Genesis 1:20-31

In this fast-paced generation we live in, I'm sure you’ve all heard the question, "So what’s the bottom line? Before we get into some long, drawn-out explanation, just give me the bottom line."

Well, in Genesis 1:1, the Holy Spirit gives us the bottom line right up front----"In the beginning God created---."

And there you have it pure and simple.  God exists, and He is the Creator of all things.

And even without this written record, man is constantly faced with the overwhelming evidence that God exists, and He is the Creator of all things.

In fact, God has provided a multitude of witnesses whose testimony is abundantly clear to anyone with an unbiased mind.

As Psalm 19:1 tells us--"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

Even as a man gazes up into God's wondrous heavens, there is another witness standing by his feet just waiting to add its testimony.

A lily has sprung up out of the bare ground, so fair "that even Solomon, in all his glory" cannot surpass it for beauty and elegance.

Yes, man is literally surrounded by God's wonders, and yet he doggedly invents his ridiculous theories to explain away His existence.

And in doing so, he brings down God's judgment upon his head.

Romans 1:18-19  "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19: Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them."

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In last week's lesson, we noted the little word "midst" found in V 6.

By its description of the firmament’s location, it has relegated one half of the world's water supply to a position "above the firmament.”

So by its location and sheer quantity, it is only logical that it would exist in the form of a vast canopy of water vapour.

Such a canopy would diffuse the sun's rays evenly around the globe, and create a universally temperate climate.

And there are positive indications found in the fossil record that such a climate did exist in those early days.

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Near the end of our lesson, we considered the relationship between the sun and the moon.

They reminded us that the church's responsibility is to "walk in the light, as he is in the light.”

And just like the moon, we are to reflect Son’s light to a darkened world.

Matthew 5:16  "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

So with this short review, I think we are ready to continue our study of Genesis 1.

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Somehow the evolutionist has managed to get one thing right--life did begin in the ocean. 

Genesis 1:20-23  "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.
21: 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.
22: And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23: And the evening and the morning were the fifth day."

Yes, God created this vast multitude of sea life in one 24-hour day, from the smallest microscopic creatures to the great whales.

And only recently, with the advent of modern diving equipment, have we been able to appreciate its tremendous abundance. 

In the World Book encyclopaedia, we are told that the smallest animal in the sea is only 1/25,000_­­th of an inch long, while the blue whale can grow up to 95 feet in length, and can weigh 150 tons.

Strangely enough, he maintains his gigantic body by eating plankton.

And in the fish kingdom alone, it is estimated that there are 30,000 different species.

So when God said, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly," He really meant it.

And the ocean isn't the only source of abundant life.

I am told that one drop of ditch water can hold 500 million microscopic creatures, so small that a teaspoon of water would be like the Atlantic Ocean , in our estimation.

So whether we look at the starry heavens with our most powerful telescope, or observe a drop of ditch water under a microscope, we are impressed with the fact that God is an infinite Creator.

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However, even with the immensity of His aquatic creation, there was something else going on in that fifth day.

God created the "fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven".

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few minutes ago, I gave a small concession to the evolutionists.

They say that life began in the ocean, and certainly God did begin there.

However, even though they were right about the location, they really weren't making the same point at all.

The evolutionist tries to convince us that life actually began in the ocean, and then over millions of years, birds and animals, and even man himself, evolved from these basic life forms. 

However, V 20 makes it abundantly clear that sea creatures and birds were created on the self-same day.

And just in case we didn't get it the first time, God emphasizes the fact that the sea creatures and the birds were created "after their kind."

V 21  "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."

Yes, they were all created at one time, and each species was separate and complete in itself.

However, in spite of the clear Word of God to the contrary, educated men still teach us that sea life, evolving over millions of years, eventually developed legs and crawled up on the shore to become land creatures.

And in order to adapt to their new environment, they developed lungs and lost their gills.

They must have had some rather breathless moments during that switch-over, don't you think?

It's hard to imagine that people would swallow such a story.

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And even if evolution was possible, which, of course, it isn't, can you imagine how such a system could produce such endless variety?

Scientists tell us there are more than . . .

·       800,000 different kinds of insects

·       30,000 kinds of fish

·       9,000 kinds of birds

·       6,000 kinds of reptiles

·       5,000 kinds of mammals

·       and 3,000 different kinds of amphibians.

All produced by evolution?

I don’t think so!

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V 24-25  "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25: And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good."

Here the Holy Spirit repeats the phrase, "after his kind" or "after their kind" five times in two verses.

I think He’s trying to get something across, don't you?

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In V 20, we read the words, "Let the waters bring forth," and again in V 24, "Let the earth bring forth."

But the earth doesn't have any power to "bring forth" life on its own.

Neither is there power in water to produce life, in spite of the theories of evolution.

