The Six Days of Creation — Genesis 1-3

0:00 Whenever we approach any book of the Bible, we always look at it from a a literal historical interpretation. In other words, that's how we interpret the Bible. People tend to interpret it in different kinds of ways, but the the correct way, at least if you're a student of the Bible and and zealous for the scriptures, the the approach that we would take is the literal historical interpretation of the Bible. So having said that, just a couple of, I want to I want to kind of like set the foundation before we even go into Genesis. There's something that are very very important that that you need to consider, I think, for us to properly understand the book.

0:45 Alright? So let's let's begin then. Very good. The literal historical interpretation. What do we mean by that when when I say that?

0:56 Okay? That means that when we look at the Bible, we consider the context. If you will, context, context, context, context helps you understand what the the writer is talking about. It gives you the whole context and then you can properly understand You, in other words, don't just look at one verse but the whole chapter then the whole book and then the whole bible. You have to consider the overall context as you're going to interpret scripture.

1:23 Someone said this, if the regular sense makes sense, then make no other sense out of it. That would be a good thing for you to remember as you're approaching scripture. If the regular sense makes sense, then make no other sense out of it. So in other words, in the gospel of John, when they say they caught 184 fish or is it 187? What's the right number?

1:43 Who remembers? Don't worry about it, alright? So, so people start saying, a 187, is it a hundred and seven eighty seven angels? Is it a 187 blessings? Is it's all it means is they caught 187 fish, okay?

1:56 That's all it means. So, if the regular sense makes sense, then make no other sense out of it, okay? So, next, we always want to remember that scripture interprets scripture. Very important to to understand this reality that the Bible usually explains itself for so something in Genesis where you can see it again in Revelation. Revelation kind of complements it and and helps you understand them more completely.

2:23 Also, we always want to consider the historical and the cultural aspects of the text. Who has been written to? What was happening in those days? What were the people thinking? And so forth.

2:35 And then finally, there's a lot more but I'm just going to give you this general principles. Finally, you always consider the grammar, the grammar. Certainly there is rules to any language, you don't just mix stuff up and change the rules of grammar. And so this has to be considered when we're going to properly interpret the text. Okay?

2:57 Next, we're going to consider some words that we often say and I wonder if we understand what they mean. Okay? Now, we, you probably have heard many times that we adhere to. We believe with great conviction that the the Bible is inspired. Have you heard that term?

3:14 Anybody heard it? Alright. We say the Bible is inspired. Well, what do we mean by that? What do we mean by that?

3:20 Alright. Yeah, I'm going give you a definite. I probably shouldn't have put definition on there because I'm going to give you a definition but there you go, okay? By inspiration inspired, we mean that all of the Bible, every part of the Bible is god breathed, that is it's alive, not part of it, but all of it. What we mean is this is not your regular book that you pick up at in a shelf in a bookstore, in a library.

3:43 This book is powerful and will change your life. That's what we mean by it. So we believe with great conviction that the Bible is inspired. Okay. Let's go a little deeper with that.

3:57 The the verbal plenary inspiration of the Bible. What do we mean by that? Verbal inspiration means that it is the inspiration of the words themselves in the original. Now whether you know it or not, that's what we believe here and that's what you believe. You know, so it's like, oh, wow.

4:13 I didn't know that. So, you can go and tell somebody, do you know that I believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of the Bible? Oh, you do? Woah. Okay.

4:22 Well, alright. Now, plenary inspiration means this, it speaks of the inspiration of the entire Bible. Alright? Now, notice I keep saying entire, the complete bible from Genesis one one to Revelation. Alright?

4:37 Complete, all of it. We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of the bible. So the bible is inspired. Alright. Next, we believe that the Bible is inerrant.

5:07 This is what I take my stand on. I want another things, but on this I will. That the scriptures are inherent. They're without error, they're wholly true. Secondly, this applies to the original writings of the authors.

5:22 Thirdly, they are without error in everything that is in doctrine, in ethics, in history, and in science. So, when we say doctrine, when the Bible says that, that because of sin, man died, that's doctrine. They say, okay, that's true because god's word says it. When we say ethics, we we mean that you know, do not kill. It's it's not ethical.

