Genesis (Part 1)
Bible Study Time 5-25-08
(From James Roberts 8-4-96)
Bible Study Time 5-25-08
(From James Roberts 8-4-96)
This morning we’re going to begin a series of lessons that we are going to call A Journey Through the Scripture. We will begin in the book of Genesis and go through the Bible. We’re not going to take a verse by verse study of the Bible, but we trust that each Sunday morning, you will have your Bible ready to study along with us as we look at key events that are revealed in the scripture.
It’s very important for us to understand that the Bible is not just a book that was written by men. It is a book that is God’s own revelation to man. It was given so that man might get to know God, to know God’s thoughts, His deeds, and His plan and purpose for mankind.
II Timothy, Chapter 3, tells us that:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The book of II Peter tells us how God wrote this book. It says that the Holy Spirit of God came upon holy men of old so that they were moved to write down the very words of God. This is the means by which God has revealed Himself to man.
In the very first verse of the book of Genesis we read, “In the beginning God . . . ,” and this is very important because God is the subject of this book. In the gospel of John we read that the Lord Jesus spoke to the Jews who were persecuting Him and said:
John 5:39 NKJV
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
There is no place in scripture where this is more evident that in Genesis, Chapter 1. When Genesis 1:1 says that God created the heavens and the earth, it was giving testimony regarding the Lord Jesus. In Colossians, Chapter 1, we read that:
Colossians 1:15-16 NKJV
15 (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
There are some who read in this passage that Jesus was the first born over all creation, and they take it to mean that Jesus was the first created being. But this is not what this verse is saying. In the scripture, the word firstborn does not refer to the first one to be born. In reality, it speaks of the one who has the priority; the one who has the preeminence.
Over and over in the scriptures we find situations where the son who was born first was not given the position of preeminence as the firstborn. Take Jacob and Esau for example. Jacob was given the place of the firstborn even though Esau was the first one born. Also, Joseph was not the first of Jacob’s sons to be born and yet he had the preeminence over all the sons of Jacob. As you may recall, only Joseph was given the coat of many colors.
Therefore, Colossians 1:15 does not mean that Jesus was created before anything else was created. Oh no, Jesus Himself is the creator of all things. He is not the one who was created first, but He is the one who stands at the head of the creation. He is the one who has the preeminence over all of the creation.
And why is this so? Colossians 1:16 tells us that:
Colossians 1:16-17 NKJV
16 . . . by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
All things came into existence through the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the one who holds all things together. If the Lord Jesus Christ were to let go of His hold over the creation, all things within the creation would disintegrate into disorder and chaos. By Him all things consist. The book of Hebrews confirms the power of Christ over the creation, saying that Jesus Christ is the one who created the ages and that He upholds all things by the word of His power.
Today, man is spending billions of dollars trying to find out how the earth and the universe came into existence. We have everything from space telescopes to underground supercolliders. Man in his wisdom is trying to use these things to find out how the earth and the universe came into being, but all we have to do is look into God’s revelation in the Bible. The very first verse says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
In Genesis, Chapter 1 and verse 2, we read that the earth was without form, and it goes on to say that the earth was void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. This is interesting because if the heavens and the earth were created in perfection, how did they become without form and void?
The book of Isaiah tells us that God did not create the earth to be void but that He created it to be inhabited. So what happened? Well, there are two different thoughts on this subject. Some believe that the earth is very young, only several thousand years old. This would indicate that in the very beginning of the creation process, the substance that would become the earth was without form and void. Then, the Spirit of God moved and the creation as we know it began to take shape.
However, there are others who believe in what is known as the Gap Theory which says that there was a gap of time between verses one and two of Genesis, Chapter 1. According to this theory, God’s original creation was beautiful in its perfection, and God positioned the created angels to rule it. God also named one particular angel as the archangel over all of the other angels. This archangel was the anointed cherub who guarded the very throne of God, and his name was Lucifer.
We find in the book of Ezekiel that Lucifer was perfect in all of his ways until iniquity was found in him. According to Isaiah, Lucifer was not content to be the archangel over all of the hosts of heaven. No, Lucifer wanted to be God. He said, I will be like the most high God; I will sit in God’s place. He said, I will usurp the throne of God and will be the God of creation. Isaiah says that because of this sin, Lucifer was cast out of heaven along with the other angels who followed Lucifer in this rebellion.
