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Day 17: The Waters of Creation (Gen 1:9-13).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the privilege of this new day of life – I do not deserve this blessing. I thank you for preserving through another night of sleep, and I praise you for the many evident mercies that you extended to me yesterday. I look to you again on this new day – I am utterly inadequate to meet the challenges and difficulties of the day ahead. Without you grace, strength, and protection, I will surely fall, fail, and dishonour your name. Please meet me now in the weakness of my current estate, give me life and strength through your word I pray. Please keep my feet away from the paths of temptation, and deliver me from the evil one’s power and intention. Lord, please give me the wisdom I will need to fulfill the responsibilities that you have given me today. My hope is in you, I look to you for all me help. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Reading
Psalm 93 & Matt 24.
Gen 1:9-13.
“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. 10. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.”
Meditation
There’s no place like home. There’s nothing quite like being in your own place. Maybe you’ve sensed this for yourself, whether it be an attachment to your country of origin, or the feeling you get after traveling for a long time – it’s good to get home again. And if even that’s not part of your experience, maybe you can relate to the idea of not having a place – just the sense that you’re not quite sure where you belong, but you know that you want to belong... somewhere.
Looking at day three in the creation account, the question of belonging is very much a key issue, because God’s intention for the earth was and is to make it a place to belong. First, it was to be a place where his presence can dwell (as we saw on days one and two); but second, it was to be a place where we can belong in the presence of God as well. In Isaiah 45:18 we read: “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!)”. This, in a sense, is really what day three is all about, it’s about making a place where we can belong. It shows us that God has made a place for us to be, a place in which we can dwell and find purpose and meaning.
With that general meditation in our minds, let’s start with the first and most basic question here: What was God doing on day three? There are three basic elements in our text that show us what God is doing here. First: God gathers the water into one place to form the seas; second: God makes dry land appear; and third God makes the earth productive. Seas, land, and productivity (i.e. plants) – that’s day three in a nutshell. In this study, we’ll start with the waters of creation.
Water is a very important element in the creation account. So far in our studies of the Genesis prologue, we haven’t given any real attention to it – it’s time to address that. To start with, as we saw back in verse two, the waters were there from the beginning – before the creation work had begun. We also saw a significant movement of waters on day two, as God separated between the waters below and above the expanse. But why water? What is the significance of water? I think there are at least two major points worth noting here.
First: the water is formless. It sounds kind of obvious when you say it, but it’s also the kind of obvious that is very easy to overlook. What happens when you pour out a cup of water onto a bench? It spills everywhere! In other words, it doesn’t have any form to it. And you’ll notice in the text, right from the very start, God wants us to pay attention to this quality of water. Verse two points out that the earth was “without form”, being covered with water. And so, in a sense, the thing about water is really its nothingness. And when we think about that nothingness, it’s an obvious issue that needs to be dealt with – because God does not will for his creation to be nothing! Because, as we saw in our studies of day one, God wants to fill the creation with the light of his glory and presence. Our second observations highlights the nature of this basic problem still further.
Here’s the second thing I want to say about the waters of creation: the water was void. That’s the other quality of water mentioned in verse two, it was “was without form and void”. In other words, it was empty – nothing could live there. So then, the water on day three, and more specifically the parting of the waters to bring forth dry land, teaches us a very simply but profound lesson: God does not want his creation to be empty and formless. He doesn’t want it to be unproductive. He wants it to grow and produce, he wants it to be inhabited and filled with his own glory and presence. And so (again) in Isaiah 45:18 we read: “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!)”. As day three begins, and we find that the earth is covered in water, there is still thus an incompleteness to the creation.
Be ye doers of the word…
In considering the relevance of all this in our own lives, one very simple practical conclusion that we may draw is that God doesn’t want our lives to be empty. Do you ever feel that way? Like your life is empty? Formless, void, without purpose or meaning? Day three teaches us that that is not God’s will for his creation – and since we’re part of his creation, that principle extends and applies to us as well. God does not want our lives to be empty and void. Combining this insight with what we learned back in day one, God wants our lives to be filled with the light and glory of his presence. So too he wants our lives to be fruitful, as he makes the land itself to be fruitful.