5:46 It's not right to do and of course, that's true. The Bible says it and so in those kind of things, it's everything it says is true. When it says something about history, it's true. Alright, everything it says historically and and and I challenge you. Find historical error in the bible.

6:07 Whatever it says is true. And science, it's not a science book, but when it does say something about science, it's true. For example, way before man realized it, the bible said that the earth was round. Right? And so the the...

6:23 It was already true. The bible had said it. And then science later on realized, oh, the the the world is round. Hey, guess what? The the bible already said it, so it's true.

6:32 Okay? So the doctrine inerrancy then says that it is without error, notice that. Doctrine, ethics, history, science. Next, they are wholly true in all they affirm or teach. In all they affirm or teach.

6:51 Alright, next. Because this is true, because it's inspired, and because it is inerrant, it's the authority of our lives or at least it should be. The the Bible is the authority of our lives. Authority means that the ultimate authority in the life of a Christian is the word of god. It's the word of god.

7:13 And I have a lot of I'm not going to I I'm I'm almost tempted to do a study on this but we are going to get to Genesis in a minute but this is important, alright? So, Martin Luther said this and I like what he said, I put scripture above all sayings of the fathers, angels, men, and devils. You know, the devil quotes the scripture too. Right? Remember?

7:33 He tried it with Jesus? Here I take my stand, my conscience is subject to the word of God, to the word of God. Okay. So, the Bible end is inspired, inerrant, authoritative word in the life of the believer. Can I hear an amen on that one?

7:50 Amen. Alright. This is what we teach here and this is what we stand on And and if it changes, you're not going to see me here anymore. So this is what we stand on. Okay.

8:04 Now, let let's consider some things as we're going to approach Genesis. The Jesus teach that Genesis was a real historical book because we believe in Jesus. We preach Jesus. We know that he was real and that we worship him. We believe in him.

8:20 So, what did he say about Genesis? Alright. First of all, Luke three twenty three. We're not going to read it. It's just so we're we're just going to get some information.

8:30 The Jesus genealogy goes all the way to Adam. Okay? It just tells you this guy, this guy, this guy, this guy, this guy, all the way to Adam. Right? I I don't know why people try to squeeze stuff in between.

8:45 It gives you all the names all the way back. Okay, next, Matthew nineteen three to six, Mark ten three to eight, Adam and Eve were the first married couple. Jesus says, Adam and Eve were the first married couple. You can read it, there it is. If you want to take notes, write it down and go look and you'll see that it's there.

9:05 Okay? So Adam and Eve were the first married couple. So Jesus was affirming Genesis then. Not only did he say that he came through the scriptures to Luke from... All the way from Adam, but Adam and Eve were the first married couple.

9:18 Next, Abel, was the child the child of Adam and Eve, was the first martyr. Cain, his brother killed him. Next, in Matthew 24, Jesus affirmed that Noah and the flood were real and that it really happened and that it really happened. Now, there's a lot more but I would just thought I'd give you some some some basic things so that you can see that it is taught in the New Testament as as literal history, as a historical book. Mark thirteen nineteen, Jesus taught that Adam and Eve were in existence essentially at the same time, god created everything.

10:16 Alright. Now, a few more thoughts before we even read it. You know, when are we going to get to Genesis? We will, we will, we will. Paul, Paul based his doctrine of sin and death through Adam and that Jesus came into the world to undo the mess that Adam initiated and so Romans five twelve says that death came through Adam.

10:39 Alright? And then Jesus came to fix death, right? Through his death and resurrection. And so those of your text right there, if you want to go back later and read them, I'll give you a second. If you want to write that down.

10:52 So so it says clearly that why is there death? Why is there disease? Why is there bitterness and why is there anger and why is there murder and and because Adam sinned and so, what is the solution? The death of Christ on the cross. He came to fix that.

11:10 What Adam did. Okay. So, so Paul then based all the doctrine of salvation and death and and sin and and salvation because of Adam and what he did. So, in other words, Paul was saying that Genesis was real history and then that's why Jesus came because the real guy, Adam, way back then sinned and Jesus came to fix it. Okay.

