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Well, you can open your Bibles 
to the first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1 verse 1. That is the opening chapter of 
the Bible at verse 1. I will read chapter 2 verse 3 
to set the context. Let us begin. In the beginning, 
God created the heavens and the earth. 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. 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. God called the light day and 
the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there 
was morning the first day. 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 
separated 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. 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. God called the 
dry land earth and the waters that 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 trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each 
according to its kind, on the earth. And it was so. The earth 
brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their 
own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, 
each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 
And there was evening and there was morning the third day. And 
God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens 
to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs 
and for seasons and for days and for years. And let them be 
lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the 
earth. And it was so. And God made the 
two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the 
lesser light to rule the night and the stars. And God set them 
in the expanse of the heavens to give light on 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 
God said, let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, 
and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens. 
So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature 
that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, 
and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that 
it was good. And God blessed them, saying, 
Be fruitful and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply 
on earth. And there was evening and there 
was morning the fifth day. And God said, let the earth bring 
forth living creatures according to their kinds, livestock and 
creeping things, and beasts of the earth according to their 
kinds. And it was so. And God made the beasts of the 
earth according to their kinds, and the livestock according to 
their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according 
to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 
Then God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness, 
and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over 
the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over 
all 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 them. And God blessed them, and God 
said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth 
and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and 
over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that 
moves on the earth. And God said, Behold, I have 
given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all 
the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit, you shall 
have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, 
and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creeps 
on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have 
given every green plant for food. And it was so. And God saw everything 
that he made, and behold, it was very good. And there was 
evening, and there was morning the sixth day. Thus the heavens 
and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And 
on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and 
he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had 
done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because 
on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." 
Well, let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, the maker 
of heaven and earth, the one who deserves glory and praise 
and honor from your creatures, God, forgive us when we do not 
do that. Forgive us when we do not honor 
you, Lord God. We just pray that that would 
change, Lord God, that we would give honor and praise to you 
for what you have done, both physically and spiritually, Lord 
God. We just thank you so much for the work of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. that he lived, died, and rose again, Lord, that he 
fulfilled your perfect and holy law, God. We just appreciate 
that so much. We thank you that he died as 
that perfect sacrifice on the behalf of sinners, Lord God. 
We just give you praise and honor for that. Help us to take heart 
in that, to be cheerful in that, knowing that our sins are forgiven 
in the Lord Jesus Christ, God. I just thank you so much for 
your daily provisions, Lord God. I know in my own heart I forget 
to praise you for that. I pray that you would forgive 
me of that, Lord God, for you grant many blessings to us, just 
little blessings. Help us to see that in the work 
of creation. Help us to see your goodness, 
see your wisdom, and see your power, Lord God. in the work 
of creation, how you form the world in six days. And we just 
appreciate that so much. Forgive me of my pride, Lord 
God. Forgive me of my arrogance. I pray that you would increase 
this day and that I would decrease, Lord God. We pray that at this 
time you would be glorified. I pray that the saints would 
be edified, and I pray that sinners would be saved this day, Lord 
God. I pray that you forgive us all of our sins, help us to 
cast them upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and help us to think 
rightly concerning who you are as the great majestic creator. 
We pray all these things in your name, Lord God. Amen. Well, question 
11 of our Baptist Catechism asks, what are the decrees of God? 
The answer is this. The decrees of God are his eternal 
purpose, according to the counsel of his will, by which for his 
own glory he has foreordained whatever comes to pass. The primary 
proof text that's found in the catechism for this statement 
is in the book of Ephesians, where the apostle Paul praises 
the triune God for this sovereign plan. In him we have obtained 
an inheritance, having predestined according to the purpose of him 
who works all things according to the counsel of His will, so 
that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the 
praise of His glory." Question 12 then asks, how does God execute 
His decrees? And the answer is God executes 
his decrees in the works of creation and in the works of providence. 
That is, to steal the words of Pastor Greg Nichols, what God 
plans in eternity comes to pass in history. And this certainly 
includes creation. And that's what question 13 talks 
about. What is the work of creation? 
The work of creation is God's making all things out of nothing 
by the word of His power in the space of six days in all very 
good. I think our confession in chapter 
four, paragraph one, amplifies this answer very well. It highlights 
each person of the Trinity and the divine attributes that are 
manifested in the work of creation. In the beginning, it pleased 
God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the manifestation 
of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and goodness to create 
or make the world and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, 
in the space of six days and all very good." Now, both in 
secularism and unfortunately in Christian circles, this traditional 
definition of the origins of the world have been challenged 
by both the scholarly folk and the laity alike. Biblical ex 
nihilo cosmogony. Cosmogony just simply means origins 
of the world, how the world was formed, how the world started. 
