September 2 God Creates Heavens and Earth

Sunday School Lesson

September 2

God Creates Heavens and Earth

 

Devotional Reading: Psalm 33:1–9

Background Scripture: Genesis 1:1–13

Genesis 1:1–13

1. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

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.

 

1. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

 

1. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

 

2. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

 

3. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

 

4. 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.

 

5. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

 

6. 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.

 

7. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

 

8. 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.

 

9. 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.

 

13. And the evening and the morning were the third day.

 

Key Verses

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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.

—Genesis 1:1, 2

God’s World and God’s People

Unit 1: God Creates the World

Lessons 1–5

 

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

 

1. List what was created on each of the first three days in Genesis 1.
2. Explain the meaning of the firmament.
3. Write a prayer praising God for who He is and for His works of creation.

 

HOW TO SAY IT

 

Canaan	Kay-nun.
cosmology	koz-mol-uh-jee.
Galileo	Gah-luh-lee-oh.
Mesopotamia	Mes-uh-puh-tay–me-uh.
Micah	My-kuh.
phenomenologically	fih-naw-meh-nuh-law-jih-kuh-lee.
polytheism	paw–lee-thee-ih-zum.
Taj Mahal	Tawzh Meh-haul.
Zephaniah	Zef-uh-nye-uh.

Introduction

 

1. Many, One, or None?

Ironically, polytheism (belief in many gods) and atheism (denial of any god) both seem to be growing in popularity in Western democracies. Neither viewpoint is new. Scholars have identified more than 2,000 named deities in the ancient Near East, the region of biblical events. As for atheism, the psalmist from centuries ago wrote, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Polytheism leads to a chaos of competing, fickle gods of equal or shifting strength, and mortals must try to get on the side of the one(s) who will win. One feature of polytheism is the absence of a singular basis of moral absolutes; atheism ends up in the same place. The inevitable results in both cases are moral relativism and the rule of the powerful over the powerless.

Genesis 1 reveals, however, that there is only one true God. Only in the existence of a personal God can there be a designed, absolute standard that governs all human behavior and makes sense of the universe. This great truth forms the doctrinal foundation for the rest of Scripture.

 

1. Lesson Context

Cosmology refers to one’s concept of the universe. The cosmology of the ancient Near East, which was the historical and cultural context of the Old Testament, was different from popular cosmologies today. Michael S. Heiser has described the ancient cosmology as envisioning three realms: (1) the heavens, the place where the gods are; (2) the earth, the place of humans and other creatures; and (3) the region below the earth. (For a variant that took into account only immediate sense experience, see commentary on Genesis 1:20 in lesson 2.)

This three-tier concept was held by the peoples of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Canaan; it was also assumed by the writers of the Old and New Testaments (see Psalm 33:6–8; Proverbs 8:27–29; Philippians 2:10; Revelation 5:3). This cosmology may be compared with a flat plate that has an upside-down bowl atop it. People and animals lived on the plate underneath the bowl. The arc of sun, moon, and stars across the sky (the surface of the bowl) marked where the gods lived. The depths and supports of the earth were below the plate; the dead were located there as well.

The basis of this cosmology was how the earth appeared in relation to everything else as one stood on the ground, not as one looking at the earth and galaxies from the vantage point of an orbiting space station. For ancient peoples, the mountains seemed to reach up to the heavens and support it (2 Samuel 22:8). Bars and roots of the mountains formed the lower regions to support the earth and provide depth for the seas (Jonah 2:5, 6).

Such language is not meant to describe the geology of creation in a scientific way, but rather its appearance. This is no different from our speaking of the sun’s “rising” when we’ve known since childhood that the sun does not actually rise but only appears to do so from our vantage point on the earth. When we speak of the sun’s “rising,” we are not speaking untruthfully from ignorance; rather, we (and the Bible authors) are speaking phenomenologically.

Skeptics often put Genesis in the same category as ancient Near Eastern myths. But Genesis does not borrow from those myths; the Genesis creation account stands alone, in stark contrast to rival accounts of the ancient world.

