25-0406a Transcript

Preacher: Scott Reynolds

(0:55) Good morning. (0:57) If you remember, we’ve been going through, my desire to go through the first 11 chapters of Genesis, beginning with the beginning. (1:06) And we’re up to day four. (1:08) So today we step boldly into day four, a moment when the vast physical heavens unfurl like a scroll, (1:18) becoming a breathtaking tapestry woven with the radiant threads of God’s glory.

(1:25) Reading from Genesis chapter 1, verses 14 through 19. (1:31) And God said, (1:34) Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night. (1:38) And let them serve as signs to mark sacred times and days and years.

(1:43) And let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth. (1:49) And it was so. (1:51) God made two great lights, the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.

(1:58) He also made the stars. (2:01) God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. (2:12) And God saw that it was good, and it was evening and it was morning, the fourth day.

(2:19) So imagine the scene and picture this divine drama unfolding day one. (2:27) God summons two realms into being, the spiritual heavens, ablaze with his presence and teeming with angels, (2:35) and the physical heavens, a dark, empty void awaiting his touch. (2:40) He crafts the earth, laying its foundation, draping it in water, and suspending it in the icy blackness of space.

(2:50) The Holy Spirit hovers over the likely frozen deep, a silent promise of life to come. (2:58) And then with a word, God pierces the physical realm with light, not yet from the sun or stars, (3:07) but a primal brilliance and declares, it was good. (3:11) Evening falls, morning rises, one day.

(3:17) On day two, God carves out the earth’s atmosphere, working within the vast waters of the deep beneath their surface, (3:27) splitting them vertically, waters above the sky and waters below, still hidden in the dark abyss of the waters. (3:34) With this act, he breathes air into the midst of the chaos, forging a space where life will one day thrive. (3:45) This day stands alone, a silent labor unfolding with no, it was good, yet declared.

(3:57) Perhaps the process of shaping this atmospheric expanse stretches into day three, (4:04) steadily preparing the earth for the wonders yet to come. (4:09) Day three. (4:12) God commands the waters below to gather birthing land, (4:17) likely a single, sprawling supercontinent rising from one vast ocean.

(4:23) Midday, he pauses, surveys the scene and says, it was good. (4:29) Then in the sudden burst of life, vegetation erupts, plants, grasses, trees, (4:35) fully mature, laden with seed and fruit, ready to sustain. (4:40) And at day’s end, he proclaims again on the same day, it was good.

(4:46) Evening, morning, the third day. (4:51) Now the stage is set. (4:53) The earth pulses with life, land and seas teeming, plants drinking in and supporting the new air.

(5:01) God lifts his voice to the heavens once more. (5:05) On day one, he said, let there be light, singular, mysterious. (5:11) But here, on day four, he declares, let there be light, plural, specific.

(5:19) And in an instant, the sun roars into being a furnace of blazing gold. (5:25) The moon awakens, bathing the night in silver serenity. (5:30) And the stars, countless billions, sparkle like diamonds strewn against a velvet sky.

(5:38) This isn’t a cosmic afterthought. (5:40) It’s a divine symphony, a testament of God’s power, wisdom, and tender care for us. (5:49) Today, we’ll linger in Genesis 1, unpacking these verses, line by line, (5:54) marveling at what God did, why he did it, and how it echoes in our lives right now.

(6:02) So open your Bibles, lift your hearts, and let’s look in awe of the creator (6:08) who ignited the heavens for his glory and delight. (6:13) The literal day. (6:15) Let’s plant our feet on the unshakable foundation of our faith.

(6:21) Day four was a literal 24-hour day. (6:24) Genesis 1 isn’t a misty fable or a poetic myth. (6:30) And how do we know? (6:32) And what does our unshakable foundation of faith lie on? (6:37) It’s God’s own testimony, penned by Moses under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration.

(6:45) And notice the pattern. (6:47) There was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. (6:51) That phrase echoes through each of the six days.

