Let There Be Light - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **Let There Be Light** ^top *And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.* ([Gen 1:2](Genesis%201.md#^2) - [3](Genesis%201.md#^3)) ~ Before we look at our focus passage, let's consider the historical situation momentarily. When God created the world in 6 days, we know they were literal 24-hour days because God flatly said, > And the evening and the morning were the first day ([Gen 1:5](Genesis%201.md#^5))....And the evening and the morning were the second day ([1:8](Genesis%201.md#^8))....And the evening and the morning were the third day ([1:13](Genesis%201.md#^13))....And the evening and the morning were the fourth day ([1:19](Genesis%201.md#^19))....And the evening and the morning were the fifth day ([1:23](Genesis%201.md#^23))....And the evening and the morning were the sixth day ([1:31](Genesis%201.md#^31)). Then, of course, God rested on the seventh day: > *And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.* ([[Gen 2:2]]) Not that God Himself was tired, but He established the rest for our benefit in our still-continuing 7-day per week cadence that we observe today: *And he [Jesus] said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:* ([Mk 2:27](Mark%202.md#^27)) We cannot just "spiritualize away" the historical record here or anywhere else in the Bible. These 7 days were not representative of epochs or eras or periods. God makes this very clear. However, that doesn't mean that God does not give us deeper, spiritual Truth through all of the historical events of the Bible, including this one. The first thing to note is that God *spoke* creation into existence, bringing light and life to it. And in so doing He gave it the appearance of age -- so Adam and Eve were adults, then later there were children. Fully grown trees existed with tree rings, then there were seedlings and such. It was formed as an existing creation, galaxies were fully formed in the universe and so on. But in speaking light and life into it, we'll see that *God represents salvation without denying the accuracy of the historical event*: > *And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.* ([Gen 1:2](Genesis%201.md#^2) - [3](Genesis%201.md#^3)) That is, God is and was always in sovereign control of the historical events, and He recorded them in such a way as to demonstrate the Gospel. Notice the earth was without form, and void -- and darkness was upon the face of the deep. God uses this same language in Jeremiah 4 in the context of the *sinfulness* of Jerusalem and Judah: > *For my people [is] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have none understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and, lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light.* ([Jer 4:22](Jeremiah%204.md#^22) - [23](Jeremiah%204.md#^23)). Here God speaks of the heavens having no light instead of darkness being upon the face of the deep. We won't get into that distinction here, but suffice it to say that this formless void of darkness spiritually represents the world in need of salvation, it has to do with the sinful state of humanity who are "wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." They are in the *deep*, under the wrath of God, through which we must somehow pass to safety (this will be seen again later with regard to Jonah): > *Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea. The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.* ([Ex 15:4](Exodus%2015.md#^4) - [5](Exodus%2015.md#^5)) > > *Deep calls unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.* ([Ps 42:7](Psalm%2042.md#^7)) > > *[Thou], which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.* ([Ps 71:20](Psalm%2071.md#^20)) > > *The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled.* ([Ps 77:16](Psalm%2077.md#^16)) > > *They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble.* ([Ps 107:26](Psalm%20107.md#^26)) > > *For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.* (Jonah 3:3-6) Going back to Genesis 1:2-3, we see that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, and God said, "Let there be light, and there was light.": > *. . .And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.* ([Gen 1:2](Genesis%201.md#^2) - [3](Genesis%201.md#^3)) The *waters* in the Bible can relate to several things -- just like the deep, they represent being under the wrath of God (as seen in the verses above regarding the deep). But the waters can also relate to the Gospel and the Word of God. Remember Jesus said if we drink of the living water that He gives we will never thirst again, but it will be like everlasting springs or wells unto eternal life ([Jn 4:14](John%204.md#^14)). However, the waters can also represent the nations of the world, which do happen to be under the wrath of God: > And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sits, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. ([Rev 17:15](Revelation%2017.md#^15)) So the idea here is that the waters and the isles and such represent the world into which the Gospel goes forth to deliver those God plans to save. And it is the *Spirit* of God that moves upon the face of the waters when God says, "Let there be light, and there was light." That is, while the Spirit moves upon the face of this sin-cursed, dark world, God *speaks* the light of the Gospel to His people in bringing them salvation. Lest we fear that we're taking liberties by saying this, consider what God says in 2 Corinthians 4:6: *For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.* ([2 Cor 4:6](2%20Corinthians%204.md#^6)) In this case, God Himself gives us insight into how He ordered the events and wrote His Word to illustrate Truth, to paint a portrait of the Gospel through biblical history. Is there any question now that God represents salvation through the first day of creation when He spoke light into the dark formless void of the world? If we need any more evidence, we know that Christ is the Light of the world: > *Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.