In applying this insight more specifically, the very first question here is this: Have you come to Christ? Jesus said: “I am the light of the world”. Without Christ, our lives will be just like verse two of our chapter: formless, void, and empty. So let me ask you: Where do you stand with Christ? Have you believed on his name? This is not a question that any of us can avoid, and the truth is that if we don’t turn to Christ we will come under the wrath and judgment of God, and the water imagery of day three is often used in scripture to highlight this reality. Let’s ponder that further for a moment.
Across the scriptures, God uses the imagery of water in many ways, but one of the key insights that water brings is the reality of the judgment of God. Consider the story of Noah’s Ark. As God judged the wickedness of the earth, what did he do? He covered the earth in water! He returned the earth to a de-created and formless state, and through that God’s enemies were judged for turning away from him. Consider the fate of Egypt. As God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, he saved them through water. In much the same way as the waters were parted on day three, so the Red Sea was parted for the deliverance of Israel. But as the Egyptians rejected God, he used that very same water to judge and desolate the nation. As Babylon is judged in Jeremiah 51, the great city is engulfed by the waves. In Matthew 24:37 the Lord Jesus said:
“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
Without Christ, our lives will be formless and void, and although we may temporarily enjoy the benefits of productivity on the earth in this life, the waters of God’s judgment will come crashing down upon us if we reject God’s Messiah. Be sure that you are ready for that day, turn to Christ today and be saved from the coming wrath. As to becoming productive in the Christian life, we will get there in the third part of our studies of day three! SDG.
Prayer of Confession & Consecration.
Lord God Almighty, I do not want my life to be formless and void. And yet I confess that so often in my daily life, I am thinking nothing of Christ. As people lived heedlessly on in the days of Noah, doing the every day things of life, I find it is so easy for me to fall into a mindset of going through the motions. Please forgive me for sinfully failing to cultivate a prayerful awareness of your presence, and for failing to recall to mind the instructions and guidance of your word. Please help me, Lord, that I may become more heavenly minded, and thus your glory and presence may fill the natural darkness and void of my soul. My soul looks up to you, O Lord. And so may it be for my brothers and sisters in Christ, as I recall their faces to my mind now, I pray that their lives too may not be void, but that they may grow mightily in the knowledge and love of you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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By Reformed devotions from all of scripture.Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for the privilege of this new day of life – I do not deserve this blessing. I thank you for preserving through another night of sleep, and I praise you for the many evident mercies that you extended to me yesterday. I look to you again on this new day – I am utterly inadequate to meet the challenges and difficulties of the day ahead. Without you grace, strength, and protection, I will surely fall, fail, and dishonour your name. Please meet me now in the weakness of my current estate, give me life and strength through your word I pray. Please keep my feet away from the paths of temptation, and deliver me from the evil one’s power and intention. Lord, please give me the wisdom I will need to fulfill the responsibilities that you have given me today. My hope is in you, I look to you for all me help. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Reading
Psalm 93 & Matt 24.
Gen 1:9-13.
“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. 10. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.”
Meditation
There’s no place like home. There’s nothing quite like being in your own place. Maybe you’ve sensed this for yourself, whether it be an attachment to your country of origin, or the feeling you get after traveling for a long time – it’s good to get home again. And if even that’s not part of your experience, maybe you can relate to the idea of not having a place – just the sense that you’re not quite sure where you belong, but you know that you want to belong... somewhere.
Looking at day three in the creation account, the question of belonging is very much a key issue, because God’s intention for the earth was and is to make it a place to belong. First, it was to be a place where his presence can dwell (as we saw on days one and two); but second, it was to be a place where we can belong in the presence of God as well. In Isaiah 45:18 we read: “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!)”. This, in a sense, is really what day three is all about, it’s about making a place where we can belong. It shows us that God has made a place for us to be, a place in which we can dwell and find purpose and meaning.
With that general meditation in our minds, let’s start with the first and most basic question here: What was God doing on day three? There are three basic elements in our text that show us what God is doing here. First: God gathers the water into one place to form the seas; second: God makes dry land appear; and third God makes the earth productive. Seas, land, and productivity (i.e. plants) – that’s day three in a nutshell. In this study, we’ll start with the waters of creation.