This biblical form is usually exchanged primarily for Big Bang 
evolutionary cosmogony. And usually this idea or this 
deviance can be traced back to a person's, I'm sorry I'm using 
big words, but epistemic authority. Epistemic authority just means 
how you know what you know. how you understand, what are 
the grounds for the things that you think of or the thoughts 
that you have. And so I'm just trying to say right now that 
this plays a huge part in what one person thinks. Some prefer 
to use senses as their source, others use their mind. Unfortunately, 
some use their feelings, and others prefer to be told through 
divine revelation. And I think most of us in this 
room probably resonate with the last one. I'm not saying the 
other ones are bad, but the other ones, when they trump Holy Scripture, 
that's when it becomes inappropriate and wrong. And this is the position 
I hold is through divine revelation. The Bible certainly is my epistemic 
authority, since it is the inspired, infallible, inerrant word of 
God, and as we shall see, its claims are quite contrary to 
modern thought. Thus, according to Scripture, 
creation is a supernatural act of God, as opposed to a natural 
process in which He formed the world according to His good pleasure 
and everything in it, in six literal 24-hour days to manifest 
His wisdom, his power and goodness, in order that he alone might 
be glorified." With this doctrine in mind, let us look specifically 
at the opening verse of the Bible. I just want to make just one or 
two comments concerning the book of Genesis itself. As most of 
you know, it's the first book of the Bible and the first book 
of the Old Testament. It's also the first book of the 
Torah, which simply means the law of God, or the Pentateuch, 
I think one commentary highlights the importance of the placement 
of Genesis in the Bible. Gordon Wenman says this, the 
narratives in Genesis teach ethics and theology just as much do 
the laws and theological sermons found elsewhere in the Pentateuch. 
And for this reason, these also belong to the Torah. And as we 
shall see, God certainly is the rightful lawgiver as the creator 
of the world, and certainly as the rightful lawgiver, His law 
should be. be followed and we should take 
heed of it. The opening three chapters can 
be outlined in this way. I call the first part cosmic 
creation or the creation of the world in general in Genesis 1 
verse 1 to 2 verse 3. Then what I call anthropological 
creation is found in the rest of Genesis chapter 2. And then 
we have the fall of mankind into sin in Genesis chapter 3. So let's look again now at the 
actual first verse. I find Matthew Henry's comment 
on this verse most encouraging. He states that the first verse 
of the Bible gives us a surer and better, a more satisfying 
and useful knowledge of the origin of the universe than all the 
volumes of the philosophers. Genesis 1.1 is the topic sentence 
for the rest of the creation account. It gives us the time 
of the event, the active agent in it, how he did and what it 
is he did. And then Genesis 1.2 to chapter 
2.3 expounds this opening verse a little bit more specifically. 
Now to highlight more how the authors writing this narrative, 
I just want to make a few comments concerning biblical narratives 
in general. I'm going to go into a little 
bit of Hebrew here, but I think it's helpful to see, and it's something that 
the English really doesn't tell us a whole lot about. And yes, 
I said narrative, because Genesis 1 is a narrative, and it's very 
clear with the thing I'm about to say. There's a relationship 
between two certain verbal forms, and you wouldn't see it in an 
English reading. We have God created, something 
that has happened in the past. And then in verse 3, we have 
God saying. He said. They look like they're 
the same verbal form in English, but they are not. The one in 
verse 3 is the one that's quite actually most important. The 
one in verse 3 actually is something called the past narrative. And 
what this verbal form does is it typically is used in past 
time narrative to highlight a sequence of events going on in narrative. And when you understand the relationship 
between he created and he said, you see first of all that the 
past narrative is highlighting the foreground of the narrative. This is what the author wants 
you to see. So that being said, Genesis 1 
verses 1 and 2 actually are the background building up to verse 
3. And as we'll see, he sets the 
stage in verse 1. And usually in storytelling, 
It's usually what happens. People introduce the characters, 
introduce the setting, then introduce, and then they go into the plot 
of the story. And this is exactly what's going on here. And with 
that said, the past narrative, he said, permeates the book of 
the opening chapter of Genesis. It's there, it's clear, it's 
a narrative. That's what Moses wants you to 
see. And he wants you to see how God creates the universe. 
