God?
    1. How do YOU explain God?
    2. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary
      1. God: The eternally perfect uncreated Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things who is one in essence but exists in three coequal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity). God exists before time and will exist beyond time. He sits outside of the confines of our finite humanity. He is the great “I AM,” dependent upon no one. Within him lies all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. His multiplicity of attributes comprise a sovereign and supreme being exhibiting an array of emotion, power, authority, and gentleness unlike any other. The many declarations in Scripture that God exists as a triune being have made the doctrine of the Trinity a central tenet of true, biblical faith.
  2. Genesis 1:1 
    1. “In the Beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.”
    2. Notice that God is not introduced or explained  - he is assumed.
      1. Romans 1:20 - For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
      2. Ecclesiastes 3:11 - He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
      3. Moses expected us to know instinctively who God is.  We all have an internal knowledge that there is a God (even though some deny it).  This is why so many cultures have developed Gods to serve.
    3. We learn that this God (that we are connected to) is creating this story (of which this is the beginning).
      1. The story of how God thought about you, created you, lost you, and fought to get you back. 
      2. The part of the story that shows our separation from God shows us two things
        1. Man’s separation from God made it hard for man to understand God, even though man has been seeking Him.  This is why so many cultures have “gods” to fill this gap.
        2. God has been trying to reveal himself to man - through the barriers set up by sin - that is why we have the Bible and why Jesus came personally.
    4. God uses “progressive revelation” through history and stories to reveal himself to us.
    5. So - what do we learn from Genesis 1:1?
      1. God wrote the story
      2. God is a creator
      3. God created so a world where we could be with Him
    6. But one more important thing we learn from this verse:  God is complicated.
      1. The word ‘God” is actually germanic and it means “Good”.  
        1. It doesn’t even come close to explaining God.
      2. The word in Hebrew is “Elohim”.  
        1. Here is where it gets crazy.
        2. Elohim (gods) is plural for El (God).
          1. So it looks like this says “In the beginning the gods created the heavens and the earth.” - unless you speak Hebrew.
            1. The word is plural, but the tense is singular, meaning that even though the word is gods it means God.
            2. This could be:
              1. A royal “we” such as when Queen Elizabeth said “WE are not amused” (meaning herself).
              2. A poetical way of saying the “God of gods” - The highest of all that can be called God (as the Jewish people take it).
              3. The trinity (as the Christians see it).
            3. However you take it - the Hebrew is clear that this is ONE God - even if He takes many forms.
  3. Progressive Revelation of the Trinity
    1. In the old testament, we see God in three forms, but they are not really seen as separate parts of God.
    2. In the new testament, we see God in three forms, that are identified in separate parts of the same God.
    3. Trinity
      1. Old testament
        1. God - The one that created everything and controls everything.
          1. Jeremiah 32:17 - ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,
        2. Spirit/ Shekinah - 
          1. Exodus 40:35 - Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
          2. Spirit = Spirit, breath, or wind
            1. Whenever you see God using one of these, it is the “Shekinah” or spirit of God moving.  
            2. We see this in the cloud that led the people in the desert and the wind that parted the Red Sea.
            3. It is also the breath of life that we each have inside us.
        3. Physical form
          1. Genesis 32:24 - Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
          2. Any time that you see a physical form, such as when God walked in the garden and when Moses spoke “face to face” with God.
        4. These were not meant to be different Gods, but different aspects of the same God.
      2. New testament
        1. God the Father
          1. John 4:23 - But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
          2. Similar to the view of the old testament - except He now is identified as our “Father”.  Much more personal.
            1. Jesus used the word Abba - or “daddy”
            2. Matthew 6:9 - “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
        2. God the son / physical representation of God.
          1. This is of course Jesus
            1. John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 
        3. God the spirit
          1. John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
      3. Pictured together
        1. Matthew 3:16-17 - After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
        2. Revelation 1:4-5 - John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 
  4. How I picture this
    1. A father (God) and the baby (Me)
      1. The baby takes some poison (sin), so it will die if it breathes the same air as the father - so it is put into a bubble that has medicine pumped into the air (the spirit).
      2. The baby does not know what is going on and can’t understand the father, but the father does everything he can to comfort the son - drawing pictures and putting them next to the bubble for the baby to see. (the Bible).
      3. The father is allowed to enter the bubble only once to comfort the baby, but he has to put on a special suit (Jesus).
    2. Not a perfect example, but it reminds me of what God is trying to say to me.
      1. If you were the father in this situation and you had only a short amount of time to speak to the baby, what would you say?
        1. Would you give him a bunch of rules (clean your room and wash your toes) or would you blame the child (I told you not to eat that fruit)?  
        2. Probably not - you would spend the time comforting the child and helping him see what he needs to do to be saved (“It’s going to be alright.  I am working on this.  You just need to focus on the medicine and wait for me).
      2. This is how my filter sees God.
  5. Final thought
    1. Video: My king by S.M. Lockridge
      1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trPPAcvK8_8
    2. You are on an epic journey to find your Father - He loves you and is looking for you.  The Bible will help you.  Your church and Christian friends will help you.  But it is up to you to make the journey.

