Let There Be Life

In 1959 a Russian zoologist, Dr. Demitry Belyayev, setup a series of experiments to test if foxes could be bread in such a way as to create domesticated dogs similarly how wolves were believed to be domesticated into dogs.

What they found was very amazing.

They started classifying foxes into three aggression categories by focusing on making the tamest of the 3.

In just a few short generations of Dogs they started seeing Foxes taking on dog like traits such as raised tails, panting, barking, licking and whimpering, traits that were not previously observed in the wild Siberian Red Fox. I have some pictures to show you what changes these foxes went through.

The amazing thing about this is that these changes came very quickly and didn’t take thousands of years to accomplish. I would say that these experiments actually agree with the genesis record and what we are taught form the word in Genesis. In fact we can see how in just a few short years, what kinds of changes animals can go through. The animal kingdom is very complex but we are going to look at this account in Creation in days 5,6 today as we see God create all species of animals in two days and his prized creation mankind.

Day 5 Birds and Marine Creatures

Genesis 1:20–23 NKJV

Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

Marine Creatures

(20) Would include all creatures that live in water. Not only the seas, but fresh waters as well including rivers, streams, ponds and lakes.

The Hebrew word for abundance in this context speaks of wiggling or creeping creatures So this would include creatures like alligators or other amphibious creatures. I think this word was used in the Bible because we see lots of creeping things in the water too, things that live in the water but don’t necessarily swim.

Last week we talked about how God loves abundance and it’s the same here with these creatures. It’s estimated that there are 700,000 to 1 million different marine species on the earth. It’s an estimate because they keep discovering new species all the time, and at the rate they are discovering them, they are not sure exactly how many there are.

Birds of The Air

It’s been said that birds are the most observed creatures on our planet, but that could also be that there are only 9-10,000 bird species to observe. Scientist think they have 95% of the birds characterized and explained. Birds are one of the best creatures as helping to propagate seeds. Last week we learned about vegetation and how God created it to produce it’s own seed to breed more vegetation, well birds play a big part of spreading these seeds which in turn helps ecosystems to grow and spread out.

The sky is the limit

Birds are designed to fly above the ground but no higher than the firmament which makes sense rather the firmament is at the edge of our atmosphere or it consists of outer space, what we witness of the birds is true compared to what the word says. We know that birds do not fly into outer space. I read that the highest flying bird is Ruppell's Griffon Vulture – 37000 feet.

So when the scriptures say the birds fly along the face of the firmament, that’s what it is describing.

Of Their Kind

Just like the plants and vegetation, God made the animal kingdom to reproduce by their kind. I eluded last week that this shows us that one kind cannot morph into another kind. There is no Biblical evidence that animals have changed from one species into another. In fact I don’t think there is any measurable proof in the science community either and so they will just keep making theories to avoid God The Creator.

There are also a couple of different evolutionary theories specific to birds.

Birds evolved from dinosaurs

Birds are progressive evolutionary creatures that were mammals that developed wins and learned to fly.

Both of these theories disagree with the Bible because God created birds before he created the beasts of the earth.

God Saw that it was good

God says this almost all the days of creation, but look at verse (22), this is the first time God says this. God Blesses them. His blessing was that they would be fruitful and multiply. We no doubt get the sense here that God put a special blessing on the animal kingdom to be more blessed than the vegetation of the earth. The vegetation was created for a food supply for the animal kingdom.

But also consider their seed. The seed of the vegetation falls and outside resources carry the seed to it’s new home. Once the plant or fruit has finished producing the seed, it’s done. There is no more activity from the plant.

The animal kingdom, especially mammals however care and nurture their young. Mothers will nurse their young, protect them, shelter them and raise them to maturity. God made them more complex and also gave them a blessing.

God called them to fill their environments, so the birds were blessed to fill the skies, the marine life to fill the seas, lakes, streams, rivers and ponds and the earth creatures to claim the land and fill it.

Day 6 Beasts and Man

Land Creatures

Genesis 1:24–25 NKJV

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Materials

God has now established the animal kingdom in totality. I find the verbiage intriguing in verse 24, let the earth bring forth. This is exact same phrase when God created the vegetation on the earth.

