God Creates the Sun, Earth, Moon and PlanetsBible World
1:15Genesis 1:15
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
God set the sun and moon and starry heavens in the firmament to give light upon the earth and to order day and night. Their appointing was a new portion of work generated on a literal day of the first week, which was six literal days about six thousand years ago and not vast indefinite periods of thousands or millions of years. That first week was measured off as the sample and first cycle for every week to the close of time, so the law to labor six days and rest the seventh points back to God's example in making heaven and earth in six days and resting the seventh as the reason for keeping the Sabbath. Turning the days into indefinite periods in order to accommodate the Bible to science contradicts the literal Mosaic record, undermines the force of God's word, and strikes directly at the foundation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The same creative energy in the Word that called the lights to shine is still in that Word, so every command accepted by the will imparts power, begets life, and recreates the soul in the image of God, while the sunshine and moon and glory of the starry heavens still bear witness to the Creator's goodness and love.
Creation of the Lights
God set the sun and the moon and the starry heavens in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth and to order day and night. That appointing of lights was one part of His work of making heaven and earth in six days, and when that six-day work with all its host was finished everything made was very good. On the seventh day He ended His work and rested from all His work which He created and made, and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, thereby proclaiming to all the earth that the Sabbath is holy, a sign and perpetual covenant. The lights belong to a holy and beautiful creation in which everything answered its purpose and filled the mind with thoughts of His love, and though sin marred that perfect work and brought thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death through disobedience, the glad sunshine, the beautiful moon, the glory of the starry heavens, and every ray shed on an unthankful world still bear witness to the Creator and testify to His goodness, forbearance, and love. This work is not the result of natural causes, and human reasoning and the suppositions of geologists must not be accepted in opposition to it.
The heaven where the lights were placed is the starry region of the sun, moon, and stars. It is different from Paradise, and different from the air around the earth where birds fly, and different from the church of God on earth. It is also not the heaven that is shaken and rolled together as a scroll by the seventh vial and the voice of God just before the sign of the Son of man appears.
The Father and the Son together carried out the mighty, wondrous work of creation they had contemplated, speaking it into existence. By that speaking the earth came forth from the Creator's hand exceedingly beautiful, like a noble palace diversified with hills, mountains, plains, rivers and waters, adorned with plants, flowers and majestic trees, and filled with pure and healthful air, at which angels beheld and rejoiced. His spoken words created His works in the natural world, including the heavenly lights for the earth. His creation is a reservoir of means made ready for Him to employ instantly to do His pleasure, and nothing He made is useless.
The appointing of the lights to give light upon the earth was a new portion of His work generated on a literal day of the first week, for at the close of each literal day He gives the productions of His work, and each day is accounted a generation because every day He generated some new portion of His work. That work was done in six literal days, where day means a literal day and not a vast indefinite period covering thousands or even millions of years. That first week was measured off as a sample for every week to the close of time, and like every other week it consisted of seven literal days, with six days employed in the work of creation and the seventh blessed and set apart. Creation week was therefore only seven literal days about six thousand years ago, not six vast indefinite periods with another indefinite period of rest, and the wonderful things found in the earth do not set aside that timing.
He spread the making of the world over six days though He could have spoken it into existence in one day. Just how He accomplished this work He has never revealed to mortals, for His creative works are as incomprehensible as His existence. It cannot be explained from natural causes or searched out by human science, and without Bible history geology can prove nothing, so seeking to account for His creative works upon natural principles apart from His word leaves boundless uncertainty. What is revealed belongs to men to be believed on sufficient evidence, while how it was done belongs to the secret things of God. The verse belongs to the first and second chapters of Genesis that lay out His plan in the beginning for equal exercise of the mental and physical powers.
Literal Week Upholds Sabbath
The appointing of the lights to give light upon the earth was part of the work God did in the six literal days of the first week, and that first week was measured off by God as a sample and first cycle for every week to the close of time. Like every other week it consisted of seven literal days, with six days employed in the work of creation and the seventh as God's rest, originating the weekly cycle of seven literal days with six for labor and the seventh for rest. The first six days of each week are given to man for labor because God employed the same period in the first week, and on the seventh day man is to refrain from labor in commemoration of the Creator's rest. At the close of each literal day the productions of His work were given, and each day is accounted a generation because every day He generated some new portion of His work.
That six-day work of making heaven and earth with all its host was finished and everything made was very good. On the seventh day God ended His work which He had created and made and rested from all His work, and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. Thereby He proclaimed His will to all the earth that the Sabbath is holy, a sign and perpetual covenant.
The Sabbath law to labor six days and rest the seventh points back to God's example in those first seven days of time as the reason for its observance. The law given from Sinai recognizes this week and points back to this six-day making of heaven and earth and all in them and the seventh-day rest as the reason for keeping the Sabbath. The fourth commandment commands observance of the week of seven literal days in commemoration of that creation week of only seven literal days about six thousand years ago, not six vast indefinite periods with another indefinite period of rest.
