In the Beginning ... pt. 2

4) What did God create? How did He create it? What was God’s opinion about what He created?

Day 1 – Light. He spoke it into being. This was not the sun. Created the sun later. God first created light. For what purpose? To force back the darkness. To bring warmth to an extremely cold world. He said it was good and created nothing else. What do you think God meant by that? He was pleased with what He did. Took pleasure in what He had accomplished. Is there a lesson for us? Hard for us to reflect on our accomplishments and take joy in it. We’re already moving on to the next project. Application – Over evening meal, reflect on day with family and share one thing you did that day you’re pleased with. Scientific study of light is called optics.

Day 2 – The heavens/sky/expanse. He spoke it into being. Essentially what God did was create the atmosphere. He created the gaseous elements that are the ingredients for our atmosphere – Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc., that makes life sustainable. Scientific study of atmosphere called meteorolgy

Day 3 – Land and seas. Spoke it into being. Forming of oceans and continents. It was good. Didn’t stop there. On day 3, God also created plant life in the form grasses, flowers, vegetable and fruit bearing plants and trees. He spoke it into being. God said it was good. He was pleased with what He did and created nothing else. There are about 400,000 different species of plants probably more. The process of how a plant starts as a seed to become a flower, tomato plant, or oak tree amazes me. It is a designed process not an accidental process. Moreover, certain food producing plants and trees only do so certain times of the year. Plant in spring and harvest in fall. What is meant by according to its own kind? Simply put a bean plant will produce a bean not corn. An apple tree will produce an apple not an orange. Paul Kaseloo will be talking more on this topic. What is the purpose of plant life? Primarily source of food. Also oxygen. Process known as photosynthesis. Plant takes energy from light in order to convert carbon doxide into food the plant needs to survive. The byproduct of this process? Oxygen. Plants emit oxygen into the atmosphere. Who needs oxygen to survive? Humans and animals. Predominant science says that photosynthesis developed naturally - it happened on its own. I say photosynthesis was designed by God. Scientific study of land is called geology. Scientific study of oceans is called oceanography.

Day 4 – Lights in the heavens, specifically sun, moon, stars, and planets. He spoke them into being. God said it was good. He was pleased with what He did and created nothing else. Predominant science’s explanation for creation of moon – We think our planet collided with another planet. Not a direct collision. More like a side swipe. The partial collision took out a chunk of the earth sending it orbit around the earth at just the right spot necessary to enable complex life to form on earth. Overtime this chunk evolved into the moon.

What purposes did the lights in the heavens serve?

a) Separate day from night – On day 4, God creates specific objects whose purpose were to separate day from night. The light that God created on day 1 was not produced by the sun, moon, stars, etc. It was simply light that God created to force back the darkness.

b) Signs and seasons – Original purpose of constellations was not for purpose of astrology – foretell future events or determine fate of people. Example of how humans have perverted God’s creation. Constellations designed as a means to predict natural events – specifically, planting and harvesting of food producing plants and trees. Around the world, farmers know that for most crops, you plant in the spring and harvest in the fall. But in some regions, there is not much differentiation between the seasons. Since different constellations are visible at different times of the year, you can use them to tell what season it is. For example, Scorpius is only visible in the northern hemisphere's evening sky in the summer. Same is true with individual stars. People looked for certain stars to appear at a certain time to let them know it is time to plant or to harvest. For example, ancient Egyptians looked for the star Sirius to rise before the sun did. It coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile River which marked the beginning of planting season. Before the compass, how did sailors navigate the seasons? Stars and constellations. Constellations and stars appear certain times of the year in certain part of the night sky like clockwork. Not haphazardly. Another example of God’s design.

c) Days and years – With the creation of the sun and moon, the ability to tell time begins. God creates the means for how humans will be able to determine the length of a day, a month, and a year. Day/night – depending on the culture, day/night is determined by rising and setting or setting and rising of sun. Month – length of time determined by phases of moon that occurs about every thirty days. Many ancient peoples used the moon to tell time. Year – length of time it takes the earth to revolve around the sun – 365 days.

d) light the earth – sun to light the day and moon, stars, and planets to light the night. Imagine the night sky with no moon, stars, and planets. The darkness would be overwhelming. Whenever I go back home to rural Alabama, I make sure to take time to look up at the night sky. No man-made lights to dim the light produce by celestial bodies. Night sky is a masterpiece designed by God. I praise God for the beauty and wonder of His Creation whenever I see the night sky.

When God created the Sun, moon, planets, etc., He also created what is commonly referred to as natural laws. Examples - law of gravity, laws of motion. Laws that keep us firmly planted on the ground, maintain our orbit around the sun, etc. Study of celestial bodies is called astronomy.