This seems to simply teach that God used the elements of the earth to create from the earth. As we discovered last week The Hebrew word for made in verse 25 is Asah which means to manufacture by practical means. Which Tells us that God used materials of the earth to create the living creatures.

Living Creatures

Verse 24 tells us that the beast of the earth is a living creature. Well ya that’s quite obvious, they are animated creatures, we can see them walk, make noise, eat, etc. But God is trying to communicate something even more special than that here.

The Hebrew word for living is the same word Hebrews use for a living person or that is more accurately it has a soul. We are going to go more in depth with this in a few moments when we get into the creation of man but here is the takeaway for animals.

The animal kingdom is a special create regarded above the vegetation, God gave them a soul. What are you saying pastor, are animals going to be in heaven? Well many people ask this question especially after losing a pet. Well the short answer is I don’t know. Even though pets are giving a soul, we also know that they are not made in God’s image so whatever capacity they have is not like us, like there is no morality or choice given to animals like man has.

I lean that they will be in heaven because we see that animals exist in the millennial reign of Christ and so it’s probable that he will have animals again when he creates the new earth as well. But will Fido be there in his likeness, not sure because the word doesn’t tell us specifically.

Of their kind

Again, God reinforces the fact that things are made according to their kind. The Bible is consistent in it’s narrative to dispel the theory of evolution.

One thing that we have observed is that animals will still go through adaptation and change. But even though a species may adapt survival instincts or even physical changes we never see a “kind” changing into another “kind”.

So when we consider the wolf kind, all dogs, foxes and coyotes came from this one kind.

There’s a great video I have if you want to borrow it called “Is Genesis History”, in it christian scientist describe how a slight minor change in the DNA of one creature can make it’s kind change drastically. So it’s believed that God built in the ability for animals as well as humans the ability to change and adapt to our environment for survival purposes.

So just like the fox experiment, species can go through adaptation and change but staying within the bounds of a defined “kind”.

The animal kingdom is truly spectacular but now the creation focuses on man and the entire rest of the Bible will be focused on God’s relationship with man.

Mankind

Genesis 1:26–31 NKJV

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 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. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Made in God’s Image

Triune Nature

The first things we see in verse 26 is that God speaks in the plurality again. As we discussed before this is not talking about a plurality of God’s but rather one God in three distinct persons. Although the Jews did not believe in a triune God, neither did they believe in multiple God’s, if you ask a Jew, even today, they will say that although it’s plural it speaks of one God. This is because they have not accepted the full revelation of God, but it’s very clear in the text.

In God’s likeness

So The idea is that God also made us with a triune nature. That is mankind is made of a Body, a spirit, and a soul. So similar to the animal kingdom where they were created to have flesh and a soul, but no spirit, we are made in the image of God triune beings.

We can break these down into the body, our personality is our soul, and our spirit is our eternal being.

Dr. Clarence Larkin’s book (rightly Dividing the word):

the ‘Body’ is shown as touching the Material world through the five senses of ‘Sight,’ ‘Smell,’ ‘Hearing,’ ‘Taste’ and ‘Touch.’

The Gates to the ‘Soul’ are ‘Imagination,’ ‘Conscience,’ ‘Memory,’ ‘Reason’ and the ‘Affections.’

The “Spirit” receives impressions of outward and material things through the soul. The spiritual faculties of the ‘Spirit’ are ‘Faith,’ ‘Hope,’ ‘Reverence,’ ‘Prayer’ and ‘Worship.’

The spiritual connection we have with God is what sets us apart from the animal kingdom, without it we would be no different than a beast of the earth.

John 4:24 NKJV

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

This is the difference, this is why mankind are a greater creation than all the other created creatures. God made us to worship him and to commune with him, he made us as children of God.

And you know what, those who don’t believe in God want to make us just like the animal kingdom. This is why science wants to show us as insignificant in the universe, it’s why people can consciously kill their unborn children, or why people can steal from another human being. This is why people who don’t know God can behave just like animals, and it shouldn’t surprise us when they do.

To do wrong to another human being is to deny that they are a child of God made in his image despite any shortcoming, color of skin, disability, there is only one human race and God made an abundant variety didn’t he?

Does the Bible teach that we are triune beings?

Look at these verses from the New Testament.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Given Authority

Yet another sign that mankind was created as a greater creation is that he gave us dominion over all his creation. God gave us stewardship over many things.

