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SEVEN DAYS - In The Beginning!

INTRODUCTION: The Holy Spirit directed the writing about the creation of heaven and earth by Jehovah, which all took place before any man existed to directly observe what God wanted to be revealed in His Word. We have in Genesis a description of six days of progressive creation of broad categories in an orderly manner. For every living thing in the material world, there is diversity of the subgroups in each category "after their kind" through generational reproductive processes as designed by Jehovah God. Man was created male and female in the image of God, and with that unique and distinctive quality, man was appointed to have a superior position over all else in the creation.

NOTE: Bible passages are from the 1901 American Standard Version.

A - GOD BEGAN CREATION WITH THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH

Genesis 1 "1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day."

COMMENTS: In these few words about the beginning of creation we are given the major foundational elements of the vast natural realm wherein all that followed would exist as determined by the will of the LORD. The statement "in the beginning God created," eliminates the possibility of a random development with no supernatural design, if the Word of God is accepted as truth. The earth was initially useless and unproductive, and all was in darkness as the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. then God said "let there be light" and there was light! God saw that the light was good: and He divided the light as day, from the darkness as night. The evening was followed by the morning as one day: out of darkness and into the light came the beginning of God's creative work! When Christ Jesus, the Living Word, came in the form of flesh to be among men, He manifested a different type of light that is restorative and eternal. It is good to consider both types of light as the gracious blessing from Jehovah God, especially since the triune God was the creator of all that exists in the natural world.

John 1 "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not."

John 8 "12 Again therefore Jesus spake unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."

2 Corinthians 4 "3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: 4 in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn [upon them]. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

B - CREATION CONTINUED ON A SECOND DAY

COMMENTS: This may seem from a human perspective like a very small aspect of the overall process of creation to be described for the second day of a total of only six days. But then, who is man to question the plans and intents of the LORD God? God spoke this, and the firmament called heaven divided waters above and below, and it was so just as it had been spoken.

Isaiah 40 "12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? 13 Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him? 14 With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?"

Romans 11 "33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! 34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? 35 or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? 36 For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him [be] the glory for ever. Amen."

C - CREATION CONTINUED ON A THIRD DAY

Genesis 1 "9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 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. 11 And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, [and] fruit-trees bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after their kind: and God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day."

COMMENTS: The masses of land and great bodies of water spoken into separation by the Word of God, became two major habitats for plant and animal life, suited for each environment which God saw as good. God commanded the earth to put forth plants to bear seed for reproduction afther their kind, it was then so, and He saw this also as good. When "evening" and "morning" are words used again to define the period of this third creative work, there might be some who question how there could be evening and morning in the first three "days" since the sun and the moon were not created until the fourth "day." But there is nothing too hard for Jehovah, and He knows all things; such as setting a period of time, even before the first creative step. The next "day" of creation with the sun and moon gives mankind the means of understanding how evening and morning describe what continues to be known as a day.

Genesis 18 "14 Is anything too hard for Jehovah? At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son."

Numbers 11 "21 And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month. 22 Shall flocks and herds be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to suffice them? 23 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Is Jehovah's hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not."

Jeremiah 32 "17 Ah Lord Jehovah! behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and by thine outstretched arm; there is nothing too hard for thee,"

D - CREATION CONTINUED ON A FOURTH DAY

Genesis 1 "14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years: 15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: [he made] the stars also. 17 And God set them in the firmament of 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. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day."

COMMENTS: When the LORD created the sun and the moon for light upon the earth, they were assigned in the firmament of heaven within their relative variable positions. They are integral for signs, seasons, days, and for marking succession of years all around the globe. Not all people groups around the world use the same methods to outline an annual calendar, but the basic statements in this text were given through inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Over the centuries, man has also come to realize some of the important impact designed into the term "to rule over" the day and the night. As discoveries of many aspects of our solar system bring greater "light" to that which came from the power of Jehovah God: it can either bring glory to God, or it can cause the pride of man to boast in himself, with no regard for the true and living God.