Then why did God say---"Let the earth bring forth," and "Let the waters bring forth"?

I believe the answer can be found in Genesis 2.

Even though the events of Genesis 2:7 are dealing with the creation of man, I still believe they can throw some light on the manner in which God created the animals, etc. 

Genesis 2:7  "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

When God made man, He used the minerals, etc., found in soil to form his body.

And by the way, when man dies, his body goes right back to that soil.

So, in a way, it was a two-step process.

First of all, God created soil from absolutely nothing, and then He used that soil to creat man's body.

However, when God "formed man of the dust of the ground," He still didn't have a complete man.

In fact, He had a dead man.

There was no life in his body because there is no creative life in dust.

But God wasn't finished yet.

Having formed his body from the "dust of the ground," He "breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

We’re not given any specific details concerning the rest of God’s creation, but it is highly probable that He followed much the same process.

Certainly God used the soil and the water to "bring forth" the physical bodies of the animals and birds and fish.

And, by the way, the World Book encyclopedia tells us that "Sea water contains every mineral found on land.”

But only God could give life.

And because God had so richly supplied the land and the sea with every physical element necessary, He could say, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life" and "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind."

Nevertheless, the marvellous designs contained in their bodies, and certainly life itself, belonged only unto God.

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Today, because of the amazing DNA chains that man has discovered, he believes that he is on the verge of discovering life.

Wouldn't you think such marvels would lead him to his Creator?

But, no, he looks at these marvellous patterns and confidently declares, "We are about to find the source of life."

However, he is looking in the wrong place.

As marvellous as God's designs are, they're not the source of life.

Only God is the source of life, and they definitely aren't looking there. 

And even if the scientists could make a man from the dust of the earth, which, of course, they can't, they would still have a dead man on their hands, with no power to breathe “into his nostrils the breath of life.

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V 26-27  "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

What did the Holy Spirit mean when He said, "God created man in His own image"?

Was He simply speaking of a physical likeness?

Certainly God does have a head and hands and feet, for we can read about them in scripture.

However, I believe there is much more involved here than a physical likeness. 

A monkey has all of these appendages, but he certainly isn't created in the image of God. 

Of course evolutionists have noticed the similarity between the physical features of a monkey and man, and, as a result, they have come up with the monkey-to-man theory.

That's not surprising, considering the fact that "man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

And when you do that, when you look on the heart of man, all similarities disappear.

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But there’s another way in which man has been created "in the image of God.”

Man is a triune being.

Not only does he have a body and a soul, but he has a spirit.

And because of that spirit, man has a God-consciousness, even though he might try to hide it.

Oh, an ape might get up on his hind legs, but you will never find an ape raising his hands in prayer.

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Sometimes our thinking becomes a little fuzzy when we try to distinguish between the soul and the spirit.

The soul is the life of the body, that which gives us movement, emotions, etc.

If we say a dog has a soul, we are merely saying that he is alive.

However, a dog doesn't have a spirit, nor does any other created thing, except man.

Only man has a spirit, and the Word of God never confuses these things.

We are assured of that in Hebrews 4:12.  "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit---."

And that's why it is important to follow the Word of God closely lest we be duped into thinking that man is just an extension of the animal kingdom.

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Is anyone here old enough to remember the commercial about Elsie the Borden cow?

The ladies don't have to answer that question.

Well, as I remember it, Elsie was a contented cow, and because of that, she always gave good milk. 

She was contented because all of her needs had been met.

Her body was fed and cared for.

Her soul delighted in the love of her little calf Daisy, so she was a contented cow.

Well, there are millions of people today who think they are like Elsie.

If I can only satisfy my bodily needs, if I have the affection of my children and their friends, I will be completely happy.

But I have a question for you.

If that is really true, then why do we meet so many people who are obviously quite well-off but at the same time are not content?

It's because they’re not cows.

They’re human beings!

They were made in the image of God, and they have spiritual needs.

And if Christ is not on the throne, all the possessions in the world will not hide the fact that something is terribly wrong.

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Yes, man is the only creation in the world that was made in the image of God. 

What did God do when He visited the Garden of Eden each day?

Did He talk to the giraffe about his day?

Did He come down to the garden to see if the rhinoceros appreciated His sunset?

Did He discuss His plans with the gazelle?

No, He didn't!

He came down to the garden in order to commune with the only creation in the world that was made in His own image.

What a joy it must have been, both for God and man.  But it didn't last, did it?

The day came when no voice of communion was heard in the garden, but rather the voice of God calling out, "Where art thou? -- Where art thou?"

Fellowship had been broken, and it could only be restored at a tremendous cost, and by God Himself.

By a wonderful act of creation, man had been made in the image of God, and now he was marred by sin.

