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The discussion of the decrees naturally
leads on to the study of their execution, which begins with the work of
creation. This is the beginning and basis of all revelation, and also
the foundation of all religious life.
1. Creation in General.
The word creation is not always used in
the same sense in the Bible. In the strict sense of the word it denotes
that work of God by which He produces the world and all that is in it,
partly without the use of pre-existent materials, and partly out of material
that is by its nature unfit, for the manifestation of His glory. It is
represented as a work of the triune God,
Gen. 1:2; "And the earth was waste
and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of
God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)"
Job 26:13; "By his Spirit the
heavens are garnished; His hand hath pierced the swift serpent. (Job 26:13)"
33:4; "The Spirit of God hath
made me, And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life. (Job 33:4)"
Ps. 33:6; "By the word of Jehovah
were the heavens made, And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
(Psalms 33:6)"
Isa. 40:12, 13; "12 Who hath measured
the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span,
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains
in scales, and the hills in a balance? 13 Who hath directed the Spirit
of Jehovah, or being his counsellor hath taught him? (Isaiah 40:12-13)"
John 1:3; "All things were made
through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made.
(John 1:3)"
I Cor. 8:6; "yet to us there is
one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto him; and one
Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through him. (1
Corinthians 8:6)"
Col. 1:15-17. "15 who is the image
of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him were
all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible
and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or
powers; all things have been created through him, and unto him; 17 and
he is before all things, and in him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15-17)"
Over against Pantheism we must maintain
that it was a free act of God. He did not need the world.
Eph. 1:11; "in whom also we were
made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of
him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will; (Ephesians 1:11)"
Rev. 4:11. "Worthy art thou, our
Lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power: for
thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they were, and were
created. (Revelation 4:11)"
And over against Deism, that He created
the world so that it always remains dependent on Him. He must uphold it
from day to day,
Acts 17:28; "for in him we live,
and move, and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said,
For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17:28)"
Heb. 1:3. "who being the effulgence
of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things
by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down
on the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Hebrews 1:3)"
a. The time of creation. The Bible teaches
us that God created the world "in the beginning," that is, at the beginning
of all temporal things. Back of this beginning lies a timeless eternity.
The first part of the work of creation mentioned in
Gen. 1:1 "In the beginning God
created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)"
was strictly creation out of nothing or
without the use of preexistent material. The expression "creation out
of nothing" is not found in the Bible, but in one of the apocryphal books,
II Macc. 7:28. However, the idea is clearly taught in such passages as
Gen. 1:1; Ps. 33:9; "For he spake,
and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. (Psalms 33:9)"
148:5; "Let them praise the name
of Jehovah; For he commanded, and they were created. (Psalms 148:5)"
Rom. 4:7; "[saying], Blessed are
they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. (Romans
4:7)"
Heb. 11:3. "By faith we understand
that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen
hath not been made out of things which appear. (Hebrews 11:3)"
b. The final purpose of creation. Some
find the final end or purpose of creation in the happiness of man. They
say that God could not make Himself the final end, because He is sufficient
unto Himself. But it would seem to be self-evident that God does not exist
for man, but ma for God. The creature cannot be the final end of creation.
The Bible teaches us clearly that God created the world for the manifestation
of His glory. Naturally, the revelation of the glory of God is not intended
as an empty show to be admired by the creature, but also aims at promoting
their welfare and attuning their hearts to the praise of the Creator.
Isa. 43:7; "every one that is
called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have formed,
yea, whom I have made. (Isaiah 43:7)"
60:21; "Thy people also shall
be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of
my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)"
61:3; "to appoint unto them that
mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they
may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he
may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)"
Ezek. 36:21, 22; "21 But I had
regard for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among
the nations, whither they went. 22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel,
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I do not [this] for your sake, O house of
Israel, but for my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations,
whither ye went. (Ezekiel 36:21-22)"
39:7; "And my holy name will I
make known in the midst of my people Israel; neither will I suffer my
holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am
Jehovah, the Holy One in Israel. (Ezekiel 39:7)"
Luke 2:14; "Glory to God in the
highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased. (Luke
2:14)"
Rom. 9:17; "For the scripture
saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I
might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad
in all the earth. (Romans 9:17)"
11:36; "For of him, and through
him, and unto him, are all things. To him [be] the glory for ever. Amen.
(Romans 11:36)"
I Cor. 15:28; "And when all things
have been subjected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected
to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in all.