And we will see that in just a moment. This brings us, first 
of all, to when God created the world. This is some top-notch 
exegesis here. In the beginning. In the beginning. And usually when we hear the 
word beginning, we usually equate it with the commencement or starting 
of something, do we not? And this is exactly how it's 
used in the rest of the Bible. In Jeremiah 26 verse 1, 27 verse 
1, and 28 verse 1. Jeremiah introduces his prophecy 
by announcing the setting in which he's prophesying. He says, 
in the beginning of the reign of various kings. And usually 
what are we thinking? It's the start of the reign of 
various kings. Again, relating to this story 
idea. When we hear once upon a time, naturally bells go off 
in our minds, telling us that the tale is about to begin. And 
we're excited and we're ready. Same thing in a race, when the 
judge shouts, on your mark, get set, go! It's time to go. So what I'm trying to say, it's 
really quite clear that the world had a beginning. It was not eternal, it is temporal. And certainly the predicate of 
Genesis 1 highlights what it is that begins the heavens and 
the earth, but we will get to that in just a moment. Oh, excuse me. Now let's look 
now at who did it. Who created the heavens and the 
earth? Shocker. God. God created the heavens and the 
earth. It did not start with a big bang. It wasn't the god of deism who 
just decided to start the world through evolutionary process 
and then step back for a little while It was carefully and thoughtfully 
crafted by the true and living God. And the term used, I'm going 
to spend some time on this, but I think it's a beautiful term 
that Moses employs when he talks about God in this. The term used 
is Elohim. The term used is Elohim. And 
it is a plural form that is used countless times in the opening 
of Genesis. Again, what does the author want 
you to see? I think I counted 29 times in 
the opening chapter of Genesis. God did it. It wasn't evolution. I didn't come forth from this 
pulpit. I didn't pop out of a fish. God 
handcrafted mankind, the first man at the beginning, and through 
procreation has formed us each in his womb in a special way. And I think, as I'll get to in 
a moment, it will highlight the dignity of mankind. Now, there is a bit of a discrepancy 
from among the commentators concerning where Elohim comes from. As I've 
said, it is a plural form of the word God, but where it comes 
from, there's a little bit of debate. Matthew Henry thinks 
it comes from the word L. Now I know you've all heard the 
word L before because it's in my name. Mike L, who is like 
the Lord. And don't worry all you Mikes 
out there, it's a question, not a statement concerning your godliness. 
It's more to point you to the one who is the Lord. So with 
that said, there's El, which highlights might or strength. 
Matthew Henry seemed to think it refers to might or strength. 
Certainly the one who created the world must be mighty and 
strong. But I think I tend to lean with 
some of our other brothers, especially John Gill, concerning where it 
actually comes from. It actually comes from the word 
Eloah, which is a derivative from the word Ala, meaning to 
worship, to adore, to be stunned or smitten with fear. One of 
the lexicons defines it as to go to and fro in perplexity or 
fear. And even to further this idea 
of majesty, of one who is to be feared, of one who is sovereign, 
One grammarian defines this plural form of the word as a plural 
of respect. It is a plural word that refers 
to a single, honorable, or fearful object or person. A single, honorable, 
fearful object or person. And it is usually used with a 
singular verb. And that's how it is here. God 
created. The one who is to be worshipped. 
The one who is to be glorified. The One who is to be magnified 
created the heavens and the earth. That's what the author wants 
you to see. The majestic nature of the One 
who shapes the heavens and the earth and who glory should be 
given to. Many of us know the covenant 
term Yahweh, which is actually found in Genesis 2 verse 5, I 
believe. I'm just going to double check 
to make sure I get that right. 2 verse 5. Sorry, 2 verse 4. These are the 
generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created 
in the day that the Lord God, Yahweh Elohim, made the heavens 
and the earth. But we primarily know it in Exodus 
3.14, which is the well-known burning bush account where God 
speaks with Yahweh for the first time. And certainly that is more 
of a covenant term. It's used more specifically with 
Israel. Elohim has more of a cosmic or 
universal flair to it. Scholar Gordon Wenham states 
that Elohim implies that God is the sovereign creator of the 
whole universe, not just Israel's personal God. Unbelievers pay 
attention here. This is concerning you as well. 
