Let there be light
Genesis 1:1-5
Greetings:
The Lord is good and his love endures forever.
In this new year 2023, I bless you with the words of our Triune God which is found in Genesis 1:3, “Let There be Light.” God would like to create a light in your life journey. He would like to bring a new beginning in your chaotic conditions. He would like to separate you from all those acts of darkness which threatens your life. I would like to leave with you three insights from these first five verses of Genesis 1. Firstly God creates, Secondly, God brings orderliness, and thirdly God separates light from darkness.
1. God creates out of nothing (Genesis 1:1)
We believe that God exists. We are here as believers of God. I don’t think that any atheist is present here. With the given understanding that all of you are the followers of Christ. I would like to affirm that God created the heavens and the earth. I am not here to explain the evolution theory but to promote creation theory. For us Christians, God exists in the form of Yahweh, God exists as triune God, God exists in the form of Jesus Christ, God exists as Holy Spirit. God lives forever and ever. Amen.
Why God created the heavens and the earth? According to the teleological argument for the existence of God, a purposeful intelligence that created this world because the world shows both purpose and intelligence. We can study God, but we can’t put Him under a microscope or test Him in a laboratory. We can only confidently know about Him what He chooses to reveal to us. We are also confident that what He chooses to tell us is profitable and useful for us rest of the things are hidden to us (Enduring word commentary). God makes no preparation, He employs no means, needs no secondary agency. He speaks, and it is done. His word alone contains all things necessary for the fulfilment of His will (Elliott).
In Genesis 1:1, we read in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The word in the beginning refers to the dateless past. It is the boundary between the time and eternity. The heavens and the earth were first creations. Please note that the Heavens were plural and the earth was singular( Genesis 1:1). So, in the beginning God created the heavens and not the present heaven and earth. The present heaven and earth refers to the new order brought to the chaotic world.
The Hebrew word ‘Bara’ means ‘to create.’ Bara describes the creation of an entirely a new thing. God created a new thing out of nothing. God created out of nothing ‘creatio exnihilo’. Only God can "create" out of nothing. Now, lets understand that God has connection with all of us because he has created us (Deuteronomy 4:32) - the human beings were created on earth, and he has redeemed us. I have created you o Jacob (Isaiah 43:1). The human beings life is very short (Psalm 89:47). Isaiah 40:26 God creates the numerous stars and calls them by their names. He knows all of us by our names. He knows or chaos. He knows our directions. The doctrine of ‘creatio ex nihilo’ is found in Hebrews 11:3, and Romans 1:20. The six days work was a reconstructive through his invisible powers and divine nature.
‘God said’ refers to an act of his powerful will, and a word of his power (Mathew Poole). So, Hebrews 1:3 refers to the substantial Word, who is his Son, by whom he made the worlds (Hebrews 1:2, Psalm 33:6-7 - God created by the word and breadth of his mouth who is Jesus Christ. According to John 1:1-3, Jesus was that word. John 1:10). The sentence ‘God said’ means an expressive of the will, power, authority, and efficacy of the divine Being; whose word is clothed with power, and who can do, and does whatever he will, and as soon as he pleases; his orders are always obeyed. Perhaps the divine Person speaking here is the Logos or Word of God, which was in the beginning with God, and was God, and who himself is the light that lightens every creature (2 Corinthians 4:6, John Gill).
The root bara? denotes the concept of "initiating something new" it’s going to be a new and different. Jeremiah uses the term of a fundamental change that will take place in the natural order (Jeremiah 31:22) The Psalmist prayed that God would create in him a clean heart through his spirit (Psalm51:10).
The description of God in chapter 1 and chapter 2 of Genesis gives two distinctive characters of God. First he is described as more exalted position, unreachable and without form as spirit. But the creation of man out of clay, out of dust, and out of earth shows that God is reachable, God looks for fellowship and he touches humanity and he created man with his own spirit and giving him the same status of his own image and likeness. One is Ruach form and the other is anthropomorphic in nature. (Terence E. Fretheim OT professor in Working preacher)
God created and he allowed his creations to participate in his creative activity. He said, let the earth bring forth; let the waters bring forth, Let us create humankind. God invites the earth and waters and microorganisms and you and me into the creative process. God takes the ongoing creational process into account in shaping new directions for the world, one dimension of which is engaging creatures in creative activity. Divine decisions interact with creaturely activity in the becoming of the world. Creation is process as well as perfecting act, creation is divine act through human efforts. God’s approach to creation continues to be communal and relational. (Terence E. Fretheim OT professor in Working preacher).
