01-06 The Days of Creation, Part 3
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Genesis 1:14-19
Genesis 1:14-19
For you baseball fans out there: since baseball season is very near...
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 5919 Baseball Game in Space
5919 Baseball Game In Space
Astronomers have often speculated about a baseball game on the moon. Each team would need dozens of outfielders, some stationed more than a-quarter-of-a-mile from the batter’s box, because when the batter connects the ball will fly 1500 feet or more.
Since the base-running batter is so light that he can take a 30-feet stride, it’s only three steps to first base and 12 for a circuit. The poor pitcher would have to rely on his straight ball, because there is no air on the moon, he couldn’t pitch a curve. On the other hand, his shortstop would be able to jump 20 feet into the air to snag an infield fly.
The average Dodgers’ fan wouldn’t have much fun at the moon baseball game; he couldn’t holler at the umpire.
For that matter, the catcher would have to talk to the pitcher in sign language even when they went into a huddle. Same old reason: there isn’t any air.
—Science Yearbook
This morning our focus in Genesis is on the 4th day of creation—having looked at the first 3 days of creation: describe the forming of the earth, and the second three describe its filling. And together they remedy earth’s initial condition of being “without form and void.”
You can see how each set of days (1-3; 4-6) correspond as we take a look at the 4th day of creation (day 1=light; day 4=luminaries). The creation of light before sources of light is not problematic since the divine glory could very well be the light God creates as it emanates from Himself. This would include all visible light and invisible light on the electromagnetic spectrum.
Creation: Day Four
Creation: Day Four
The biblical account of creation is a very succinct and simple explanation of how all things came into existence (one that requires faith to accept): and the simplicity is this--God spoke. That account of creation has been aggressively attacked by secularism which prefers an impossible explanation of evolutionary theory.
One aspect of that theory—which seeks to explain the existence of the universe (and stars in particular); is described by the ALMA Observatory:
Star formation is the mechanism which controls the structure and evolution of galaxies, the buildup of heavy elements in the Universe, which is responsible for the creation of planetary environments in which life is possible.
Stars shine for billions of years, but their formation – which takes only a few million years – remains, literally, a mystery: optical telescopes cannot observe inside the dusty clusters of gas where stars are born. On the other hand, infrared telescopes that can reveal infant stars before they completely emerge from their dusty cradles, are not able to observe the development process involved in the pre-ignition of stars...According to our current knowledge, planets are formed around a new star by condensing in a disc of molecular gas and dust, embedded within a larger molecular cloud. Condensation increases until they become giant planets, which are heated, then cleanse their orbits in the disc and possibly bend it. Remaining gas in the disc finally disappears, leaving planets, a disc of dust and debris.
The ALMA observatory sees light (smaller wavelengths electromagnetic spectrum) from the coldest and most hidden places of universe. Their admission reveals a stubborn allegiance to the theory of evolution—even after many years—decades of observing the universe; there’s a leap of faith that causes them to make assumptions (based on their current knowledge—which includes a rejection of creationism/supernatural).
Embracing creation necessitates faith (Heb 11:3), so does embracing evolution (a far greater faith in something that violates every natural law that has been discovered) nobody + nothing = everything.
God’s explanation reveals the vastness of all that is created in the universe—every star, every galaxy, every planet, unfolds the glory and creative wisdom of our God.
The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Notice Moses description:
Gen 1:14-19;
Days 4-6 explains how God takes what He has formed (light, expanse, land—plants) in making earth a place habitable—then filling His creation and populating it; so that it is fit for human life which becomes the pinnacle of God’s creative activity on day 6.
Earth once again becomes the vantage point for the description of God’s activity on day 4. Earth is of central importance in God’s creation. There are some who subscribe to the idea of “Geocentric Universe” where earth is the center. The earth, they believe, does not rotate but the heavenly hosts move in such a way that sunrise/sunset are literal. Stars move in courses around the earth.
I don’t believe earth is the physical center of the universe but it is the spiritual center. Earth is where God created man (the height of His creation). Earth is where God’s plan of redemption unfolds. The Son of God came to earth. Earth becomes the spiritual center of God’s creative activity.
So from our view point, Moses describing the creation of the sun and moon makes sense before “He made the stars also.”
