Sunday's Scripture Text is Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. So there was evening, and there was morning, one day.
6 God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the water; let it divide the water from the water.” 7 God made the dome and divided the water under the dome from the water above the dome; that is how it was, 8 and God called the dome Sky. So there was evening, and there was morning, a second day.John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Genesis 1:1-8
Verse 1
[1] In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
Observe here. 1. The effect produced, The heaven and the earth - That is, the world, including the whole frame and furniture of the universe. But 'tis only the visible part of the creation that Moses designs to give an account of. Yet even in this there are secrets which cannot be fathomed, nor accounted for. But from what we see of heaven and earth, we may infer the eternal power and godhead of the great Creator. And let our make and place, as men, mind us of our duty, as Christians, which is always to keep heaven in our eye, and the earth under our feet. Observe 2. The author and cause of this great work, God. The Hebrew word is Elohim; which (1.) seems to mean The Covenant God, being derived from a word that signifies to swear. (2.) The plurality of persons in the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The plural name of God in Hebrew, which speaks of him as many, tho' he be but one, was to the Gentiles perhaps a favour of death unto death, hardening them in their idolatry; but it is to us a favour of life unto life, confirming our faith in the doctrine of the Trinity, which, tho' but darkly intimated in the Old Testament, is clearly revealed in the New. Observe 3. The manner how this work was effected; God created, that is, made it out of nothing. There was not any pre-existent matter out of which the world was produced. The fish and fowl were indeed produced out of the waters, and the beasts and man out of the earth; but that earth and those waters were made out of nothing. Observe 4. When this work was produced; In the beginning - That is, in the beginning of time. Time began with the production of those beings that are measured by time. Before the beginning of time there was none but that Infinite Being that inhabits eternity. Should we ask why God made the world no sooner, we should but darken counsel by words without knowledge; for how could there be sooner or later in eternity?
Verse 2
[2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Where we have an account of the first matter, and the first Mover. 1. A chaos was the first matter. 'Tis here called the earth, (tho' the earth, properly taken, was not made 'till the third day, Genesis 1:10) because it did most resemble that which was afterwards called earth, a heavy unwieldy mass. 'Tis also called the deep, both for its vastness, and because the waters which were afterwards separated from the earth were now mixed with it. This mighty bulk of matter was it, out of which all bodies were afterwards produced. The Creator could have made his work perfect at first, but by this gradual proceeding he would shew what is ordinarily the method of his providence, and grace. This chaos, was without form and void. Tohu and Bohu, confusion and emptiness, so those words are rendered, Isaiah 34:11. 'Twas shapeless, 'twas useless, 'twas without inhabitants, without ornaments; the shadow or rough draught of things to come. To those who have their hearts in heaven, this lower world, in comparison of the upper, still appears to be confusion and emptiness. And darkness was upon the face of the deep-God did not create this darkness, (as he is said to create the darkness of affliction, Isaiah 45:7.) for it was only the want of light. 2. The Spirit of God was the first Mover; He moved upon the face of the waters - He moved upon the face of the deep, as the hen gathereth her chicken under her wings, and hovers over them, to warm and cherish them, Matthew 23:37 as the eagle stirs up her nest, and fluttereth over her young, ('tis the same word that is here used) Deuteronomy 32:11.
Verses 3-5
[3] And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. [4] And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. [5] And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
We have here a farther account of the first day's work. In which observe, 1. That the first of all visible beings which God created was light, the great beauty and blessing of the universe: like the first-born, it doth, of all visible beings, most resemble its great parent in purity and power, brightness and beneficence. 2. That the light was made by the word of God's power; He said, Let there be light - He willed it, and it was done; there was light - Such a copy as exactly answered the original idea in the eternal mind. 3. That the light which God willed, he approved of.
God saw the light, that it was good — 'Twas exactly as he designed it; and it was fit to answer the end for which he designed it. 4. That God divided the light from the darkness - So put them asunder as they could never be joined together: and yet he divided time between them, the day for light, and the night for darkness, in a constant succession. Tho' the darkness was now scattered by the light, yet it has its place, because it has its use; for as the light of the morning befriends the business of the day, so the shadows of the evening befriend the repose of the night. God has thus divided between light and darkness, because he would daily mind us that this is a world of mixtures and changes. In heaven there is perpetual light, and no darkness; in hell utter darkness, and no light: but in this world they are counter-changed, and we pass daily from one to another; that we may learn to expect the like vicissitudes in the providence of God. 5. That God divided them from each other by distinguishing names. He called the light Day, and the darkness he called night - He gave them names as Lord of both. He is the Lord of time, and will be so 'till day and night shall come to an end, and the stream of time be swallowed up in the ocean of eternity. 6. That this was the first day's work, The evening and the morning were the first day - The darkness of the evening was before the light of the morning, that it might set it off, and make it shine the brighter.
