Genesis 1 continued

The Gospel in creation

After twenty-four hours of much talking and thinking among the angels...

Jesus came back and said some more words. This time His voice separated the water into two groups.

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Genesis 1:6-8.

And the evening and the morning were the second day.

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There are two different views we may take as we read the words of Genesis chapter 1.

The FIRST is the literal or historical scene. These things actually happened at a particular time and people saw them with their physical eyes.

What the angels saw was that there were now clouds in the sky moving around the world and beneath them a clear space of air. The clouds covered most of the sky area like a cottonwool bandage. Water still covered the entire surface of the earth but it was no longer as deep as it had been. This, of course, was not immediately evident, but the waters had separated while the angels watched, so they knew where the clouds had come from.

The SECOND is the parable or allegorical view. We can take these events and see a lesson in them.

The great division between the two groups of angels was now plainly evident for all to see if they were willing, for water represents peoples. See Revelation 17:15. The waters on the earth’s surface pictured one group (the rebels) who would stay close to the earth, surrounding it, and who would lead its inhabitants astray. The waters in the sky represented the other group of loyal angels who would stay with Jesus and help Him in the contest which was soon to develop. That’s why He called the sky "heaven" – it was to give them a clue. Some of the higher group would descend to the earth as the water (rain) does bringing care and joy and understanding of God’s word, and then they would return to their place in the sky ready for another job. Hebrews 1:13-14. Sinless people are pretty bright and this was enough for them to work it out under the Spirit’s guidance.

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Isaiah 55:9-11.

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But it was not yet clear who had caused the division in the first place! For Satan, the adversary (this is who Lucifer had become, the negative one), kept up the lie that he had been "pushed" and hadn’t "jumped". Even to this day many believe his lie and when they read the following words, they will not accept a saving Father, and yet in the light of the life of the man Christ Jesus, it should be obvious. He did nothing but heal and teach about love, unselfish love. However, many stories in the Bible are written in the negative form so that negative people are not repulsed immediately by the truth. Those who are positive have no problem with this approach, for they can see both sides.

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Revelation 12:7-10.

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It is written of Jesus that He never changes, so what we see is what we get:

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Hebrews 13:8.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.

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As a spiritual lesson, let us look at this one as a picture of "the gospel in the creation story".

Once we have seen that we all come into this world at birth full of darkness (with no goodness in us at all), then Jesus can reach us with His good news. When the apostle Paul was recounting his experiences in becoming a Christian he told us:

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Romans 7:14-19.

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When we know that this is our experience also, then we may look at what Jesus did at the beginning in a spiritual way. He spoke and the light shone. In the same way, He speaks to the sinner who recognises that he or she is one and wants to change (this is called "repentance"), and offers a way out. Then the "light" comes. He then offers to exchange natures, and to place us among the clouds of heaven as members of His kingdom. If we know Him to be the Creator then we can believe His word. We pass through baptism as a symbol that the old life has "died’ and needed burying (this is called "justification"), and then we come up from the "grave" in a new life with Jesus (called "sanctification").

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Romans 6:3-7.

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If we believe that He is the Son of God and not just a created being like us, then we can accept His offer, and we will find that it works. So we face the same test that Lucifer and his rebels faced. We cannot just believe that He existed historically 2000 years ago, for even the devils know that. James 2:19. We must accept that He is alive now and willing to make the exchange. And that He has the power to do it. That’s how important it is to believe that this world came into existence through a Creator and not by a long slow process of evolution. It’s not by our works, but by the gift of Jesus that we are saved, in a moment.

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Hebrews 7:22-25.

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Once we have that straight, then we can look up at the clouds of the second day and see another picture. Spiritually, the clouds of problems hide His presence and we need to learn to trust that He is still there even when we can’t see or feel Him. So "clouds" between Him and us can be a good thing by producing a learning curve in sanctification.

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Psalm 97:1-2.

The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne.

Psalm 18:11-13.