(6:54) First, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth. (6:59) In the Hebrew word yam, meaning day, isn’t some elastic term here. (7:03) When you pair it with evening and morning, it’s as concrete as the ground beneath your feet.

(7:10) A single ordinary day, just like the ones we live. (7:15) Why does this matter? (7:17) Because the world wants to twist Genesis into something it’s not. (7:22) They say, oh, those days must be millions of years.

(7:26) How else could stars form? (7:29) But the scriptures don’t bend to fit man’s theories. (7:32) Exodus 20, verse 11, ties the Sabbath to this very creation day. (7:40) It says, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that was in them.

(7:47) But he rested on the seventh day. (7:51) Six days, not six ages, not six epochs, but six days. (7:57) Psalm 33, 6 says, by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.

(8:07) One breath, one command, one day. (8:11) That’s the God we worship. (8:14) Now let’s tackle a question that pops up.

(8:18) What about the light on day one? (8:21) What was it before the sun? (8:24) So turn back to Genesis 1, verse 3. (8:28) God said that there be light, and there was light, yet not light. (8:34) There’s no sun, moon, or stars, just light. (8:38) What was it? (8:40) Scripture doesn’t spell it out, but invites us to wonder.

(8:45) Could it have been God’s own uncreated glory spilling into the void? (8:48) Revelation 22, 5 paints a future where there will be no more night, for God will give them light. (9:00) If he’ll illuminate eternity without a sun, why not day one? (9:05) But as we explored on December 15th in our talk on the beginnings and fate, (9:12) God likely birthed darkness in the physical realm to cloak it from his direct radiance, (9:21) crafting a space for faith over sight, (9:25) unlike the spiritual realms unveiled clarity in his light. (9:32) Perhaps it was a temporary source until day four, (9:37) when the sun, moon, and stars took their place.

(9:40) Whatever it was, here’s the truth. (9:43) On day four, God didn’t wait billions of years. (9:48) He spoke, and the heavens obeyed 24 hours from dusk to dawn.

(9:56) Pause and savor that power. (9:59) Think of the biggest project you’ve ever tackled. (10:02) Building a house, raising a family, starting a business.

(10:06) It takes time, sweat. It takes years. (10:10) But God, he says, let there be, and it’s done.

(10:15) Psalm 148, verses 5 and 6. (10:19) Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, (10:25) and he established them forever and ever. (10:28) That’s day four, creation at the speed of God’s voice. (10:33) No evolution, no slow burn, just instant perfect light.

(10:38) So verse by verse, from Genesis chapter 1, verses 14 through 19. (10:45) Verse 14, and God said, (10:49) Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, (10:53) and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, days, and years. (10:57) So here’s the command, it’s a three-fold purpose.

(11:03) First, to separate day from night. (11:06) Before day four, light and darkness existed, Genesis 1-4. (11:11) But now, God links in the new light.

(11:16) And that’s important to know, here we have the possibility (11:20) that the light pathways are existing and in place (11:27) before the light sources are created. (11:32) We’re going to talk tonight about the problem of starlight (11:36) and the size of the universe. (11:40) But notice that there’s the possibility that the pathways may have been existing (11:45) and in place before he even created the light sources.

(11:49) So the sun blazes and the moon glows, (11:53) now linked into the pre-existing light from days one, two, and three. (11:58) First Corinthians 14-3 says, (12:01) God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. (12:05) Every sunrise since day four, since that’s when the sun comes in, (12:09) is a sermon of his consistency.

(12:13) Lamentations chapter 3, 22 and 23. (12:17) His compassions never fail, they are new every morning. (12:21) And that sunlit morning started here.

(12:25) The second purpose was to serve as signs. (12:28) These lights marked sacred times, days, and years. (12:32) And in Israel, the moon set the feast, the Passover time by its fullness, (12:38) Sabbath by the sun cycle.

(12:40) Leviticus 23-4, these are the Lord’s appointed festivals. (12:45) You are to proclaim at their appointed times. (12:49) The stars guided Abraham’s descendants.

