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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
GENESIS
Chapter One Verses
Three to Thirty-one
The Creation Week or The Restoration
To those who separate verse 1 from the rest of Genesis, the term
"Restoration" is the more correct one. However, the term
"Creation week" has become a convenient term to use for the
record of preparing the earth for man.
It is agreed by most scholars that:
1. During this "week" of creation or restoration, God transformed a thing of chaos into a beautiful earth.
2. Creation was orderly and carried out in six successive stages.
3. Each stage had a definite beginning and close.
The word day is one of God’s mysteries. The Hebrew word is YOM and appears in the Old Testament 1480 times. It is translated fifty-four different ways into English.
THE FOLLOWING ARE JUST A FEW OF THE DIFFERENT WAYS IT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED: 1,181 times as day. 67 times as time. 30 times as today. 18 times as forever. 10 times as continually. 6 times as age. 4 times as perpetually. So we cannot be rigid as to how it is translated. We need to consider the context of the scripture it is located in. Even in English we find different meanings, such as, "in my day the custom was," which means a period of time. In this case, day could mean 24 hours or a definite number of years. The Apostle Peter spoke of one day with the Lord as a thousand years. 2Peter 3:8
It takes 24 hours for our earth to rotate one complete turn, so we have
a basic division of 12 light hours and 12 dark hours. There are variations
because of seasons which cause longer days or longer nights but it still
comes out to 24 hours. In scripture, the word YOM very often means a 24
hour period.
Genesis 7:12 and 8:4
There is disagreement among Bible scholars concerning the length of the days mentioned in this week.. Was it a day of 24 hours or a geological age of an indefinite time? For those of us who accept the Gap theory, 24 hours is the answer.
V 3. And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
Time as we know it begins. We have learned from Genesis 1:2
that in its chaotic state the earth was a large mass of material
without any definite shape. It was covered with water, and enveloped
in darkness. Now God speaks and light is made visible. This is not the
direct shining of the sun. The sun does not appear until the fourth
day. Since the cycle of days and nights began then, we assume that the
earth was rotating. The light that penetrated the darkness must have
been at a fixed point.
The Hebrew word used for light corresponds with our word illuminate. Jesus is both the Light and the Word. The Light that came over the chaos was the Word of God. "The entrance of thy word brings light." Psalms 119:130 Hebrews 1:2 John 1:1-10.
V 4. And God saw the light, that it was good---suitable, pleasing---and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.
V 5. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
Day one: Darkness covered the face of the earth, God speaks and there is light. A light that penetrates the vapors and darkness. How different it is when God speaks. Compare this to when Satan speaks.
"The world of men is without form and void, darkness covers the face of their hearts. Satan cries, "Let there be organization! and there is chaos. He calls out, "Let there be the United Nations! And there are vetoes and wars. He raises the pitch of his voice, "Let there be peace of mind!" And there are more psychiatric cases. He commands, "Let there be brotherhood!" And there are race riots." Quoted from The Invisible War by Donald Grey Barnhouse.
Always remember: It takes the Word of God to bring light, life and love to a dead planet or a dead heart. Let’s compare God’s work in recreation to His creative working us. God created us in His image and for His glory. Outside of God our life is with out purpose, it is empty, lonely and it is waste. God’s Holy Spirit begins brooding over our frozen hearts and the ice starts melting. Then the light comes in, we give ourselves to Jesus and we are no longer in darkness. In Jesus we are new creatures, our talents and time become more meaningful and we begin to manifest fruit for His glory.
V 6. And God said, Let there be a firmament [the expanse of the sky] in the midst of the waters; and let it separate the waters [below] from the waters [above].
V 7. And God made the firmament (the expanse) and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so.
V 8. Though it doesn't say, "God saw" He must have seen the results of His speaking. For He named what He saw.
Day two: The firmament spoken of here means the starry heavens as well as the atmosphere. (verses 6-8) Not the heaven that is the abode of God. Paul speaks of 3 heavens in 2 Corinthians 12:1-3. The first heaven is the one we see when we look up. The immediate atmosphere of earth. This is the present location of Satan's spiritual activity (Satan is called the prince of the air). The second heaven is the starry space above, which includes our solar system. The third heaven is the place where God lives, except on the earth where He lives in the hearts of believers.