You are supposed, as believers are, to give praise and honor 
to the one to whom it's due. To whom it's due. That's what Moses is trying to 
get at. It's not just for the people of Israel, but even for 
the people of Israel saying, look, worship this one, follow 
his laws, trust in him, glorify him. Glorify Him. Now, some commentators 
have speculated Elohim being a plural term if it highlights 
the Trinity in it. Some have said yes, some have 
said no, but certainly the rest of the Bible indicates that God 
created, that the Triune God was involved in the creation 
of the world. Yes, Triune God. Excuse me for a moment. There we go. Forgive me. Let's look at the Father first 
of all. The book of Hebrews opens up the treaties on the supremacy 
of Christ by highlighting how the Father created the world 
through the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice how God and the Son, the 
Father and the Son, are mentioned in tandem with one another, highlighting 
a distinction between the two persons of the Godhead. The Apostle 
writes, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, 
whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he also 
created the world. So we see the Father involved 
in creation. Now the second person, the Son. The Son is also attributed in 
the work of creation. And certainly in the opening 
chapter of the fourth gospel, the Apostle John actually borrows 
language that is similar to Genesis 1. Actually, if you read the 
Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of the Old Testament, 
it's identical. in the beginning. That's what 
John wants you to see. He wants you to see the preeminence 
of the Lord Jesus Christ in the beginning. In the beginning was 
the Word. And the Word was with God, and 
the Word was God. He was in the beginning with 
God. All were created through Him, 
and not a thing was created without Him in all things He created. All were created through Him, 
and not a thing was created without Him in all the things created. The Apostle Paul also sets forth 
the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ in Colossians 1, verses 
15 and 16. He is the image of the invisible 
God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created 
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones 
or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through 
him and for him. And the Spirit is mentioned in 
Genesis 1 verse 2. And the Spirit of God hovered 
over the face of the deep. The Spirit of God was hovering, 
was brooding over the face of the primeval waters. Amidst the 
earth's chaos and darkness, the Spirit of God is hovering, prepped 
and ready to form and shape it. Listen to Matthew Henry. Now 
there is hope concerning this thing, for the spirit of God 
begins to work. And if he work, who or what shall 
hinder? God is said to make the world 
by his spirit. Psalm 33, six, which we read 
this evening, Job 26 verse 13. And by the same mighty work, 
the new creation is affected. As Henry has said, Job 26 indicates 
the Spirit's involvement as well. And certainly if the above passages 
do not evidence the Trinitarian creative act, Genesis 1 verse 
26 may shed some light on the threeness of the Godhead, the 
three persons of the Godhead. As I've already said, Elohim 
is generally used with a singular verb, but in Genesis 1 verse 
26, a first person plural verb is used, us. Us, when it comes 
to the creation of man. Let us create man in our image. There is a oneness in essence, 
but threeness in function, and this is evidence in creation. 
All three persons of the Godhead are involved in the wonderful 
act of creating the heavens and the earth. I just want to draw 
out some lessons concerning the one who created it. The One who created it certainly 
is the rightful governor of it. He is the rightful law giver. His laws abound. His laws are 
the ones that should be followed. His laws are the ones that should 
be followed. I certainly have already quoted 
Gordon Wenham on the place of Genesis in the Pentateuch, but 
I actually want to further enhance this idea. He's commenting on 
the form and structure of Genesis chapter 1, and it actually was 
very eye-opening for myself, and I just think I'd like to 
share it with you. Genesis 1 is characterized by 
a number of recurrent formulae. First of all, the announcement 
of the commandment, and God said. Secondly, there's order. Let 
there be. Thirdly, there's fulfillment 
formula. And it was so. Fourthly, there's 
an execution formula or description of the act. And God made. There's 
an approval. Fifthly, there's an approval 
formula. God saw that it was good. Sixthly, subsequent divine 
word, either of meaning or blessing. Seventhly, is the mention of 
days. Even the prophet Isaiah says 
something concerning Israel's Lord. For the Lord is our judge, 
the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king. He will save 
us. Who is the giver of the law in 
Exodus 20 at Sinai? There is only one law in this 
universe, and it is the Lord's. And Moses is trying to highlight 
that, not just for Israel, but for everyone. Elohim is the one 
who should be worshipped by all of humanity. And this brings 
us to my second lesson drawing out of the idea of God is the 
proper object of worship. The fact that God is the active 
agent in creation indicates something about where we should direct 
our praise and our adoration. Certainly when a builder is building 
a custom home, he consults the homeowners about what they want 
done in their home. Should it not be the same for 
the house of the Lord? Should we not consult the Lord 
God Most High about He wants to be worshipped? Listen to Gil's 
words concerning this idea, this meaning of Elohim and its focus 
on worship. The word used is Elohim. He's 
one of the brothers who I consulted concerning the idea of where 
Elohim comes from. The word used is Elohim, which 
some derive from another, which signifies power, creation, beginning 
and active almighty power. but it is rather to be derived 
from the root in the Arabic language, which signifies to worship, God 
being the object of all religious worship and adoration. And very 
properly does Moses make use of this appellation here, to 
teach us that he who is the creator of the heavens and the earth 
is the sole object of worship. As he was of the worship of the 
Jewish nation, at the head of which Moses was. I used to attend a church where 
our regulative principle of worship really wasn't taken into account. If the Bible did not forbid a 
certain act in the house of the Lord, then it was permissible. 
But this is really not what the Bible says, is it? It's what 
God prescribes. That's how we are to conduct 
ourselves in the house of the Lord. and it's preaching the 
Word of God, preaching the truth. What's one of the criteria for 
being a pastor in Titus chapter 1? It's you must hold fast to 
the trustworthy Word as taught, that you may give instruction 
in sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it. Rebuke 
those who contradict it. We're supposed to do what the 
Lord God prescribes. Let me ask you, what is the sin 
of Jeroboam in 1 Kings chapter 12? You can turn to 1 Kings chapter 
12. I would like you to see this. 
1 Kings chapter 12 at verse 26. Let's listen to his thoughts. And Jeroboam said in his heart, 
Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David, if this 
people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at 
Jerusalem. Then the heart of this people 
will turn again to their Lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah. At 
this time, the nation of Israel had split into Israel and Judah. 