It would appear that this is where sin entered into the universe and that because of this sin, God judged the creation. As a result, the earth became utterly chaotic and was filled with disorder. It became without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
One of the reasons that the Gap Theory is so attractive is that it does account for the teachings of Ezekiel and Isaiah regarding the sin of Lucifer. When Lucifer rebelled against God, he became the adversary of God. The word Satan means “the adversary, ” and from the very moment that Lucifer sinned, he became Satan, the enemy of God.
Since that time, Satan has dedicated himself to destroying the plan and purpose of God for the creation. Even today, Satan is still the enemy of God, and he is the enemy of all those who would follow God.
Satan is very powerful and cunning, and he plays on and manipulates the intelligence and wisdom of men to turn them against God. Remember that Satan was able to convince a third of all the angels to follow him in his rebellion against God. Satan’s lies are very subtle, and he uses every tool at his disposal to seduce men today. His goal is to keep people in the dark so that they will never know the joy and the love of God.
However, as a person reads the word of God, the Holy Spirit of God breaks through the satanic darkness to reveal the light of Jesus Christ. The very moment that a person puts his faith in Jesus Christ, he is made a citizen of the kingdom of light, and he is given eternal life.
This leads us to another very appealing aspect of the Gap Theory, and that is that it illustrates so beautifully man’s situation before God. It is clear from the scriptures that man was created in perfection. In the beginning, man was without sin, created in the image of God. However, when man sinned, he fell under the judgment of God and his existence became chaotic and full of darkness.
However, God allows His Holy Spirit to move upon the darkness of man’s soul. As the Holy Spirit draws back the curtain of darkness in a person’s heart, God says, let there be light. At this point, a person can see the glory of Jesus Christ and through faith he can be saved out of the darkness of sin.
May I say this to you today? If the Holy Spirit is opening your eyes to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who loved you and died for you on the cross, I trust you will not let Satan pull that curtain of darkness back over your eyes. I trust that you will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so that your life can be filled with the light of Jesus Christ. If you believe, the light of Jesus Christ will lead you into life that is eternal.
Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. The Lord willing, we will take up in our journey through the scripture next week. Thank you for studying with me in this another broadcast of Bible Study Time.
Church links:
It’s very important for us to understand that the Bible is not just a book that was written by men. It is a book that is God’s own revelation to man. It was given so that man might get to know God, to know God’s thoughts, His deeds, and His plan and purpose for mankind.
II Timothy, Chapter 3, tells us that:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The book of II Peter tells us how God wrote this book. It says that the Holy Spirit of God came upon holy men of old so that they were moved to write down the very words of God. This is the means by which God has revealed Himself to man.
In the very first verse of the book of Genesis we read, “In the beginning God . . . ,” and this is very important because God is the subject of this book. In the gospel of John we read that the Lord Jesus spoke to the Jews who were persecuting Him and said:
John 5:39 NKJV
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
There is no place in scripture where this is more evident that in Genesis, Chapter 1. When Genesis 1:1 says that God created the heavens and the earth, it was giving testimony regarding the Lord Jesus. In Colossians, Chapter 1, we read that:
Colossians 1:15-16 NKJV
15 (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
There are some who read in this passage that Jesus was the first born over all creation, and they take it to mean that Jesus was the first created being. But this is not what this verse is saying. In the scripture, the word firstborn does not refer to the first one to be born. In reality, it speaks of the one who has the priority; the one who has the preeminence.
Over and over in the scriptures we find situations where the son who was born first was not given the position of preeminence as the firstborn. Take Jacob and Esau for example. Jacob was given the place of the firstborn even though Esau was the first one born. Also, Joseph was not the first of Jacob’s sons to be born and yet he had the preeminence over all the sons of Jacob. As you may recall, only Joseph was given the coat of many colors.
Therefore, Colossians 1:15 does not mean that Jesus was created before anything else was created. Oh no, Jesus Himself is the creator of all things. He is not the one who was created first, but He is the one who stands at the head of the creation. He is the one who has the preeminence over all of the creation.
