Genesis 1.3-5-The First Day of Restoration
Wednesday July 20, 2005
Genesis: Genesis 1:3-5-The First Day of Restoration
Tape # 2
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 1:1.
Last night I gave you an introduction to the book of Genesis and taught Genesis 1:1-2.
This evening we will review Genesis 1:1-2 and study Genesis 1:3-5, which records the first day of restoration.
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning (bere’shith, “in eternity past”) God created (bara, “created out of nothing”) the heavens and the earth.”
“In the beginning” refers to eternity past when there was only the Trinity and no creation or creatures.
“Created” is the verb bara (arB), “to create something out of nothing” which is in Genesis 1:1 and is not used until the introduction of animal and human life, in the 5th and 6th days indicating that the six days are an account of a divine restoration.
The other verbs which are used to describe the work of the 6 days such as “made,” (asah), “form” (yatsar) “divide” (badhal), and “set” (nathan) are used elsewhere of work done with existing materials, thus clearly indicating that something tremendous and terrible happened to the initial creation.
“Creation” is different from “restoration” since the former is making something out of nothing whereas the latter is fixing something up after it has been destroyed.
Genesis 1:2a, “(waw disjunctive construction, “however”) The earth was (perfect tense of hayah, “became”) formless and void (tohu waw bohu, “empty desolation”), and darkness was over the surface of the deep.”
Genesis 1:2 begins with a “waw-disjunctive construction” (conjunction-noun-verb), which indicates a contrast between Genesis 1:2 and 1:1 and that the original creation underwent a catastrophic judgment.
“Formless and void” is composed of 3 Hebrew words: (1) “Formless” is the noun tohu. (2) “And” is the conjunction waw. (3) “Void” is the noun bohu.
Tohu and bohu always refer to a confused, chaotic state, inevitably the result of some cataclysm, and usually one that has been brought on by divine judgment.
Isaiah 45:18, “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place (tohu), but formed it to be inhabited), "I am the LORD, and there is none else.”
Jeremiah 4:23, “I looked on the earth, and behold, it was a ruin (tohu) and a desolation (bohu); And to the heavens, and they had no light.”
In Genesis 1:2, the nouns tohu, bohu express the concept of chaos on the earth and a comparison of Scripture with Scripture indicates that this was the result of God’s judgment of the Satanic rebellion.
The six days recorded in Genesis 1:3-31 are a record of the restoration of the original creation that was judged by God for the rebellion of Satan and this restoration was accomplished in 6 literal 24-hour days.
(1) 1st Day: The Lord restored light to the earth (Gen. 1:3-5). (2) 2nd Day: The Lord restored the atmosphere (Gen. 1:6-8). (3) 3rd Day: The Lord restored the dry land by causing the flood waters to gather into one place (Gen. 1:9-11). (4) 4th Day: The Lord restored the stellar universe (Gen. 1:14-19). (5) 5th Day: The Lord created animal life (Gen. 1:20-21). (6) 6th Day: The Lord created man (Gen. 1:26-28).
Three major events took place between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2:
(1) The rebellion of Satan in eternity past, which is noted in Job 4:18, Isaiah 14:12-14, 45:18 and Ezekiel 28:12-18.
Ezekiel 28:12, “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, you had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.”
Ezekiel 28:13, “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared.”
The fact that Satan was in the garden of Eden before he sinned and rebelled against God indicates that the garden of Eden that Adam was placed in was a restored one and if a restored one then the account of the six days of Genesis 1 are that of a restoration rather than one of creation.
Ezekiel 28:14, “You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.”
Ezekiel 28:15, “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you.”
Ezekiel 28:16, “By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.”
Ezekiel 28:17, “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you.”
Ezekiel 28:18, “By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you.”
Ezekiel 28:19, “All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; You have become terrified and you will cease to be forever.”
Isaiah 14:12, “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!”
Isaiah 14:13, “But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.”
Isaiah 14:14, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
The fact that Satan desired to ascend to heaven indicates that he was not satisfied with his position on planet earth in the garden of Eden and if he was in the garden of Eden, then the garden of Eden that Adam was placed into was a restored one and if it was restored, then the account of the six days in Genesis 1 are an account of a restoration and not of creation.
(2) The Supreme Court of Heaven’s decision to sentence Satan and the fallen angels to the Lake of Fire for their rebellion as noted in Matthew 25:41.
(3) The appeal of the sentence by Satan, which is indicated by the following: (a) Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2), (b) he deceives it (1 Jn. 5:19), (c) he has access to heaven and accuses believers (Job 1-2; Zech. 3:1-3; Rev. 12:10), (d) his sentence to the lake of fire has not been executed as of yet and won’t be until the end of human history (Rev. 20:10).
Genesis 1:2a, “(waw disjunctive construction, “however”) The earth was (perfect tense of hayah, “became”) formless and void (tohu waw bohu, “empty desolation”), and darkness was over the surface of the deep.”
