THE SECOND DAY

Press, 25 February 1980, Page 10

THE SECOND DAY

In Genesis 1:2 we read that the earth was or had become without form and void (waste and empty). Is that not a picture of man's condition today, formless, no aim, no object . in life, no definiteness. "For all seek their own things" (Phil 2:21). And secondly void, empty, dissatisfied and living in a darkness of his own making. We now come to the second day, the firmament and waters are restored. And God said. Let-(the sense is made appear or made visable expressing permission and purpose in connection with already existing things). —There be a firmament—(expanse, something spread out). When God challenged

Job's knowledge (37:14-18) and waa advised to consider the power and works of God, this is what we read, "Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous ' works of God. —Hava you with Him spread ■ out the sky." Jeremiah was enabled to write, "He had made the . earth by His power. He has established the world ' by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens by His discretion (10:12). It is called heaven in verse 8, clouds in Job 26:8 "Ho bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds." It- was created in the beginning as one of the heavens of verse 1. It had served its purpose of retaining water above

the earth throughout Lucifer's reign, but upon his overthrow the earth was : cursed by the firmament pouring out its waters and causing the flood of Genesis I:l—Ps. 104:5-9— 2 Peter 3:5-7. The heaven of heavens and the clouds are distinguished in Scripture Judges s:4—Ps. 147:8— Isaiah 14:12-14— Daniel 7:13—1n the midst, of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters—in ’ judgement on the original earth the vapours condensed and fell upon the earth, and because the sun was withheld ■ from shining on the earth tha waters could not be vaporized again until the restoration of the sunlight. Hence the waters did not naturally abate from the earth in the first universal -

flood of Genesis 1:2, as they did continually in the flood of Noah (Gen. 7:24; 8:3, 5,8, 12). Because the waters - were then divided again as before .Gen. 1:2, natural laws took care of flood conditions on earth in Noah's time. Waters and firmament were both created in the beginning, and now were merely beingrestored as before the chaos of verse 2—And God made—To make out of already existing material. It is the opposite to Bara, to 'create. When Scripture reads, "In six days the Lord made heaven and earth," it refers, to their restoration in the 6 days after the curse of Gen. 1:2 and not to their

original creation in ths beginning. Ex. 20:8-11— 31:17—The firmament, ond divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above tha firmament: And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. Yes, 4 divine acts were recorded on Day 2. 1. God said—divine purpose stated. 2. God made—divine work of restoring the. firmament or clouds to retain water. 3. God divided—waters put back in the clouds. 4. God called—divine - naming— Heaven.