This is a Bible Study Ministry (BSM) study topic; it is on the Creation, and we’ve titled it The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth. While the title suggests it is pretty self-explanatory, we will dive in pretty deep and undertake some newer, wider ideas on the creation of and by the Almighty. Let’s begin!
Genesis 1:1-9
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. This statement is clear, but not definitive. The earth had no real form at that time, it was idle and void and there were no lights in it, it was dark. It was just (like) a jar or body of water covering and surrounding rock & plant minerals.
Then the God sent the Spirit of God to sustain or support itself upon the face of the deep waters in the earth. God then commanded for light to be made, and the light was made. The light was good and it separated the darkness from light. The light was called day and the darkness was simply called night.
God also established the order of a day; the morning followed the evening. After the establishment of light, the first day was finished. As day two approached, God commanded for there to be a firmament or a dome to be placed in the middle of the waters.
Its purpose was to separate the different bodies of water. So when the firmament was made, it divided the waters that were under the firmament or the dome, from the waters that were above the firmament/dome.
It worked out well and God called the firmament Heaven or the heavens; once again the evening and the morning completed the second day (1:1-8).
Onto Day Three
The Old Hebrew View of the Earth
When the third day of the creation came up, God commanded for the waters that were under the heavens or the Heaven to be gathered together into its own place or places so that the dry land or places would appear.
In other words, the land (rock & plant minerals) that had been submerged beneath the waters under the firmament, began to appear because the waters were being gathered and moved into their places. For visual aesthetics, the body of water surrounding what became the great lakes in the midwestern states of North America, originally covered the entire landmass.
Then God commanded for the waters under the firmament or the dome to be gathered together in one place or space to allow (let) the dry land appear; there were many places and spaces created. The places or spaces turned into what we call today the great lakes (in that area); Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario by name. Other bodies of water appeared in other areas of the earth. It was performed just as the Mighty God commanded.
If drawn out as described in the first nine verses of Genesis, we could conclude the depiction would look more along the lines of the picture below.
Everything was placed or put beneath the dome, beneath the waters above the firmament of the heavens. God had the waters separated into their distinct places. They were given the divine ordinance that they could not pass a line unless otherwise authorized to do so, thus the dry land appeared.
The dry land was called earth and the waters that were gathered together in divers places were called seas. Today, we call them by different names based on biological distinctions. The Seas would be the surname, their given names differentiate what kind of seas they are.
For instance, lakes, rivers, gulfs, ponds, sounds, channels, straits, sea, ocean, and bays are all given names of bodies of water (to name a few). Once again, God saw that it was done well just as He commanded. God then commanded the Earth to produce grass and herbs that have seeds in them so they could reproduce on their own.
So far everything was excellent by the end of the third day!
These herbs were made to have fruit and vegetables that have seed in them so they can continue to produce their own kind and it became so abundant in the Earth. The command was conducted just as God ordered it and the Earth brought forth grass, trees, and herbs full of fruit and vegetables to fill the Earth. God saw that it was excellent and again the evening and the morning completed the third day.
After three days what do we have so far? We had the Spirit of God that moved on the waters that first created light and separated the light from darkness, day one. Into day two, there was a very firm glass-like dome called a firmament that divided the waters above from the waters beneath.
This firmament was called heaven or the heavens and that took care of the second day. Into the third day, things took place inside or underneath the firmament.
God commanded for the Seas to separate into different areas under the firmament. This allowed the Earth or the dry land to appear. The dry land was called the earth; the waters in their different bodies or places were called the seas; it was all good. In addition to this on the third day, God created the grass and the herbs with their seed in them, fruits and vegetables and it also was good.
This is what we have after three days (1:9-13).
If this is not making sense thus far, it may be because of the secular teachings of science all of our lives, bare with it for a moment, it will begin to make sense. It gets even more interesting. Into the fourth day, God ordered for lights to be created and placed inside the firmament (or the dome), the heavens.
They were there to divide the day from the night as well as to be used as signs (as in a zodiac sign), for seasons or times of the year, for days, months, and years.
There were a handful of purposes there, each vital towards the creation. God commanded that these lights in the firmament shine and give light on the earth. It was constructed just as God required. There were different types of lights; two great lights, the first and greater light ruled the day, the lesser light ruled the night.
Today, these are called the sun and the moon; sun and moon are greek or roman gods, but originally, they were known as the greater and lesser light. In addition to these, God made the stars. What’s important to note (based on how everything read) is that the ornaments (greater, lesser, and other lights (stars)) were set or placed inside the firmament.
That is to say, they were placed inside the dome to give light and heat to the earth. They were authorized to rule over the day and night; they divided light and darkness in the earth and it was good according to God. The evening and morning became the fourth day, and it was completed (1:14-19).
Please stay with us in this series, we believe it’ll be that rewarding!
Selah
Thank you for joining us today. It’s always a pleasure to have you. BSM, believes the Bible is one assimilated account leading and pointing to Jesus the Messiah. It also points to His Kingdom on the Earth, and His Royal Family.
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What your take on this the first part of this creation series? How can you utilize this study topic to improve your life, your walk or search for salvation? How is this study topic relevant to the Kingdom of God?
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