 

1. The Big Picture

(Genesis 1:1, 2)

1. Attribution (v. 1)

1a. In the beginning.

 

Neither the peoples of the ancient world in general nor the Scriptures in particular assert innumerable beginnings. Only one beginning is in view, and it is that which commences in the first verse of the Bible. The concept of the beginning is not limited to a singular point of time, but rather includes the span of events that are described through Genesis 2:4.

 

1b. God created.

 

The Hebrew word translated God is actually plural in form. Some well-meaning believers, knowing that Scripture clearly teaches there is only one true God (Isaiah 46:9; etc.), assert that this plural form demonstrates that God is a trinity. Unbelievers claim that this plural form indicates that the Old Testament teaches the existence of many gods.

Neither view is necessarily supported by this plural form, for two reasons. First, though a plural noun in Hebrew may indicate “more than one,” a noun may be plural to signify honor; this is similar to the royal “we” spoken by a king or queen. Second, the Hebrew behind the verb created is singular, indicating only one subject. The best explanation is that God is viewed as a single essence who is honored above all other beings.

 

1c. The heaven and the earth.

 

This expression is roughly equivalent to our term universe. In Hebrew, two words with opposite senses are often paired to indicate a totality. For example, “great and small” in 2 Chronicles 34:30 means all kinds of people. Therefore Genesis 1:1 is expressing quite clearly that all we call “matter” today is not coeternal with God. Rather, God brought it into existence.

 

The Wonder of It All

The Great Wall of China, Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil, and India’s Taj Mahal are prestigious landmarks among the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Each architectural masterpiece showcases ingenuity and artistic achievements. Yet as we turn to the first page of history, we do not find detailed prototypes, world-class construction engineers, or tireless artisans.

Instead, we encounter nothing—nothing, that is, except God.

 

Then in a mere five words, the Bible announces one colossal moment: “In the beginning God created.” God’s divine word ordered our world into structured being. He created it to stand fast (Psalm 33:9) until He commands otherwise. Within the hitherto lifeless void, the all-powerful Creator precisely shaped the heavens and earth.

 

God did not use a trial and error method to perfect creation. He did not rely on guesswork to create. Rather He relied on His unfathomable wisdom, which the books of Job and Psalms extol (Job 38, 39; Psalm 104:24).

 

Given that inanimate creation proclaims God’s glory and wise knowledge (Psalm 19:1, 2), how much more are we obligated to do so! Each new day invites us to celebrate visibly our loving, majestic maker of the heavens and the earth (Job 9:8, 9; 38:4–39:30; etc.).

—B. L.

What Do You Think? What are some specific things for which you can praise God as you observe creation?   Digging Deeper For ideas, skim through Psalms 1–41 to identify passages that include the theme of creation.

1. The Earth in the Universe (v. 2)

2a. And the earth was without form, and void.

 

We move to the description of the situation after the creation of matter in verse 1. The exact phrase (in the original Hebrew) of earth’s description without form, and void also occurs in Jeremiah 4:23. There it describes the moral chaos of a chosen people who do not know the Lord, who do not know how to do good, and who are wise only in knowing how to do evil. The phrase seems to describe a situation that is without moral boundaries. In parallel, Genesis 1:2 implies that physical boundaries are not yet fully defined (compare 1:4).

 

2b. And darkness was upon the face of the deep.

 

Here, the word darkness communicates the absence of light in a physical sense. Later writers and Jesus himself will use this word to communicate the absence of light in a moral sense (Isaiah 9:2; 50:10; Matthew 4:16; John 1:5; 12:46; etc.). It also comes to be used in contexts that call for the punitive acts of God (Amos 5:20; Zephaniah 1:15).

Regarding Genesis 1, the literal, physical sense is clear. But as we read the Old Testament in light of the New Testament, our understanding of figurative uses of the word darkness is enhanced.

 

2c. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

 

The word translated Spirit is elsewhere translated “breath” (Genesis 6:17), “wind” (8:1), “spirit” (45:27), “courage” (Joshua 2:11), and others. Regarding a choice between translations of Spirit or spirit, the translators were faced with a difficulty in that the Hebrew language does not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters. So translators must interpret the meaning, and they capitalize when the reference is to God personally as divine being.