Rehoboam in the south, king of Judah, and Jeroboam in the north. 
And they will kill me and return to Rehoboam, king of Judah. So 
the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said 
to the people, you have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. 
Behold, your gods, O Israel. brought you up out of the land 
of Egypt, and he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 
Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as 
Dan to be before one. He also made the temples on high 
places, and appointed priests from among all the people who 
were not of the Levites. And Jeroboam appointed a feast 
on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was 
in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, 
sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel 
the priests of the high places that he made. He went up to the 
altar that he had made in Bethel in the fifteenth day in the eighth 
month, in the month he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted 
a feast for the people of Israel, and went up to the altar to make 
offerings." What does the Lord prescribe in the book of Deuteronomy? 
Go to the place that I have chosen. What's Jeroboam doing here? For 
political reasons? He's setting up two different 
worship sites. I believe, if I could be wrong, 
but I believe one was at the one edge of the country and the 
other was at the other edge of the country. That way, people from Israel 
didn't have to go to Judah to worship. And certainly this sin 
is repeated throughout the rest of the Kings. This thought, this 
idea, is repeated throughout the rest of the book of the Kings. The idea is, usually when they 
think of the kings of Israel, when they describe the king, 
they announce who he is, how long his reign was, his relationship 
before the Lord, whether he did evil in the sight of the Lord, 
or whether he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. And 
then the author amplifies that a little more, saying he either 
took down the high places, or he did not take down the high 
places. Worship is a prevalent thing throughout the Bible, both 
the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. And even before 
the Apostle Paul condemns homosexuality in the opening chapter of Romans, 
he highlights the greater problem, which is what? Idolatry. They worshipped and served the 
creature rather than the creator. They worshipped and served the 
creature rather than the creator. Do you know what the best remedy 
for idolatry is? And this is for Christians as 
well when we become idolatrous. The best remedy for idolatry 
is theology. Studying who our God is. Doesn't the Apostle Paul say 
this in Colossians chapter 3? If you've been raised with Christ, 
then seek the things that are above, where Christ is, at the 
right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that 
are above, and not on the things of this world." Matthew 6, 33. Seek first the kingdom of God 
and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to 
you. I don't think it's any wonder that our society, unfortunately, 
is plunged into homosexuality and abortion. It starts with 
denying the Creator. It starts with denying the Creator. 
Certainly the Lord and His providence is in control, but if we're speaking 
on a human level and speaking from a biblical level, that's 
what happened. We denied the Creator. We attributed 
creation to randomness instead of the wisdom and the beauty 
of our Lord God Most High. And He is the one who should 
be worshipped. Let us look now thirdly at how 
He did it. He created it. He created the 
heavens and the earth. I think this is crystal clear. 
The word means to create, to shape, or form. Create, to shape, 
or to form. Which implies what? Ex nihilo, 
out of nothing, out of nothing. Calvin, I think, perceptively 
points out the difference between two certain Hebrew words, to 
create and to frame. This is Calvin. He moreover teaches 
by the word created that what before did not exist was now 
made. For he has not used the term 
yatsar, which signifies to frame or form, but bara, which signifies 
to create. Jesenius provides a further explanation 
regarding the meaning of yatsar, which is concerning the frame 
or the shape of man. It means literally to straighten 
or to make narrow. Barah, on the other hand, means 
to cut or to carve. It has this idea of creating 
out of nothing. And it actually is used only 
in connection with the Lord God Most High. God created. No other being is attributed 
with creating but Elohim. But Elohim. He created things 
out of nothing. And notice how he does it. He 
doesn't say, let one organism start and start sprouting forth 
other organisms till we have fishes coming from little things 
to goats to pigs to humans. It doesn't work that way. It 
doesn't happen that way. God spoke. Genesis 1 verse 3 
God said as I've said this is what Moses is This is the foreground 
of the narrative God said let there be let there be light and 
this highlights the power of our God This idea of speaking 
is found in verse 3, verse 6, verse 9, verse 11, verse 14, 
verse 20, verse 24, verse 26, and verse 29. God said, the point 
is clear. He spoke and it was so. Let's 
think about something. Can you utter a word and have 
it come to pass? Can you want something right 
away and it happens for you? Not at all. I would like some 
steak right now. I can't just say I just want 
some steak. It just doesn't work that way. Only the Lord God Most High has 
that power. Omnipotence is an attribute only 
the divine one possesses, and it is on full display in the 
inauguration of creation. He just spoke. He just uttered. He just said. Sometimes we read 
that so quickly and we don't stop to ponder that. His majesty, 
his brilliance, and his power involved in it is just mesmerizing. It's just mesmerizing indeed. And certainly, as we see that 
his power involved in it, it is a wretched thing to deny creation 
to the one who actually authored it. In our society, plagiarism 
is a major no-no. Is that not correct? Serious 
consequences actually arise from cheating, copying, or presenting 
your work as your own. I remember in grade 10 socials 
class, my teacher told us a story that drilled home the idea of 
cheating and how bad it was. A professor was marking some 
papers one day. And while he was marking this 
one male student's paper, something fishy was in his mind concerning 
this paper. Bells were going off and he realized 
he had read this paper before. He reached back into his archives 
and found the paper of a female student. And it turns out she 
had copied that from somewhere else. And by this time, she had 
moved up, graduated from her bachelor, got her bachelor's 
degree, graduated, and was studying at the University of Hawaii. 
