Origins: The Beginning (Genesis 1–11)Sample

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“Then God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’” Genesis 1:6 (NKJV)

Everything God does is for a specific purpose, even when it doesn’t seem like it. We can rest assured, no matter how meaningless something appears on the surface, there’s an important cause behind even the slightest movements of the Lord’s hand.

We see this in the original formation of the earth, as God created a firmament to divide “the waters from the waters.” Initially, the earth was a watery mass without definition. But now, God does something quite interesting. He creates a firmament which is literally “an expanse of sky.” We might refer to this as an atmosphere, and He caused this atmosphere to do something very unusual. It appears to have arisen out of the watery depths of the earth and as it did, another layer of water formed and rose above it. We go on to read: “God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament” (Genesis 1:7 NKJV).

This firmament, or atmosphere, acted as a buffer between the watery globe beneath it and a dense layer of water vapor above it. Imagine a watery sphere with a layer of air around it, and then a blanket of water vapor encircling everything. That’s what this looked like. We’re led to ask, “Why bother doing all that? What possible purpose could God have for starting things out like this?”

If we think it through, this “hydro-blanket” would have created a greenhouse effect that would have regulated temperature and promoted ideal conditions for vegetation to grow all over the world. It would have also acted as a shield against solar radiation, extending life. By the way, that’s how we can account for people living hundreds of years in these early stages of earth’s history.

But then something happened: the flood. The time came when God needed to start things over with Noah and his family and He chose to do so by causing this canopy of water above the atmosphere to collapse. It rained on the entire earth for forty days, courtesy of the watery layer that had hovered over the earth for hundreds of years. Its purpose was finally fulfilled, and it no longer exists. 

Remember, God always has a purpose for what He does. It may not make complete sense now, or even a number of years from now, but one day it will. Rest in knowing there is always a reason!  

DIG: What does the creation account teach us about God?

DISCOVER: Where are you being tested relative to this truth?

DO: Consider the ways the creation account might serve as a helpful reminder to you.