 

As a result, the phrases Spirit of God and spirit of God occur 10 and 4 times respectively in the King James Version of the Old Testament. Many Christians think the phrase Spirit of God always refers to the Holy Spirit. But passages where the identical Hebrew is properly not translated that way are 1 Samuel 16:15, 16, 23; 18:10.

 

The phrase Spirit of God in the passage before us refers to the same one known as “the Spirit of the Lord.” This Spirit can be present (Judges 11:29), take action (13:25), speak messages (2 Samuel 23:2), and depart (1 Samuel 16:14). These are the qualities of a personal being, not an impersonal force.

 

1. Day One

(Genesis 1:3–5)

1. Creating Light (v. 3)
2. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

 

Creation begins! The phrase And God said occurs at the beginning of each day of creation, and here it serves to separate Genesis 1:3 and following from 1:1, 2. Let there be is a command or desire for something to take place. Presumably those hearing this command are the inhabitants of Heaven, the abode of God.

What Do You Think? What steps can you take to be more attentive to what God says? Digging Deeper With reference to Psalm 19:1–3 and Romans 1:18–20, consider how and what God communicates in Scriptures is different from how and what He communicates through creation.

The first thing created is light. Since the sun, moon, and stars are not created until the fourth day, some think that the light referred to here may be what scientists call energy. Perhaps this light-as-energy, if that is what it is, is a new creation out of nothing. Or perhaps matter that God previously created is now turned into energy, a concept absent from the ancient mind. Addressing such an issue is not the aim of the book of Genesis. The stress, rather, is that light stands in positive contrast to darkness (next verse).

 

1. Dividing Light from Darkness (v. 4)
2. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

 

God acts in and on His creation, and His light pushes back the darkness. The word good describes the value of the light. It may also include the excellence of figurative ideas associated with light. The Scripture may be using the acts of creation to teach a spiritual lesson in addition to the material events of creation. If that’s the case, then the lesson is that there is a difference between good and evil just as clearly as there is a difference between physical light and darkness. Foolish, sinful humans will later blur those distinctions. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20).

What Do You Think? What more can your church do to participate with God in dispelling moral darkness with the light of the gospel?   Digging Deeper Using a concordance, find occurrences of the word light in the Gospel of John and Epistle of 1 John to inform your answer.

1. Naming Light and Darkness (v. 5)
2. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

 

From the perspective of the ancient world, naming brings things into existence; unnamed things do not exist. Modern, scientific ideas about the nature of light are not in view. Just as darkness is merely the absence of light, and light is the creation of God, so also Day and Night are portrayed as impersonal creations rather than as rival gods or the forces used by other gods. In naming light and darkness, God exercises His authority and power as Creator.

 

The meaning of day has been interpreted in various ways to calculate the age of the earth. The word day in some contexts refers to the part of a 24-hour period that has light (Exodus 13:21). In other contexts it refers to entire 24-hour periods of time (Genesis 7:10). In still other contexts, day refers to a longer period of time (Genesis 2:4). The proposal that the phrase the evening and the morningnaturally suggests a 24-hour day is met with the observation that the sun—the rising and setting of which establish evening and morning—is not created until the fourth day.

 

One commentator has identified 20 creation accounts in the Bible. In so doing, he notes that the main emphasis across these is “the who” of creation‌—‌namely God. Secondarily, the Bible writers address “the how” of creation. Of least importance to them is “the when.” The goal of the authors is not to describe the age of the earth, but rather to describe the orderliness of creation and the lordship of the Creator over all that exists.

What Do You Think? How do we ensure that discussions on the age of the earth promote the gospel?   Digging Deeper Inform your answer by researching the differences between the “old earth,” “young earth,” and “ultra-young earth” viewpoints as held by creationists in those camps.

Light for the World

Galileo (1564–1642) labored to calculate the speed of light, but his experiments fell short. Danish astronomer Olaus Roemer (spelled variously) is credited with successfully measuring the speed of light, in 1676. Today’s scientists calculate that light travels at 186,000 miles per second.