Genesis 1:1 
God Creates
  1. What do we learn about God that He “created”?
    1. God creates.
      1. “It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”  - GK Chesterton - Orthodoxy
    2. Man creates because of God’s spirit in Him
      1. Genesis 1:27 - “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
      2. “When you painted on earth – at least in your earlier days – it was because you caught glimpses of heaven in the earthly landscape. The success of your painting was that it enabled others to see the glimpses too.”  ― C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce
      3. King David wrote songs
        1. Psalm 33:3 - Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
      4. Bezalel and Oholiab
        1. Exodus 31:1-6 -  Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.  I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you:
  2. What else do we learn about God as creator?
    1. God creates differently than we do.
      1. The term ‘created’ is a Hebrew verb that always has God as its subject - (Holman Old Testament Commentary)
        1. John 1:3 - All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 
        2. Romans 4:17 - (as it is written, “A father of many nations have I made you”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
        3. Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 
      2. Three theories of God’s creation
        1. EX MATERIA - out of already made stuff
          1. Theory is that God either created new stuff out of things he had found lying around 
          2. or he “repurposed” things.
            1. This would mean that he created things by giving them a new purpose.  For example, he already had light, but he now gave it the purpose of showing those things that were His vs those things that were not His.
            2. Genesis 1:5 - God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
          3. This is the theory that is used by those that believe that God used Evolution and the Big Bang to create the world.  
            1. The idea is that He took billions of years to create everything, but used six days to “repurpose” creation to His plan.
          4. The NIV Application Commentary argues this by saying:
            1. The verb [created] occurs forty-eight times in the Old Testament and has some curious features worth noting. 
              1. (1) It takes only God as its subject and therefore must be identified as a characteristically divine activity.  
              2. (2)… something is brought into existence, but rarely does the statement concern the issue of physical matter… The essence of [create] concerns bringing heaven and earth into existence and focuses on operation through organization and assignment of roles and functions… one can create a piece of art, but that expression does not suggest manufacture of the canvas or paint… 
              3. Perhaps an English verb that captures this idea less ambiguously is “to design”… 
              4. Here in Genesis, Israel’s God also demonstrates his power by the assigning of roles and functions.  This is an affirmation of his exclusive sovereignty. 
        2. EX NIHILO - out of Nothing
          1. This is the traditional Christian View.
          2.  God spoke and it was.
            1. Genesis 1:3 - Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
      3. EX SUBSTANTIA - Out of Himself
        1. The idea that God created everything out of a part of Himself (such as His spirit)
          1. Genesis 2:7 - Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
        2. (the big problem with this thought is that this would make God and creation the same essence - which it cannot be since creation decays and dies without God’s presence - it does not disappear).
      4. My response to these arguments:  I don’t know how an airplane is made, I just know it flies.  I don’t know how God made me, I just know I am here and I trust Him.
  3. What do we learn about what God created?
    1. He created the Heavens (plural)
      1. The heavens and the earth’ is a figure of speech that describes the totality of creation…. 
        1. The Hebrew word for ‘heavens’ is plural and is used here to describe everything that is above the surface of the earth.  
        2. Later, “heavens” will refer to the home of the sun, moon, and stars, or the universe,
          1. Psalm 19:1 -  The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
        3. the home of the birds and the clouds, or the atmosphere 
          1. Daniel 4:12 - ‘Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant,  And in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, And the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches, And all living creatures fed themselves from it.
        4.  Finally, in 2 Corinthians 12:2 “heaven” will refer to the home of the angels and departed saints. - (Holman Old Testament Commentary)
          1. 2 Corinthians 12:2 - I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven.
  4. So the breakdown of the first verse
    1. The God of the universe, who created everything, desired to be with you and me and created a place for us to be together and this begins the story of how we were made, lost, and redeemed to be with our Father.