(1 Corinthians 15:28)"
Eph. 1:5, 6, 12, 14; "5 having
foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of the glory
of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:...12 to the
end that we should be unto the praise of his glory, we who had before
hoped in Christ: ...14 which is an earnest of our inheritance, unto the
redemption of [God's] own possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians
1:5-6,12,14)"
3:9, 10; "9 and to make all men
see what is the dispensation of the mystery which for ages hath been hid
in God who created all things; 10 to the intent that now unto the principalities
and the powers in the heavenly [places] might be made known through the
church the manifold wisdom of God, (Ephesians 3:9-10)"
Col. 1:16. "for in him were all
things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and
things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things have been created through him, and unto him; (Colossians 1:16)"
c. Substitutes for the doctrine of creation.
They who reject the doctrine of creation resort to one of three theories
for the explanation of the world. (1) Some say that original matter is
eternal, and out of it the world arose, either by mere chance, or by some
higher directing force. But this is impossible, because you cannot have
two eternals and therefore two infinites alongside of each other. (2)
Others maintain that God and the world are essentially one, and that the
world is a necessary issue (outflow) of the divine being. But this view
robs God of His power of self-determination, and men of their freedom
and of their moral and responsible character. It also makes God responsible
for all the evil there is in the world. (3) Still others take refuge in
the theory of evolution. But this is clearly a mistake, since evolution
offers no explanation of the world. It already presupposes something that
evolves.
2. The Spiritual World.
God created not only a material but also
a spiritual world, consisting of the angels.
a. Proof for the existence of angels.
Modern liberal theology has largely discarded the belief in such spiritual
beings. The Bible, however, assumes their existence throughout and ascribes
to them real personality,
II Sam. 14:20; "to change the
face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord
is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things
that are in the earth. (2 Samuel 14:20)"
Matt. 24:36; "But of that day
and hour knoweth no one, not even the angels of heaven, neither the Son,
but the Father only. (Matthew 24:36)"
Jude 6; "And angels that kept
not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath
kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great
day. (Jude v.6)"
Rev. 14:10. "he also shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup
of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: (Revelation
14:10)"
Some ascribe to them airy bodies, but
this is contrary to Scripture. They are pure spiritual beings (though
sometimes assuming bodily forms),
Eph. 6:12; "For our wrestling
is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against
the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual
[hosts] of wickedness in the heavenly [places]. (Ephesians 6:12)"
Heb. 1:14, "Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit
salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)"
without flesh and bone,
Luke 24:39, "See my hands and
my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not
flesh and bones, as ye behold me having. (Luke 24:39)"
and therefore invisible,
Col. 1:16. "for in him were all
things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and
things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things have been created through him, and unto him; (Colossians 1:16)"
Some of them are good, holy and elect,
Mark 8:38; "For whosoever shall
be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation,
the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory
of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:38)"
Luke 9:26; "For whosoever shall
be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he cometh in his own glory, and [the glory] of the Father, and of
the holy angels. (Luke 9:26)"
II Cor. 11:14; "And no marvel;
for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians
11:14)"
I Tim. 5:21; "I charge [thee]
in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou
observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality. (1
Timothy 5:21)"
Rev. 14:10, "he also shall drink
of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup
of his anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: (Revelation
14:10)"
and others are fallen from their original
state, and therefore evil,
John 8:44; "Ye are of [your] father
the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because
there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
for he is a liar, and the father thereof. (John 8:44)"
II Pet. 2:4; "For if God spared
not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed
them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Peter 2:4)"
Jude 6.
b. Classes of angels. There are evidently
different classes of angels. The Bible speaks of cherubim, who reveal
the power, majesty, and glory of God, and guard His holiness in the garden
of Eden, in tabernacle and temple, and at the descent of God to the earth.
Gen. 3:24; "So he drove out the
man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden the Cherubim, and
the flame of a sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree
of life. (Genesis 3:24)"
Ex. 25:18; "And thou shalt make
two cherubim of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them, at the two
ends of the mercy-seat. (Exodus 25:18)"
II Sam. 22:11; "And he rode upon
a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he was seen upon the wings of the wind. (2
Samuel 22:11)"
Ps. 18:10; "And he rode upon a
cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind. (Psalms
18:10)"
80:1; "Give ear, O Shepherd of
Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest [above]
the cherubim, shine forth. (Psalms 80:1)"
99:1; "Jehovah reigneth; let the
peoples tremble: He sitteth [above] the cherubim; let the earth be moved.
(Psalms 99:1)"
Isa. 37:16. "O Jehovah of hosts,
the God of Israel, that sittest [above] the cherubim, thou art the God,
even thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made heaven
and earth. (Isaiah 37:16)"
Alongside of these are seraphim, mentioned
only in
Isa. 6:2, 3, 6. "2 Above him
stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his
face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of
hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. ...6 Then flew one of the
seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with
the tongs from off the altar: (Isaiah 6:2-3,6)"
They stand as servants round about the
throne of the heavenly King, sing His praises, and are ever ready to do
His bidding. They serve the purpose of reconciliation and prepare men
for the proper approach to God.