 

Cosmic gamma rays, quantum gravity, black holes‌—while humans theorize to probe the origins of the universe, God is already there. He created light and its speed. He knows where every ray of sunlight and moonlight will fall on earth at any given nanosecond (compare Isaiah 38:8).

 

The psalmist declares that the Lord covers himself with light (Psalm 104:2). Jesus announced himself to be “the light of the world” (John 8:12). Light sustains life, both physical and spiritual. Light is part of God’s essence (1 John 1:5). God delights in light. Do we? (See Romans 13:12; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 2:11.)

—B. L.

 

III. Day Two

(Genesis 1:6–8)

1. Creating Firmament (v. 6a)

6a. And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.

 

The word firmament refers to the bowl-like dome mentioned in the Lesson Context; see discussion there.

 

1. Dividing Waters (vv. 6b, 7)

6b, 7. and let it divide the waters from the waters. 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.

 

Of particular interest here is the firmament’s function as a boundary to divide the waters from the waters. Those waters which were under the firmament are all the bodies of water on the earth and below the earth (rivers, lakes, oceans, aquifers). The waters which were above the firmament refer to the clouds from which rain falls.

 

1. Naming Firmament (v. 8)
2. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

 

The word translated Heaven can be used for the air where the birds fly (Genesis 1:20); the location of sun, moon, and stars (Deuteronomy 4:19); or the abode of God and other heavenly beings (1 Kings 22:19; compare 2 Corinthians 12:2). In any case, again God asserts His authority by naming. Paul Kissling notes that this serves to oppose the ancient Near East belief that creation of the firmament is a battle between warring gods. Instead, the Bible depicts the unique Creator God calmly forming everything as He alone wills.

 

1. Day Three

(Genesis 1:9–13)

1. Gathering Waters (v. 9)
2. 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.

 

The gathering of the waters … unto one place refers to the seas on the surface of the earth. The result is that landforms appear. Again, the account does not say how, or how quickly, God does this. It simply happens at His command.

 

1. Naming Land and Waters (v. 10)
2. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

 

One of the deities of the ancient world was Yam, a name equivalent to the Hebrew word for seas. The verse before us stands in sharp contrast with such a myth as it credits the one, true God as Creator of the seas. The seas are simply inanimate water, neither sentient nor divine.

What Do You Think? How would you teach truth about God to someone who believes in a fictitious god or gods?   Digging Deeper Consider how Paul’s technique in Acts 17:16–31 (which does not use Scripture) should be modified in various modern contexts.

1. Establishing Vegetation (vv. 11–13)

11, 12a. 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. 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.

 

Various kinds of plant life appear. This continues the preparation of the earth for human habitation, for now there is renewable sustenance of the earth necessary for survival of humans and animals.

 

The phrase after his kind is important and remarkable in indicating that watermelon seeds result in watermelons, etc. If we pause to consider the consistency of this, it is remarkable yet today.

 

12b, 13. And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.

The account of the third day concludes with a refrain found throughout the first chapter of Genesis: God approves of what He has created (1:4, 10, 18, 21, 25, 31).

 

Conclusion

1. The Game Maker

My son-in-law loves to play board games. I am amazed at the creativity of the people who invent the games. The inventor designs the game board, playing pieces, and rules of play. The players are free to choose to ignore the rules, but then they are not playing the game as intended by its creator.

 

There are really only two viewpoints regarding the ultimate source of all things. In one view, the ultimate source is eternally existing matter, the substance of which all things consist. Such a “god” is impersonal—without will or purpose, unable to possess or impose morals. In the other viewpoint, the ultimate source is a person. A person has qualities such as self-awareness, will, morality, and the power to act.

 

The difference is profound. In the universe of an impersonal god, there can be no absolute standard of right and wrong. Humans have no eternal destiny; they do not suffer eternal consequences for behavior. But in the real universe of the personal God, it is He who decides what is right and wrong. The uncreated God of the Bible is the Creator of all that exists, and His creation is obligated to obey Him.