Word came to the University of Hawaii concerning her plagiarism. 
And it turns out that her undergrad institution revoked her bachelor's 
degree. And because they revoked her 
bachelor's degree, she was no longer eligible to be a student 
at the University of Hawaii. Her academic endeavors crushed 
by cheating. And certainly, most of us in 
this room would think serves her right. Let's be honest. A 
lot of us would think that way. Yet when people commit a cosmic 
plagiarism, it is somehow legit. Let me tell you, it is not okay. 
And I tell you this, this doctrine will most definitely come back 
to haunt those who worship and serve the creature rather than 
creator. I know I'm being harsh, I'm being mean, but it's just 
the reality. Hear the polemical statement 
of Matthew Henry. Atheism is folly, and atheists 
are the greatest fools in nature. For they see there is a world 
that could not make itself, and yet they will not own there is 
a God that made it." Doesn't the Bible say this in Psalm 14? 
The fool says in his heart, there is no God. And let's muse for 
a moment philosophically concerning this idea of atheism. When someone 
makes a negative statement, what are they claiming? Are they not 
claiming omniscience to a certain degree? For an example, if I'm 
trying to search for my wife in this church, I must search 
the entire church. Say I look in the fellowship 
hall and realize she's not there, I can make that negative statement, 
she's not there. I would have to have searched 
the entirety of the fellowship hall to make that statement. 
What's an atheist saying? They've searched the universe 
and there is no God. That is simply not the case. 
God is the one who created it. And sometimes I think God just 
made the world ginormous to demonstrate his infiniteness, just to show 
us how big he is and how really little and insignificant we really 
are. how insignificant we really are. He has no limits, and we certainly 
do. He has no limits, and we certainly 
do. Let us look now at what it is 
he created in the beginning. So we've seen his powerful act, 
and now let us look at what he did. The text reads, the heavens 
and the earth. The heavens and the earth. The word for heavens actually 
can be rendered sky as well, but usually heavens and earth 
coupled together means the whole of creation. One commentator 
says that on their own, each word has a more focused meaning, 
heavens being the dwelling place of the Lord, while earth refers 
to man's home. In Egyptian, Akkadian, and Ugaritic 
texts, heaven and earth may also be used to denote the universe. Heavens and earth simply means 
the created order, what we see, what we touch, what we taste, 
That's what it's referring to, the order and the shaping of 
the universe as a whole. And I think the rest of the cosmic 
creation, up to 2 verse 3, highlights this very much so. It highlights 
this idea in day 1. We see day 1, first of all, he 
what? He created light. Days 1, 2, and 4, we see the 
Lord placing things within the heavens. In days three, five, and six, 
God works with the earth. Thus, as I've said already, heavens 
and earth refer to those things which the eye of man can see 
the whole universe. Isn't that beautiful? I just 
actually love day four. Day four. And God said, at verse 
14, let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate 
the day from the night. And let them be for signs, and 
for seasons, and for days. And let them be lights in the 
expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it 
was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light 
to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, and 
the stars. We can look up and see the stars and know that our 
God created it on day four. And he just uttered it. I just 
still am blown away by that. I think this idea of heavens 
and earth highlights something about the temporality of the 
world. The earth is temporary. The world and universe was not 
eternal, but had a beginning, and it was created by God. Some 
say verse 2 may indicate that the earth was eternal because 
there's no explicit explanation on how the world necessarily 
was created. It just says the earth was without 
form and void. But certainly, verse 1 helps 
us presuppose that the earth was without form and void on 
the first day. Even verse 5 says there was evening 
and there was morning the first day. The world is temporal. It was created on day one by 
Elohim. And just an aside, some have 
posited that day doesn't necessarily mean literal 24-hour day. They're wrong. I'm just going 
to tell you that right off the bat. Day just means literal 24-hour 
day. Yom is day. It's primarily used 
for that. And sometimes we have thick skulls. 