Yes, on this new year day, God says that you will see miracles out of nothing, out of unusual way I will bless you. Nothing is going to happen as you think and plan I have greater plan for you ( 2 Kings 3:16-18, Jeremiah 29:11 - God has sure plans for you, greater plans for you, new plans for you). There is another incident recorded in the scriptures during the days of kings in 2 Kings 7:2, 19-20. The captain of the king never believed in the word of God. He saw the miracles happened to others but he could enjoy the blessings of God.
Dearly brothers and sisters of you don’t believe the word which comes through me, the promise which God gives you, you will be the looser believe and you will see greater things from God. Amen. So, believe that God changes your chaos into orderliness.
2. God changes chaos into order ( Genesis 1:2)
Genesis 1:2 describes the conditions before God began to bring order to the cosmos. The earth was a “formless and void”. There was nothing in the beginning but now there was everything. There was a earth, waters, wind, and darkness. Those existed but without form and void. The beautiful creation of God was devastated and dismantled which awaits further creative work. (Terence E. Fretheim OT professor in Working Preacher). There are numerous explanations for this chaotic condition. Some believe in gap theory referring to Isaiah 14:12-14, and Ezekiel 28:11 -17 and Jeremiah 4:19-27. Prophet Jeremiah explains that the devastating condition happened because of the foolish, wicked acts of the human beings. They are doing Evil and children of stupid parents. However, Colossians 1:15-20 explains that everything was created by him, for him and unto him.
Through the Revelation of the N.T. we learn to identify the work of Creation with the operation of the Personal Word (John 1:3), “All things were made through him (? ?????); and without him was not anything made that hath been made,” (Colossians 1:26), “For in him [the Son] were all things created, all things have been created through him, and unto him.”(Hebrews 1:2, “through whom [his Son] also he made the worlds.” For “light” as the symbol of the Divine presence. (John 1:4), “in him was life; and the life was the light of men,” (Genesis 1:9, John 8:12), “I am the light of the world.” (Cambridge bible).
Chaos came into being because of satan’ misrule wrong administration. Chaos because of evil desires of Satan to be equal with God. Chaos because of his jealousy over the power of God. Chaos because of his selfish motives. Today it’s very much relevant to the chaos because of evil friendship, chaos because of old bad habits, chaos because of of trusting on people rather than in God. Chaos because of leaving God and his commandments. Chaos because of making self as centre of life. Chaos because of all that without Christ.
Sometimes, I used to share with my wife and children how good and blessed it would be if I have the power to have childhood again, going to school again, going to college again, and choosing everything very carefully once again, having clear life goals, having cleverly set targets for life, and only living with victories, goodnesses and without jealous and without desire and live a godly, perfectly godly life.
A Story of ‘hello and hi’: A man went and complained to God about his married life. God asked him what happened. He said that he met his lover on the bus stop. Both were standing and waiting for a bus to board. He said to her “hello”, she said to him “hi” That became a lovely love story both were attracted to one’s other and married. Slowly life challenges, problems, hurts and humiliation. Life demands increased so extremely disappointed about the life. So the man complained to God and asked forgiveness for his own choice. He prayed to God, “Lord, give me one more opportunity to go back to my youthful life, now I know how to handle everything carefully and wisely.” God granted him his adolescent period. He was again on the same bus stop as a boy not knowing what he did before is prayer. He met the same girl. He told her “hello”, she replied “hi.” The story repeated again (Adopted).
Is it not true with all of us? Several occasions we prayed to God, please give me one more opportunity to put everything in order. But ended up in disorder and chaos. Have you ever felt with these thoughts at any time of your life? Are you in the crossroads of your life? Are you confused with next step in life? Do you think that you could have avoided and gone for choosing the best? Now, If Everything in your life is so confused and chaotic, our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ would like to rebuild your life.
Give him what you are today with all your problems, uncertainties and failure. Admit that you messed up things beyond repair. What a great promise found in Isaiah 42:3-4. It says, God doesn’t break the broken, he doesn’t quench the dimly burning wick. But brings a new beginning and new life. He sustains and rebuilds to victory. He establishes with might and power.
Though Disorder gives place for freedom and joy but painful and unpleasantness. John Knox, a theologian, says, “If there were no freedom in this creation, no touches of disorder, no open ends, then moral choice, creativity, and excellence could not arise. The world would be a monotonous cycle of inevitability, a dull-as-dishwater world of puppets and automatons.” (John Knox).
