So, between the waters God created space. Look at this note, this is really interesting. Verse 7, end of the verse, “And it was so.” Is that redundant? Is that redundant? He said in verse 6, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters,” verse 7, “And God made the expanse,” and why does He add, “And it was so,” is that just a redundant sort of editorial comment? No, it serves a very necessary purpose, very critical statement. There is no such comment in verse 3. God said, “Let there be light, and there was light”…it doesn’t say, “And it was so.” I’ll tell you why. That little phrase used here in verse 9, verse 11, and verse 15 and verse 24 is used to affirm something that is fixed, something that doesn’t change, something that has remained for all time. You can’t say that after verse 3, “Let there be light and there was light,” cause there’s light and darkness, light and darkness, light and darkness, it’s not fixed. But when you say God created the heavens, that’s fixed. “And it was so” lends itself to the understanding of the firm and fixed and unchanging nature of that element of creation. And verse 8, “God called the expanse heaven.”
And by the way, He doesn’t say it was good yet. He didn’t say it on day one, He didn’t say it on day two. He won’t say it until verse 10 when the earth is habitable, then He’ll say it was good…only after it was finally shaped into its habitable condition.
And verse 8 ends, “God calls the expanse heaven and there was evening and there was morning, the second day.” He did it in a day…created the firmament, the expanse, the heavens, the sky. We’re ready for day three. Somewhere in here, just plant this thought, the angels were created. Do you know where? Stay tuned. I was going to tell you tonight but I don’t have any time.
I would just like to close with a little praise, if I could, Psalm 104 probably is as good as any, listen to this, Psalm 104, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, O Lord, my God, Thou art very great. Thou art clothed with splendor and majesty, covering Thyself with light as with a cloak, stretching out heaven like a tent curtain. He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters. He makes the clouds His chariot. He walks upon the wings of the wind. He makes the winds His messengers, flaming fire His ministers.” Now if there was wind at the time of the creation, then maybe Whitecomb and Morris are wrong after all…or least they’ve overstated the effect of the canopy. But here is…here is the psalmist’s praiseful recollection of God stretching out heaven, of God taking the water to the upper chambers and he praises God saying, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” And in verse 5 he says, “He established the earth upon its foundation so that it will not totter forever and ever. Thou dost cover it with the deep as with a garment.” You can see all the creation allusions here affirming what happened. And we’re going to see more in that Psalm as God separates the land from the sea and creates the springs and the valleys and the animals. It’s a tremendous, tremendous text.
© 1997 Grace to You
“This article originally appeared here at Bible Bulletin Board.”