Two angels are mentioned by name. The
first of these is Gabriel,
Dan. 8:16; "And I heard a man's
voice between [the banks of] the Ulai, which called, and said, Gabriel,
make this man to understand the vision. (Daniel 8:16)"
9:21; "yea, while I was speaking
in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning,
being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening
oblation. (Daniel 9:21)"
Luke 1:19, 26. "19 And the angel
answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God;
and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings.
... 26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto
a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, (Luke 1:19,26)"
Evidently it was his special task to convey
divine revelations to man and to interpret them. The second is Michael,
Dan. 10:13, 21; "13 But the prince
of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael,
one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the
kings of Persia. ...21 But I will tell thee that which is inscribed in
the writing of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me against these,
but Michael your prince. (Daniel 10:13,21)"
Jude 9; "But Michael the archangel,
when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst
not bring against him a railing judgment, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
(Jude v.9)"
Rev. 12:7. "And there was war
in heaven: Michael and his angels [going forth] to war with the dragon;
and the dragon warred and his angels; (Revelation 12:7)"
In the Epistle of Jude he is called the
archangel. He is the valiant warrior fighting the battles of Jehovah against
the enemies of the people of God and against the evil powers in the spirit
world. Besides these the Bible mentions in general terms principalities,
powers, thrones, dominions,
Eph. 1:21; "far above all rule,
and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians
1:21)"
3:10; "to the intent that now
unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly [places] might
be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, (Ephesians
3:10)"
Col. 1:16; "for in him were all
things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and
things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things have been created through him, and unto him; (Colossians 1:16)"
2:10; "and in him ye are made
full, who is the head of all principality and power: (Colossians 2:10)"
I Pet. 3:22. "who is one the right
hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers
being made subject unto him. (1 Peter 3:22)"
These names point to differences of rank
and dignity among the angels.
c. Work of the angels. The angels are
represented as praising God continually,
Ps. 103:20; "Bless Jehovah, ye
his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening
unto the voice of his word. (Psalms 103:20)"
Isa. 6; Rev. 5:11. "And I saw,
and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the living
creatures and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times
ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; (Revelation 5:11)"
Since the entrance of sin into the world
they serve those who inherit salvation,
Heb. 1:14, "Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit
salvation? (Hebrews 1:14)"
rejoice at the conversion of sinners,
watch over believers,
Ps. 34:7; "The angel of Jehovah
encampeth round about them that fear him, And delivereth them. (Psalms
34:7)"
91:11, "For he will give his angels
charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. (Psalms 91:11)"
protect the little ones,
Matt. 18:10, "See that ye despise
not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their
angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew
18:10)"
are present in the Church,
I Cor. 11:10; "for this cause
ought the woman to have [a sign of] authority on her head, because of
the angels. (1 Corinthians 11:10)"
Eph. 3:10; "to the intent that
now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly [places] might
be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, (Ephesians
3:10)"
I Tim. 5:21, "I charge [thee]
in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the elect angels, that thou
observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality. (1
Timothy 5:21)"
and convey believers to the bosom of Abraham,
Luke 16:22. "And it came to pass,
that the beggar died, and that he was carried away by the angels into
Abraham's bosom: and the rich man also died, and was buried. (Luke 16:22)"
They also frequently bear special revelations
of God,
Dan. 9:21-23; "21 yea, while I
was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision
at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time
of the evening oblation. 22 And he instructed me, and talked with me,
and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee wisdom and understanding.
23 At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment went forth, and
I am come to tell thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore consider
the matter, and understand the vision. (Daniel 9:21-23)"
Zech. 1:12-14, "12 Then the angel
of Jehovah answered and said, O Jehovah of hosts, how long wilt thou not
have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of Judah, against which thou
hast had indignation these threescore and ten years? 13 And Jehovah answered
the angel that talked with me with good words, [even] comfortable words.