Creation, children, the great commision because we are God’s ambassadors here on this earth.

God didn’t just create you to exist, but he gave you a job to do, many jobs actually. Our lives are to reflect the Glory of The Lord, so when our spirit is living for Jesus, our flesh will be decreased, and our soul or our will will be decreased.

When people examine your life do they see Jesus?

Creation of Man

(27) So God created man in His [own] image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

God created man from the dust of the earth. He made them with Asah, to make out of existing materials, just like the animals. We will go into more detail of this next week but our flesh that part he made out of clay.

We are really to have a balanced view of who we are. One one had we are sons of God, made in his image but yet at the same time we are made out of dirt. We are jars of clay made to be filled by him, the potter. Either way you look at it though God deserves all the glory for creating us.

Look what he did for mankind in verse (28), He blessed us, he gave us the ability to be fruitful and multiply. God’s desire is for his people to fill the earth. He also goes a step further and commands us to have dominion over the whole earth.

We see in 29,30 that God had previously created all the vegetation on the earth for food for the animal kingdom as well as man.

I’m sorry to break the bad news to all of us meat eaters, the fact we eat meat is a result of the fall of man.

But look at what God thought of all of his creation (31)

[Gen 1:31 NKJV] Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed [it was] very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

You see God made it all perfect and extremely good. Now you might look around this world today and think, why is everything so dysfunctional, and why is everything in Chaos, well stay tuned for next week and we will study this very subject.

Well let’s finish. Turn over to Genesis 2

The first part of chapter 2 brings all the creation week together to one conclusion.

Day 7 The First Sabbath

Genesis 2:1–3 NKJV

Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

So God finished up creation and he rested from his work. The Hebrew word for rested can be better described as ceased, he ceased his creation.

Chuck smith points out in one of his sermons that God is Omnipotent we know from scripture, that is all powerful or unlimited in power, meaning he doesn’t need to slumber from a hard week of creation. Instead the Hebrew would suggest that he simply stopped creating the earth, universe and all the life on the earth.

It’s important to remember that God continues to create, he continues to create people and life on this earth.

It’s also important to understand that he holds the whole universe together. If God let go of his creation it would just completely implode. There are two great verses that speak to this.

[Col 1:17 NASB] He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Speaking of Jesus

[Heb 1:3 NKJV] who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Hold on to this second part of that verse for a minute because this is going to lead us into communion, but first I want to talk about the Sabbath.

As Jesus pointed out in the Gospels, the Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath. We know that this is the first Sabbath because God set this day aside, he made it holy, he sanctified it. This day is a gift from God that was enjoyed by God and man.

Richie asked me one day,

“what do you think God did on day 7 after he created everything?”

My first response was that he went fishing. But seriously I think he enjoyed his creation, I bet God and Adam had a meal together and just hung out in the garden together.

So God gave us the pattern for a week, work 6 days and rest one. Some Bible teachers think that God also laid out a similar pattern of time on earth, that is we will have 6000 years of man living on earth and then a sabbath millenium when Jesus rules and reigns for 1000 years to make the pattern complete.

Communion

As we celebrate communion this morning, I want you to consider a couple of things.

God created a perfect universe, earth, and life to go on the earth. God created Man in his image and commanded him to subdue the earth, rule over it. But mankind fell to sin and forfeited the world over to Satan. Now man no longer has dominion over earth and the perfect creation that God made.

The second thing I want you to consider is that even though man sinned and paradise was lost, Jesus came to the earth to live a life as a man just like us but leading a perfect and sinless life. Dying a criminal’s death on a cross to pay for the sin of all humanity. He was buried in a cold dark cave in the rock, but beat death and rose again on the third day.

And now look at the last part of the verse

when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high

So as we remember his sacrifice this morning we can rejoice in these truths this morning

He created it all in 6 days

He holds it all together by the power of his words

He redeemed you and I from our sins by substituting himself in our place

He is going to restore his creation once again after he judges it and make new.

So in these things we rejoice, the very nature of God in his power and his majesty moves us into worshipping him.

So I just want to spend a few moments in silence this morning, I would ask that each of would just spend a moment in silent prayer as you consider and remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for you and then I’ll pass out communion as we sing this last song.

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