Turning those days, which God made very plain as seven literal days, into indefinite periods strikes directly at the foundation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and makes indefinite and obscure what God made plain. It is the worst kind of infidelity, infidelity in disguise among many who profess to believe the record of creation. It charges God with commanding men to observe a week of seven literal days in commemoration of seven indefinite periods, which is unlike His dealings with mortals and impeaches His wisdom.
The day of the literal Mosaic record of creation is a literal day, not a vast indefinite period covering thousands or even millions of years. The claim that millions of years were required for the evolution of the earth from chaos contradicts that literal record and rests on inferences erroneously drawn from facts observed in nature. Interpreting the days of creation as long periods in order to accommodate the Bible to science undermines and destroys the force of the word of God.
Trusting Creator in Life
“And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth” belongs to the plain facts of Scripture that make known God as the living God and Maker of heaven and earth. Those facts as set forth by inspired writers are among the very pillars of the Christian faith, contained in the holy Word given as the guide of life. What is revealed is to be believed on sufficient evidence, while how God wrought the work belongs to the secret things of God, never revealed to men and not to be explained from natural causes nor searched out by human science.
The account is the only authentic account of creation, found alone in God’s Word, coming fresh from the fountain of eternal truth with its purity preserved through all ages by a divine hand and by the divine Mind and Hand. It makes known the power that laid the foundation of the earth and stretched out the heavens, and its bright rays shine into the far distant past where human research seeks vainly to penetrate. It is the most comprehensive and most instructive history possessed by men, giving a history of the race unsullied by human prejudice and human pride.
Without Bible history geology can prove nothing, for seeking to account for the creative works upon natural principles apart from the Word of God leaves boundless uncertainty. The placing of lights in the firmament to give light upon the earth is not the result of natural causes, and human reasoning and the suppositions of geologists, with inferences erroneously drawn from nature, must not be accepted in opposition to what God has revealed. It is inconsistent to reject revealed prophecy in Daniel and the Revelation as too obscure to understand while accepting mere suppositions about creation in contradiction of what God revealed.
In the last days men turn from these plain precepts to infidel fables and human reasoning, calling the Word of God unreliable, and will be left without excuse. A large share of the professedly Christian world now practically rejects the creation account wholly or in part through alarming infidelity in the church as well as in the world, through refusal to place implicit confidence in the Bible, pride in wisdom and independence, caviling at the Scriptures, and spiritualizing and explaining away their most important truths. Because God created the heavens and the earth, set the stars in their order in the firmament, and appointed the sun and the moon to do their work of giving light upon the earth, His wisdom is greater and certain. Those destitute of His divine enlightenment cannot have correct ideas of His plans and ways, so the opinions of worldly-wise men are not to be trusted and exalted, but God Himself is to be chosen as teacher instead of infidel authors.
The record is to be the chief study in schools, carrying minds higher than now thought possible and training heart and mind to preserve purity by daily supplies from the fountain of eternal truth. There is converse with patriarchs and prophets, and learning what redemption cost the One who was equal with the Father from the beginning and sacrificed His life that a people might stand before Him redeemed from every common, earthly thing and renewed in the image of God. The creative energy in the Word that called the world into existence and commanded the lights to shine is still in that Word, so the command imparts power and begets life. Every command is a promise which, accepted by the will and received into the soul, brings with it the life of the Infinite One, transforms the nature and recreates the soul in the image of God, and the life thus imparted is sustained by every word proceeding from God, building up mind and soul by that upon which it feeds.
God’s spoken creation, including the heavenly lights for the earth, is a reservoir of means made ready for Him to employ instantly to do His pleasure, and nothing He made is useless. Though the curse caused tares to be sown by the enemy, rational beings should not be the ones to cause confusion in the world but should live to God and honor Him, for God and Saviour is all-wise and all-sufficient and came to this world that His perfection might be revealed in humanity. The sun, moon, and starry heavens were placed in the sky as part of a holy and beautiful creation where everything answered its Creator’s purpose and filled the mind with thoughts of His love. Sin marred that perfect work through disobedience, bringing thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death, yet the glad sunshine, the moon in its beauty, the glory of the starry heavens, and every ray of light shed on an unthankful world still bear witness to the Creator and testify to His goodness, forbearance, and love. Parents should use them in fields and groves during Sabbath hours to teach children the reason for the Sabbath.
The ordering of day and night by lights to give light upon the earth fixed regular hours for sleep and work in creation that must be preserved for health. Turning night into day and day into night is poor policy, to be departed from only in a case of life or death. God does not lead to extremes of working day and night until breakdown, because expenditure of strength by overwork and overstraining is never recovered, while stopping when nature says stop preserves powers in the bank of health for efficient, healthful labor.