14 So the angel that talked with me said unto me, Cry thou, saying, Thus
saith Jehovah of hosts: I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a
great jealousy. (Zechariah 1:12-14)"
communicate blessings to His people,
Ps. 91:11, 12; "11 For he will
give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They
shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
(Psalms 91:11-12)"
Isa. 63:9; "In all their affliction
he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love
and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all
the days of old. (Isaiah 63:9)"
Dan. 6:22; "My God hath sent his
angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch
as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king,
have I done no hurt. (Daniel 6:22)"
Acts 5:19, "But an angel of the
Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them out, and said,
(Acts 5:19)"
and execute judgments on His enemies,
Gen. 19:1, 13; "1 And the two
angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot
saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face
to the earth; ...13 for we will destroy this place, because the cry of
them is waxed great before Jehovah: and Jehovah hath sent us to destroy
it. (Genesis 19:1,13)"
II Kings 19:35; "And it came to
pass that night, that the angel of Jehovah went forth, and smote in the
camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when
men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. (2
Kings 19:35)"
Matt. 13:41. "The Son of man shall
send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things
that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, (Matthew 13:41)"
d. Evil angels. Besides the good there
are also evil angels, who delight in opposing God and destroying His work.
They were created good, but did not retain their original position,
II Pet. 2:4; "For if God spared
not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed
them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Peter 2:4)"
Jude 6. "And angels that kept
not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath
kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great
day. (Jude v.6)"
Their special sin is not revealed, but
they probably revolted against God and aspired to divine authority,
cf. II Thess. 2:4, 9. "4 he that
opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is
worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth
as God. ...9 [even he], whose coming is according to the working of Satan
with all power and signs and lying wonders, (2 Thessalonians 2:4,9)"
Satan, who was evidently one of the princes
among the angels, became the recognized head of those that fell away,
Matt. 25:41; "Then shall he say
also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal
fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels: (Matthew 25:41)"
9:34; "But the Pharisees said,
By the prince of the demons casteth he out demons. (Matthew 9:34)"
Eph. 2:2. "wherein ye once walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the
powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;
(Ephesians 2:2)"
With superhuman power he and his hosts
seek to destroy the work of God. They seek to blind and mislead even the
elect, and encourage the sinner in his evil way.
3. The Material World.
In Gen. 1:1 we have the record of the
original creation of heaven and earth. The rest of the chapter is devoted
to what is often called secondary creation, the completion of the work
in six days.
a. The days of creation. The question
is frequently debated, whether the days of creation were ordinary days
or not. Geologists and evolutionists speak of them as long periods of
time. Now the word 'day' does not always denote a period of twenty-four
hours in the Scripture.
Cf. Gen 1:5; "And God called
the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening
and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:5)"
2:4; "These are the generations
of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that
Jehovah God made earth and heaven. (Genesis 2:4)"
Ps. 50:15; "And call upon me in
the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalms
50:15)"
Eccl. 7:14; "In the day of prosperity
be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the
one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out
anything [that shall be] after him. (Ecclesiastes 7:14)"
Zech. 4:10. "For who hath despised
the day of small things? for these seven shall rejoice, and shall see
the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel; [these are] the eyes of Jehovah,
which run to and fro through the whole earth. (Zechariah 4:10)"
Yet the literal interpretation of the
word 'day' in the narrative of creation is favored by the following considerations:
(a) The Hebrew word yom (day) primarily
denotes an ordinary day, and should be so understood unless the context
demands another interpretation.
(b) The repeated mention of morning and
evening favors this interpretation.
(c) It was evidently an ordinary day which
Jehovah set aside and hallowed as a day of rest.
(d) In Ex. 20:9-11 Israel is commanded
to labor six days and to rest on the seventh, because Jehovah made heaven
and earth in six days and rested on the seventh day.
(e) The last three days were evidently
ordinary days, for they were determined by the earth's relation to the
sun. And if they were ordinary days, why not the others?
b. Work of the six days.
On the first day light was created, and
by the separation of light and darkness day and night were constituted.
This does not conflict with the idea that sun, moon, and stars were created
on the fourth day, for these are not themselves light, but light-bearers.
The work of the second day was also a
work of separation, the separation of the waters above from the waters
below by the establishment of the firmament.
On the third day the work of separation
is continued in the separation of the sea and the dry land. In addition
to that the vegetable kingdom of plants and trees was established. By
the word of His power God caused the earth to bring forth flowerless plants,
vegetables, and fruit trees, each yielding seed after their kind.
The fourth day brought the creation of
sun, moon, and stars, to serve a variety of purposes: to divide day and
night, to serve as signs of weather conditions, to determine the succession
of the seasons and of days and years, and to function as lights for the
earth.
The work of the fifth day consisted in
the creation of birds and fishes, the inhabitants of the air and of the
water.
Finally, the sixth day is marked by the
climax of the work of creation. The higher classes of land animals were
created, and the whole work was crowned by the creation of man in the
image of God. His body was formed out of the dust of the earth, while
his soul was an immediate creation of God.
On the seventh day God rested from His
creative labors and delighted in the contemplation of His work.