The sheer magnitude of the universe that God creates with a spoken word is incomprehensible. If you look into the night sky—unaided you will see about 6000 stars. Astronomers can only estimate the number of stars based on an estimated number of galaxies in the universe. Galaxies are clusters of stars—like our own Milky Way (100 billion stars). There are 2 trillion galaxies and if they have on average 100 billion each you get 200 sextillion (200 billion trillion stars—2 with 23 zeroes after it).
He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.
Lift up your eyes on high And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing.
Every single star is numbered and named by God. It is an important illustration of the promise of God:
indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
‘As the host of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David My servant and the Levites who minister to Me.’ ”
There is a remarkable variety of stars.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
This is not just referring to brightness but that each star has its own divinely designed structure for its divinely ordained function. God reveals 3 divinely ordained functions for the heavenly hosts:
To Separate
To Separate
14,16
Of all the stars, planets, moons that we know exist in our universe, 2 primary heavenly bodies are created on day 4: the sun and the moon. These 2 are described as “2 great lights.” Again, this is from our vantage point. They are “great” in comparison to all others lights we see in the “heavens.” And the 2 are distinguished from each other by another comparison (greater and lesser). The purpose of these 2 great lights serves to separate day from night (to govern each respectively) and to divide light and darkness.
The Sun (the greater light)
The Sun (the greater light)
Our sun is an average sized star compared to other stars. There are smaller and larger ones.
Sun’s diameter=865,000 miles: the star Betelgeuse (the 2nd brightest star in Orion—Rt shoulder) is 700x larger diameter of 700 million miles. If our sun were that large it would consume the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars & Jupiter and Saturn barely escapes. But it is still massive: according to NASA you could line 109 earths across the face of the sun and if it were hollow you could stuff 1.3 million earths inside it.
The earth is 93 million miles from the Sun and that’s just the perfect distance for life to be supported on earth (further/closer; freeze/heat). That’s b/c the sun is hot…with a surface temp b/t 9000-10000 degrees F. Internally temps reach 27 million degrees F.
The sun radiates light and heat—solar energy (both necessary for survival). Plants require sunlight to grow (one reason why there can’t be ages of undetermined length of time—vegetation was created on day 3; they could go 1 day without sunlight but not indefinitely). Living creatures depend on plants/vegetation for food. Humans depend on both. So we need the sun.
You can’t tell just by looking at it (which you shouldn’t do)…but the sun rotates on its axis (like the earth). It takes an average of 27 days to make 1 rotation (equator—24 days). The sun also has orbital motion—orbiting around the center of the Milky Way galaxy—will take 226 million years to get back to the same spot (514,000 MPH).
If you think that thru—earth is revolving around the sun (66,700 MPH). The sun and everything orbiting it is on a very fast journey around the galaxy—yet the galaxy is immense and has itself an overall motion of 1.1 million MPH.
Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. Its rising is from one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
This sun is the “greater” light—created to govern (to rule/have dominion) the day.
The Moon (the Lesser Light)
The Moon (the Lesser Light)
The moon is the other “great” light designed by God to have dominion over the night. Compared to the sun it is a lesser light. Whereas the sun radiates light and heat, the moon only reflects light to the earth.
The moon is on average about 240,000 Miles from earth. It orbits around the earth every 27.32 days that is also the rotational period on its axis. This is why the same side always faces the earth (due to lunar libration—moon nods at the earth—over time we see 59% of lunar surface).
During a solar eclipse, the moon appears to be the same size as the sun—but it is actually 400 times smaller than the sun and the distance from earth to the sun is 400 times greater than the moon is to earth—not coincidence.
The earth derives a great benefit from the orderliness of the moon—namely oceanic tides. As earth rotates, 2 high and 2 low tides occur every 24 hours. Tides are especially high when phases of the moon are full or new. The tides of the oceans and currents and currents act like earth’s garbage disposal—waste and pollutants are taken out to sea and settle to the bottom. There’s amazing regularity in this—NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin) publishes Tide Tables for 3000 locations around the nation.
Thus says the Lord, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name: “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the Lord, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever.”
There are several secular theories as to how the moon came to be:
Fission Theory: moon split off from the spinning earth (like mud from a bicycle wheel)
Capture Theory: earth’s gravity brought the moon into orbit as it wandered too close to the earth
Collision Theory: some planetary object collided with the earth causing an orbiting cloud of debris to eventually group together as the moon.
