How Did We Get In This Mess In Our Lives – Part 1
GENESIS 1 – CHRIST JESUS AND THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS
* BEFORE “THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS” – BEFORE “THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD” – IN THE OMNISCIENCE OF THE GOD OF THE BIBLE – WE SEE THAT BEFORE HE CREATED ALL THINGS – HE WAS ALREADY POINTING TO HIS PLAN TO “REDEEM ALL THINGS” – FROM THE DEADLY AFFECTS OF SIN!
CHRIST JESUS IS THE “KEY THAT UNLOCKS, THE GOLDEN DOOR, INTO THE TEMPLE OF DIVINE TRUTH”. LOOK WHAT JESUS SAYS ABOUT SCRIPTURE:
* JOHN 5:39 – “Search the Scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which TESTIFY OF ME”.
When Jesus spoke these words, there was only the Old Testament Bible, but a little later on came the New Testament Bible.
* THE REVIEW OF “THE SEVEN DAYS OF CREATION” AND GOD’S PLAN FOR THE REDEMPTION OF ALL OF IT:
* THE FIRST FOUR “DAYS”, REPRESENTS BY ANALOGIES, THE WORKS OF GOD AND THE SENDING OF CHRIST JESUS INTO THIS WORLD, (THE WORD OF GOD), AND FOR HIM TO BECOME “FLESH” AND TO “DWELL AMONG US” (JOHN 1:1-14).
* JOHN 1:14 – AND THE WORD (CHRIST JESUS) WAS MADE “FLESH”, AND DWELT AMONG US, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH).
* THEN THE SECOND “DAY” REPRESENTS THE “CROSS OF CHRIST JESUS”, THE THIRD “DAY” REPRESENTS CHRIST JESUS’ RESURRECTION, AND THE FOURTH “DAY” REPRESENTS CHRIST JESUS’ ASCENSION.
* THE NEXT TWO “DAYS”, REPRESENT THE “WHY” GOD (CHRIST JESUS) BECAME FLESH:
THE FIFTH “DAY” REPRESENTS GOD BRINGING REDEMPTION TO ALL OF HIS LIVING CREATIONS, EXCEPT FOR MANKIND – GENESIS 1:19 – 23
THE SIXTH “DAY” REPRESENTS GOD BRINGING REDEMPTION UPON MANKIND – GENESIS 1:24 – 31
THE SEVENTH “DAY” REPRESENTS THE “ENDING OF HIS WORK AND THE ‘SANCTIFICATION’ OF HIS WORK.
* THE FIRST DAY OF CREATION – THE INCARNATION OF GOD (GOD BECOMING FLESH) OF CHRIST JESUS
GENESIS 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”.
GENESIS 1:2 – “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD MOVED UPON THE FACE OF THE WATERS”.
GENESIS 1:3 – “And God said, let there be LIGHT: and there was LIGHT”.
GENESIS 1:4 – “And God saw the LIGHT, that it WAS GOOD and God divided the LIGHT from the DARKNESS”.
GENESIS 1:5 – “And God called the LIGHT DAY, and the DARKNESS He called NIGHT. And the evening and the morning were the FIRST DAY”.
When we study the wonderful “Book of beginnings”, we are struck by the ANALOGIES, which exist between the order followed by God in His work of CREATION and His method of procuring the “NEW CREATION” – THE “SPIRITUAL CREATION OF NEW LIFE”, IN A BELIEVER.
FIRST, there was DARKNESS, then the action of “SPIRIT OF GOD (THE HOLY SPIRIT) MOVED ON THE FACE OF THE WATERS”, then God spoke, and then there was “LIGHT”, and God saw the “LIGHT” and said it was “GOOD”, and “DIVIDED IT FROM DARKNESS”.
The word “MOVED” is the Hebrew word # 7363, and it is only found THREE TIMES, in the Old Testament Bible. This rare word, in the Old Testament Bible, means for GOD “TO CHERISH; TO BROOD OVER; FLUTTER OVER (TO OVERSHADOW)”.
* THIS WORD “MOVED” APPLIES TO THE TIME OF “TESTING, TRIALS, AND JUDGMENT” FROM GOD ON “MANKIND”; THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GOD IS “MOVED” AND LOOKS UPON HIS “RIGHTEOUS”!
“Darkness” is the opposite of ”Light”. God is light. “Darkness” is the emblem of Satan. In the first 4 days of creation, we have a most remarkable “Foreshadowment” of the FOUR STAGES IN THE WORK OF REDEMPTION.