(12:52) The sun told farmers when to sow. (12:55) Ecclesiastes 3-11, he has made everything beautiful in its time. (13:02) God’s clock ticks in the sky.

(13:06) And third, for days and years, this is a practical genius. (13:11) Timekeeping etched in the sky. (13:14) Your planner, your clock, they trace their lineage to day four.

(13:21) God didn’t just craft beauty, he built a framework for us to live by. (13:26) Verse 15, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth. (13:33) And it was so.

(13:35) And here’s the gift, light for humanity. (13:38) The sun warms the soil, ripens our harvest. (13:42) The moon softens the dark.

(13:44) Stars guide sailors home. (13:46) In John 18-12, Jesus says, I am the light of the world. (13:51) And day four foreshadows him, physical life pointing to spiritual light.

(13:58) And it was so. (13:59) God spoke, and it happened. (14:02) No delays, no debate, just obedience.

(14:06) Verse 16, God made two great lights. (14:11) The greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night. (14:16) He also made the stars.

(14:18) Made in Hebrew means fashioned and appointed. (14:23) The sun rules the day, its heat, its energy unmatched. (14:28) The moon governs the night, gentle, reflective.

(14:32) Then almost casually, it says, he also made the stars. (14:37) Trillions of them. (14:38) Scientists estimate 200 billion galaxies, each with billions of stars.

(14:46) That’s billions upon billions of stars. (14:50) Yet God tosses it in like a postscript. (14:54) Why? (14:55) To show his vastness.

(14:57) Isaiah 40, verse 26. (15:01) Who created all these? (15:03) He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls them each by name. (15:13) He names them.

(15:15) If he knows every star, he knows every sigh you’ll ever breathe. (15:22) Verse 17 and 18. (15:26) God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, (15:30) to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness.

(15:35) Set them. (15:37) Precise, deliberate. (15:38) The vault is the expanse, sky or space, where God pinned his lights.

(15:44) They govern, they illuminate, they divide and separate the light from darkness. (15:49) This is authority delegated by the king. (15:54) Psalm 136, verses 7 through 9. (15:57) Give thanks to him who made the great lights, the sun that governed the day, (16:03) the moon and stars that governed the night.

(16:06) His mercy shines through them. (16:08) Verse 19. (16:10) And God saw that it was good, and there was evening and morning, a fourth day.

(16:17) It was good, perfect, complete. (16:21) Then the clock ticks, evening, morning, done, one day. (16:28) Infinite wonder, boundless awe.

(16:31) Stretching out the heavens, God’s infinite reach. (16:36) Let’s zoom out further. (16:38) Genesis hints at it, but other scriptures shouted.

(16:41) God didn’t just make the stars. (16:44) He stretched out the heavens. (16:47) Psalm 104, 2. (16:50) He stretches out the heavens like a tent.

(16:54) Isaiah 42, 5. (16:57) The creator of the heavens who stretches them out. (17:00) Job 9, verse 8. (17:03) He alone stretches out the heavens over a dozen times. (17:09) Isaiah 44, 24.

(17:11) 45, 12. (17:13) 48, 13. (17:15) Jeremiah 10, 12.

(17:17) This picture emerges. (17:20) God unfurling space like a scroll. (17:24) Vast and majestic.

(17:27) On day four, this wasn’t gradual. (17:30) It was instantaneous. (17:32) Scientists say the universe spans 93 billion light years.

(17:38) And the light year is 5.88 trillion miles. (17:43) One light year. (17:44) The distance light can travel in a year.

(17:47) 5.88 trillion miles. (17:52) So you multiply that by 93 billion and your calculator quits. (17:57) Yet, God did it in 24 hours.

(18:00) Some creationists like Dr. Russell Humphreys proposed this stretching warp time itself. (18:08) This is a creationist scientist talking. (18:11) In his white hole cosmology, which we won’t go into, (18:15) Earth lingered in a gravitational crater as space ballooned or stretches out.

(18:22) Out there, billions of years flash by. (18:26) Starlight streaking across the sky. (18:28) But here, one day.

