Creation's Story

Announcements =- Men’s Steak and Shoot

Big Idea: God’s story of creation causes us to worship Him by enjoying life, engaging in goodness, and glorying in God’s redemption.

Why would God tell us this when he could have told us anything?

Enuma Elish

Marduk - 50 names - through sexual reproduction formed the earth and made man so the Gods could rest

Canaanite story

The entire world was once only Arapel (cloudy darkness) and Baad (wind). Baad then went onto produce Ruach, another type of wind, which instead of mingling with the darkness, blew it away to bring forth light. However, no field was yet formed, no marsh was to be seen. No gods were yet born, and everything was barren and desolate.

Ages passed, until finally the gods emerged. First came forth El, the great god El, the original creator god, the “Creator of Created things.” With the help of the great goddess Asherah, children born to El, sons and daughters, the divine assembly, the seventy sons and daughters of El. Among the children are Shamuma (Heaven), and Artzu (Earth). They are joined as one, like an egg. Heaven and earth are not yet seperate. Other children included, Yamm (god of sea, and the chaotic waters of the primeval deep) and Ba’al (mighty rider of the clouds, god of thunder and rain).

These gods are responsible for making the world habitable. Before them, the world was in a chaotic state, and uninhabitable. The entire earth is pictured as a barren wasteland, like a desert. It is made of a kind of mud or wet sand, made wet by the waters of the deep which cover the earth. There is no dry land yet. The whole of the earth is covered in a fathomless ocean (the abyss).

However, The god Shamumah wanted the world to remain that way and waged war against El. El attacks and defeats Shamuma. El now carries off heaven, and Asherah carries off earth. Heaven is placed above, while earth is placed below.

Yamm, upon hearing this is enraged. All fled before his fury but Ba’al, who with the help of his sister Anat (goddess of war) defeated Yamm and his allies Tannin (dragon of the sea) and Loran (the sea serpent with seven heads). The gods then built a magnificent house for Ba’al, so that he could rest and provide abundant rain for the earth. But Ba‘al was challenged by Mot (or Mut), the god of death and the underworld. Mot temporarily triumphed and Ba‘al disappeared into the underworld. Anat and Shapash, the sun god, found Ba‘al, brought him back to life, and restored him to his house.

Evolution

Eventually light happened at the beginning of a big explosion. Light eventually formed our earth. Primordial sea of watery chaos. After ages, Life emerged from the sea. Life through time and chance eventually made human beings.

no absolute certainty - Why?

Assumptions = talking on campus -

We observe the galaxies moving away from us at faster than the speed of light.

We observe time slowing down/ speeding up based on gravity and who’s perspective you are talking about.

Morning and Evening

Numbered Days

God could have done it instantly and he could have done it over millions of years but he did it in a week.

Enjoy Creative Order and Diversity

bacteria

DNA - Stephen Meyer - words

Not a Survival of the fittest or a drudgery of endless repetition

400,000 beetles

The eye

micro evolution - we adapt to our environments

Suicide - the pinnacle of experience and then that’s it

God did not make us to be afraid in our world but to explore it and enjoy it.

To marvel and live!

How do we live? God bakes even that into creation.

Engage a Rest and Work Rhythm

Most cultures have a 7 day week.

Russians tried to move to a 5 day week to keep production going all the time.

Exodus 20:11 ESV

11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Not a slave of the gods. Not a power struggle or a genetic passage

To do good and enjoy it

How was yesterday for you? We’re no better than the Russians if we don’t enjoy it.

Do you ever stop and look at the beauty and enjoy the variety of experiences?

The only way you will do that is if you see the other way God ties creation to our experience.

Glory in a People

Exodus 24:15–18 ESV

15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

God is creating us to be His people and

To live on the Word of God

Brandon Sanderson - Stormlight Archive

to eventually have some become gods themselves

I think our culture is in so many ways no different than this.

You are being told why you are here, what you are to do, and what you can expect. Will you worship Him?

Enjoy Creative Order and Diversity

Engage a Work and Rest Rhythm

Glory in being the People of God

Community Group questions

What are your questions regarding creation?

How might you engage people regarding creation?

What good are you seeking to do this week?

How are you enjoying God’s creation?

How are you living on God’s Word this week?