Verses 6-8
[6] And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. [7] And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. [8] And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
We have here an account of the second day's work, the creation of the firmament. In which observe, 1. The command of God; Let there be a firmament - An expansion; so the Hebrew word signifies, like a sheet spread, or a curtain drawn out. This includes all that is visible above the earth, between it and the third heavens, the air, its higher, middle, and lower region, the celestial globe, and all the orbs of light above; it reaches as high as the place where the stars are fixed, for that is called here the firmament of heaven, Genesis 1:14,15, and as low as the place where the birds fly for that also is called the firmament of heaven, Genesis 1:20. 2. The creation of it: and God made the firmament. 3. The design of it; to divide the waters from the waters-That is, to distinguish between the waters that are wrapt up in the clouds, and those that cover the sea; the waters in the air, and those in the earth. 4. The naming it; He called the firmament Heaven - 'Tis the visible heaven, the pavement of the holy city. The height of the heavens should mind us of God's supremacy, and the infinite distance that is between us and him; the brightness of the heavens, and their purity, should mind us of his majesty, and perfect holiness; the vastness of the heavens, and their encompassing the earth, and influence upon it, should mind us of his immensity and universal providence.
Daily Devotion:
Monday, May 4, 2015
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-8
- Read the Genesis story one verse at a time while meditating on each verse.
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-8
- Read the Genesis story one verse at a time while meditating on each verse.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
- What about God’s power is most powerful in this story?
- What about God’s power is most powerful in this story?
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-8
- What kind of imagery is used for God?
- Why?
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-8
- What kind of imagery is used for God?
- Why?
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Friday, May 8, 2015
Scripture: Genesis 1:1-8
- Why did God
create all things? - Why does it matter?
Saturday, May 9, 2015
- How does this text contain maternal imagery?
- List them.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Pray for all those who create and give birth to new possibilities.
Sermon Story "God Created" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 10 May 2015 with Scripture Text Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. So there was evening, and there was morning, one day.
6 God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the water; let it divide the water from the water.” 7 God made the dome and divided the water under the dome from the water above the dome; that is how it was, 8 and God called the dome Sky. So there was evening, and there was morning, a second day.
There are many people who wonder if there is a God who created everything who it just happened by chance. Then, there are many like myself who believes that God did indeed create everything from nothing that was fully in Chaos. Yet, the scientific theories does give a glimpse of how God did it even the Big Bang Theory. Too often, there are a number of Christians look at the theories in science and begin to arue that it was God at a certain time frame, not too far from when He called Abraham to move to a new land and become the Father of a Nation God has chose known as the Israelites. We come to realize that we have in Scripture that God did create everything and is still creating, but we do not have the how or when He began this creation. This is where we need tocome and trust Him to guide us to trust Him to lead us to a holy relationship with Him and His other creations that He loves. We seek to allow Him to live in the mystery while seeing some possibilities concernin and how and when He began His Creation Story. How do you understand God's Creation Story? How do you understand the how and when of creaion? How will you live out your story as part of God's creation story? We come to receive more of God's Grace as we come to eat the Body of Jesus and Drink His Blood through our participation of the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist singing the Hymn "Greater Than" by Riley Armstrong
1. OUR GOD IS BIGGER THAN THE MOUNTAINS AND
HIS LOVE IS DEEPER THAN THE OCEANS
FOR US.. HE LOVES US...
OUR GOD IS CREATOR OF THE HEAVENS AND
HIS LOVE REACHES DOWN TO WHERE WE ARE.. OVER YOU...
2. HE IS GREATER THAN
THAN WHEN THE STARS FALL
THAN WHEN THE EARTH SHAKES
HE IS GREATER THAN
THAN A SUNRISE
THAN A BLUE SKY
HE IS GREATER THAN
THE SURFACE WE ARE SCRATCHING IS A FRACTION
OF A CORNER OF AN EYELASH IS THE LOVE IN HIS EYE.
3. OUR GOD SENDS THE RAIN TO FILL THE RIVER FLOW,
HIS LOVE IS BRIGHTER THAN A RAINBOW
FOR US...HE LOVES US.
OUR GOD CAN BEND AROUND THE SPEED OF SOUND AND
HIS LOVE RINGS DOWN TO WHERE WE ARE.. OVER YOU...
4. HE IS GREATER THAN
THAN WHEN THE STARS FALL
THAN WHEN THE EARTH SHAKES
HE IS GREATER THAN
THAN A SUNRISE
THAN A BLUE SKY
HE IS GREATER THAN
THE SURFACE WE ARE SCRATCHING IS A FRACTION
OF A CORNER OF AN EYELASH IS THE LOVE IN HIS EYE
5. THAN WHEN THE STARS FALLS
THAN WHEN THE EARTH SPLITS
THAN A FREE FALL THAN A MOON ECLIPSE
THAN A SUNRISE THAN A SKY DIVE.
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