September 30
​Genesis 1:2 - Chaos

  1. Context
    1. God is telling our story - How he thought of us and created a place for us to be with Him.  
  2. Genesis 1:2 - The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
  3. The earth 
    1. Before God could bring us into the story - He needed to prepare a place for us.
      1. Jesus took this idea into a New Beginning
        1. John 14:3 -  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
        2. Revelation 21:1 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
          1. Why No sea?  This takes us back to Genesis 1:2
  4. Formless and Void
    1. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
      1. Without form, and void.—Literally, tohu and bohu, which words are both substantives, and signify wasteness and emptiness. The similarity of their forms, joined with the harshness of their sound, made them pass almost into a proverb for everything that was dreary and desolate 
    2. Formless and Void
      1. Day 1-3 - God forms the world
      2. Day 4-6 - God fills the void
    3. Chaos
      1. A place that was not hospitable for mankind.
      2. Jewish thought pictured chaos as the Ocean during a hurricane storm.
        1. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 
          1. The deep.—Tĕhôm. This word, from a root signifying confusion or disturbance, is poetically applied to the ocean, as in Psalm 42:7, 
            1. Psalm 42:7 - Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 
          2. from the restless motion of its waves, but is used here to describe the chaos as a surging mass of shapeless matter.
    4. God’s spirit
      1.  Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
        1. The Spirit of God.—Heb., a wind of God, i.e., a mighty wind, as rendered by the Targum and most Jewish interpreters.  So the wind of Jehovah makes the grass wither (Isaiah 40:7);
          1. Isaiah 40:7 - The grass withers, the flower fades, When the breath of the Lord blows upon it;  Surely the people are grass.
        2. and so God makes the winds His messengers (Psalm 104:4).
          1. Psalm 104:4 - He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers.
      2. We see God’s spirit moving as a wind in several other places
        1. Genesis 8:1 - But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God caused a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided.
        2. Exodus 14:21 - Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided.
      3. Moved.—Heb., fluttered lovingly. (See Deuteronomy 32:11.) 
        1. Deuteronomy 32:11 - “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions.
      4. Jesus gives us a physical version of this verse
        1. Matthew 14:24-28 -  But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
    5. Peace
      1. The surface of the waters after God arrived - was pictured as a calm lake.
        1.  NET Bible notes
          1. The water. The text deliberately changes now from the term for the watery deep to the general word for water. The arena is now the life-giving water and not the chaotic abyss-like deep. The change may be merely stylistic, but it may also carry some significance. The deep carries with it the sense of the abyss, chaos, darkness—in short, that which is not good for life.
      2. The image we are given is that God brings peace and life where He is at.
        1. When God moves his spirit, Chaos returns
          1. Flood - 
            1. Genesis 6:6 - The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved [e]in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the [f]sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”
            2. Revelation 6:14 - The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
    6. Personal Peace
      1. Tohu and Bohu - can also mean empty and confused
        1.  This became a picture of a life filled with sin and in rebellion to God.
          1. Ephesians 4:14 - As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;
          2. When we are with God, we have peace.
            1. John 16:33 - These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
            2. Jesus is the prince of peace
            3. He rules from Zion - the city of peace
            4. He offers us peace
        2. The point is that without Christ, there is no peace
          1. If you are living outside of peace, there is a reason
            1. Maybe you are living in sin - and this disrupts your peace.
            2. Maybe God is trying to move you - so he disrupts your peace so that you wake up and move to where he is.
          2. NOTE:  Seeking peace is not the same as seeking happiness (our culture is about happiness, God is about peace).
            1. You will never find happiness without peace and you will not find peace without Christ.
    7. Point - in the storms of your life - don’t try to control the chaos - look for where God is hovering and go there.
      1. This means you need to know where to go
        1. 3 legged stool
          1. Prayer and meditation
          2. Eat scripture
          3. Surround yourself with good people (the church)


Genesis 1:3 - light
​(October 7, 2020)