Genesis 1:2 records the earth as being enshrouded in darkness, which indicates that the earth was judged by God since darkness in the Bible is always associated with judgment, sin and evil (cf. Is.5:30; 8:22; Ezek.32:7-8; Acts 13:11; Ex.10:21-29; cf. Ps.105:28; Matt.27:45-54; Rev.19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8).
Genesis 1:2 records the earth as being completely flooded with water, which indicates that the earth was judged by God since water is commonly associated with judgment (Gen. 6-9; cf. 2 Pet.2:5; 3:5-7).
As a result of Satan's activities on the original earth, God judged the original created world and the earth was cursed by association with Satan's sin (just as the restored earth would later be cursed for its association with Adam's sin (Gen.3:17-19; Rom. 8:19-22).
The Holy Spirit is depicted as hovering over the raging ocean depths of planet earth like a mother eagle hovering over her chicks in order to convey God’s attitude of concern for His creation, which was judged because of the Satanic rebellion.
Genesis 1:3, “Then God (the Son) said (`amar, “to command”), "Let there be light"; and there was light.”
In response to the command given to Him by God the Son, God the Holy Spirit restored physical light to the stellar universe and planet earth, which signifies the presence of God just as darkness indicates the absence of God’s presence.
1 John 1:5 states that “God is light,” which is a figure for the holiness of God and John 4:23-24 teaches that “God is spirit” and thus invisible.
Psalm 104:2 teaches that God covers Himself in light as a garment and 1 Timothy 6:16 states that He “dwells in unapproachable light.”
Therefore, a comparison of these passages indicates that God who is holy choosing to manifest Himself by a great display of light.
In Genesis 1:3, light is used literally for physical light, whose source is the manifestation of the presence and glory of God.
Nowhere is Scripture is light said to be bara, “created out of nothing,” but it is said to be yatsar, “to formed out of existing material, i.e. restored.”
Isaiah 45:7, “The One Who forms (yatsar, “to form out of existing material” and not bara) light and the Creator (bara, “to create out of non-existing material”) of darkness, the Maker of prosperity and the Creator of misfortune, I, the Lord, the One who performs all these things.”
Light was formed or crafted out of existing material in order that God might manifest His presence before angels and men.
We do not have a full manifestation of light in creation at the present time because of the presence of sin and evil in both heaven and earth.
There will be a full manifestation of light in the new heavens and the new earth, whose appearance will be subsequent to human history, which will end when the appeal of Satan is complete (Rev. 21).
There will be no darkness in the new heavens and new earth because all remembrance of angelic and human sin and rebellion will not be present but will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev. 21).
This restoration of physical light to the stellar universe and planet earth indicated that God was graciously granting Satan his appeal.
Genesis 1:4, “God (the Son) saw that the light was good; and God separated (badhal, “to cause a division”) the light from the darkness.”
“Saw” is the verb ra’ah, which means, “to observe” in the sense that the Lord Jesus Christ considered carefully the restoration of light to the stellar universe by the Holy Spirit was picture perfect.
Ra’ah is used in an anthropopathic sense meaning that the human action of seeing is attributed to infinite eternal God in order to communicate to our finite human frame of reference God’s acceptance and approval of the restoration of light to the stellar universe, which would fulfill His purposes in granting Satan his appeal.
“Good” is the predicate adjective tov, which is used to describe the work of Holy Spirit in restoring physical light to the stellar universe from the standpoint of “exactly fitting the needs of the Trinity and purpose” in granting Satan his appeal.
The restoration of physical light to the stellar universe by God the Holy Spirit was: (1) Excellent, complete, beyond practical or theoretical improvement. (2) Exactly fitting the needs and purpose for the appeal trial of Satan. (3) Without any flaws or shortcomings. (4) Correct in every detail.
The division of physical light from darkness and day from night is symbolic of what has taken place in the spiritual realm in the angelic conflict between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Satan.
Genesis 1:5, “God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”
“Called” is the verb qara, which expresses the Lord Jesus Christ “absolute sovereignty” over creation and the restored creation.
Psalm 93:1, “The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.”
The phrase “and there was evening and there was morning, one day” refers to a literal 24-hour period since Genesis was written by Moses to Israel, which marked time by literal 24-hour periods.
Israel was taught that God rested on the 7th day and according to Exodus 20:8-11 she was commanded by God to obey the Sabbath every 7th day, thus, for the children of Israel, all 7 days represent days of 24 hours in length.
Now, in closing, each day of restoration that is recorded in Genesis 1 typifies some part of the work of redemption of man.
When I say, “typify” I’m referring to “typology,” which is from the Greek word for form or pattern, which in biblical times denoted both the original model or prototype and the copy that resulted.
Biblical typology involves an analogical correspondence in which earlier events, persons, and places in salvation history become patterns by which later events and the like are interpreted.
A type is a specific parallel between 2 historical entities; the former is indirect and implicit, the latter direct and explicit.
Therefore, historical event of the Lord restoring light to creation parallels the incarnation of the Son of God who is the Light of the world.
The first day of restoration where the Lord restores light to creation typifies the incarnation of the Son of God who is the light of the world.