He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before Him His thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

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This is a very picturesque way of describing His presence but it does help when we are passing through difficulties and temptations. He is there in the darkness, standing right beside us as He stood beside Jesus at Calvary. There the darkness lasted from noon to 3pm and we know that the Father never left Him. From this we can learn that the experiences that come to us, (not the ones we get ourselves into) are sent by Him to teach us HOW to use our new strengths through Him. Now we do know "HOW to perform that which is good", and can do it.

He’ll get us out of our own problems as well, but they often leave a residue or reminder of their existence and are not good things to do. If we remember that with every temptation there is a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13), then we need not stray into them.

Here’s a sample of how it works.

There was a day in the exodus when there was no water coming out of the Rock that went before them. That Rock was a symbol of Christ and it normally supplied fresh running water wherever they camped. See 1 Corinthians 10:1-4.

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Numbers 20:7-12.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod, and gather you the assembly together, you, and Aaron your brother, and SPEAK to the Rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and you shall bring forth to them water out of the Rock: so you shall give the congregation and their beasts drink."

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When Israel murmured against God and against Moses because they could get no water, they accused Moses of leading them out to kill them and their children. God heard their murmurings and bade Moses speak to the rock, that the people might have water. But Moses hit the Rock in anger and took the glory to himself, crucifying Christ afresh. The continual waywardness and murmuring of the children of Israel had caused him the keenest sorrow, and for a little time he forgot how much the Lord had borne with them, and that their murmuring was not against him, but against God. He thought only of himself, how deeply he was wronged, and how little gratitude they manifested in return for his deep love for them. In this he spoilt God’s little picture, sinned and brought upon himself a reaction.

It was God's plan to bring His people into difficult places often, and then in their necessity to deliver them by His power, that they might realise His love and care for them, and thus be led to serve and honour Him. But Moses had failed to honour God and magnify His name before the people that they might glorify Him and not themselves.

Earlier, when Moses came down from the mount with the two tables of stone and saw Israel worshipping the golden calf, his anger was greatly kindled, and he threw down the tables of stone and broke them. Exodus 32:19. But Moses did not sin in this. He was upset for God, jealous for His glory and was showing the people what they had done, i.e. transgressed the Ten Commandments. But when he yielded to the natural feelings of his heart in the water situation, and took to himself the honour which was due to God, he sinned, and because of that sin God could not get him into the land of Canaan.

He was forgiven for his action when he asked for forgiveness, but his remorse was so great that when he heard God say that he could not go into the land in that condition, he heard it as a punishment. Sin does this to our minds. Under that misapprehension he was separated from Jesus for four days in his grave, and will always be aware of his loss. He would not accept the cleansing that God offered with the forgiveness and the guilt of the sin remained with him and eventually killed him, and he needed a resurrection.

Peter’s sin in denying Jesus three times had the same effect. Matthew 26:34-35. He refused consolation and later died as Jesus had, by crucifixion, but tradition tells us that he was nailed upside down at his request to show he wasn’t good like his Saviour. (Which of course, he wasn’t, for none of us are, or ever could be in ourselves!!) John 21:18-19. So unnecessary when forgiveness and cleansing are offered together! 1 John 1:9.

If the look that Jesus cast upon him had shown condemnation instead of pity; if in foretelling the sin He had failed of speaking hope, how dense would have been the darkness that encompassed Peter! How reckless the despair of that tortured man! In that hour of anguish and self-abhorrence, what could have held him back from the path trodden by Judas? See Acts 1:18-19.

He who could not spare His disciple the anguish no matter how often He tried, did not leave him alone to its bitterness. His is a love that fails not nor forsakes. But we often forsake Him and refuse to be lifted out of our sin’s reaction and this is something He cannot remedy.

All this we can learn from the clouds of the second day.

Then Jesus gave the spectators another twenty-four hours in which to listen to the Spirit and learn God’s ways in this new venture.

See you next week,