Water is a very important element in the creation account. So far in our studies of the Genesis prologue, we haven’t given any real attention to it – it’s time to address that. To start with, as we saw back in verse two, the waters were there from the beginning – before the creation work had begun. We also saw a significant movement of waters on day two, as God separated between the waters below and above the expanse. But why water? What is the significance of water? I think there are at least two major points worth noting here.
First: the water is formless. It sounds kind of obvious when you say it, but it’s also the kind of obvious that is very easy to overlook. What happens when you pour out a cup of water onto a bench? It spills everywhere! In other words, it doesn’t have any form to it. And you’ll notice in the text, right from the very start, God wants us to pay attention to this quality of water. Verse two points out that the earth was “without form”, being covered with water. And so, in a sense, the thing about water is really its nothingness. And when we think about that nothingness, it’s an obvious issue that needs to be dealt with – because God does not will for his creation to be nothing! Because, as we saw in our studies of day one, God wants to fill the creation with the light of his glory and presence. Our second observations highlights the nature of this basic problem still further.
Here’s the second thing I want to say about the waters of creation: the water was void. That’s the other quality of water mentioned in verse two, it was “was without form and void”. In other words, it was empty – nothing could live there. So then, the water on day three, and more specifically the parting of the waters to bring forth dry land, teaches us a very simply but profound lesson: God does not want his creation to be empty and formless. He doesn’t want it to be unproductive. He wants it to grow and produce, he wants it to be inhabited and filled with his own glory and presence. And so (again) in Isaiah 45:18 we read: “For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!)”. As day three begins, and we find that the earth is covered in water, there is still thus an incompleteness to the creation.
Be ye doers of the word…
In considering the relevance of all this in our own lives, one very simple practical conclusion that we may draw is that God doesn’t want our lives to be empty. Do you ever feel that way? Like your life is empty? Formless, void, without purpose or meaning? Day three teaches us that that is not God’s will for his creation – and since we’re part of his creation, that principle extends and applies to us as well. God does not want our lives to be empty and void. Combining this insight with what we learned back in day one, God wants our lives to be filled with the light and glory of his presence. So too he wants our lives to be fruitful, as he makes the land itself to be fruitful.
In applying this insight more specifically, the very first question here is this: Have you come to Christ? Jesus said: “I am the light of the world”. Without Christ, our lives will be just like verse two of our chapter: formless, void, and empty. So let me ask you: Where do you stand with Christ? Have you believed on his name? This is not a question that any of us can avoid, and the truth is that if we don’t turn to Christ we will come under the wrath and judgment of God, and the water imagery of day three is often used in scripture to highlight this reality. Let’s ponder that further for a moment.
Across the scriptures, God uses the imagery of water in many ways, but one of the key insights that water brings is the reality of the judgment of God. Consider the story of Noah’s Ark. As God judged the wickedness of the earth, what did he do? He covered the earth in water! He returned the earth to a de-created and formless state, and through that God’s enemies were judged for turning away from him. Consider the fate of Egypt. As God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, he saved them through water. In much the same way as the waters were parted on day three, so the Red Sea was parted for the deliverance of Israel. But as the Egyptians rejected God, he used that very same water to judge and desolate the nation. As Babylon is judged in Jeremiah 51, the great city is engulfed by the waves. In Matthew 24:37 the Lord Jesus said:
“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”
Without Christ, our lives will be formless and void, and although we may temporarily enjoy the benefits of productivity on the earth in this life, the waters of God’s judgment will come crashing down upon us if we reject God’s Messiah. Be sure that you are ready for that day, turn to Christ today and be saved from the coming wrath. As to becoming productive in the Christian life, we will get there in the third part of our studies of day three! SDG.
Prayer of Confession & Consecration.
Lord God Almighty, I do not want my life to be formless and void. And yet I confess that so often in my daily life, I am thinking nothing of Christ. As people lived heedlessly on in the days of Noah, doing the every day things of life, I find it is so easy for me to fall into a mindset of going through the motions. Please forgive me for sinfully failing to cultivate a prayerful awareness of your presence, and for failing to recall to mind the instructions and guidance of your word. Please help me, Lord, that I may become more heavenly minded, and thus your glory and presence may fill the natural darkness and void of my soul. My soul looks up to you, O Lord. And so may it be for my brothers and sisters in Christ, as I recall their faces to my mind now, I pray that their lives too may not be void, but that they may grow mightily in the knowledge and love of you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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