FIRST, there is the work of the Holy Spirit. The “Spirit of God” MOVED upon the face of the waters. So also, this was the “Order of Divine Incarnation”. First, concerning the mother of the Savior (Mary), we read: “And the angel answered and said unto her, THE HOLY GHOST SHALL COME UPON THEE, and THE POWER of the highest shall OVERSHADOW THEE (MOVE UPON THEE): therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the SON OF GOD” (LUKE 1: 35).
“THE FIRST STEP (OR DAY)”, OF “THE REDEMPTION OF ALL THINGS” – MUST BE “THE WORD OF GOD BECOMING FLESH”!
SECOND, the “WORD” ISSUES FORTH AS “LIGHT”. “And God said (THE WORD) let there be light and there was light” (GENESIS 1:3). So also, as soon as Mary brings forth the Holy child, “The glory of the Lord SHOWN ABOUT THEM” – the shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem. So also, when Jesus was presented first, in the Temple, Simon was “MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT” to say:
LUKE 2:29 – “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word”:
LUKE 2:30 – “For my eyes have seen thy salvation”.
LUKE 2:31 – “Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people”;
LUKE 2:32 – “A LIGHT TO LIGHTEN THE GENTILES, and THE GLORY OF THY PEOPLE ISRAEL”.
THIRD, the LIGHT, was approved by God, and God saw the “Light”, and it was “GOOD”. The Hebrew word here translated “GOOD” is also found in ECCLESIASTES 3:11, it is rendered “BEAUTIFUL” – “He has made everything beautiful in his time” – GOD SAW THE “LIGHT” AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!
FOURTH, the “LIGHT”, was separated from the “DARKNESS”. “And God divided the light from the darkness” (GENESIS 1:4). How jealous did the Holy Spirit guard the types! How careful is God to call our attention to the IMMEASURABLE DIFFERENCE between the SON OF MAN (CHRIST JESUS) AND THE SONS OF MAN (MANKIND)! Through His infinite condescension, HE SAW FIT TO SHARE IN OUR HUMANITY, BUT HE DID NOT SHARE IN OUR DEPRAVITY! The “Light of Christ” was divided from the “Darkness” (Fallen humanity). “For such a high priest BECAME US, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners and made higher than the heavens” (HEBREWS 7:26).
FIFTH, just as “Light” was named by God. God called the “Light” – “DAY” (GENESIS 1:5). So also it was with Him (Christ Jesus), who is the “Light of the world”. It was not left up to Joseph and Mary to select the name of the holy child Jesus!. Isaiah, the holy prophet of God, had declared this about 800 years before the birth of Jesus: “Listen, O isles, unto Me: and harken, ye people, from far: THE LORD HATH CALLED ME FROM THE WOMB: FROM THE BOWELS OF MY MOTHER HATH HE (GOD) MADE MENTION OF MY NAME” (ISAIAH 49: 1).
This, we see fulfilled, while the “Holy Child” was yet, in His mother’s womb; an angel is sent by God, to Joseph saying: “And she shall bring forth a son, and THOU SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins” (MATTHEW 1:21).
* THE SECOND DAY OF CREATION – “THE CROSS OF CHRIST JESUS”
GENESIS 1:6 – “And God said, let there be a FIRMAMENT (AN EXPANSE – SOMETHING THAT IS SPREAD APART) in the midst of the waters, and let it DIVIDE the waters from the waters”.
GENESIS 1:7 – “And God made the firmament, and DIVIDED the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so”.
GENESIS 1:8 – “And God called the firmament HEAVEN, and the evening and the morning were the SECOND DAY”.
What was the next thing necessary in the accomplishment of the work of “Redemption of all things”?
* GOD’S PLAN FOR THE “REDEMPTION OF ALL THINGS”, THAT GOD CREATED, CAME BEFORE THE “FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD” – IT WAS THAT “SON OF GOD”, WOULD BECOME “FLESH” AND TO BE THE SACRIFICIAL “LAMB OF GOD”!
REVELATION 13: 8 – “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the Antichrist), whose names are not written in the Book of life of the LAMB SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD”.
JOHN 12:23 – “And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour has come, that the Son of Man should be glorified”.
* JOHN 12:24 – “Varely, Varely, I say unto you, except a corn (grain) of wheat FALL INTO THE GROUND AND DIE, IT ABIDETH ALONE: BUT IF IT DIE, IT BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT”.
