The Consequences of the Fall, Gen. 3:8-24

 

The Order of Creation

Gen. 1:2 – 2:3

                The first three words of our English Bible express the Hebrew title of Genesis. It simply means beginning. The term Genesis indicates origins, suggesting the same idea as beginning. Genesis 1:1 through 2:3 describe for us God’s work as Creator of all things. Unfortunately, in the last half of the 19th century the western world began to question the biblical record of origins especially in the fields of science and history. Even the existence of God was being doubted. If you remove God from the history of humanity you then have an issue as to how the world and mankind got here, what is the origin of all things. Charles Darwin began to postulate ideas of this nature that have led to the modern-day theories of evolution.

                Unfortunately, this is what is taught to our young people as fact from public grade school to graduate school. Creationism is not considered as an alternative theory. The Bible is not considered as true to science or history. But we as Christians must stick to the biblical record. We must believe that what God has revealed about His act of creation is true and reliable. We must do our best to contradict scientific theories that seem to disprove scripture.

                As we continue our study of origins from Genesis, we see God’s progression of how the earth was formed and filled. His work is orderly and progressive. He prepares the elements necessary for life and then brings life upon planet Earth. We begin to see his power, wisdom, sovereignty and loving care in the process. It is important for us to see the relationship of development in the order of his creation.

                Each series of development begins with the word or speech of God – and God said or then God said. This is followed by a command that brings into existence something necessary in the formation of the earth or filling the earth or heavens. God then names what he has brought into being indicating his dominion or sovereignty over his creation. He then gives a declaration that what he has made is good. Each section closes with a reference to chronology related to days of a week. The first six days record His creative acts, the last day is declared a day of rest where God reflects upon his handiwork.

                This morning we are going to peruse Day 1 of God’s creation which includes the original formation of the earth and the production of light that is necessary for life. Before we do so, let’s ask God’s blessing.

 

I. The Relationship between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.

                There are actually three theories that biblical scholars have put forward as to how these two verses should be interpreted. How does v. 2’s description of the original condition of the earth relate to v. 1? Let’s briefly consider them.

A. The Restitution or Gap Theory.           

1. Some biblical scholars, especially ones who lived at the turn of the 20^th century, believe that the account given here is a recreation of the earth.

·         This theory developed during the early stages of scientific claims an old earth and the roots of evolutionary theory. Many Bible scholars did not know how to refute these claims and so allowed them to stand without contradiction to the Bible through the Gap Theory.

·         One of the great proponents of this theory was C. I. Scofield who provided notes for the popular Scofield reference Bible used by thousands of Christians. My former pastor also believed this theory.

2. Explanation Gap Theory.

·         V. 1 describes the original creation in its final and perfect condition. However, v. 2 seems to describe the earth in a chaotic form that would contradict v. 1. How did the world become without form and void? How do you harmonize this apparent discrepancy?

• 1) It is possible to translate the verb “was” in v. 2, “became”. This occurs a few times in the Bible, but it is not the ordinary translation.
• 2) The words “without form” and “void” taken together describe judgment in two other OT contexts. Is. 45:18 seems to contradict the statement of v. 2. It reads, “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited.”
• V. 1 refers to the original creation and v. 2 is the chaotic state of the earth resulting from God’s judgment upon the original earth. Many believe this is associated with the fall of Satan mentioned in Ezekiel and Isaiah. Some even assume a pre-Adamic race that was judged. Keil and Delitzsch - the theosophic speculation of those who “make a gap between the first two verses, and fill it with a wild horde of evil spirits and their demoniacal works, is an arbitrary interpolation” ( Ziegler ).
• Since this gap in time is indeterminate, all scientific claims for an old earth and the supposed geological and prehistoric ages can be put into it.
• Vv. 3-31 then describes the recreation of the earth out of this chaotic mass.

3. However, there are some serious problems with this interpretation.

        1) There is no logical reason to change the meaning of “was” to “became.” It does not fit with the syntax of the two verses.

        2) It does not contradict Is. 45:18 since Gen. 1 is describing the progressive nature of creation. There is a movement from an unformed state to a completely formed state. The creative acts are not complete until 2:1. Gen. 1 is describing how God made the earth to be inhabited from its initially created state.