 

The Scriptures tell us about the designer of the universe. Like the game maker, God has sent us instructions of how to live, the rules of right and wrong, and the consequences of breaking the rules. Humankind has been granted freedom to choose whether or not to obey the rules, but humankind has not been given the right to decide what the rules are.

 

1. Prayer

Dear God, Creator of the universe, we thank You for making yourself known to us. We also thank You for providing Christ, Your Son, as our means becoming a new creation after breaking Your rules. Help us to submit to Your Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

1. Thought to Remember

Praise the Creator!

 

Kid’s Corner

The Natural and Supernatural Light

September 2, 2018

Genesis 1:1-13

 

 

Genesis 1:1-13

Introduction

With Genesis, the Bible begins to answer some Who, What, When, Why, Where, and How questions that the Bible will answer and explain more fully and in greater detail from Genesis through Revelation. Among other truths, God progressively reveals in the Bible more truths about God’s nature, God’s purposes, and God’s relationship with the universe and us.

Who — God is God the Father, Jesus the Son of God, and the Spirit of God.

What — They created the heavens and the earth, the entire universe including its material, immaterial, and spiritual parts out of nothing (by using no previously existing material). See Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-5; Psalms 104:30.

When — From a human perspective, time began within eternity when They began to create the heavens and the earth.

Why — They created the heavens and the earth for humankind. They created a beautiful place for the people that God created in His image to live, to love, and to glorify God; a place where eternal relationships between God and His people and among His people could begin.

Where — God created the universe outside of God. God is not the universe and the universe is not God. God is separate from the universe that God created. God created the universe “in space.”

How — God thought and willed to create; then, God declared and revealed what God intended to create or bring into existence; then, by God’s power alone, God created. God can and will do whatever God says or promises. God is not dependent on anything or anyone outside Himself. No one or no thing can prevent God from achieving His purposes. God is the Sovereign Lord over all. God evaluates what He does and only creates what is good and only does what is good and right.

Verse by Verse Commentary

(Genesis 1:1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Eternity has no beginning and no end. God began time when God created the entire universe — the heavens and the earth. God’s creation reveals God’s “invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20). But some suppress the truth about God (Romans 1:18). Despite all the evidence around and within us, the fool chooses to believe and say there is no God (Psalms 14:1).

(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.

When God created the earth, God did so reasonably by using a logical step-by-step sequence that reveals God’s wisdom and creative power to bring something out of nothing – nothing cannot create something. God first created the earth as a substance that had no form, and nothing could live on it or within it as it was. The earth’s beginning was similar to a lump of extremely, overly saturated and very wet clay submerged in water that a potter might want to dry considerably before beginning to create a pot or piece of art. God created the material that God used to bring order to the earth and the heavens and to fill them with all God created. The Spirit of God (preferable to Wind of God) hovered over the mixture of land and water that God had created; similar to a potter carefully considering what he wants to do first as he looks over a formless lump of clay before beginning to work and express his creativity. Humans must create from preexisting material. God did not use preexisting material. God first created out of nothing the materials that God used in creating all God created.

(Genesis 1:3) Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

God wanted material light to shine upon and over all God’s creation. The light would reveal all God’s handiwork to the angels. God spoke what God wanted done and God did what God wanted done and God revealed what God did. God is the Lord, the Sovereign Creator and Ruler over all that God creates and maintains in existence. God reveals the truth about His divine nature and character by working in the light, so all can see or learn about Him and His creation (see Romans 1). God can work in the dark, but most of God’s living creatures need light to see and live. Spiritual light and life is in Jesus Christ (John 1:4-5). As the spiritual Light, Jesus created the material light outside himself, and all material and spiritual light and life depends upon Jesus. No light can exist independently of the Son of God.

(Genesis 1:4) God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.

When God created material light through Jesus Christ who is the Light in His very spiritual nature, so the light could make plant, animal, and human life possible, God said the light was good. God did not say the darkness was good, and God separated light from darkness, but God made His creation so living beings would benefit from the darkness by giving them the darkness as a time for rest, and so they could appreciate the sun and moon and the beauty of the stars, which they could also use for navigation. God brings what is good into creation. God distinguishes, evaluates, and can separate good from evil. God makes value judgments.

