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The First Day Of Creation
Genesis 1:1- 5
The Text
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
The Spiritual Meaning
In verse 2 God describes the condition of Earth at the beginning as “without form and void.” If we turn to Jeremiah 4:22-26 we find that to be the same description that God uses in connection with the state of mankind:
“For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the Lord, and by his fierce anger.”
If we isolate Jeremiah 4:23, (“I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.”) we would immediately assume that God is once again speaking of Creation. However, when we read this verse in light of the passage in which it is placed we see that God is actually referring to the fact that mankind has rebelled against Him.
We also read in verse 2 that God describes the earth in the beginning as being filled with darkness. This too is a description God uses for mankind in his sinful nature:
“He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.”
(1 Samuel 2:9)
As a solution for the darkness, God had to send light into the world. By nature mankind is sinful. He is without form and void. He is full of darkness and continues on in darkness. God had to send His Son, the Light, into the world:
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)
In verse 4 we read God sees that the light is good. Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). We also read in verse 4 that God divides the light from the darkness, so that the two can be distinguished from one another. Likewise, those who walk in the light (believers) are distinguished from those who walk in darkness:
“He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” (1 John 2:9-11)
Unfortunately, as the above verse states, most of those who walk in darkness do not realize they are walking in darkness and do not see where they are going. When the end of time comes God will permanently divide the light from the darkness.
It is because of Christ's existence that spiritual darkness can be overcome. Remember that the darkness of the world is man in his sinful nature. In other words, the Night spoken of in verse 5 represents a world without Christ, a world without the Gospel:
“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” (John 10:4-5)
So again we find the statement that Christ is the spiritual Light of the world. As long as the Gospel exists (Christ is the Gospel in flesh –– John 1:14) it will continue to be day, spiritually speaking. However, the Bible indicates that just near the end of time the Gospel will be removed. When this time comes, when the Gospel is no longer around, it will be Nighttime spiritually. But that is a topic for another study.
Sometimes God provides us with information in the Scriptures that allows us to check and see if we’ve done our homework correctly. Wonderfully, God has given us a check-passage so that we can know we have arrived at the correct conclusion about the spiritual meaning of Genesis 1:1-5:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” (John 1:1-9)
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