* God becoming “Flesh”, in the person of Christ Jesus, who led a” Spotless and perfect life”; but that ALONE, was not enough, to BRIDGE THE GREAT GULF (FIRMAMENT), between a “HOLY GOD AND A RUINED SINNER”. For this, “SIN MUST BE PUT AWAY, AND THAT CANNOT BE DONE EXCEPT DEATH MUST COME IN!
* HEBREWS 9:22 – “And almost all things are by the Law purged with BLOOD; AND WITHOUT THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD IS NO REMISSION (OF SIN)”.
* CHRIST JESUS – “THE LAMB OF GOD” – HAD TO BE SLAIN. THE “HOLY ONE” HAD TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE! IT WAS ONLY AT THE “CROSS OF CHRIST JESUS” – WHERE “THE GREAT GULF (DIVISION) BETWEEN A HOLY GOD AND A RUINED SINNER – COULD BE BRIDGED1
* THE TWOFOLD DIVISION” – The prominent thing, in God’s “Second day”, of work, is “DIVISION, SEPARATION, AND ISOLATION”. In GENESIS 1:6, 7, we see a “TWOFOLD DIVISION”:
ONE “DIVISION”, IS OF “WATERS”, WAS ON THE EARTH, FROM EACH OTHER – WHICH I BELIEVE, IS AN ANALOGY BETWEEN THE DIVISION BETWEEN CHRIST JESUS AND FALLEN MANKIND (GENESIS 1:6)
THE SECOND “DIVISION” WAS ON THE EARTH, AND THE OTHER “DIVISION” WAS BETWEEN THE “WATERS” ON THE EARTH AND THE “WATERS” IN “THE HEAVEN” (HEAVENS – SKY). BEFORE THE “FLOOD” (GENESIS 6 – 8 ), NO GENERATION HAD SEEN RAIN BEFORE BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS “WATERED” ON THE EARTH, BY THE WATER THAT CAME OUT OF THE EARTH, (AND NO ONE HAD EVER SEEN A “FLOOD” EITHER ), AND THE DEW THAT CAME FROM THE SKY.
Imagine how foolish “Noah’s” words must have seemed to that wicked generation, that PERISHED, because Noah said, “I need to build a large boat, because God is going to flood the earth with water! I BELIEVE THE SECOND “DIVISION” OCCURRED, WHEN CHRIST JESUS WAS ON THE (EARTHLY) “CROSS”, RECEIVING “THE TOTAL DEBT OF SIN”, THAT WAS TO BE “DUE” UPON ALL OF SINFUL MANKIND AND BETWEEN THE HOLINESS OF GOD FATHER IN “THE HEAVEN” (MATTHEW 27:46; MARK 15:34).
* IN THE “SIX DAYS”, THAT GOD CREATED ALL THINGS – ONLY ONE “DAY”, DOES NOT HAVE GOD SAYING THAT IT WAS “GOOD” OR IMPLYING IT – THE SECOND “DAY” – WHY IS THAT?
* It is also important to see that on the SECOND DAY, God saw the “FIRMAMENT” (THE DIVIDING AND THE DIVISION), IN THE SECOND DAY, AND IT IS NOT MENTIONED AS “GOOD”. Had the “Word of God” here included the word “GOOD”, ON THIS DAY, the analogy would have been marred. THE SECOND DAY’S WORK points toward “THE CROSS OF CHRIST”, where God was dealing with the “Sin Problem” of the world.
*JUST AS “FOOLISH”, AS WAS THE WORDS OF “NOAH”, WAS TO THAT GENERATION – BEFORE THEIR DESTRUCTION – SO IS THE PREACHING, OF “THE CROSS OF CHRIST JESUS”, SEEMS “FOOLISH”, TO OUR “CULTURE” TODAY, WHO ARE MAYBE, FACING THEIR OWN EMINENT DESTRUCTION (1 CORINTHIANS 1:18)!
* THE THIRD DAY OF CREATION – THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST JESUS
GENESIS 1:9 – “And God said, let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the DRY LAND APPEAR: and it was so”.
GENESIS 1:10 – “And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it WAS GOOD”.
GENESIS 1:11 – “And God said, let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so”
GENESIS 1:12 – “And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the fruit tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it WAS GOOD”.
GENESIS 1:13 – “And the evening and the morning were the THIRD DAY”.
The third thing necessary, and the accomplishment, of the work of “Redemption”, was a resurrection of Christ Jesus – the crucified one. A DEAD SAVIOR CAN NOT SAVE ANYONE!