PARALLEL "decolumnized" Notice
the parallel between the work of the first and that of the last three
days:
1. The creation of light.
4. Creation of light-bearers.
2. Creation of expanse and separation
of waters.
5. Creation of fowls of the air and fishes
of the sea.
3. Separation of waters and dry land,
and preparation of the earth as a habitation for man and beast.
6. Creation of the beasts of the fields,
the cattle, and all creeping things; and man.
c. The theory of evolution. Evolutionists
want to substitute their view of the origin of things for the Scriptural
doctrine. They believe that from the simplest forms of matter and life
all existing species of plants and animals (including man), and also the
various manifestations of life, such an intelligence, morality, and religion,
developed by a perfectly natural process, purely as the result of natural
forces. This is merely an assumption, however, and one that fails at several
points. Moreover, it is in hopeless conflict with the narrative of creation
as it is found in the Bible.
To memorize.
Passages bearing on:
a. The fact of creation:
Gen: 1:1. "In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth."
Ps. 33:6. "By the word of Jehovah were
the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth."
John 1:3. "All things were made through
Him; and without Him was not anything made that hath been made."
Heb. 11:3. "By faith we understand
that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen
hath not been made out of things which appear."
b. The final end of creation:
Isa. 43:6, 7. "Bring...every one that
is called by my name, and whom I have created for my glory, whom I have
formed; yea, whom I have made."
Ps. 19:1. "The heavens declare the
glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork."
Ps. 148:13. "Let them praise the name
of Jehovah; for His name alone is exalted: His glory is above the earth
and the heavens." Cf. the connection.
c. Angels:
Ps. 103:20. "Bless Jehovah, ye His
angels, that are mighty in strength, that fulfill His word, hearkening
unto the voice of His word."
Heb. 1:14. "Are they not all ministering
spirits, sent forth to do service for the sake of them that shall inherit
salvation?"
Jude 6. "And the angels that kept not
their principality, but left their proper habitation, He hath kept in
everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."
d. Time of creation:
Gen. 1:1. "In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth."
Ex. 20:11. "For in six days Jehovah
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the
seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it."
For Further Study:
a. In what sense is the word 'to create'
used in
Ps. 51:10; "Create in me a clean
heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10)"
104:30; "Thou sendest forth thy
Spirit, they are created; And thou renewest the face of the ground. (Psalms
104:30)"
Isa. 45:7? "I form the light,
and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil. I am Jehovah, that
doeth all these things. (Isaiah 45:7)"
b. Do
Gen. 1:11, 12, 20, 24 "11 And
God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, [and] fruit-trees
bearing fruit after their kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the
earth: and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding
seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof,
after their kind: and God saw that it was good....20 And God said, Let
the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above
the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 24 And God said, Let the earth
bring forth living creatures after their kind, cattle, and creeping things,
and beasts of the earth after their kind: and it was so. (Genesis 1:11-12,20,24)"
favor the idea of evolution?
Cf. Gen. 1:21, 25; "21 And God
created the great sea-monsters, and every living creature that moveth,
wherewith the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird
after its kind: and God saw that it was good. ...25 And God made the beasts
of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything
that creepeth upon the ground after its kind: and God saw that it was
good. (Genesis 1:21,25)"
2:9. "And out of the ground made
Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good
for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)"
c. Do the following passages tell us
anything about the sin of the angels? if so, what?
II Pet. 2:4; "For if God spared
not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed
them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; (2 Peter 2:4)"
Jude 6; cf. also II Thess. 2:4-12.
"4 he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called
God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting
himself forth as God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you,
I told you these things? 6 And now ye know that which restraineth, to
the end that he may be revealed in his own season. 7 For the mystery of
lawlessness doth already work: only [there is] one that restraineth now,
until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall be revealed the lawless
one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and
bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 [even he], whose
coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that
perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might
be saved. 11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that
they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be judged who believed
not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:4-12)"
Questions for Review
1. What is creation?
2. Was creation a free or a necessary
act of God?
3. Is the word 'create' always used in
the same sense in Scripture?
4. Does the Bible prove creation out of
nothing? Where?
5. What two views are there as to the
final end of creation?
6. In what sense is the glory of God the
final end?
7. What substitutes have been suggested
for the doctrine of creation?
8. What is the nature of the angels?
9. What orders of angels are named in
Scripture?
10. What is the function of Gabriel and
Michael?
11. What is the work of the angels?
12. What proof have we for the existence
of evil angels?
13. Were they created evil?
14. Were the days in Genesis ordinal days
or long periods?
15. What did God create on each of the
six days?
16. Is the theory of evolution consistent
with the doctrine of creation?
17. Can you name some of the points on
which they differ?
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