(18:30) It’s called time dilation. (18:33) If you’ve ever watched Stargate SG-1, they have a whole episode on time dilation. (18:40) You’ll know all about it.

(18:42) Anyway, others say he stretched light itself into place. (18:47) That would be other creationists, and here’s my idea. (18:50) Or perhaps the light without light from days 1 through 3 was God creating light in place (18:57) to be linked up to the lights of day 4 when they arrived.

(19:02) Either way, Isaiah 55.9 soars when it says, (19:08) As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways. (19:14) That takes on new depth. (19:16) That stretch is his greatness on display.

(19:22) Picture a tent maker stretching canvas over poles. (19:26) Taught, perfect. (19:28) Now imagine God stretching the cosmos, pinning stars like diamonds.

(19:34) That’s day 4. (19:35) And here’s the bridge. (19:37) The God who stretched out the heavens stretched his son on the cross. (19:41) John 12.32, Jesus says, (19:44) And I, when I’m lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

(19:49) The heavens and the cross both stretched for you. (19:54) So here’s a pillar to grasp. (19:57) A finished work.

(19:58) God’s unique miracle. (20:01) Day 4’s act don’t repeat today. (20:04) Genesis 2 verses 1 through 3. (20:07) Thus, the heavens and the earth were completed, (20:11) and God rested from all his work he had created and done.

(20:15) He rested from his creation work. (20:18) The sun doesn’t rebirth each morning. (20:22) Stars aren’t freshly minted.

(20:24) Creation week was a singular burst of power. (20:28) The flood, Genesis 7 verse 11, (20:31) all the springs of the great deep, verse 4, (20:35) was another unrepeated act. (20:39) A judgment, not a remake.

(20:42) And today God sustains, Hebrews 1.3, (20:46) the sun sustaining all things by his powerful word in Colossians 1.17, (20:52) in him all things hold together. (20:55) He’s not creating anew. (20:57) Now he’s upholding what’s done.

(21:01) This reframes everything. (21:03) Scientists today study laws, the laws of gravity and light speed, (21:10) but day 4 was supernatural beyond their reach. (21:16) Job 38.4 challenges.

(21:19) Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? (21:24) There are certain things that are beyond science. (21:29) And so God asks, where were you when I laid the foundations? (21:35) No one saw it but God and his spiritual host. (21:39) Second Timothy 1.9, this grace was given us in Christ Jesus (21:43) before the beginning of time, (21:45) and creations of mystery unveiled in scripture, not in the lab.

(21:51) Every star you see is the day 4 heirloom, (21:54) glowing with God’s past tense promise. (21:58) It was good. (22:00) So some applications for today.

(22:04) Trust God’s word. (22:06) Skeptic scoffed at 2 Peter 1.21. (22:10) Prophecy never had its origin in human will, (22:14) but prophets spoke from God. (22:16) Genesis is truth.

(22:18) Stand on it. (22:20) Worship his power. (22:21) Psalm 95.5, the sea is his for he made it, (22:26) and his hands formed the dry land.

(22:29) And you can add the stars. (22:31) Worship our all-powerful God. (22:35) See his care in Matthew 5.45. (22:37) He causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good.

(22:42) So whether you’re good or bad, that sun’s for you. (22:45) It’s made for us. (22:48) Live his order.

(22:49) The sun sets a rhythm. (22:52) Work, rest, pray. (22:54) Colossians 3.23. (22:55) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart.

(23:00) And point to him. (23:02) The stars shine and share their maker. (23:05) Matthew 5.16. (23:07) Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds (23:12) and glorify your father in heaven.

(23:15) Day four is God’s love letter in life. (23:19) He spoke and the heavens obeyed. (23:22) Sun, moon, stars all stretched in a day.

(23:26) It’s finished perfect, hours to enjoy. (23:31) And tonight we’ll face the starlight challenge. (23:34) But for now, marvel.

(23:37) The creator of day four is our father. (23:42) And that’s the sermon. (23:44) So if you are in need of the invitation to come, why don’t we stand and sing?