Previously, the earth had been submerged beneath the waters. But now the land rose above the water level of the seas, and there is a “Resurrection” of sorts, and the dry ground land appears. But this is not all that is in GENESIS 1:11. We read, and God said: “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself”. DEATH HAD REMAINED SUPREME, NO LIFE APPEARED UPON THE SURFACE OF THE RUINED EARTH. But on the THIRD DAY, the earth is commanded to bring forth “FRUIT”
This did not happen on the “SECOND DAY” or the “FOURTH DAY” but on the “THIRD DAY”! It was on the third day that our Lord rose again from the dead according to the Scriptures. According to what Scriptures? Do we not have GENESIS 1:9, 11, as the first of the Scriptures, that perfectly pictures the Lord’s Resurrection, from the ground?
THE FOURTH DAY OF CREATION AND CHRIST JESUS’ ASCENSION
GENESIS 1:14 – “And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years”:
GENESIS 1:15 – “And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth: and it was so”.
GENESIS 1:16 – “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
GENESIS 1:17 – “And God sent them in the firmament of the heaven to give LIGHT upon the earth”,
GENESIS 1:18 – “And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it WAS GOOD”.
GENESIS 1:19 – “And the evening and the morning were the FOURTH DAY”.
THE RESURRECTION DID NOT COMPLETE OUR LORD’S REDEMPTIVE WORK. For that, He must enter into the Heavenly place, not made with hands. He must take his seat on the right hand of God on high. He must go into Heaven itself. Now to appear in the presence of God “FOR US”.
HEBREWS 9:24 – “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into Heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God FOR US”:
In the “FOURTH DAY” work, our eyes are removed from the earth and its affairs and are turned to the heavens! (GENESIS 1: 14 – 19). As we read these verses and gather something of a sense that the Holy Spirit is telling us to: “Seek these things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God”. Set your AFFECTIONS on things above, not on the things of the earth (COLOSSIANS 3:1, 2).
THE NEXT “TWO DAYS” REPRESENT THE “WHY” GOD (CHRIST JESUS) BECAME “FLESH”:
“DAY FIVE” FOR THE REDEMPTION OF ALL CREATION – GENESIS 1:19 – 23
“DAY SIX” FOR THE REDEMPTION OF MANKIND – GENESIS 1:24 – 31
“DAY SEVEN” GOD “RESTS” AND “SANCTIFIED HIS WORK”
GENESIS 2:2 – “And on the SEVENTH DAY GOD ENDED HIS WORK WHICH HE HAD MADE; and RESTED on the SEVENTH DAY from all His work which He had Made”.
GENESIS 2:3 – “And GOD BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY AND SANCTIFIED: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made”.
GENESIS 2:4 – “These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the DAY that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens”,
The “Seven Day Week” is permanently ingrained in mankind. Though some throughout history have tried to change the “Seven Day Week (A “Ten Day Week” was attempted during the “French Revolution”), those attempts have come to nothing. We are on a “Seven Day” cycle because God is on a “Seven Day” cycle.
God bless the “Seventh Day” and “SANCTIFIED IT” – God sanctified the “Seventh Day” because it was a gift to man, for rest and replenishment, and most of all because the “Sabbath” is a shadow of the “REST” AVAILABLE THROUGH THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST JESUS!
* COLOSSIANS 2:16, 17 AND GALATIANS 4:9 – 11, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT CHRISTIANS ARE NOT UNDER THE OBLIGATION TO OBSERVE THE “SABBATH” TODAY BECAUSE CHRIST JESUS FULFILLED THE PURPOSE AND PLAN OF THE “SABBATH” – FOR US AND IN US!
* THE DESCRIPTION OF EACH OTHER “DAY”, ENDED WITH THE PHRASE: “SO THE EVENING AND THE MORNING WERE THE DAY”. HOWEVER, ON THE “SEVENTH DAY” OF CREATION – WE DO NOT FIND SUCH A PHRASE. THIS IS BECAUSE “GOD’S REST” FOR US IS NOT CONFINED TO ONE LITERAL DAY! IN CHRIST JESUS – GOD HAS AN “ETERNAL REST” FOR HIS PEOPLE (HEBREWS 4:9 – 11)!
THE LAST “DAY” – “DAY SEVEN” OF GOD’S PLAN, OF “REDEMPTION”, CONCERNING ALL OF NATURE AND MANKIND, IS COMPLETED AND GOD BLESSED THE “SEVENTH DAY” AND “SANCTIFIED IT”; TO BE REMEMBERED THROUGH THE GENERATIONS AND TO BE CELEBRATED!