As usual, there is some disagreement among Bible scholars concerning the abode of Satan and his angels. Some say first heaven, some say second. It doesn’t matter one way or the other, the important thing to remember is, he is out there. AND he is still seeking, for himself, that which belongs to God.
The waters divided when the vapors or heavy clouds left the "face of the deep." They took their place above as clouds in the sky. There are tremendous quantities of water in the atmosphere. The atmosphere can hold in suspension several times the amount of all the water in the world's oceans. If we didn’t know God and His word and believe He cannot lie, we might be nervous about all that water hanging over our heads; however, He promised never to destroy the earth by water again. Genesis 8:13-14.
The separating of the upper and lower bodies of water made provision for the air and oxygen supply needed to sustain life. God actually divided water from water. Isn’t that amazing? Other things I find amazing are that the water above is fresh and the water below is salty. Also that icebergs are mostly packed solid snow and when they break apart they float in salty water yet they remain fresh water.
V 9. And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be collected into one place (of standing), and let the dry land appear. And it was done.
V 10. God called the dry land Earth, and the accumulated waters He called Seas. And God saw that this was good--admirable, fitting---and He approved it.
Day three: The first work of this day is the gathering together of the waters so the earth might emerge from its watery grave. Now it is dry land ready to sustain vegetation. Descriptions of this days work are found in Isaiah 40:12 and Psalms 104:9
The work of this day also made possible the evaporation and precipitation principles that provide rainfall. These principles keep the seas from getting too full. (Eccl. 1:7)
V 11. And God said, Let the earth put forth (tender) vegetation, plants yielding seed, and the fruit trees yielding fruit each according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth. And it was so.
V 12. The earth brought forth vegetation, plant yielding seed according to their own kind, and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good---suitable, admirable--and He approved it.
Three main kinds of plant life are described carefully in vs. 11 and 12.
1. Vegetation describes root crops.
2. Plant yielding seed describes crops such as corn, wheat, or beans.
3. Trees bearing fruit containing seeds within such as peaches or apples.
Here we find the first use of the phrase "after his kind". This refutes the evolution theory. It also answers the question of which came first, the seed or the plant. (The plant did.)
One of biology's foundation teachings is that chromosomes carry genes. Genes determine one's heredity. In onions for example, each living cell has 16 chromosomes. When the cell divides each new cell receives 16 chromosomes. Occasionally an aberration will occur and there will three or four times the number of chromosomes as there is in the parent cell.
Scientists use these natural aberrations and cross pollenize to form many varieties. Thus we have many kinds of vegetables, plants and fruits that descended from the three created types. Varieties will develop within a given type, but the type itself will not be transcended. There is no way to cross pollinate pears with green bean and tomatoes, they are not of the same type.
V 13. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
Notice the perfect order of development in the "days". Light, air and water are essential to sustain life so they are first. Then the dry land with plant life for food precedes the creatures that have life. God provides for the needs of His people and generously adds many of the desires of our hearts.
Also notice there is a grouping of the first 3 days and the second 3 days. The first group contains works of division.
1st Day light from darkness (to provide light)
2nd Day upper water from lower water (to provide seas and air.)
3rd Day land from the seas ( to provide land and plant life.)
The second group contains works of quickening and adorning
4th Day Sun, moon, stars (light holders released from constraint, to adorn the work of 1st day.)
5th Day Fish and fowl (to adorn the seas and the air provided on 2nd day.)
6th Day Land animals and man (to adorn the land and use the plants provided on day 3.)
God is a God of order not confusion. When we set things right restoring order out of chaos, we are functioning as the hand of God.
V 14. And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and tokens [of God's provident care], and [to mark] seasons, days, and years. [Genesis 8:22]
V 15. And let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light upon the earth. And it was so.
V 16. And God made the two great lights, the greater light (the sun) to rule the day, and the lesser light (the moon) to rule the night; He also made the stars.
V 17. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.
V 18. To rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good---fitting, pleasant---and He approved it.
V 19. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
Note: The Hebrew word for let
never denotes creation,
but permission.
Day four: The word translated "made" in verse 16 is asah, which means to release from restraint. Some translations read: "God had made two great luminaries.....and God had fixed them....."
