Filling the Earth & Seas

The video we saw a moment ago asks a series of questions about the human experience. My premise is that the creation account in Genesis reveals God’s purpose for man, His highest creation.

On day 1 we saw God bring order and hope to a chaotic, godless emptiness. On days 2 and 3 God forms the spaces that His creation will occupy and today we see the creatures that occupy that space and the functions they perform.

God Populated the Heavens (vv.14-19)

What?

1. Sun, Moon & Stars

2. Phenomenological language

· Something to remember when interpreting the Bible

A group of blind men heard that a strange animal, called an elephant, had been brought to the town, but none of them were aware of its shape and form. Out of curiosity, they said: "We must inspect and know it by touch, of which we are capable". So, they sought it out, and when they found it they groped about it. The first person, whose hand landed on the trunk, said, "This being is like a thick snake". For another one whose hand reached its ear, it seemed like a kind of fan. As for another person, whose hand was upon its leg, said, the elephant is a pillar like a tree-trunk. The blind man who placed his hand upon its side said the elephant, "is a wall". Another who felt its tail, described it as a rope. The last felt its tusk, stating the elephant is that which is hard, smooth and like a spear.

· God’s description of the heavens to the perception of ancient man does Not preclude that He also made other planets or universes.

Why?

1. Signs (wonder)– Joshua 10 indicates that God made the Sun stand still to prove He was fighting for Israel. The Magi noticed something in the stars that led them to travel to Bethlehem. At the Crucifixion, the sun was darkened for 3 hours to indicate Sorrow over the suffering Savior. Revelation speaks of the Eastern sky splitting when the Son of Man returns to take His rule on earth.

2. Seasons (rhythm)

· I mentioned last week how the rhythm of sunrise instills hope.

· To those who pay attention to the location on the horizon of the rising/setting Sun it also speaks of the repetition and boundaries of seasons. The first day of Winter and the first day of Summer arrive and God says “no further”

I remember when our family got our first video game. I’m still amazed at how much time was wasted watching that dot bounce off the boundaries. Then I was exposed to the elation demonstrated by some of the brightest young people of our country. Inspired by an episode of the TV program the Office, somebody put a screen saver on the scoreboard of Michie Stadium at West Point Military Academy. https://youtu.be/ytKVGtJ5yng

Where?

1. On the earth.

2. Earth is not center of our Solar system. (Earth is not the whole of the elephant)

3. Earth is the only inhabitable planet in our Solar system. (The elephant is unlike any other animal)

4. Earth is the planet where God chose to create a Garden and fill it with plants, animals and humans.

5. What God does on day 4 is to assign a function to the Sun and Moon. The Stars communicate Theological truth to the inhabitants of Earth. The signs reveal that God has a time for everything that is under His control. The Sun can only go as far as He allows. The Moon tells the tide when to shift. The skies reveal to animals when to migrate.

Transition: The heavenly bodies communicate God’s involvement in the events on earth and Day 5 assigns function to the birds and the fish.

God Populated the Skies and Seas (vv.20-23)

Swarming creatures (20-21)

· Schools of fish that feed flocks of birds and schools of larger animals.

I recently viewed a documentary of life in south seas. In vivid photography the piece portrayed the gathering of birds for their breeding cycle. Then I saw how plankton swarm so that schools of anchovies can feed. The swarms of Anchovies are pushed by schools of dolphins to the surface where the birds swoop under the surface, eat their fill and carry food back to the nest. It was an intricate cycle of swarms reproducing to feed the birds who will spread seeds and feed larger animals.

According to its kind (v.21)

1. 10x we read about kinds

2. Mutations within species – if we had time we could generate a list of breeds of dog, yet they are all canine from the smallest chihuahua to the largest Bernard or Dane.

3. Apart from mules (which are sterile) I am unaware of any other pairing that crosses the kind barrier.

God gave a command to the fish and birds that he did not give to land animals – multiply! (v.22)

· By assigning a command, God gave to the fish and birds a purpose—their purpose was to multiply, not so that they would dominate, but that there would be abundance of feed for the animals of Day 6.