  1. In verses 1-2, we are seeing a picture.
    1. It started with a thought - God had of you.  That led into an action of creating a place where He could meet you.  
    2. But that place is dangerous and chaotic where God is not present.  But when God touched it - it became safe and peaceful.  A place where creation could happen.
  2. Genesis 1:3-5 - Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 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, one day.
    1. God spoke - to who?  
      1. Out of the dark chaos, God spoke and said:  “Let there be a place that is light”.
        1. The picture is that When God touched the chaos,  an area of peace formed.  In that area of peace, God calls us to join HIm.
    2. This place is signified by light.
      1. Where did the light come from?
        1. God does not form the Sun until the 4th day.
        2. Revelation 22:5 - And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
    3. The is a separation of light and darkness
      1. God is represented by the light.  And where God is, there is life.
        1. John 8:12 - Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
        2. God defines life and death - which mankind redefined.
          1. Light / life = with God
            1. John 11:25-26 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
          2. Dark / death = without God
            1. Matthew 8:22 - But Jesus *said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
      2. With a separation of light and darkness comes a choice
        1. God is asking us to enter His light and life - not forcing it.
          1. John 3:20 -  For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Lightfor fear that his deeds will be exposed.
          2. 1 John 1:7 - but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
    4. Two side notes
      1. By naming light (day) and the darkness (night), God was claiming power over them.  He is in control of both the light and the darkness.  This is important to know - the darkness cannot control God.
        1. Psalm 139:12 - Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.
      2. There was evening and morning - day one.
        1. Everything happens in a series of days to show us that we are on a journey of transformation.  
          1. Mark 2:21-22 - “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
        2. A day consists of evening and then morning - rest comes before action.  Before we act, we must go to God.
          1. Joshua 6:10 - But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!”
  3. Genesis 1:6-8 - Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
    1. After God created the boundaries of His area with light - He now puts a roof on it.
    2. God creates a “expanse” that separates the waters above (space) from the waters below (the sea).  
      1. This would be the atmosphere that we breathe.
      2. Traditional Jewish belief was that this was a solid wall above us - a ceiling made of clear steel - a strong glass bubble. 
        1. Psalm 104:3 - Covering Yourself with light as with a cloak, Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.
      3. God’s throne sits on this glass bubble
        1. Exodus 24:10 -  and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
        2. Ezekiel 1:26 - Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man.
        3. Revelation 4:6 - and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
      4. Side note:  There is a theory by some Christian Scientists 
        1. That the expanse was originally made of a thick layer of ice.  This ice compressed the air on the earth, so that there was more oxygen in the lower areas - which allowed men and animals to live longer lives.  Since lizards grew their entire lives, and since they were living longer than they do now - they were growing into the dinosaurs.  When the ice broke and crashed into the earth - it created the flood.
    3. The picture of the second day is that God continues to create a place for us to meet with Him.  Within HIs peace and light, we now have the ability to breathe.
      1. The word for ‘breath’ and ‘Spirit’ are the same - so what God is doing is placing His spirit within us - this gives us life.
  4. Genesis 1:9-13 - Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind ]with seed in them”; and it was so.  The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day.
    1. So God created the boundaries of His area with light - which gives us life (like the Father).  Then He sets the upper boundary of His area with his air/ spirit - which gives us life (like the Spirit).  -- notice a trend?
    2. We have life surrounding us (the Father) and life inside us (the Spirit).  Now we need life touching us (the Son).
    3. God moves the water aside and creates drie land for us to stand on.  A place that we can touch.  
    4. With the land, He begins to create plants - life forms in God’s presence.
      1. From out of the dead earth, God brings life.
    5. This is a picture of our relationship with God.
      1. When we choose to enter God’s presence - we see the world in a new way and we are surrounded by His light.  Within HIs presence, we begin to breathe in the very presence of God - and we find a new way to live.  When we touch God we experience growth - we are part of bringing new life into existence.  
  5. THIS IS THE GOSPEL MESSAGE 
    1. God loves you - and calls you to Him.  He gives you new life and uses you to create a better world.
    2. This is what it means to be filled up to overflowing.

Genesis 1:14-31 - Bohu (Void)
October 14, 2020
Context
  • God is telling our story - between us and Him.  He started by creating a place for us - but it was Chaos (Tohu and Bohu - Formless and void) so that it was not suitable for us.  So He touched the water and created a place of peace.  Within this place of peace, He asked us to join the Father in HIs light - which is life.  Once there, we begin to breathe the very Spirit of God.  Finally, since we cannot touch light or air, He gives us a tangible and physical place to hold onto - the ground (the Son).  When we become a part of this peace (surrounded by His light, breathing His air, and touching His earth), God begins creating life with us.
  • In doing this He took a formless world (Tohu) and formed it.  Now He will take an empty world (Bohu) and fill it.