E - CREATION CONTINUED ON A FIFTH DAY

Genesis 1 "20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21 And God created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth, wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind: and God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. 23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day."

COMMENTS: God created EVERY living creature that would inhabit the water, and the winged creatures to fly in the open firmament of heaven. He blessed them to reproduce "after their kind" to fill the sea and the earth, and God saw that it was good. Among the creatures were great sea monsters which had no more specific description given here in the text. The reproductive process described simply as "after their kind" is a very simplified expression that is the basis for many subgroups to form while still fitting the generalized descriptive terms spoken by Jehovah. There is no basis to claim the existence of an "evolutionary" process that had spanned enormous periods of time; without also denying that Jehovah God has created, and sustains, all that exists in the present world.

F - CREATION CONTINUED ON A SIXTH DAY

Genesis 1 "24 And 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. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was good. 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them: and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food: 30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, [I have given] every green herb for food: and it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."

COMMENTS: Two all-inclusive phrases are used together to illustrate the unlimited power of Jehovah God: "and God said," which is coupled with, "it was so." It should be noted that in this passage the spoken word by Jehovah is that the "earth" will bring forth the array of large and small living creatures on the land, and God made all of them to reproduce after their kind. It is an unstated factor that the earth would have the necessary elements to bring forth that which was on the earth, and God saw creation at this point to be good. The next item of content has often been highlighted by many people, to emphasize that three plural pronouns are in the phrases: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." God created mankind male and female, God blessed them, and God spoke to them. He told them to be fruitful, to multiply, and replenish the earth. They were to subdue the earth because they would have dominion over all other living creatures. God gave the herbs and fruits of the trees as food for man and for every animal that has life. God saw everything that He had made, and it was very good, and thus the sixth day closed.

G - GOD RESTED FROM ALL HIS FINISHED WORK ON THE SEVENTH DAY

Genesis 2 "1 And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it he rested from all his work which God had created and made."

COMMENTS: After the six consecutive days of the works of creation were spoken into existence by Jehovah with all of His predetermined components, Jehovah was at rest with no further need to continue His works. Jehovah had declared all His work of creation as very good, and He blessed the seventh day that it should be hallowed (sanctified, set apart) in the cycle of every seven days, because the day of rest signified His completed works. The portion of the Psalm that follows is only one of many passages of Scripture that expresses praise in recognition that everything in the material world was brought into existence by the spoken word of Jehovah God. Jehovah brings the counsel of unbelieving nations to naught; He makes the rebellious thoughts of the people to be of no effect when they fail to submit to the sovereign authority of the only God. The passage from Isaiah spoke of the Lord Christ who would come in the will of God to bless all people of the earth who will accept His gift of salvation by faith.

Psalm 33 "4 For the word of Jehovah is right; And all his work is [done] in faithfulness. 5 He loveth righteousness and justice: The earth is full of the lovingkindness of Jehovah. 6 By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap: He layeth up the deeps in store-houses. 8 Let all the earth fear Jehovah: Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. 10 Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to nought; He maketh the thoughts of the peoples to be of no effect. 11 The counsel of Jehovah standeth fast for ever, The thoughts of his heart to all generations."

Isaiah 42 "5 Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretched them forth; he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 6 I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; 7 to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house. 8 I am Jehovah, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise unto graven images."

--- REFLECTIONS IN PRAYER ---

I thank you Jehovah God for providing the inspired content of the book of Genesis, with the very beginning of creation opening that book. This is foundational to belief in the triune God who will always be involved in the affairs of men, despite the failure of so many to acknowledge your unsurpassed eternal power and glory. Just as Moses was directed to write about enduring truth that existed long before his birth; everyone who places trust in God for eternal salvation has their heart and mind opened to the truth by the Holy Spirit. There is nothing that exists that has not been made by Jehovah God. Throughout all Scripture, there is much to draw the believer closer to the only true God who is beyond the full comprehension even though man is made in the image of God. Help me LORD to follow the purpose you designed for me as part of mankind, and to use the additional Scriptures carefully in harmony with the outline of the beginning. Amen, and amen.

Published 22 May 2020