In sum, God takes the ongoing creational process into account in shaping new directions for the world, one dimension of which is engaging creatures in creative activity. Divine decisions interact with creaturely activity in the becoming of the world. Creation is process as well as punctiliar act; creation is creaturely as well as divine. God’s approach to creation was and continues to be communal and relational.
God doesn’t snap the divine fingers and immediately brought the creation into being. It took six days. Did God create the formless world, A World Without form, the Bible scholars believe that it refers to a particular setting, and a particular life setting. Not in a shape, not in order. Ruach moved upon the earth. Creation was by the omnipotent of GOD. God said and God saw everything according to his will and purpose.
Gods would like to rebuild your ruins and bring back the glories of your life but he needs your and your cooperation. Don’t run before him. Don’t give him your ideas and plans to be executed. He brings order through his spirit. Where the spirit of God there we have freedom and joy.
3. God separates the light from darkness(Genesis 1:3-5)
The word “Let” is used 13 times in this chapter, and around 1464 times in the entire bible according to Pastor Dakes who searched the Bible for forty years. This act is nothing but making to appear, and making to visible. The Hebrew word for light is "Ur" which signifies both fire and light. God divided the light from darkness as a first act of restoration.
Light is not itself a substance, but is a condition or state of matter; and this primæval light was probably electric, arising from the condensation and friction of the elements as they began to arrange themselves in order. And this, again, was due to what is commonly called the law of gravitation, or of the attraction of matter. If on the first day electricity and magnetism were generated, and the laws given which create and control them, we have in them the two most powerful and active energies of the present and of all time—or possibly two forms of one and the same busy and restless force (Elliott).
In bringing order out of confusion, and forming the sundry parts of the universe, God first gave birth to those that are the most simple, pure, active, and powerful; which he, probably, afterward used as agents or instruments in forming some other parts. Light is the great beauty and blessing of the universe; and as it was the first of all visible things, so, as the firstborn, it most resembles its great parent in purity and power, in brightness and beneficence. Probably the light was at first impressed on some part of the heavens, or collected in some lucid body, the revolution of which distinguished the three first days. On the fourth it was condensed, increased, perfected, and placed in the body of the sun and other luminaries (Benson).
He brings clear demarcation between the deeds of light and then deeds of darkness. There is a difference between the children of light and the children of darkness. Paul puts this as his inner conflict, inward and outward fight for holiness and ugliness. Desiring for one thing and end up in another thing. He wants to freed man but ended up in slavery to sin and Satan (Romans 7:14-25). However he found solution to this struggle by surrendering his life to Christ. Are you struggling with the deeds of light and darkness. God divided the light from the darkness; for what fellowship has light with darkness? In heaven there is perfect light, and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness, and no gleam of light (Matthew Henry).
Abraham had an experience of darkness while he received the promises for his descendants to occupy the land of Canaan. At the sunset, he fell asleep while God appeared to him in deep darkness (Genesis 15:12). Job was living in deep darkness of sickness and hopeless situation of revival. But God has changed his life into light, broad day light ( Job 11:13,17). He asked where is the way for the light (Job 38:19). Light is new beginning, light is new hope, light is new life, light is word of God, light is Jesus Christ. That Light is in you. You are the light to the world. Isaiah 60:2 says though the world may experience darkness but if you choose him and follow him, your light shall shine. And the new light is in Christ (1 John 2:7).
Through the Revelation of the N.T. we learn to identify the work of Creation with the operation of the Personal Word (John 1:3), “All things were made through him (? ?????); and without him was not anything made that hath been made,” (Colossians 1:26), “For in him [the Son] were all things created, all things have been created through him, and unto him.”(Hebrews 1:2, “through whom [his Son] also he made the worlds.” For “light” as the symbol of the Divine presence. (John 1:4), “in him was life; and the life was the light of men,” (Genesis 1:9, John 8:12), “I am the light of the world.” (Cambridge bible). For us today the light is given through his words as we read in Psalm 119:130, 119:105, Proverbs 6:23, Proverbs 13:9. The light is sweet (Ecclesiastes 11:7). Prophet Isaiah says that God would give you the light of joy, pleasant ( Isaiah 58:8).
Conclusion: My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Have a blessed year with new beginnings and joy. God be with you, Amen.