(Genesis 1:5) God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Jesus Christ is our supernatural Light, and God through Jesus Christ created natural light and separated the light from the darkness and named them day and night without first needing to create the sun and the moon and the stars to make light. God is not dependent on His creation for anything. God did not depend on the celestial bodies that God will later create to make light. In these early verses of Genesis, God revealed His way of working in general; in later verses God will reveal more specifically how God created. The new Jewish day begins in the evening, and God brought light into darkness on the first day.

(Genesis 1:6) Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”

A vault, a firmament, an expanse, or a dome are various words used to interpret the Hebrew text to say that just as God could separate light from darkness that has no “substance” that we can feel, so God can separate material substances that we can feel to make our world; such as, water from water. The firmament or dome could be understood by primitive people as the “unscientific” way of describing how the water in the sky is separate from the waters on the earth.

(Genesis 1:7) God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waterswhich were above the expanse; and it was so.

What God says He will do, He will do. God reveals himself as absolutely trustworthy and all powerful. God will keep His promises and do what He says. Having placed light in the darkness to reveal His creative efforts, on the second day God created space for animals and birds and people to live and move and have their being.

(Genesis 1:8) God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

As the Sovereign Creator, God named the space above the earth “sky.” The first and second day included both the creation of natural light and sky and the separation of light from the darkness and water from water, which will make human life possible and enjoyable. All God created in earth, sky, and water would be for good.

(Genesis 1:9) Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so.

Next, God separated the land from the seas (to the Hebrews, a “sea” was any body of water surrounded by land; such as, the Sea of Galilee, which we might call a lake). After working vertically by separating water from water, God now works logically and horizontally by separating the water from the composition of various matters and minerals that compose the land. Thus, God made room for plants and animals to live in the water and on the ground, with air to breathe above and below the waters. God intended to create life that could inhabit everything He made in land, water, and sky.

(Genesis 1:10) God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

Throughout Genesis 1, we see how God has the intellectual ability and the power to do whatever God wants. God also has the ability to distinguish good from bad, right from wrong, make value judgments, and evaluate what He does. We learn that in every situation and in everything God does, God does only what is good. Some may think God does evil from time to time, but this comes from a person’s limited knowledge of God. Beginning with Genesis, the Bible reveals the true character and nature of God.

(Genesis 1:11) 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.

To further demonstrate God’s creative power for all to see and understand, God created the land with the ability to grow and sustain vegetation that people would later use for crops and building materials. God made plants that produced seed and fruits that could reproduce themselves without needing God’s direct intervention for every plant to reproduce itself. God made seeds and plants that would reproduce themselves according to their kinds, which would later help mankind as they planned, sowed and reaped. Corn will not reproduce carrots and apple trees will never produce lemons or limes. Note: some humans have manipulated and modified some plants, animals, and people so they cannot reproduce themselves.

(Genesis 1:12) 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.

Repeatedly, Genesis reminds us that whatever God intends to do, God can accomplish, and all God did in creating the world was good. Whatever God wants to do today, God can do. No created being can prevent God’s purposes or stop God from doing whatever God wills to do. All creation depends on God for everything. Whatever happens in creation, God always works everything out for the good of those who love Him (see Romans 8:28-30).

(Genesis 1:13) There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

During the first three days of God’s creation, God made the earth and the sky and the vegetation ready to support animal and human life. Animals and humans need air to breathe and food to eat. Genesis shows how God does everything to meet the needs of all He creates before these needs are needed. All we need for life (both material and spiritual), God provides.

 

 

The Natural and Supernatural Light

September 2, 2018

Genesis 1:1-13

 

“God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:4).