God set the sun and moon and starry heavens in the firmament to give light upon the earth and to order day and night. Their appointing was a new portion of work generated on a literal day of the first week, which was six literal days about six thousand years ago and not vast indefinite periods of thousands or millions of years. That first week was measured off as the sample and first cycle for every week to the close of time, so the law to labor six days and rest the seventh points back to God's example in making heaven and earth in six days and resting the seventh as the reason for keeping the Sabbath. Turning the days into indefinite periods in order to accommodate the Bible to science contradicts the literal Mosaic record, undermines the force of God's word, and strikes directly at the foundation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. The same creative energy in the Word that called the lights to shine is still in that Word, so every command accepted by the will imparts power, begets life, and recreates the soul in the image of God, while the sunshine and moon and glory of the starry heavens still bear witness to the Creator's goodness and love.
Creation of the Lights
God set the sun and the moon and the starry heavens in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth and to order day and night. That appointing of lights was one part of His work of making heaven and earth in six days, and when that six-day work with all its host was finished everything made was very good. On the seventh day He ended His work and rested from all His work which He created and made, and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, thereby proclaiming to all the earth that the Sabbath is holy, a sign and perpetual covenant. The lights belong to a holy and beautiful creation in which everything answered its purpose and filled the mind with thoughts of His love, and though sin marred that perfect work and brought thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death through disobedience, the glad sunshine, the beautiful moon, the glory of the starry heavens, and every ray shed on an unthankful world still bear witness to the Creator and testify to His goodness, forbearance, and love. This work is not the result of natural causes, and human reasoning and the suppositions of geologists must not be accepted in opposition to it.
The heaven where the lights were placed is the starry region of the sun, moon, and stars. It is different from Paradise, and different from the air around the earth where birds fly, and different from the church of God on earth. It is also not the heaven that is shaken and rolled together as a scroll by the seventh vial and the voice of God just before the sign of the Son of man appears.
The Father and the Son together carried out the mighty, wondrous work of creation they had contemplated, speaking it into existence. By that speaking the earth came forth from the Creator's hand exceedingly beautiful, like a noble palace diversified with hills, mountains, plains, rivers and waters, adorned with plants, flowers and majestic trees, and filled with pure and healthful air, at which angels beheld and rejoiced. His spoken words created His works in the natural world, including the heavenly lights for the earth. His creation is a reservoir of means made ready for Him to employ instantly to do His pleasure, and nothing He made is useless.
The appointing of the lights to give light upon the earth was a new portion of His work generated on a literal day of the first week, for at the close of each literal day He gives the productions of His work, and each day is accounted a generation because every day He generated some new portion of His work. That work was done in six literal days, where day means a literal day and not a vast indefinite period covering thousands or even millions of years. That first week was measured off as a sample for every week to the close of time, and like every other week it consisted of seven literal days, with six days employed in the work of creation and the seventh blessed and set apart. Creation week was therefore only seven literal days about six thousand years ago, not six vast indefinite periods with another indefinite period of rest, and the wonderful things found in the earth do not set aside that timing.
He spread the making of the world over six days though He could have spoken it into existence in one day. Just how He accomplished this work He has never revealed to mortals, for His creative works are as incomprehensible as His existence. It cannot be explained from natural causes or searched out by human science, and without Bible history geology can prove nothing, so seeking to account for His creative works upon natural principles apart from His word leaves boundless uncertainty. What is revealed belongs to men to be believed on sufficient evidence, while how it was done belongs to the secret things of God. The verse belongs to the first and second chapters of Genesis that lay out His plan in the beginning for equal exercise of the mental and physical powers.
Literal Week Upholds Sabbath
The appointing of the lights to give light upon the earth was part of the work God did in the six literal days of the first week, and that first week was measured off by God as a sample and first cycle for every week to the close of time. Like every other week it consisted of seven literal days, with six days employed in the work of creation and the seventh as God's rest, originating the weekly cycle of seven literal days with six for labor and the seventh for rest. The first six days of each week are given to man for labor because God employed the same period in the first week, and on the seventh day man is to refrain from labor in commemoration of the Creator's rest. At the close of each literal day the productions of His work were given, and each day is accounted a generation because every day He generated some new portion of His work.
That six-day work of making heaven and earth with all its host was finished and everything made was very good. On the seventh day God ended His work which He had created and made and rested from all His work, and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. Thereby He proclaimed His will to all the earth that the Sabbath is holy, a sign and perpetual covenant.
The Sabbath law to labor six days and rest the seventh points back to God's example in those first seven days of time as the reason for its observance. The law given from Sinai recognizes this week and points back to this six-day making of heaven and earth and all in them and the seventh-day rest as the reason for keeping the Sabbath. The fourth commandment commands observance of the week of seven literal days in commemoration of that creation week of only seven literal days about six thousand years ago, not six vast indefinite periods with another indefinite period of rest.
