Genesis 1.9-13-The Third Day of Restoration
Sunday July 24, 2005
Genesis: Genesis 1:9-13-The Third Day of Restoration
Lesson # 4
Please turn in your Bibles to Genesis 1:1.
This morning we will study Genesis 1:9-13, which records the 3rd day of restoration.
Genesis 1:1 records the initial creation that was inhabited by only angels, and Genesis 1:2 records the aftermath of God judging the rebellion of Satan, which began in the original Garden of Eden (Ezek. 28:12-19; Isa. 14:12-14).
Therefore, 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.
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning (bere’shith, “in eternity past”) God created (bara, “created out of nothing”) the heavens and the earth.”
Genesis 1:2a, “(waw disjunctive construction, “however”) The earth was (perfect tense of hayah, “became”) formless and void (tohu waw bohu, “empty desolation” signifying divine judgment), and darkness (darkness signifies divine judgment in Scripture) was over the surface of the deep (earth was flooded with water also signifying divine judgment).”
Genesis 1:2b, “And the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.”
Genesis 1:3-5 records the first day of restoration.
Genesis 1:3, “Then God (the Son) said (`amar, “to command”), "Let there be light"; and there was light.”
Genesis 1:4, “God (the Son) saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.”
Genesis 1:5, “God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”
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.
Now, in each day of restoration that is recorded in Genesis 1 typifies some part of the work of redemption of man.
A type is a specific parallel between two 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.
John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world.”
Genesis 1:6-8 records the 2nd day of restoration.
Genesis 1:6, “Then God said, ‘Let there be an expanse (raqia, “atmosphere”) in the midst of the waters (earth was flooded with water), and let it separate the waters from the waters.’”
Genesis 1:7, “God made (`asah, “restored”) the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.” NASU
The waters “above” the earth’s atmosphere were a vast blanket of transparent water vapor that provided uniform temperatures over the entire earth and filtered out destructive energies from outer space, which contributed to the longevity of the Antediluvians (individuals who lived before the Flood of Noah).
Genesis 1:8, “God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” NASU
The Lord Jesus Christ does not employ tov, “good,” after the second day of restoration as He does after the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth days since Satan and the fallen angels inhabit the earth’s atmosphere.
Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
The insertion of the atmosphere that ‘divided” the mass of water that flooded the earth into two bodies of water typified Christ’s cross which divides the human race into either believers or unbelievers.
Genesis 1:9-13 contains the record of the 3rd day of restoration where the Lord caused the flood waters that covered the entire earth to be gathered into one place so that the dry land underneath might appear.
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.” NASU
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.” NASU
The Lord Jesus Christ owns the earth since He created it.
Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it.” NASU
The Lord is sovereign over the earth and its inhabitants.
Isaiah 40:22, “It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” NASU
The Lord has decreed that the earth was never to stop its productivity.
Genesis 8:22, “while the earth stands, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
Genesis 1:11, “Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation (noun deshe (deh-sheh), which is a broad term referring to all plant life on planet earth and encompasses both “plants producing seed” and “fruit trees producing fruit”): plants (noun `esev (eh-sev) refers to plant life of all types) yielding (zara (zaw-raw) emphasizes the process of producing seed in plant life) seed (noun zera (zeh-reh), which refers to the product produced by plant life), and fruit trees (refers to fruit of all types) on the earth bearing (verb `asah (gah-sah) refers to the reproductive function of fruit trees) fruit after their kind (means that each organism was to reproduce after its own order or species or family, not after some other order, family or species) with seed in them"; and it was so.” NASU
Vegetables and fruit were to be the diet of the Antediluvians but this changed after Noah came out of the ark with his family (Gen. 9:1-4).
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.” NASU
Genesis 1:13, “There was evening and there was morning, a third day.” NASU
As we see in the third day, the Lord caused the earth to bring forth fruit, which typifies the resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.”
In Genesis 1, we see God working in the midst of darkness in restoring creation, which typifies God’s work in our lives.
2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
Just as God’s power was manifested through the impotence of the destroyed creation so His power is manifested through our impotence.
2 Corinthians 12:9, “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
God working in the midst of darkness typifies God’s work in our lives where at the moment of salvation we have been called out of the spiritual darkness of Satan’s cosmic system and transferred into God’s kingdom, the kingdom of light.
Colossians 1:13, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”
Since we no longer belong to the spiritual darkness of Satan’s cosmic system but rather belong to the light of God’s kingdom, we are to live our lives in a manner that is consistent with this fact.
Ephesians 5:8, “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.”
Genesis 1 also teaches us that the Spirit through the Word of God gives life.
John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”
Genesis 1 teaches us that out of death, God gives life through the Word.
James 1:18, “In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”
Genesis 1 teaches us that out of the suffering of creation, God blesses.
Just as God restored the earth so that it might be productive once again so God can take a life destroyed by sin and restore it through His grace, mercy, love and power so that it becomes productive for Him.
Just as God in His love restored the earth causing it to be productive once again so God has restored us by raising us up with Christ so that we might be productive for God.
Ephesians 2:1, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins.”
Ephesians 2:2, “in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.”
Ephesians 2:3, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”
Ephesians 2:4, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.”
Ephesians 2:5, “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).”
Ephesians 2:6, “and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:7, “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Ephesians 2:9, “not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Our only response to the work of God in our lives is to worship and praise Him.
Ephesians 1:3, “Worthy of praise and glorification is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who has blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in the Person of Christ.”