GOOD CREATION—Part 1
This week we are considering the immense words of Jesus:
Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.
Matthew 5:17 (NLT)
These words are immense because Jesus is affirming all of the scriptures, and is simultaneously inserting himself as the interpretive principle to understand the scriptures. If you, like many people, have been intimidated by the Bible, be of good courage—Jesus is both our guide and the point of the scriptures. On Sunday, we learned that we must: Look to Jesus as the Bible’s central story.
So, let’s begin. In affirming the Old Testament, Jesus affirms the account of creation. HIS CREATION. His GOOD creation. As we are learning, every story whispers his name. This is Genesis Chapter 1 (read dramatically online) out of the MESSAGE paraphrase.
1 First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. 2 Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss. 3 God spoke: “Light!” And light appeared. 4 God saw that light was good and separated light from dark. 5 God named the light Day, he named the dark Night. It was evening, it was morning— Day One.
6 God spoke: “Sky! In the middle of the waters; separate water from water!” 7 God made sky. He separated the water under sky from the water above sky. And there it was: 8 he named sky the Heavens; It was evening, it was morning— Day Two.
9 God spoke: “Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!” And there it was. 10 God named the land Earth. He named the pooled water Ocean. God saw that it was good. 11 God spoke: “Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed-bearing plants, Every sort of fruit-bearing tree.” And there it was. 12 Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties, And fruit-bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. 13 It was evening, it was morning— Day Three.
Genesis 1:1–13 (The Message)
Life and full life and restorative and regenerating life! Do you hear and feel the vibrant nature of God? The life, the life, the life. And it keeps coming! God is creating and creating and creating! Out of nothingness, he brings his very imagination to bear! God is a creating, creative God.
— 14 God spoke: “Lights! Come out! Shine in Heaven’s sky! Separate Day from Night. Mark seasons and days and years, 15 Lights in Heaven’s sky to give light to Earth.” And there it was. 16 God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars. 17 God placed them in the heavenly sky to light up Earth 18 And oversee Day and Night, to separate light and dark. God saw that it was good. 19 It was evening, it was morning—Day Four.
20 God spoke: “Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life! Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!” 21 God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters, And every kind and species of flying birds. God saw that it was good.
22 God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean! Birds, reproduce on Earth!” 23 It was evening, it was morning— Day Five.24 God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind: cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds.” And there it was: 25 wild animals of every kind, Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug. God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:14–25 (The Message)
All over the place. Up and down and around. Crawling, big, small, all around. This life, this life, this life! It must be seen for what it is! Created and full and good and good and good!
Today, look again at God’s creation. See his love for you and for everyone. Whether it is early spring sunshine or daffodils or pink cherry blossoms or a gray, nourishing shower, the majestic Mt. Jefferson or Mt. Hood which existed long before humans named them—through it all, see the GOODness of GOD.
Prayer
Write a prayer or say a prayer that praises God for his BOUNTIFUL and BEAUTIFUL creation.
Tomorrow, we will consider God’s prized creation: YOU and me. Humans created in his image and likeness.