        3) But greatest argument is this. If God had to destroy the original earth, what does that assume? That death and destruction predated Adam and the recreated world. However, Rom. 5:21 tells us that sin and death were introduced into the world by Adam’s transgression. The NT says there was no death before sin came into the world. Therefore, there can be no Gap Theory.

B. The title or summary theory.

                1. This interprets v. 1 much the same way as the Gap Theory – it is a title or a summary for what follows.

·         In Hebrew, there is no word that corresponds to “universe.” The phrase “heavens and the earth” stand as a merism for the completed universe, the cosmos. The two separate words combine to mean one thing and are not to be considered as heavens apart from earth or vice versa.

·         Thus, v. 1 introduces the creative process as completed and the following verses describe how all this happened. It views v. 2 as the earth in its uninhabitable state and the narrative is silent about its origins. This chaotic state is to be taken as a mystery.

·         This theory may be more defensible, but the traditional view best explains this interrelationship of verses.

C. The traditional view.

                1. This depends on how we interpret the phrase “the heavens and the earth.”

·         Although this expression normally indicates the cosmos in its completed form, this context is different since it is describing the original act of creation.

·         What it means here is the totality of creation, not necessarily its final form. We have mentioned that this first verse indicates to us a triunity necessary for created things. “Beginning” indicates a period of time – God brought time into existence. Heavens indicates the concept of space and earth the concept of mass. Verse one conveys God’s action of bringing into existence out of nothing the time-space-mass continuum of all things. It does not mean all created things in their final form.

·         For instance, God created the immensity of space, but nothing fills space until the fourth day when he created the sun, moon, stars.

·         2:1 also indicates that the creation was not in its complete form until day six was finished.

2. V. 2 then shifts to mass, land, or the earth in its original formless state before God formed it and filled it.

·         Thus, the basic materials of the universe are indicated in the first two verses, and then 3-31 describe the progression to the end product.

·         Keil and Delitzsch – “it is obvious from the creative acts which follow (vv. 3-18), that the heaven and earth, as God created them in the beginning, were not the well-ordered universe, but the world in its elementary form; … which was afterwards formed into heaven and earth.”

·         So let’s consider more closely the condition of the earth or land in v. 2.

II. The Original State the Earth, 2.

                Three phrases describe its condition.

A. Without form and void (tohu wabohu).

1. When the earth’s material nature was brought forth it was not in its finished state. It did not have a recognizable form or shape. We must conclude that the elements God would use to bring fulness to the earth were present in this formless state.

3. These words taken together literally mean “a wasteland and empty.”

·         Tohu occurs elsewhere by itself in scripture. According to Mathews – “It refers to an unproductive, uninhabited land or has the sense of futility and nonexistence.” In Dt. 32:10 it signifies a “desert-place.” It thus indicates a place that is not habitable.

·         The only other place the phrase is used with both words is Jer. 4:23. There it describes Israel’s judgment as becoming desolate or a wasteland because of her consistent rebellion against the Lord.

·         The original condition of the earth was not a place that had form or conditions that would support life, but had the elemental materials from which God would form the earth and fill it with life.

B. Darkness was on the face of the deep.

                1. Some believe that this further describes a chaotic earth in which darkness and “the deep” opposes God.

·         However, darkness is not depicted here as a metaphor for chaos, evil, etc. It simply describes the absence of light which God has not yet brought into being.

·         We would also conclude that God is the author of darkness in this sense. In Is. 45:7 – “I form the light, and create darkness.” He also separates darkness from light and calls the night and day.

2. The face of the deep.

·         The face of a thing indicates its presence or appearance. Here it means the surface of the deep.

·         The deep, along with the face of the waters, suggests a watery mass. A necessary element of life is water. It may indicate depth related subterranean waters or the depth of the seas. Later, the Lord will divide these waters from the land mass and call them seas.

C. The Spirit of God hovering…

1.Over this uninhabitable watery mass God’s Spirit is said to be hovering.

