Light as the Order of God

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Point #1

In the pre-creation, there was unordered nothingness.

Explanation

Genesis 1:1 is a summary of the events of all chapter 1 of Genesis.

Genesis 1:2 is a description of the pre-creation. In other words, the nothingness that existed before.

The author, most believe to be Moses, describes this reality in a way that you and I can understand.

The earth is described as being without form (formless, wild, unordered).

It is also described as void (empty or uninhabited).

Darkness was over all over the deep (the abyss).

The only being present in this nothingness is God.

Our focus for tonight is the description of without form or unordered.

Before God said, “let there be light.” There was only unordered, dark nothingness.

Illustration

There isn’t a good illustration of this aside from what Moses provides for us. Darkness and a watery abyss.

Point #1

In the pre-creation, there was unordered nothingness.

Transition

But then we have some of the most famous words in the Bible spoken in verse 3.

#2: Ordered Creation

Read Text

Genesis 1:3–5 ESV

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And 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, the first day.

Genesis 1:31 ESV

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.

Point #2

With the creation of light, there was an ordered creation.

Explanation

God spoke light into existence. It was immediate.

God sees the light as a good creation.

He separates light from darkness.

He names light Day and darkness Night.

Then the first day ends.

The light is supposed to contrast with the darkness in the unordered nothingness.

So, God’s light represents the beginning of an ordered creation.

Illustration

Themes are concepts that go through all of Scripture and are attached to a word.

In the same way that certain colors represent different moods on a mood bracelet, light represents multiple things throughout Scripture, but here we see it represent order.

Point #2

With the creation of light, there was an ordered creation.

Transition

But then, as with all stories, something goes wrong....

#3 : Unordered Creation

Point #3

Due to the fall, all of creation fell into disordered chaos.

Read Text

Genesis 3:1–7 ESV

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The fall of man came about in one moment and we see the evil of man continue to spiral into udder chaos as we continue the story.

Genesis 4:8 ESV

Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

Cain murders his brother.

Genesis 4:23–24 ESV

Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

Cain’s descendent, Lamech, gloats on how much more wicked he is than Cain.

Genesis 6:5–6 ESV

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

God sees a chaotic and unordered humanity full of corruption and sin.

Genesis 9:20–21 ESV

Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent.

Even after God wiped out all the evil before the flood, we still see that the evil of man’s heart still existed in Noah.

Genesis 11:1–4 ESV

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.”

Again, all the world is full of evil and tries to make a name for themselves.

Genesis 12:10–13 ESV

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.”

Genesis 20:1–2 ESV

From there Abraham journeyed toward the territory of the Negeb and lived between Kadesh and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

Abraham trades his wife over to pagan rulers twice to save his own skin.

Genesis 27:18–29 ESV

So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed! May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

Jacob deceives his father and steals his brother’s blessing.

Genesis 37:28 ESV

Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

Joseph’s brothers hate him and sell him into slavery.

Romans 5:12 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

This verse sums up the entirety of human sin very well.

Romans 8:19–22 ESV

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

Not only was the order of God taken from humanity but the rest of creation. This is why we see tornados, hurricanes, floods, hail, and fires.

Illustration

From the fall of man, all of creation begins on a downward spiral of unordered chaos and sin.

Point #3

Due to the fall, all of creation fell into disordered chaos.

Transition

All seems lost, how can this unordered and chaotic world be brought back into the order of God. The same way as the first time. By the Word of God.

#4: Renewing Creation

Point #4

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the order of God is being restored into the world one person at a time.

Explanation

Those who are born again by the Spirit of God, the same one who hovered over the dark waters, will be brought back into the order of God.

Colossians 2:5 ESV

For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Paul ties our spiritual growth with order.

Order is very connected with the peace of God.

John 16:33 ESV

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Christians have the order and peace of God in their hearts and lives.

This is how this present world is becoming more and more ordered.

We are now the ordered creatures of God and as we expand across the world with his gospel, we take the order of God with us.

Illustration

The church is like a tree. We start off small but we will grow in size and so expand God’s order to the whole world.

We are becoming what we shall become.

Point #4

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the order of God is being restored into the world one person at a time.

Transition

There is hope still. Christ came once, and he is coming again to institute a new creation.

#5: Ordered New Creation

Point #5

In the new heaven and new earth, the order of God will fill all of his creation.

Read Text

Revelation 21:23–24 ESV

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it,

Revelation 22:5 ESV

And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

Explanation

God’s light will fill all creation, and so all of his creation will be ordered perfectly.

Illustration

A new earth full of light. A perfectly ordered creation full of God’s glory.

Point #5

In the new heaven and new earth, the order of God will fill all of his creation.

Transition

Conclusion

Main Idea

God’s created light represents his order over all creation that he is restoring through his Son, Jesus Christ.