Transition: So, if the purpose of Day 5 was to be food, who are they to feed?

God Populated the Earth (vv.24-31)

Earth bring forth (24-25)

1. The kinds of animals are described not by their zoological species, but by their purposes. Some animals are domesticated for man’s use, some animals are small prey, and others are wild predators.

2. Just as God filled the waters and sky with creatures that had a particular purpose, He now fills the earth with creatures that serve specific purposes.

My friend Casey over here is probably the most adventurous eater I know. I always enjoy a good steak or burger, but he has eaten animals that I didn’t even know existed until I was the pictures of his harvest. Some of the creeping things and wild beast that he has eaten he said were pretty good, others fulfill their purpose by being prey for each other!

3. I have no desire to eat crickets or rodents, but Text

Us make man in our image, after our likeness (26-27)

1. Image – The ANE view of man was one of serving and limitation (man was to provide food for the gods, man was to serve the gods, and if man became too abundant, the gods would send plagues. The Biblical view of man is one of dignity and partnership with God.

2. John Walton writes about Dominion as found in v.26 – “the functions listed here reflect a royal role for people since these descriptions would most frequently be applied to kings. They are given the responsibility of bringing order to their world. Again, this is in stark contrast to the role of humanity in the ancient Near East, where they are created to serve.”[i]

We frequently have trouble understanding how some people worship idols. We mistakenly assume that they believe the actual piece of wood or gold has power. But we may not be thinking of an image in the way that ancient people thought of that word. We see a badge or handcuffs and we think of ??? (Law Enforcement). The badge is not the authority of a Sherriff or Deputy. The badge is a symbol that represents the authority and purpose of the department. In that way, when God makes man in His image, He is saying “let’s make man in a way that communicates he and she partner with us in our purpose – exercising dominion. We no more look like God than a badge looks like a policeman.

3. Man’s function that was not given to any other created thing or animal was to reflect God’s image by sharing in His purpose of ruling well.

God blessed them (28-31)

1. Fruitfulness – production, not just offspring, but to be productive/fruitful with our time and energy.

o I’ve heard that the problem with so many people is that they are so busy being human doings; that they can’t enjoy being a human being. But being human means (according to this mandate) that we do something!

o I enjoy my “day off” but Ann can testify that my day off is regularly spent doing things that I don’t do the rest of the week.

o We are the fill the earth, not only with offspring, but with the works of our hands.

2. Dominion – ruling

o Have you heard the phrase, “put the kabash on that!”? Kabash is literally the word used here for subdue.

o By subduing or dominating we take what God creates and we put an end to uselessness and make things functional.

o Our church is full of people who put the Kabash on useless rock and land unfit for tilling. By crushing or cutting stone it becomes functional and beautiful. By grazing these pastures, Cattle gain like no place else in the world. Some of you garden, others fish the ponds and river, some mold minds, and others turn knobs and switches into airplane cockpits.

3. Blessing – to grant favor

o When God looked at day 6 and saw that mankind was given a purpose, a partner and that he was provided for, He concluded it was very good.

Conclusion:

Application

1. God, as Creator, has the right to establish boundaries. When He speaks, He sets the stars in place, He separates seas from dry land, and He commissions man with a mandate for flourishing.

2. God, as the image we reflect, has granted mankind the authority to subdue and produce.

3. God, as the sovereign image, is imprinted on EVERY human being. God imprints that image when He oversees conception, and He forms that image in the womb. That form changes over time and various humans have varying abilities, but the image remains in place until natural death.

4. God, as sustainer of life (with all of its purposes) shares a responsibility for us to steward well.

God has graciously blessed each of us with purpose and provision. His greatest provision was when He sent His only Son to die on a cross for our sin and transgressions so that we could be restored to fellowship with Him through repentance and faith.

Let us raise to Him joyous thanks for all of His provision!

Song of Response #560.. “For the Beauty of the Earth”

Benediction: Acts 20:32 (ESV) — And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

[i] John H Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary (Old Testament): Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 21.