Just a few short weeks past, our family celebrated a ‘new beginning’. As my daughter gave birth to my grandson, we welcomed him to earth. His creation, his birth, represents new beginnings and renewed hope. Children help us renew our joy of family, of relationships, and in one another, but mostly children help us consider what the phrase "to create is divine" truly means.
We all have a beginning, a time when we were not known to this sphere of existence. Did Zbaby (grandson) exist before he was created? What was my parent’s life like before they knew me? How did they, did God, did life converge to make me? Or did I converge with them?
The first book of Genesis is about creation. When I first read it I have to admit that I heard myself say, “Here we go again, the same old story of the earth’s creation”. I was certain I could recite it. But yesterday morning as I read carefully, I came upon the lines “to create is divine.” It changed something in me. My joy began to gurgle up within me like a spring of eternal truth.
I remembered my own children, my own creations, my own unique thoughts, ideas, inventions, perspectives and as I continued to read I realized that the first book of Genesis is not just a book that describes the world’s creation. The first book of Genesis is God’s gift to us that serves as blueprint for all creation, and for all new beginnings.
My joy was great. I realized that God intended this to be more than a history lesson, he intended (for hearts that will listen) to instruct. And I rejoiced to read positive, inspirational, directional and joyful scripture.
Consider this:
Creation = Declaration + Inspiration Intelligence + Contrast + Grouping of purpose + Gathering through naming + degrees of energy + Organization by implementation + Delegation of Leadership.
Vs 1 Declaration – God declares what it is he intended to do: create the earth and heavens.
Vs. 2-Inspiration intelligence - (step one) After he created the earth... it was without form. (shape, structure). It was void (empty, barren, blank, invalid, no purpose). so... what did God do? He moved his spirit upon the face of the earth. He gave the earth life. Life comes from God's spirit.
This is a good point.Without life creation just is. Life brings purpose and direction to creation.
Also before God's spirit, what was there? only darkness Where was the darkness? upon the face of the deep. Take anything new... add the elements of God's spirit (faith, hope, love, patience, joy, tolerance, truth) ... and you will have life.
vs 3 First Day(Step One) :Organization through Opposition- God saw that within his creation there was no form... no purpose.. no structure.. no validity for his creation and that this creation exists solely within darkness. What do we have when we do not have contrast in our lives? We have darkness. Artist understand that the way to accentuate your creation is to use contrast. Musicians use contrasting dynamics, notes, instruments, etc. Painters use contrasting color, etc. Contrasts help to create purpose and direction for your creation.
So God creates (with the power of his word) Light. Now he has darkness that is where? (upon the face of the deep(space?) and light that is where? (upon the face of the waters as he moved upon the face of the waters). He is continuing to create.. but must divide the two.
At the end of the first day ... after he created the earth.. he has now added light (to contrast the darkness)
vs 6 Second Day (Step 2)Organization through Grouping of Purpose firmament. okay.. I will go out on a limb here and say that throughout all of my youth I thought firmament referred to the terra firma.. the ground the earth.. It doesn't. Firmament refers to the sky. God had to further separate out "earth" by dividing once again the waters.
Firmament: the sky, heaven; the heavens, the skies; literary the empyrean, the welkin.
Keep in mind that as he is dividing, he is assigning purpose. The Heavens now work to keep the waters separated. The sky works to create atmosphere so that life can exist.
I think it's interesting that the first evening and the first morning were accounted as the second day. And that it went in that order... evening and then morning. night before dawn.
Vs 9 Third Day (Step 3) Organization through Gathering and Naming- God called a gathering of the waters under the heavens. By so doing he was able to allow the earth to come forth. The waters were therefore given rules as to where they could be. By so doing he could begin the next phase...the naming.
Where do you suppose he came up with ideas for names? What is the value of a name to a creation? What is the value of a name within a culture. He named: earth, sea, grass, herb, fruit,
But what is important is that these things either already existed... (because he created them in verse one) and he (when he moved upon the face of the water) caused them to find life or at this time on the third day he creates them anew and now names them.
This is significant.. because it plays to our existence before our creation. If God knew of these things and merely created them anew in the earth by bringing them from somewhere else then we can begin to think of ourselves as eternal beings, with a name, a purpose, and a reason for living out time here on this earth.
vs 14 Fourth Day (Step 4) Organization through degrees of light- Energy -
I think it is important to note that Light existed before the Sun. Light came on the second day when God moved upon the face of the waters, but the Sun did not come until the fourth day when God put it and the moon into the firmament. Is is safe to ask, Are light and Sun the same? Is light maybe something more than we imagine? Or maybe he took the light from the 2nd day and organized it by degrees?
vs 20 Fifth Day (Step 5) Occupation of Life's action. (organization by purpose) - Just like on the 3rd day when he called forth the life from within the dry earth, he calls for the life.. "let the waters bring forth abundantly the living creatures who have life."
God understood the purpose of order. If he had created the sun first (before the waters) what might have happened? If he had created the earth without waters what might have happened? I believe that life has always existed and God was merely putting into place the organization, order and structure that life required to exist under the energy of the Sun.
On this 5th day he calls forth what was within his spirit.. from all living creatures.
vs 26 Sixth Day (Step 6)organization through leadership- the final step of his kingdom. From the beginning he has created the base for life. Light, Water, Air, seed, creatures from the sea, air, and now the earth. Each had its own purpose in the cycle of life. Each has its own place in the earth's cycle. Their physical bodies both require and return to the earth. Their spiritual natures, their beauty and purpose nurture the spirits that God will place here.
All are commanded to multiply and replenish... the earth... an earth that God created for them and through them.
God will create man so that someone will consider the beasts, name them and care for them. God will create all these things for what purpose? for amusement?