11:38 Now, let's go to the text. Here we go. Now, we're we're in Genesis now. In the beginning, god, Elohim, created the heavens and the earth. So, he created out of nothing.

11:49 That's in the original Hebrew, X Nilo means that he created out of nothing. Suddenly, god from eternity past, he was he was always there created then also time began. Time began and so god created out of nothing the heavens and the earth. So, everything that you see, Hebrews chapter 11 also would affirm it in the New Testament that god created out of nothing, everything material, everything that we see, everything physical. So time began when God deemed it so, and out of nothing he created the heavens and the earth.

12:27 That is everything that we presently see. The heavens up above and the earth, everything that is created. Alright? So in the beginning, god Elohim, it's in the plural form and I'm going to come back to to that down the line, okay? God created the heavens and the earth.

12:43 Now, notice that the text doesn't try to explain god away or defend them. It just says, look, there is a god and and god then decided in his wisdom to to begin time and to create everything that we see. Alright. So David Glack was one of my instructors at Bible College. He said this, God created everything mature.

13:07 Adam was created as an adult. The trees were already bearing fruit. Fish were already full grown. The light and the heat of the sun had already reached the earth and the light from the stars as well. This is important.

13:24 This is important that you understand this truth. God can create things already full grown, okay? And it's not like if he created Adam as a baby in diapers and and the Bible say he came and gave him milk every day and changed his diapers and and waited till he got big and and as a matter of fact, I'm I'm not trying to be facetious but but I'm just trying to prove a point that that he was already full grown and and Adam was already in full conversation with god the father. He didn't have to teach him the language. He could already speak.

13:57 So so this is important to understand this truth that that God created everything mature. Just like when he did, Jesus did the miracle, Jesus being God himself, right? When he did the miracle of wine, water to wine, he said, well, let me wait a couple of months till it ferments. He he did it and so god can do that in his creative power. Alright.

14:17 So, it's important that we understand this reality as we continue looking at the text And alright. So then, God created everything out of nothing time came to be, and when he created it was already full grown and mature. The earth, verse two, was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep and the spirit of god was hovering over the face of the waters. Okay. So, we see the that the next thing that is said that it was formless and void.

15:07 So it was to to be unformed and unfilled. So in other words, I like the way Cam Ham put it in his commentary. When god created the earth at the beginning, it was initially formless, empty, and dark and god's spirit was there above the waters. It was through his creative power that the world was then progressively formed and filled during the six days of creation. You can't get a clearer explanation than that.

15:39 So that's what that means. That the earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. So God created the original lump, if you will, and then what he was going to start doing then is adding life to it. MacArthur commenting on on this particular words without form and void says this, this means not finished in its shape and as yet uninhabited by creatures. Alright, so he created the lump if you will, and it was all there and it was it was not finished yet.

16:17 It was... It needed to be inhabited. It needed to be given light. And so if if you read the text, it flows very naturally. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth wasn't filled yet.

16:30 It it needed to be finished, and so the spirit of God was was hovering over it, and then it was time to start filling it up. And so here we go with verse three then. Okay? So that that's that's what it's saying. Then God said in verse three, now that the original thing was there, now let's start putting some life into this thing.

16:50 Let there be light because it said in the first part that it was dark and and formless needed to be filled. Right? And so, let there be light and so god created light. Alright. Let me finish reading the the the verse.

17:05 And god said, let there be light and there was light and god saw that the light was good and god separated light from day and and from darkness and he called the light day and the darkness he called night. So, that's why we have day and night. Guess what? Last night, I was sleeping, alright? It was dark.

17:22 It's it's night and then there's day. What we're looking at right now. So, god created the day and the night and there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Of course, you know that we can't go through this text without, you know, looking at this word, the first day. What does it mean?

17:40 Alright. Now, my concern is what does the Bible mean? What do the words say? Because we're taking the historical literal interpretation of the Bible, right? Okay.