* ([Jn 8:12](John%208.md#^12)) > > *As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.* ([Jn 9:5](John%209.md#^5)) > > *I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness.* ([Jn 12:46](John%2012.md#^46)) He is typified by the sun in this world, and the need for no sun into eternity: > *But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.* ([Mal 4:2](Malachi%204.md#^2)) > > *And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.* ([Mt 17:2](Matthew%2017.md#^2)) > > *And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance [was] as the sun shines in his strength.* ([Rev 1:16](Revelation%201.md#^16)) > > *And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb [is] the light thereof.* ([Rev 21:23](Revelation%2021.md#^23)) Moreover, just as God *spoke* the light and creation into existence, so He *speaks* the light of salvation into our hearts (to give us the knowledge of the glory of the Kingdom of God in the face of Jesus Christ) through His *Word*. In fact, Christ Himself IS the *Word* in the flesh who brings light into the darkness as the Creator: > 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. > 2 The same was in the beginning with God. > 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. > 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. > 5 And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. > ... > 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5, 14) > With that in mind, see how amazingly John 1 above parallels [Genesis 1:2](Genesis%201.md#^2) - [3](Genesis%201.md#^3)? Looking a little more closely at the words "without form, void and darkness" to represent a world that's under the wrath of God, briefly consider the context of a few verses where these words are found (keep in mind they are translated differently from the same original Hebrew word). There are too many verses with "dark" or "darkness" to list so just a few are included: > *The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing* ("without form") *and perish.* ([Job 6:18](Job%206.md#^18)) > > *He takes away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causes them to wander in a wilderness* ("without form") *[where there is] no way.* ([Job 12:24](Job%2012.md#^24)) > > *The city of confusion* ("without form") *is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.* ([Isa 24:10](Isaiah%2024.md#^10)) > > *All nations before him [are] as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity* ("without form")....*That brings the princes to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as vanity* ("without form"). ([Isa 40:17](Isaiah%2040.md#^17), [23](Isaiah%2040.md#^23)) > > *Behold, they [are] all vanity; their works [are] nothing: their molten images [are] wind and confusion* ("without form"). ([Isa 41:29](Isaiah%2041.md#^29)) > > *None calls for justice, nor [any] pleads for truth: they trust in vanity* ("without form"), *and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.* ([Isa 59:4](Isaiah%2059.md#^4)) > > *For [it is] the day of the LORD'S vengeance, [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever: from generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion* ("without form")*, and the stones of emptiness* ("void"). (Isa 34:8-11) > > *For thou [art] my lamp, O LORD: and the LORD will lighten my darkness.* ([2 Sa 22:29](2%20Samuel%2022.md#^29)) > > *Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.* ([Job 3:5](Job%203.md#^5)) > > *They grope in the dark without light, and he makes them to stagger like [a] drunken [man].* ([Job 12:25](Job%2012.md#^25)) > > Or darkness, [that] thou canst not see; and abundance of waters cover thee. ([Job 22:11](Job%2022.md#^11)) The other days of creation can also be shown to represent salvation, but we will leave that for another time in order to give a broader survey of the Bible. Now what about the seventh day of rest? Does this have anything to do with the Gospel? And we readily find that it certainly does. We read where Christ says in Matthew 11: > *Come unto me, all [ye] that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.* ([Mt 11:28](Matthew%2011.md#^28) - [29](Matthew%2011.md#^29)) The *rest* that Christ is speaking of here is *salvation*. We find this again in Hebrews 4: > 1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left [us] of entering into his *rest*, any of you should seem to come short of it. > ... > 3 For we which have believed do enter into *rest*, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my *rest*: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. > 4 For he spoke in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did *rest* the seventh day from all his works. > 5 And in this [place] again, If they shall enter into my *rest*. > ... > 9 There remains therefore a *rest* to the people of God. > 10 For he that is entered into his *rest*, he also has ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his. (Hebrews 4:1, 3-5, 9-10) That is, as God entered into rest after the 6 days of creation work, so we enter into His rest when we become saved. Keep in mind that we enter into HIS rest as we read in the verses above. We don't rest from our own works unto salvation, rather, we enter into HIS rest for HIS work entirely of saving us, as represented by the 6 days of creation (as we see in Genesis 1:1-2 with the sending forth of light into a dark world). As for what Christ said in Matthew 11, we labor and are heavy laden in our sins and in any attempt to get right with God by our own doing, which is not possible for us to accomplish. We can only come to Christ (as He is pleased to draw us to Himself) and rest in Him to completely do all the work on our behalf. But when we read the frightening words of Revelation 14:11, we find that those who finally die in continued rebellion against God will never find the rest that comes with salvation in Christ: > *And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.* ([Rev 14:11](Revelation%2014.md#^11)) 6.19.2025 Tags: #Bible_is_spiritual #Gospel_meaning #library