And why is this so? Colossians 1:16 tells us that:
Colossians 1:16-17 NKJV
16 . . . by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
All things came into existence through the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is the one who holds all things together. If the Lord Jesus Christ were to let go of His hold over the creation, all things within the creation would disintegrate into disorder and chaos. By Him all things consist. The book of Hebrews confirms the power of Christ over the creation, saying that Jesus Christ is the one who created the ages and that He upholds all things by the word of His power.
Today, man is spending billions of dollars trying to find out how the earth and the universe came into existence. We have everything from space telescopes to underground supercolliders. Man in his wisdom is trying to use these things to find out how the earth and the universe came into being, but all we have to do is look into God’s revelation in the Bible. The very first verse says: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
In Genesis, Chapter 1 and verse 2, we read that the earth was without form, and it goes on to say that the earth was void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. This is interesting because if the heavens and the earth were created in perfection, how did they become without form and void?
The book of Isaiah tells us that God did not create the earth to be void but that He created it to be inhabited. So what happened? Well, there are two different thoughts on this subject. Some believe that the earth is very young, only several thousand years old. This would indicate that in the very beginning of the creation process, the substance that would become the earth was without form and void. Then, the Spirit of God moved and the creation as we know it began to take shape.
However, there are others who believe in what is known as the Gap Theory which says that there was a gap of time between verses one and two of Genesis, Chapter 1. According to this theory, God’s original creation was beautiful in its perfection, and God positioned the created angels to rule it. God also named one particular angel as the archangel over all of the other angels. This archangel was the anointed cherub who guarded the very throne of God, and his name was Lucifer.
We find in the book of Ezekiel that Lucifer was perfect in all of his ways until iniquity was found in him. According to Isaiah, Lucifer was not content to be the archangel over all of the hosts of heaven. No, Lucifer wanted to be God. He said, I will be like the most high God; I will sit in God’s place. He said, I will usurp the throne of God and will be the God of creation. Isaiah says that because of this sin, Lucifer was cast out of heaven along with the other angels who followed Lucifer in this rebellion.
It would appear that this is where sin entered into the universe and that because of this sin, God judged the creation. As a result, the earth became utterly chaotic and was filled with disorder. It became without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
One of the reasons that the Gap Theory is so attractive is that it does account for the teachings of Ezekiel and Isaiah regarding the sin of Lucifer. When Lucifer rebelled against God, he became the adversary of God. The word Satan means “the adversary, ” and from the very moment that Lucifer sinned, he became Satan, the enemy of God.
Since that time, Satan has dedicated himself to destroying the plan and purpose of God for the creation. Even today, Satan is still the enemy of God, and he is the enemy of all those who would follow God.
Satan is very powerful and cunning, and he plays on and manipulates the intelligence and wisdom of men to turn them against God. Remember that Satan was able to convince a third of all the angels to follow him in his rebellion against God. Satan’s lies are very subtle, and he uses every tool at his disposal to seduce men today. His goal is to keep people in the dark so that they will never know the joy and the love of God.
However, as a person reads the word of God, the Holy Spirit of God breaks through the satanic darkness to reveal the light of Jesus Christ. The very moment that a person puts his faith in Jesus Christ, he is made a citizen of the kingdom of light, and he is given eternal life.
This leads us to another very appealing aspect of the Gap Theory, and that is that it illustrates so beautifully man’s situation before God. It is clear from the scriptures that man was created in perfection. In the beginning, man was without sin, created in the image of God. However, when man sinned, he fell under the judgment of God and his existence became chaotic and full of darkness.
However, God allows His Holy Spirit to move upon the darkness of man’s soul. As the Holy Spirit draws back the curtain of darkness in a person’s heart, God says, let there be light. At this point, a person can see the glory of Jesus Christ and through faith he can be saved out of the darkness of sin.
May I say this to you today? If the Holy Spirit is opening your eyes to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one who loved you and died for you on the cross, I trust you will not let Satan pull that curtain of darkness back over your eyes. I trust that you will believe in the Lord Jesus Christ so that your life can be filled with the light of Jesus Christ. If you believe, the light of Jesus Christ will lead you into life that is eternal.
Well, I see our time is gone for this morning. The Lord willing, we will take up in our journey through the scripture next week. Thank you for studying with me in this another broadcast of Bible Study Time.
Church links:
No comments:
Post a Comment