17:48 This word yom, day, used with a number three fifty nine times in the Bible. Alright. Now we build our doctrine of of the trinity and it's not even said in the bible of the trinity but we know it's true, right? And nobody doubts that. And so when something is mentioned this many times in the bible, guess what?

18:12 It's it's pretty much reliable. Each time it means an ordinary twenty four hour day. It is defined by evening and morning which we would say a normal day would have an evening and a a morning. It is also number and a phrase, evening and morning with each of the six days of creation. Alright.

18:36 And notice also, day with numerical objectives in Hebrew always refers to a twenty four hour day. Ryrie, MacArthur, Morris, and I could have put, you know, literally hundreds of commentators, they all... That's what it means. Alright, so there are words in the biblical Hebrew like Olam and Kedem that communicate long periods of time or indefinite time. That's true, but none of these are used in Genesis chapter one.

19:09 So it's important that we know this as well. The word that was used was yom, which means a normal twenty four hour day. Doctor. James Barr, professor of Hebrew at Oxford University, now mind you, doctor James Barr is not a Christian. He's a he's a professor of Hebrew.

19:30 So he's he's coming at the Bible to criticize it. He's totally unbiased. He's not like, this is the way he's supposed to interpret the Bible. He's looking at the language of Hebrew and what the Genesis chapter one says and this is what he says and I'm quoting. As far as I know, there's no professor of Hebrew or Old Testament at any world class university who does not believe that the writer of Genesis chapter one through 11 intended to convey to the readers the idea that creation took place in a series of six days, which were the same as same as the days of twenty four hours we now experience.

20:10 End quote. So so even the the outside world that are not believers say this, the word yom, day, conveys this and it can't convey anything else. Okay. So yom means, which is day, the word day in Hebrew yom, a regular, normal, twenty four hour day. God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days.

20:38 It's what the Bible teaches. Okay? So, don't get quiet. That's what the Bible teaches. So, I get get excited about it.

20:45 Well, my my job is to teach the Bible. Amen? Alright. And so that's what I was commanded to do by the Lord. And so that's my responsibility.

20:55 Now, let's read it again then. And God said, let there be light and there was light and God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness, and God called a light day, and darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. Okay?

21:30 The heavens. So verse six, and God said, let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate the waters from the waters and God made the expanse and separate the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so, and God called the expanse heaven, and there was evening, and there was morning, the second day. So so the first day he created light day and night, and he said that it was good. And the second day he created the heavens, and of course he said that there was an expanse or or a vapor.

22:05 So so most commentators believe that there was like a greenhouse effect and that's why people lived so many years because of that reality until the flood came and that changed everything. And so it was different prior to the fall, prior to sin or even to the flood the way things were. So there was no, there was no rain yet, but there was like a vapor like an expanse and the water, there was no need for water at that time. And so the rays of the sun apparently didn't penetrate the same as they do now and people were able then to live longer. Okay.

22:45 Day three, let's continue our reading. Alright, verse nine. And God said, let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear and it was so. So God called the dry land earth and the waters were gathered together, he called seas and God saw that it was good. And God said, let the earth sprout, vegetation, plants yielding seed and fruit, fruit trees bearing fruit in which their their...

23:17 Which is their seed and according to its kind on the earth and it was so. And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seeds according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruits in which there is seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good, and there was evening, and there was morning, the third day. So the third day then, God separated the land from the sea, and so thus we see that that the land goes to a certain point, the sea never jumps its boundaries, it stays where they're supposed to be. Then there was vegetation, plants, trees, and again, god said that it was good.

23:55 It was good and god, even after the fall, the the world is beautiful, isn't it? And god creates in such a beautiful way and it is indeed good. Okay. Day four. Day four.

24:08 Let's continue our reading. Alright. And god said, let there be lights in the in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night and let let it be for signs and for seasons and for days and years and let them be lights in the expanse of heavens to give light upon the earth and it was so. And God made two great lights, the the greater light to rule the day which is the sun, and the lesser light to rule the night which is the moon and the stars. Kind of like an afterthought.

24:42 Oh, by the way, he also made the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light to the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good, And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And so God created the sun and the moon and the stars and and it was good. Okay.