Turning those days, which God made very plain as seven literal days, into indefinite periods strikes directly at the foundation of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and makes indefinite and obscure what God made plain. It is the worst kind of infidelity, infidelity in disguise among many who profess to believe the record of creation. It charges God with commanding men to observe a week of seven literal days in commemoration of seven indefinite periods, which is unlike His dealings with mortals and impeaches His wisdom.
The day of the literal Mosaic record of creation is a literal day, not a vast indefinite period covering thousands or even millions of years. The claim that millions of years were required for the evolution of the earth from chaos contradicts that literal record and rests on inferences erroneously drawn from facts observed in nature. Interpreting the days of creation as long periods in order to accommodate the Bible to science undermines and destroys the force of the word of God.
Trusting Creator in Life
“And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth” belongs to the plain facts of Scripture that make known God as the living God and Maker of heaven and earth. Those facts as set forth by inspired writers are among the very pillars of the Christian faith, contained in the holy Word given as the guide of life. What is revealed is to be believed on sufficient evidence, while how God wrought the work belongs to the secret things of God, never revealed to men and not to be explained from natural causes nor searched out by human science.
The account is the only authentic account of creation, found alone in God’s Word, coming fresh from the fountain of eternal truth with its purity preserved through all ages by a divine hand and by the divine Mind and Hand. It makes known the power that laid the foundation of the earth and stretched out the heavens, and its bright rays shine into the far distant past where human research seeks vainly to penetrate. It is the most comprehensive and most instructive history possessed by men, giving a history of the race unsullied by human prejudice and human pride.
Without Bible history geology can prove nothing, for seeking to account for the creative works upon natural principles apart from the Word of God leaves boundless uncertainty. The placing of lights in the firmament to give light upon the earth is not the result of natural causes, and human reasoning and the suppositions of geologists, with inferences erroneously drawn from nature, must not be accepted in opposition to what God has revealed. It is inconsistent to reject revealed prophecy in Daniel and the Revelation as too obscure to understand while accepting mere suppositions about creation in contradiction of what God revealed.
In the last days men turn from these plain precepts to infidel fables and human reasoning, calling the Word of God unreliable, and will be left without excuse. A large share of the professedly Christian world now practically rejects the creation account wholly or in part through alarming infidelity in the church as well as in the world, through refusal to place implicit confidence in the Bible, pride in wisdom and independence, caviling at the Scriptures, and spiritualizing and explaining away their most important truths. Because God created the heavens and the earth, set the stars in their order in the firmament, and appointed the sun and the moon to do their work of giving light upon the earth, His wisdom is greater and certain. Those destitute of His divine enlightenment cannot have correct ideas of His plans and ways, so the opinions of worldly-wise men are not to be trusted and exalted, but God Himself is to be chosen as teacher instead of infidel authors.
The record is to be the chief study in schools, carrying minds higher than now thought possible and training heart and mind to preserve purity by daily supplies from the fountain of eternal truth. There is converse with patriarchs and prophets, and learning what redemption cost the One who was equal with the Father from the beginning and sacrificed His life that a people might stand before Him redeemed from every common, earthly thing and renewed in the image of God. The creative energy in the Word that called the world into existence and commanded the lights to shine is still in that Word, so the command imparts power and begets life. Every command is a promise which, accepted by the will and received into the soul, brings with it the life of the Infinite One, transforms the nature and recreates the soul in the image of God, and the life thus imparted is sustained by every word proceeding from God, building up mind and soul by that upon which it feeds.
God’s spoken creation, including the heavenly lights for the earth, is a reservoir of means made ready for Him to employ instantly to do His pleasure, and nothing He made is useless. Though the curse caused tares to be sown by the enemy, rational beings should not be the ones to cause confusion in the world but should live to God and honor Him, for God and Saviour is all-wise and all-sufficient and came to this world that His perfection might be revealed in humanity. The sun, moon, and starry heavens were placed in the sky as part of a holy and beautiful creation where everything answered its Creator’s purpose and filled the mind with thoughts of His love. Sin marred that perfect work through disobedience, bringing thorns and thistles, sorrow and pain and death, yet the glad sunshine, the moon in its beauty, the glory of the starry heavens, and every ray of light shed on an unthankful world still bear witness to the Creator and testify to His goodness, forbearance, and love. Parents should use them in fields and groves during Sabbath hours to teach children the reason for the Sabbath.
The ordering of day and night by lights to give light upon the earth fixed regular hours for sleep and work in creation that must be preserved for health. Turning night into day and day into night is poor policy, to be departed from only in a case of life or death. God does not lead to extremes of working day and night until breakdown, because expenditure of strength by overwork and overstraining is never recovered, while stopping when nature says stop preserves powers in the bank of health for efficient, healthful labor.