Genesis Sermon 5: Origin Of Fish And Fowls

A. INTRODUCTION: FIFTH DAY

"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his 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 fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day" (Genesis 1:22-23)

First Day -- Mud Ball. Existence

Second Day -- Light and darkness. Life

Third Day -- Waters separated. Vegetation growth

Forth Day -- Light holders. Energy source

Fifth Day -- Fish and fowls. Organic life

B. FISH AND FOWLS

1. Swarm. What does the phrase mean, "Waters bring forth?" Vegetation comes from earth, but "conscious" life does not come from earth, but is created.

2. What were the forms of sea life?

a. Invertebrates, i.e., no backbones

b. Vertebrates, i.e., backbones

c. Reptiles, air breathing

3. Conscious life. First time the word "life" is used. Life is not used with plants, water or dirt/minerals. Means "conscious" i.e., higher than plants but lower than humans.

4. Fowls in open firmament. The troposphere, the lower regions of the atmosphere.

5. Great Whales. Probably included all large sea creatures, even large "monsters" now extinct.

6. No evolution. The bio chemical reproduction system of animals, fish and fowl was originally programmed to assure the fixity of the kinds. The DNA is programmed to allow for variation within the kind, but not beyond the kind.

7. Why did God declare "It was good?" A good God can only make good things, i.e., a perfect God can only make perfect things.

8. What does the blessing of God on fish and fowl mean?

a. Objects of God’s care. "A sparrow . . . shall not fall to ground without your Father" (Matt. 10:29).

b. Provide food for them. "The fowl of the air . . . yet your heavenly Father feedeth them" (Matt. 6:26).

c. Wants them to multiply. "God . . . saying, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters . . . let fowls multiply in the earth" (Gen. 1:22).

9. Eden Only. The command to, "fill the waters . . . multiply in the earth" (1:22), implies God only created them at one spot and they spread throughout the earth. This might be why 69% of all oil is located within 100 miles of the original Garden of Eden.

10. Bible Sequence. Evolutionist say first marine organism, then land plants, later birds. Also, small sea life first, but Bible says large sea life first.

C. HOW TO USE FISH AND FOWLS

"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat" (Genesis 9:1-4).

1. Mandate. The original command repeated with slight modification.

2. Why did God leave out, "Have dominion over the earth and subdue it" (Gen. 1:28)?

a. Satan has dominion (II Cor. 4:3,4; I John 5:19).

b. Fear in animals rather than obedience and understanding.

3. Why does God give them "fear and dread?"

a. They replenish faster than humans, so they can be eliminated.

b. Service People. Humans are free to use them to carry out Biblical purpose, i.e., transportation, burden bearer, etc.

c. Danger. Certain animals are dangerous to humans, they fear humans.

4. Food. Why a new authorization to eat animals?

a. After flood more rigorous environment required protein of meat not found in other food.

b. Cattle. God described the fear and dread (terror) that living things had of humans. "Every beast . . . every fowl of the air . . . all the fishes of the sea" (9:2). Cattle are left out perhaps so they would live (domesticated) among humans and provide food.

c. Provision. "Into your hand are they delivered" (9:2).

d. Meat eating allowed, not commanded. "Shall be meat for you, even as the green herb have I given you all things" (9:3).

e. Gulf. By providing as food, God demonstrates the gulf between humans and animals nature.

5. Why were humans told not to eat blood?

a. Blood was for sacrifice. "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for