25:31 Having said that, verse 26, I'm sorry. And god said, let us, notice the plural, Elohim, speaking of god, speaks in a plural form which was already given us a hint that god is trinity, right? God the father, god the son, god the holy spirit, and we know that all of the trinity was involved in creation. The Bible asserts that quite clearly. We look at a few more verses in a minute.

26:01 So then god said, let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish and over the seas and over the birds of heaven and over the livestock and over the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image. In the image of god, he created him, male and female, he created him. Okay. So, image.

26:25 We were noticed in the difference. He's creating the the the stars and and the sun and the moon and the land and the earth. He's creating all these things. He's creating fish and birds and animals but suddenly when it comes to human beings, it's totally different. He says, let us create man in our image, in the in the likeness of god.

26:49 What does that mean? What does that mean? Okay. Selim in the Hebrew, image or representation is used to refer to people. So we're going to create man as a representation.

27:04 Alright? Next, the mood in in in the the Hebrew means likeness or it's a word of comparison. So so in other words, the meaning man is a likeness image of god. Man is a likeness image of god. Well, what does that mean?

27:20 Alright, let's let's continue. It's not in the physical form because the material for creation was taken from Earth. Right? Remember? Took the earth and he breathed into it.

27:30 So we know that it's not the material aspect of it. Alright. It is the inner nature of humans that reflect some vital, something vital in the nature of God. The image of God then that we have, we are image bearers, is that we have intellect, the intellectual part, the emotional part, and the moral part. So we have intellect, we're able to think, right, and reason, and we have emotions, right?

27:59 Don't you get all emotional at times? And so God is intellectual, God is emotional, we see that God gets angry and God gets happy, and God sad and God is grieved. Remember we looked at that last week? And so God has emotions. Not only is he extremely intellectual, of course he knows all things, not us, but he does, but he's emotional.

28:20 He's also moral. Now, this is the part that was damaged when Adam and Eve sinned was a moral aspect. Okay. So let's continue. Man is in the likeness of God and that he is able to reason because he has intellect, will, and emotion.

28:40 It is this likeness image that sets humans apart from the rest of the animal creation. So God, we see in in in the in the following chapters, having a conversation with Adam and Eve. He doesn't say he went on a stroll with a lion. Hey, how's it going today? You know, Simba or whatever, right?

29:00 But we do see him talking to Adam and Eve, right? And communicating with them because they're image bearers. They're they're created in the image of god. Alright. Now, let's look at this a little bit better.

29:12 The baker's dictionary of theology says this, that man's being though linked with the divine, it's a self essentially not divine but created and thus dependent on god and of a different order from his own being although akin to it. Did that help? Hopefully, it didn't confuse you. In other words, even though we're created in the image of God, it doesn't mean that we are divine. You can't get this wrong.

29:41 It doesn't mean that we're we're divine. But we are absolutely dependent on god. What it does mean is that because I have intellect and emotion and and I'm moral that that I have a relationship with god. God created us for relationships and thus, that's why we see god talking to Adam and Eve and there and he's he's communion with them and that's why we see when they sinned that that was broken. That was broken.

30:27 Notice what Richard says, the fall has not robbed us of personhood, though sin makes each person a sad mockery of the beauty they might that might have been ours. Right? And so, according to the New Testament, look look at James real quick, chapter three and verse nine. I'll draw your attention there real quick and then we'll go back to to Genesis. James three and verse nine.

30:57 I'll be there shortly. Okay. With it, we bless our lord and father and with and with it, we curse people, that's our tongue, right? Who are made in the likeness of god. So, even though man sinned, we still didn't lose our our image.

31:23 Our image was just marred. It was damaged And and so so so even though sin did hurt us because in intellectually, we we can't we're we're limited. Emotionally, when we get saved, doesn't god heal us many times emotionally? Isn't there, isn't that true that god makes us whole? Amen?