Genesis 1:14-19 - Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, 
  1.  In day 1 
    1. Genesis 1:3-5 - Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 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, one day.
  2. God showed us that the light comes from Himself 
    1. Revelation 22:5 - And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
  3. So the lights of the sky are objects that reflect God’s light
    1. Psalm 148:3 - Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light!
  4. But why use stars to show the light - why not show it directly as He will in Heaven?
    1. 1st Concept - God’s holiness will destroy our darkness - so He speaks through intermediaries (The Bible, Angels, the church, Jesus).  This is symbolically shown through the reflected and diffused light of the Sun, Moon, and Stars.
      1. Hebrews 1:1-2 -  God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.
      2. Revelation 1:17 - When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, - (The idea here is that John could not handle seeing Jesus as God, but only when Jesus appeared like a man).
    2. 2nd Concept - Each different light has a unique role to play - they combine to give us God’s light.  The moon does not shine the same way as the north star - etc.  They each do a different thing, but when combined, they point to the completeness of God.  This is a picture of the church.
      1. Genesis 15:5 - And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” - (The children of Abraham - the faithful of God - are compared to the stars. Their role was to focus the whole world on God.  - Genesis 22:8 - In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”)
      2. Revelation 1:20 - As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
  5. So, the sun, moon, and stars represent God’s church - that leads people to God.  Each person has a different role, but together they make up the path to God (this is why the Church  should be an important part of your life -- you can’t make it to God alone). But what does the Church do for us?
  1. and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 
    1. The church helps us understand the times and what is going on in the world.
      1. First: That time is short, so live wisely
        1. Genesis 6:3 - Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (When lives were so long - men thought they would live forever, so they did not discipline themselves and began to live like animals, so God began to limit their lives and brought the flood).
        2. Psalm 90:12 - So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
        3. Psalm 39:5 - “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.
      2. Second: the world is corrupt and decaying - we need to focus on God’s world, not this one.
        1. 2 Corinthians 4:18 - while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
        2. 2 Timothy 3:1 - But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
        3. 1 Timothy 4:1 - But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, (Reminder - that this will happen inside the Church - so even though the church is giving us direction, we need to “Critically think” for ourselves - not blindly follow)
        4. Romans 15:4 -  For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
        5. Revelation 8:2 - And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. (the messengers of God are given the means to warn the world)
  2.  and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. 
    1. The second responsibility of the church is to turn the light on the world - to expose the brokenness so that people can turn to God and be saved.
      1. John 8:12 - Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
      2. John 3:19 -  This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
      3. John 12:36 - While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
  3. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 
    1. Here is a puzzle - if the Sun, Moon, and stars represent the church - who is the sun and who is the moon.
      1. Some think the Sun is God (the giver of light) and Jesus is the moon (the reflector of God’s light in a dark world.
      2. Some think this is about leadership in the church (Sun = pope/ senior minister and the moon = the local preacher who gives the word of the church)
    2. But God does not name them - just like he does not name the “Son” or the “Moon”.
      1. The reason he doesn't call the son and the moon by their names is that he didn’t not want to glorify false gods.  Many people already worshipped the son and the moon, so God diminished their value here - saying that He is in charge of them and they have a role to play, but they are not gods.
      2. He does this with the church leaders also - they may seem to be brighter because of their roles, but they are just reflectors of the light as anyone else is.  Don’t put them on pedestals or make them a form of idolatry.
  4. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
    1. So God filled the void (bohu) with His church to light the way to His presence. 

Genesis 14:20-23 Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.” God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
  1. God has filled the light - now He needs to fill the air.
  2. He does this by putting birds in the sky and fish in the sea (waters above and waters below).
  3. How does this fit into the picture of the church?
    1. Birds - Fly above us and lift us up
      1. Isaiah 40:31 - Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. 
      2. Mathew 6:25-26 - “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?  (Those that trust in God are taken care of by God).
    2. Fish - swim below us and need to be lifted up
      1. Mark 1:17 -  And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
    3. Discipleship principle
      1. Mentored and Mentoring
        1. You reach up to those that are ahead of you in faith and learn from them
        2. You reach behind you to those that are behind you in faith and lift them up.

Genesis 1:24-25 - Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind”; and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 
  1. So God has filled the light with the church and He filled the air with both those that can lift you up and those that you need to lift up (a mission for your life).  Now he needs to fill the ground.
    1. To do this, he creates all kinds of animals.  He creates a community to live in.  
    2. He makes those that we need to shine a light for and guide and learn from.  A world - that the church is to be a part of and to set an example for.  
      1. Revelation 4:6-8 - and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”
      2. We are both a part of creation (one of the four creatures) and a part of heaven (on the thrones around God in Heaven).  We are meant to be a part of the world and set apart at the same time.  
        1. 1 John 2:15-17 -  Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
        2. John 18:36 - Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”
        3. Genesis 1:28 - God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
        4. Titus 2:7 -  in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified,
        5. 1 Timothy 1:16 -  Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

So God formed the unformed world and filled the empty world.
  • and we see that the CHURCH is a huge part of this work.