The result of my prayerful study has led me to believe that the darkness surrounding the globe was replaced with a luminous light created by the Word of God. Then the sun, moon and stars were made visible (released from restraint) to the earth and began, once more, to fill their appointed purpose. They are the lights to measure the days, years and seasons. They produce the conditions necessary for the existence of living beings on the earth.
V 20. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly and swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.
V 21. God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good – suitable, admirable – and He approved it.
V 22. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let the fowl multiply in the earth.
V 23. And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
Day five: In verse 21 the word bara, which means without the use of pre-existing material, is used again for create. Here the new creation is animal life, described as every living creature that moves. This day records the creation of the fish and fowl.
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V 24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures, according to their kinds; livestock, creeping things, and [wild] beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so.
V 25. And God made the [wild] beasts of the earth according to their kinds, and domestic animals according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that they were good---fitting, pleasant---and He approved them.
Repeating over and over "according to their kind" (seven times in five verses) God must have been trying to tell us that one type does not evolve into another. Dogs do not become tigers, nor do horses evolve into elephants. Because of various combinations of chromosomes and genes, many varieties occur. More than a million varieties of plants and animals exist. The Bible only mentions a few general types. Under varying environments, as these types migrated over the earth, they experienced changes.
Since Public Television teaches evolution between species, we need to discuss the differences between the theories of evolution and creation. A person who believes in the creation theory is one who believes that all matter and biological species are the results of separate acts of creation by God. A person who believes in the evolution theory is one who believes that all life began as a much simpler form and evolved to more complex forms. The word evolution means to gradually unfold, adapt or change.
As each day progressed, Satan must have watched with grim interest.
Wondering what God had in mind. He had lived and ruled here for a very
long time. He considered it his domain.
V 26. God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind
in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have complete
authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the
[tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over ever thing that
creeps upon the earth. [Hebrews 11:3; 1:2; Psalms 104:30.]
Man was created to be God's viceroy over the earth. A position once filled by Lucifer.
V 27. So God created man in His own image, in the image and
likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Col.3:10
James 3:8-9
Day six: The word bara which means out of non existing material, is used here for the third time. Man's body is formed from the dust. All else is created (bara) in the image of God. After God's image, man is an intelligent being, endowed with a will and a moral nature. After God's likeness, man was to exercise dominion over the rest of creation and to fellowship with God. The entrance of sin blurred the likeness of God in man and rendered him impotent to carry out this purpose.
We should keep in mind, when we look upon another person, that we are looking at one who is of great value to God. Then behave accordingly. Courtesy is always in order.
Titus 3:2 amp. Slander or abuse or speak evil of no one. Avoid being contentious, be yielding, gentle and conciliatory and show unqualified courtesy toward everybody.
God counts our behavior towards others as directed toward Him.
Matthew 25:40 Truly, I tell you, in as far as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it unto me.
V 28. And God blessed them, and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it [with all its vast resources]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.
In Psalm 115:16 we read: The earth He has given to man, so what does our responsibility toward the earth entail. How do we live up to our responsibility? Are we actually supposed to leave the place we have been in better shape than when we arrived? I think so. To be good stewards we must conserve our resources and stop littering. We must not be careless with fire or with the use of our forests. Trash must be put in designated areas, we must practice conservation in our use of lights and water. Listen to these words from the writings of Carl Sagan: "Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us."
V 29. And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.
It appears that man was a vegetarian at this point.
V 30. And to all the animals on the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the ground, to everything in which there is the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. And it was so.
Animals were also vegetarians.
V 31. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good---suitable, pleasant--and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
Over and over God said it is good. The dictionary definition of good is:
morally excellent,
satisfactory in quality,
good health,
honorable and worthy,
not counterfeit,
not spoiled or tainted,
skillfully or expertly done.
So, God created man in His own image of perfection, morally excellent; satisfactory in quality; in good health; honorable, and worthy; unspoiled; and it was all expertly done.
Then God said, I really did a good job. He gave man dominion over the works of His hands. He held nothing back from man.
Because of the dominion given back into our hands by Jesus, we are to be on top of the circumstances, not just doing, pretty good under the circumstances.
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Teaching And Research By: M. E. Arbaugh
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January 1, 2007
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