And thankfully, the lexicons that I've consulted and the major 
lexicons used in Hebrew even give you a verse reference. So 
they say literal 24-hour day and they have Genesis 1 verse 
5 right there. So that's helpful to know, right? It is a literal 
24-hour day. And certainly when I say day, 
I hope you're having a good day. I don't mean a thousand years. 
I mean, I hope you have a good day today. And certainly, the temporality 
of the world highlights something about the eternality of our God. 
The eternality of our God. Verse 1 presupposes this. In 
the beginning, God. There was a time when we were 
not, there was a time when the world was not, but there has 
never been a time when God was not. What does the rest of scripture 
say concerning this? The psalmist says in Psalm 90 
verse 2, before the mountains were brought forth, or you form 
the world by your hand, from everlasting to everlasting you 
are God. And the Apostle highlights this 
as well in 1 Timothy 1 verse 17. Now unto the King eternal, 
immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory 
forever and ever. Amen. Does this highlight even 
more the majesty of our God and our King? So he is, the world 
is temporal, God is eternal, And there's one more lesson I 
want to draw out from this idea, two more lessons I want to draw 
from this idea of heavens and earth. I think it highlights 
the wisdom and the goodness of our God. The wisdom and the goodness 
of our God. Listen to this statement again. 
I really like Matthew Henry considering this section. He had a lot of 
great statements and here's another one. The world is a great house 
consisting of upper and lower stories, the structure stately 
and magnificent, uniform and convenient, and every room well 
and wisely furnished. And is this not true of the created 
order? Look at the correlating structures 
in the days. Day one, he creates light. Day 
four, the signs as lights in the world. Day two, sky and seas. Day five, inhabitants of the 
skies and the seas. Day three, the land. And day 
six, the inhabitants of that land. And should, look at, the 
wisdom is just brilliant. And should this not, for us, 
be a model in our daily lives? Shouldn't we use our noggins 
just a little bit? We have been created in the image 
of God. in righteousness, in holiness, 
and in knowledge. Unfortunately, in our mystical 
age, the Church and the world rely on feelings as their source 
of knowledge instead of using our minds. So this serves as 
a reminder for us to stop and think for a moment, to ponder, 
and sit down just quietly. I don't care when you do it, 
just do it. It is sometimes it's as if what is not logical is 
right just for that reason alone. Is that not true? Well, it doesn't 
make any sense. So? Use your head! And unfortunately, 
this is very much true in the Christian circles. It's a denial 
or disregard for the providential work of God." Again, Henry highlighting 
the relationship between creation and providence. The creator could 
have made his work perfect at first, but by his gradual preceding, 
he would show what is ordinarily the method of his providence 
and his grace. What is ordinarily the method 
of His providence and grace?" God normally works through historical 
means. I don't know sometimes what's 
going to happen in the future. I should just still, like, the 
Lord's leading and guiding. He'll shut doors and open doors 
through historical means. I don't have to sit down and 
set the mood and fill my mind with spiritual, and we should 
fill our mind with spiritual things, but just to create a 
trance that's almost pagan, that is not right. We need to use 
the mind that the Lord God has given us, and this is certainly, 
God's wisdom is certainly manifest in this. And certainly, if his 
wisdom and power do not provoke us to worship, should not his 
goodness in it. While I was reading Stephen Charnock's 
The Existence and the Attributes of God, That Puritan pastor enlightened 
my mind concerning his goodness and how it relates to creation. 
In my own selfishness, it never occurred to me that the whole 
act of creation, while it certainly is to demonstrate the glory of 
God, It's really for us. It's really for us. Notice Genesis 
1 verse 29 and 30. 1 verses 29 and 30. And God said, speaking to man, 
Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on 
the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, 
and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creeps 
on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have 
given every green plant for food." And it was so. Not only that, 
he gave us light! We can see things. I just find 
that just mesmerizing. The Lord God gave us light. He 
gave us things that we can see. He gave us things that we can 
hear. Good things that are pleasing to our mind. And even in creation, He gave 
us a day of rest. You know, we have it pretty cushy 
in our day and age. We get two days off. It's really 
supposed to be just one, but praise the Lord in His goodness 
and His kindness, He does give us two in our day. And certainly 
even for us in North America, with the modern conveniences 
that we have. I was musing with my wife the 
other day. I just don't know how you can have a camera looking 
at me right now and recording exactly what I'm doing. Like, 
that's just mind-blowing. Maybe, Jonathan, you can explain 
it to me after, but I just find that amazing. Or the idea that 
we can sit in our cars and drive distances. Like, sometimes we 
just forget God's goodness in the little things. Even in that 
wonderful poem, roses are red, violets are blue. He gave us 
variety. What does He say in creation? Each according to its kind. He could have made it dull, He 
could have made it boring, but He made it pleasing. He made 
it good. He made it wonderful. And He 
saw that it was good. And this is just an example of 
some little pleasures that God gives us in His goodness. And 
certainly His wisdom, His power, and His goodness should cause 
us to praise and thank Him. This brings us to, I think, my 
last lesson before I recap and close. The dignity of man. The dignity of mankind. Isn't it honoring to know that 
we were created in the image of God? Does ever evolution offer 
this sort of dignity? You see, when my sister and I 
were kids and a nature show about gorillas came on, my dad would 
joke by saying, hey kids, look, there's your cousins. Of course 
he was joking. It was all in good fun. But isn't this kind 
of true when it comes to evolution? You can kind of go fishing and 
catch your cousin and then eat him. That's just kind of weird 
in my mind. It's almost like a form of cannibalism, 
which is kind of weird. You know what I'm saying? There 
is no dignity coming forth from a fish. But how wonderful knowing 
it is that we were formed and shaped in the image of God. Thanks 
be to Him that we were shaped in knowledge, in righteousness, 
and in holiness. And as I've said already, Genesis 
1, verse 26, there's that shift, let us make man in our image. 