However, by the wonderful act of salvation, our sins have been put away, and at this very moment, we are being conformed to the image of His Son.

What grace, and at what a cost!

Romans 8:29  "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

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And there is at least one other way in which man was made in the image of God.

He was given great authority, just like his Creator.

V 26: "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

However, because man has become a fallen being, that dominion has been a cruel and devastating one.

Nevertheless, because he is so uniquely equipped, he has the capacity to rule, and to search out the secrets of the universe.

There's not an animal on earth capable of discovering electricity or inventing the steam engine.

And, certainly, there's not an animal capable of inventing, let alone conceiving, a computer.

Only man can invent and discover, and only man can build upon the knowledge of preceding generations.

And in order to exercise this dominion, God has equipped him with at least two tools that no animal possess.

The one is the human brain which can imagine, and dream, and calculate.

But that amazing mind would be useless without the human hand.

The human hand is the instrument that connects our minds to the world around us.

Without the human hand, the steam engine and the motor car, and a myriad of other inventions, would have come to naught.

They would have remained locked up inside man's mind forever. 

And did you notice that I said the human hand?

There are no other hands like them in God's universe.

Oh, the monkey has hands and a brain, but not like man’s.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I heard of a woman who was studying Tiger Monkeys. 

In order to test their abilities, she bored holes in a tree and put food in them. 

However, she made sure that the holes were too small for the monkey to get his hand in, and then she left a stick by the tree.

And guess what?  The monkey used the stick to dig out the food.

Isn't that amazing?

She thought it was. 

It proved her theory that monkeys could use tools. 

And you know what?  She was right.

But what about the skilled hands of the surgeon that can remove a tumour from the human brain?  And what about the concert violinist who thrills our hearts with his music?

Compare that--a monkey digging food out of a hole with a stick--is almost laughable.

No, the human mind and the human hand are absolutely unique.

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Let me summarize what we have learned from this lesson so far: 

All of God's creations are separate and self-contained, and they will always be so.

Although they have been given certain abilities to adapt to their surroundings, there is no evolutionary process going on in God's world, and there never has been.

And there is no link between God's creatures and man.

The missing links are still missing, and they always will be.

Yes, God has made every thing "after his kind.”

I Corinthians 15:39 tells us that--"All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds."

You can cross-breed dogs of different types, or cows or horses, etc., but you cannot cross the line of "after their kind."

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On the lighter side, let me tell you the story of a scientist who claimed he had crossed a tiger with a parrot.

"How did it work out?" asked a fellow scientist. 

"I have to admit he didn't talk very clearly, but I'll tell you this.  When he speaks, you listen!"

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Genesis 1:29 gives us something new to think about, and after that last story, maybe it's just as well.

V 29  "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."

In this verse, God is setting down man's dietary laws for that particular period in history.

Unfortunately, in the King James Version, the Hebrew word oklah (ok-law) has been translated "meat" rather then "food.”

So the verse should read, "I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for" food.

The point is, there wasn't any meat in Adam's diet.

Now, I'm not promoting vegetarianism. 

However, according to this verse, man was a vegetarian in the beginning.

His entire diet was composed of herbs and fruit.

However, he didn’t remain that way, nor did God intend him to.

After Noah and his family came out of the ark, God changed man’s diet.

We see that in Genesis 9:2-3  "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.
3: Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat (or food) for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things."

And with this new diet came new dietary rules.

They were to eat the flesh of animals, but not the blood.

V 4 "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat."

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And at that particular time, something else changed.

After Noah and his family came out of the ark, the animals became afraid of man.

Now, that was different.

They had willingly approached Adam to be named, and Noah had distributed the animals in the ark with no thought of danger. 

So apparently, up until the time of the flood, all the animals were tame.

However, when Noah stepped into his new world, everything changed.

Genesis 9:2  "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---."

And I wouldn't be surprised if that was to give them a sporting chance.

You see, man was not just a farmer anymore. He had become a hunter also.

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And not only did the animals’ disposition change, but for many of them, their diet changed.

In the beginning, they were vegetarians, just like man.

We see that in Genesis 1:30 where we read, "And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat (or food): and it was so."

But apparently, some of them became meat eaters, probably at the same time that man did, and that's what they are today.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

So the bottom line is this.

In the early chapters of Genesis, we are dealing with a totally vegetarian world.

Someone might ask, So what difference does that make?

Actually, it makes a great deal of difference.

As we have already noted, the animals were not afraid of Adam when he named them, and he was not afraid of them.

And not only that, but their vegetarian diet would greatly affect the way in which Noah stocked the ark. 

For instance, he wouldn't have the problem of preserving great quantities of meat.

Nor would there be any necessity to take along extra animals for food.

Yes, things were very different in the old world, and, Lord willing, we will be considering these differences in the lessons ahead.