Origins: The Beginning (Genesis 1–11)Sample

By Pastor Dan Hickling

“Then God said, ‘Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear’; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:9-10 (NKJV)

God went through a deliberate series of steps to bring the earth into a form that could sustain life. One such step is presented to us in the passage above. 

Keep in mind that at this stage, the earth was a watery globe. It had one surface, and one surface only: water! But God knew it couldn’t stay this way, so He created a contrast. He brought land up from the depths of the water and separated them into two separate areas; sea on one side and dry land on the other. 

Upon seeing this contrast, this separation, God declared that it was “good.” Of course, it was good in the sense that it enabled the earth to be inhabited in a way it couldn’t otherwise. But let’s dig deeper: is there a principle here we can learn and benefit from? 

Remember, God didn’t just create the earth “ready made,” even though He could have. There was a purpose behind His process. In this case, we see the principle of separation. 

There is an aspect of separating things that is good, because it helps us discern that things are different. In the spiritual life, we come to grow in this discernment. At the beginning of our spiritual walk with God, everything can seem the same. All looks fine and well. We don’t see the differences in people, places, or things that we should. We’re blind to motives that run contrary God’s heart. 

But then, God gives us discernment to see the contrasts and differences that do exist in this world. And, as He did at creation, He reveals the importance and goodness of separation as we make the decision to disassociate with those things that go against His will for our lives.

Don’t misunderstand: separation isn’t always good. But, there are definitely instances where we need to separate from certain people, places, and things in order to experience the goodness that God wants for us. Separation is often the doorway to that goodness.

DIG: What important principle do we see at this point of creation?

DISCOVER: How has this principle played out in your own life?

DO: Think about the things you might need to separate yourself from.