The entirety of the Godhead is involved in that, and certainly 
the idea of image is involved in the institution of capital 
punishment in Genesis 9, 6. For man was created in the image 
of God. That is an important thing to 
our Lord God Most High, and praise Him that we have dignity in Him. And certainly, to recap, we see 
the extraordinary act of God calling things out of nothing 
into being. We observe His power, His wisdom, 
and His goodness in it. He did it in the beginning of 
time, according to His most wise and holy counsel, for the glory 
of His name. And this doctrine highlights 
his rightful place as the sovereign king, the rightful lawgiver, 
and the proper object of our worship. Moreover, God's goodness 
is especially prevalent in creating man in his image, explicating 
our dignity. And certainly, although this 
doctrine is a discussion on the creation of the physical universe, 
it has implications for redemption. We know that after God created 
the world and everything in it, He placed Adam and Eve in the 
garden and commanded them not to eat from one tree. They could 
eat from every other tree except this one. Isn't God's goodness 
manifested here as well? He could have laid down the Ten 
Commandments right there. Instead, He just says, just don't 
eat from this one tree. Just don't eat from this one 
tree. Unfortunately, we know in Genesis 
3 that man disobeyed God, promulgating the world into sin and misery. 
Thus, man requires a savior, one who can fulfill the laws 
of the lawgiver in perfection, and one who can die as that perfect 
sacrifice. And this is promised in Genesis 
3.15 right after the fall. It's eventually fulfilled in 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, unbeliever, you need to 
take seriously the right view of the doctrine of creation. 
You need to take seriously this view. The reality is this. The doctrine of creation renders 
you inexcusable for your rebellious actions against a thrice holy 
God. One day, you will stand before 
the judgment seat of God to give an account for your sin against 
Him, and He will say to you, The heavens declared my glory. The skies proclaimed my handiwork. My eternal power, my divine nature, 
have been clearly perceived in creation. Thus, you are without 
excuse. You worshipped and served the 
creature rather than creator. You suppressed the truth in unrighteousness. In unrighteousness. I know again, 
I know you know that He exists, but you continue to disregard 
Him, to deny Him, and suppress Him. Your idolatry is sin. And I may sound harsh, and I 
may sound mean, but I say these things because I want you to 
be saved. I love you, and I want you to be saved. I want you to 
believe on the One who can save you from your sins. Believe on 
the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe on that One who lived 
the Law, imperfection. So even though creation renders 
you without an excuse, as I've said, creation is not sufficient 
for saving knowledge, which is the need for that special revelatory 
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ vis-a-vis the Bible. Come on 
believer, believe that He is The Lord Jesus is, or you will 
die in your trespasses and sins, and creation will be the evidence 
against you. Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, 
we thank you for this day, Lord. We just thank you for your work 
in creation, Lord God, how you created it in the space of six 
days, God, manifesting your immense power, Lord God, and your brilliant 
wisdom. and your exceptional goodness, 
Lord God. We just want to praise you for 
those things, Lord God. Forgive me. I know that I do 
not praise you enough for your goodness and your wisdom and 
your power, Lord God. I thank you for the little blessings 
that you do give to us, Lord God. Pray that you forgive us 
all of our sins, Lord God. We pray that we would give you 
right praise and right honor and right worship concerning 
that you're the one who created the world, Lord God. We pray 
that sinners would be saved, Lord God. that they would see 
their need for You, the need for the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
they might look to the Lord Jesus for aid, Lord God. I pray that 
You would bless us as we go into the world this week. I pray that 
You would strengthen us, cause us to praise You, to look to 
You for aid. Sanctify us by Your Spirit, God, that we may walk 
in Your ways, that we might put on the Lord Jesus Christ this 
week, Lord God. And we just want to praise Your 
glorious name, Lord God, in Your name. Amen.