·         Spirit may also be translated wind, but the idea of the wind hovering does not make sense. It is the Spirit of God, present over the earth’s mass awaiting the next movement in the creative process.

·         Ps. 104:30 – “You send forth your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.”

2.The verb hovering is used in Dt. 32:11 of an eagle spreading its wings over its young protecting them and preparing its nest. The hovering Spirit indicates the divine superintendence over the work of creation.

3. Henry Morris has an interesting take on this terminology in his commentary on Genesis. In Prov. 8, which we read last week, Wisdom is personified as being with God prior to and during creation. Wisdom is often associated with the Spirit of God and with the Lord Jesus. V. 27 – “When He prepared the heavens, I was there, when He drew a circle on the face of the deep…” This may indicate the formation of the earth into its spherical shape as the Spirit hovered above the waters.

4. Hovering is also translated shaking or fluttering which suggests vibration. Morris thinks this may allude to the creation of energy and the motion of wave activity. Thus, the gravitational and electro-magnetic field of the earth may be indicated by this hovering over and shaping of the earth into its spherical form.

5. Summary - Vv. 1-2 inform us of God creating the basic elements from which he would make the universe complete and fill the earth with life. He puts in place time, space and matter. He creates the earth separate from the heavens from which he will form a beautiful planet supporting and sustaining life. This would likely have occurred during day one or just prior to it when light was brought into existence.

III. Creation of Light, 3-5.

A. Begins Sequence of Forming and Filling the Earth.

                1. The Lord now begins to make the empty wasteland of primordial earth into something productive and habitable.

The six days of creation fall into two parallel sets of three days each. In the first set he is forming the earth into that which is productive. In the second set, he fills the universe as we know it.

                2. Note how they are related:

·         Day 1 – Light and Darkness, Day/Night                   Day 4 – The Luminaries – filling outer space

·         Day 2 – Sky and Waters                                             Day 5 – Fish and Fowl to fill water and sky

·         Day 3 – Vegetation                                                     Day 6 – Animals and Humans – male and female.

B. Day one – creation of light and division of day and night.

    1. What is light?

·         According to encyclopedia Britannica – it is electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye. It consists of a wide array of wavelengths, most of which we cannot see. The spectrum that we can observe contains all the colors of the rainbow. You have learned that light travels at a speed of 186, 282 miles/sec.

·         Darkness, or the absence of light is normally non-productive. But night has its purposes, it is the time in which our activity ceases so we can get our necessary rest.

2. Light is necessary for life on planet earth.

·         The process of photosynthesis is necessary for plant life which provides food for animal life. It was God’s sustenance for all animal life in the original creation.

·         Light has a positive and healthy affect on all life, without it there can be no life. God saw the light and declared that it was good. Thus begins the sequence of days consisting of evening and morning.

·         By creating light and separating it from the darkness, God is establishing a major foundation for physical existence. He names the light Day, and the darkness he called Night, thus depicting his dominion over them.

3. No indication is given as to the source of light, but we must assume it is the shining forth of God himself who is light. Ps. 104: “Who cover yourself with light as with a garment, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.”

·         God’s word provides the light necessary for life. His very presence is life as depicted in the new heaven and earth where the sun and moon are no longer necessary.

·         This also reminds us of Jesus who came into a world darkened by sin and became the Light of Eternal Life. John alludes to this in chapter 1 – In Him was life and the life was the light of men. . .That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”

 

Applications:

1.  God plans things out from beginning to end. He has the power, wisdom, and authority to progressively carry out those plans. In the beginning of time he created all things, at the end of time he will consume all things. As we trust the biblical record that all things began well and were declared by God as good, so we can look forward with confidence that all things will end well for those who place their trust in him.

2. As God brought physical light out of the darkness of the earth’s unformed mass, Jesus brings spiritual light into a world darkened by sin and rebellion. In John’s gospel, He depicts himself as the Light of the world. He said, “He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” As physical light brings life to the material world, Jesus brings spiritual life to those who place their trust in him alone to save them from the darkness of sin, death, and hell.

3. The constant cycle of night and day reminds us of God’s providence and care. Each new day breaks fresh and pure that we might serve our Creator.