Humanity
​October 21, 2020

Genesis 1:26-31
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

  1. Context
    1. A picture is painted:
      1. God had a vision of us, so He created a place that we could meet Him.
      2. The place was too Chaotic (empty and void) for us to live, so God touched it with His Spirit and created a place of peace.
      3. This place of peace was bordered by the light of God the father (which gives life).  It was covered with a globe of air, which is the Spirit of God and it gives hope.  And it stood upon stolid ground that is touchable, like God’s son.  Within this area that God formed for us, life and growth is possible.
      4. God then filled this place of peace with His church - the lights that point us to God.  He also filled us with a purpose - to bring the fish from the chaotic place into the place of peace and teach them to fly like the birds (this is the “discipleship” principle).  He also filled the place of peace with a diversity of life to be shared and cared for.  
      5. Through all of this, we are given the task of pointing everyone to the light of God as we live within that light.
  2. Genesis 1:26a - Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; 
    1. What does it mean to make man in “our image” and “according to Our likeness”?
      1. This likeness probably involves the personality, aesthetic appreciation, authority, moral, and spiritual qualities that both God and humans share, unlike the animals. (Holman Old Testament Commentary)
      2. God demonstrated his creative genius with his crowning achievement: Let us make man in our image, visibly mirroring God’s spiritual nature, according to our likeness, visibly mirroring God’s functional actions (The Tony Evans Bible Commentary)
      3. Psalm 8:4-8 - What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?  Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!  You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,  All sheep and oxen,  And also the beasts of the field,  The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,  Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
    2. This does NOT mean that God looks like us - or that we are Gods.
      1. It means we reflect HIS light
    3. In reflecting His light, we begin to be transformed into light so that we can be near to HIm.  
      1. Matthew 22:20-21 - And He *said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They *said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He *said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.”
      2. Galatians 4:4-6 - But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

  1. and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
    1. We are like the animals in many ways
      1. We were created on the sixth day, along with the other animals.
      2. We are both made from dust
        1. Genesis 2:7 - Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
        2. Genesis 2:19 - Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name.
      3. feeds as they feed (1:29, 30) 
        1. Genesis 1:29-30 - Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;  and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so
      4. and reproduces with a blessing similar to theirs (1:22, 28a);
        1. Genesis 1:22 - God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
        2. Genesis 1:28 - God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
    2. But we are not the same at the animals
      1. Genesis 2:20 - The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
    3. We have a dual nature
      1. Romans 7:14-20 -  For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
    4. Why a dual nature?
      1. We have a mandate from God
        1.  rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
        2. Our job is to take care of this world.  By realizing that this world is OUR home also, we are going to take better care of it.
          1. We are “stewards” or “caretakers” of God’s world.  We can’t use it the way we want.  If we destroy this world, we destroy ourselves in the process.
        3. Why is this important to realize?
          1. Because of sin
            1. Men want power - so they take it, even if it means it ruins the world around them.
            2. Men don’t see beyond themselves.  They think of what they want NOW - even if it means that later it will be gone when others need it.
          2. Religious fallacies
            1. God made this world for man, so we can use it up to our own benefit.
            2. This world was not made to last, so don’t worry about saving it.
        4. What we do affects the world
          1. The world was flooded because of the sins of mankind - even the animals died.
          2. The nation of Israel went into exile because it did not give the land rest - 
            1. Nehemiah 13:18 - Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.”
          3. Romans 8:19 - For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
          4. The trumpets of Revelation show that we are destroying the world
            1. Revelation 8
              1. 1st trumpet - burning earth
              2. 2nd trumpet - dying oceans
              3. 3rd trumpet - bitter drinking water
              4. 4th trumpet - pollution (darkened air)
              5. 5th trumpet - depression
              6. 6th trumpet - world war
  2. Our Mandate is to reflect God’s light on earth 
    1. Not use  the world for our own purposes and power.
    2. He finishes this section, by telling man that he can eat any plant (not animal) - suggesting that man cannot do what he wants with the world around him.  He must live in God’s boundaries.  
      1. Plants are food
      2. Animals are friends
    3. We were created to reflect God’s image.