31:45 Right? And so, so our emotions were damaged because of sin but the the the main thing that was damaged was our moral aspect of us. And that when when when man sin, the moral part of us in that image was damaged and that's why Jesus had to come to fix that part and that's why there's a wall between god and man because that moral part is completely out of touch with god. God can't have anything to do with it because god is absolutely holy and pure and perfect. And so so so we we're still in the image of god Even though we're damaged but that that image can be restored through Jesus Christ.

32:29 And praise god. That's what he came to do. Even though we we are saved, those who have believed in Jesus, we know this, that god is now conforming us, notice, to the image of Christ. That's god's... One of god's purposes in saving us is that he's he's trying to make us more and more like Jesus who is perfect in every way, intellectually, emotionally, and morally and so when god saves us, he he he takes away that sin aspect but we're still battling in this body and god is trying to make us conform to the image of Christ.

33:08 Ain't that amazing? Now, when we die and this body which is morally damaged is moved out of the way, we will be completely restored in our image, Right? Amen? Right? That's why we can't wait to get rid of this body.

33:27 Right? This body that's marred because at that time, we will no longer have to deal with sin and and all of its consequences and all of the emotional baggage that we carry with us and all of the the limit the limitation that we have even next to intellectually. Okay. Wow. So, we're in made in the image of god.

34:09 Now, god wants it so bad that he was willing that Jesus died on the cross to restore that relationship because that's what he wants. And by me realizing that that my relationship is damaged because of sin, then I I repent and and I trust what Jesus did for me on the cross so that I can be saved and that relationship then becomes real again. Because right now, the Bible says that anybody without Christ is dead is dead to sin or in sin and and god can't have a relationship with you until that sin is removed. And and that's part of god's plan. Okay?

34:52 So, that's what that means to be created in the image of god. That we can have a relationship with him because we have intellect, emotion, and and a moral aspect of us. The moral aspect is a part that needs to be restored. So that God can have that relationship with us again. And that only is restored through Jesus Christ.

35:13 Okay. So let's go back to Genesis then. Having said all that, hopefully that shed a little light because sometimes we read it, so what does it mean that we're made in the image of God? That's what that means. Okay.

35:27 The blessings and privileges that we are created in the image of god. Well, praise god for that. You're not a monkey. You you you're not some some animal but but you're a human being creating the very image of god. Wow.

35:44 Okay, that's a blessing and a privilege that you have. We are given dominion overruling creation. That's our pride. That's our blessing. That's our privilege.

35:57 Even now, even though man fell in sin and and made a mess, we still have that that that blessing, that privilege. There is in Genesis. Also, god created male and female because he said, be fruitful. He blessed them. He said, be fruitful, multiply.

36:16 That's the only way you're to multiply. You need a male and you need a female, right? And and so that's another blessing that god gives and that's why later on he said, then I then he created marriage and all that. I want to get into the the next weeks yet but all of this, you know, flows very understandably. And the next, well, he said, be blessed and he said, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and so so marriage and and having children is part of god's plan.

36:48 He wants the earth to be full and and he wants families and he wants to bless the families And again, the the fall ruins even families, doesn't it? How many of us have suffered because of the brokenness of of family sometimes? And and boy, tell you that that that fall really did some damage. It really did. Okay.

37:11 And of course they were vegetarian, vegetarian. You know, this is a good thing about the fall. We get to eat meat now, right? We get to have steaks and such. If there is anything good about it, oh my goodness, I can't believe I said that.

37:23 You know what I mean? You know what I mean? Alright. Now, if you choose to be vegetarian, lord bless you, right? But I'm going to go to heaven happy, right?

37:31 With all kinds of grease and things stuck in my, you know, veins and so, anyway, alright. So so this is how it concludes and then it says, if you can look at the verse 31, and God saw that he had what that he had made and behold, I'm sorry. God saw everything that he had made and behold it was very good because there was no sin yet. And God creates everything good and perfect. Good and perfect.

38:14 Thank you for your revealed truth in the Bible where you tell us how you created everything, how we were made, how it was all done, and and father we're we're we're just amazed that we're created in your image that the the living god wants a relationship with us. Father, help us to to understand this reality and indeed seek to be in communion with you every day. Be with us Lord as we go home now in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.