 

After creating the heavens and the earth, God said, “Let there be light,” and the light shined into the darkness (Genesis 1:3). From the New Testament, we learn that all things were made through Jesus Christ and nothing was made without Him (John1:3). We also learn that life was in Jesus, and “the life was the light of all people” (John 1:4). Jesus Christ, the supernatural Light of the world, created the natural light that revealed God’s creative work to the watching angels and makes life on earth possible. Because of both the natural and supernatural light, “in Jesus we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). We also learn from Genesis that Jesus had the power to create the natural light without first needing to create the sun and the stars. Furthermore, He did not need to rotate the earth to separate the light from the darkness. When God separated the light from the darkness, God said that the light was good. After creating the sun, moon and stars, God used the darkness to give animals and people time to rest and enjoy a starry night. Ever since creation, both the natural and supernatural light have shined in the darkness and “the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Genesis reveals the wisdom, power, and goodness of God. Jesus is “the true light which enlightens everyone;” therefore, Paul wrote, “What can be known about God is plain” and “ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made” (John 1:9, Romans 1:19, 20).

 

 

Thinking Further

The Natural and Supernatural Light

September 2, 2018

Genesis 1:1-13

Name ___________________________

 

1. Describe what was the earth like after God first created the heavens and the earth?

 

 

2. After creating the heavens and the earth, what did God create next? Why do you think God created that next?

 

 

3. As God created, what judgments did God make?

 

 

4. What are some of the items God separated as God created day by day?

 

 

5. What are some things you have learned about God in this lesson?

 

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

1. Describe what was the earth like after God first created the heavens and the earth? The earth was dark, formless, empty, void, chaotic, and covered with water, but the Spirit of God hovered over the earth.

 

2. After creating the heavens and the earth, what did God create next? Why do you think God created that next? Next, God created the light, because God wanted the angels to see His handiwork and to reveal His handiwork as He created additional objects and beings. To show that God is not dependent on the sun, moon, or stars to provide light for the universe. God wanted to reveal His nature and character for all the world to see, and see that everything God did was good.

 

3. As God created, what judgments did God make? God made value judgments and said that whatever He did was good.

 

4. What are some of the items God separated as God created day by day? Light from darkness, water from water above the earth, and land from water on the earth.

 

5. What are some things you have learned about God in this lesson? God is intelligent and all powerful. God can and will do what God says. God can create out of nothing. God can make value judgments, evaluate His work, and will only do what is good. God wants others to see and enjoy His 3 handiwork. God wants to create for the benefit and happiness of others.

 

 

 

Word Search

The Natural and Supernatural Light

September 2, 2018

Genesis 1:1-13

Name _______________________________

 

F P N L T H A S X M J B D Y K

J C G M O S O N R A P O W D X

B E L N C W X V C E G V E L T

P C J I I O P J E P T T U D I

T S B A G N M D V R A A F H K

M P N G M H N Z A E I O W T D

N B Q E N O T I R R R N Q R G

A M S I V I R C G M K Z G A F

N X U T L A N N L E Q N O E I

I P W Q N F E E I P B S E Z N

R G D A P A S H V N M T J S G

M O P T U S L N T E G E P D S

T I R I P S H P G F S Q O Z K

M G Q F M Q N I Z U D O P N T

H Z E P H K V C S B G B A J Q

 

Beginning

God

Created

Heavens

Earth

Formless

Darkness

Spirit

Hovering

Waters

Light

Evening

Morning

Plants

Good

 

 

 

 

True and False Test

The Natural and Supernatural Light

September 2, 2018

Genesis 1:1-13

Name _______________________________

 

Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.

1. God created the heavens and the earth. True or False

 

2. On the first day, God created the earth round and surrounded it with stars. True or False

 

3. Immediately after God created the heavens and the earth, everything was in darkness. True or False

 

4. After God created the sun, light first shined upon the earth. True or False

 

5. When God said, “Let there be light,” the sun and moon appeared. True or False

 

6. On the second day, God separated the water below from the water above. True or False

 

7. When God created the sky, God made room for birds to fly. True or False

 

8. On the third day, God made dry ground appear. True or False

 

9. God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas” True or False

 

10. God made plants according to their various kinds. True or False

True and False Test Answers

Genesis 1:1-13

 

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. False
6. True
7. True
8. True
9. True

10.True

 

Prayer

Dear God, Creator of the universe, we thank You for making yourself known to us. We also thank You for providing Christ, Your Son, as our means becoming a new creation after breaking Your rules. Help us to submit to Your Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.