It was believed by the ancient Babylonians and Sumerians in a creation account that has numerous similarities to the Bible’s account—but also navigated far from it that the sun and moon were personified gods which governed the affairs of earth and man.
The account of Scripture is much simpler: God said…(Gen 1:14).
Because of their importance to life on earth, the sun and moon have both been the object of worship by many civilizations.
“And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
“If there is found in your midst, in any of your towns, which the Lord your God is giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, by transgressing His covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the heavenly host, which I have not commanded, and if it is told you and you have heard of it, then you shall inquire thoroughly. Behold, if it is true and the thing certain that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out that man or that woman who has done this evil deed to your gates, that is, the man or the woman, and you shall stone them to death. “On the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses, he who is to die shall be put to death; he shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.
To Regulate
To Regulate
“let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years.”
Signs—the Heb word doesn’t relate to a miraculous event or even to something points forward to a coming event. That’s how our Eng word is sometimes used. The Word in Heb refers to a sign, token, mark or agreement.
Genesis 4:15 (NASB95) Mark
So the Lord said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him
Genesis 9:12–13 (NASB95) Token
God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations; I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.
Exodus 12:13 (NASB95) Token
‘The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
“It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”
The purpose of the luminaries was to mark the passage of time. It was never God’s intention for them to be used as astrological signs (Zodiak). It has become a popular perspective that the stars have in them the presentation of the gospel. Many people over the last 150 years have promoted this. They believe the 12 signs of the Zodiak represent different aspects of the gospel: Virgo=virgin Mary; Serpent=Satan; Christ in stages of His humiliation.
There is a very difficult problem with this point of view:
and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
Mystery refers to something previously unknown.
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
Genesis teaches us that the patriarchs understood the need for a blood sacrifice. They knew this is what God required but they had no idea as to the full plan of redemption.
Even the prophets:
As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.
Had they discovered the plan of redemption (as if it were in the stars) Paul asserts that the Lord of glory would never have been crucified (the fulfillment of the gospel). The gospel in the stars stands contrary to the teaching of NT.
Seasons
Not for the 4 seasons but the term speaks of an appointed time.
“But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.”
“You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.
“seasons” is used in a very broad manner: we’re in “Tax Season” Basketball/baseball season...” The luminaries (sun moon and stars) are created for the purpose of regulating our lives. For Israel, there were appointed times of gathering that would ultimately be fulfilled by Messiah. Its even more basic for us:
Morris III “we know that earth is orbiting the sun and that her rotational cycle lets us experience the “evening and the morning”…we understand the moon regulates the tides of our oceans…Science has begun to grasp the significance of the precise tilt of the earth on her axis that provides the energy disbursement mechanism that enables the “seasons.”
Do we remember that the Creator promised:
“While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, And cold and heat, And summer and winter, And day and night Shall not cease.”
Days and Years
The rotation of the earth regulates our days. Daylight that was initially measured on a sundial; was divided into equal measures that would become minutes and hours—24 hours is what it takes for the earth to rotate once. The heavenly bodies regulate our lives in determining the length of days months years. And we have become very dependent on the regularity of God’s creation on day 4.
He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the place of its setting.
Yours is the day, Yours also is the night; You have prepared the light and the sun.
To Illuminate
To Illuminate
To give light to the earth in both day time and night time explains God’s purpose in creating both sun and moon. Each one has a period over which it has “dominion.” Sun rules the day, moon rules the night—there’s security in this b/c God has created these luminaries with purpose—for our benefit.
There are a great number of cosmologies that have developed over the course of human history. A cosmology is the science of the origin and development of the universe.
Modern astronomy is dominated by the Big Bang theory. The biology is dominated by evolution. Ancient cosmology believed the universe came into existence thru the fighting of various gods and goddesses. Cosmologies change. One thing remains the same:
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
“But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.
But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.
The Word of God continually stands firm. It is unalterable, firmly fixed in the heavens (the stability of heaven itself). So what God describes as His creative activity is settled. There is no room for debating—it is simply for us to accept it and to move us to worship the God who created the heavens and the earth.
Peter goes on to describe the believers response to this word that endures forever...
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
