Transcription
Chapter 1, Part 1 of Commentary on the Book of Genesis.
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Commentary on the Book of Genesis by Matthew Henry.
Chapter 1, Part 1.
The foundation of all religion being laid in our relation to God as our Creator, it was fit that the book of divine revelations, which was intended to be the guide, support, and rule of religion in the world, should begin as it does with a plain and full account of the creation in the world, in answer to that first inquiry of a good conscience, "Where is God my Maker?" (Job 35:10).
Concerning this, the pagan philosophers wretchedly blundered and became vain in their imaginations, some asserting the world's eternity and self-existence, others ascribing it to a fortuitous concourse of atoms. Thus, the world by wisdom knew not God, but took a great deal of pains to lose him. The holy scripture, therefore, designing by revealed religion to maintain and improve natural religion, to repair the decays of it and supply the defects of it since the fall, for the reviving of the precepts of the laws of nature, lays down at first this principle of the unclouded light of nature, that this world was, in the beginning of time, created by a Being of infinite wisdom and power, who is himself before all time and all worlds. The entrance into God's Word gives this light (Psalm 119:130). The first verse of the Bible gives us a surer and better, a more satisfying and useful knowledge of the origin of the universe than all the volumes of the philosophers. The lively faith of humble Christians understands this matter better than the elevated fancy of the greatest wits (Hebrews 11:3).
We have three things in this chapter:
1. A general idea given us of the work of creation (verses 1-2).
2. A particular account of the several days' work, registered as in a journal, distinctly and in order: the creation of the light the first day (verses 3 and 5); of the firmament the second day (verses 6 and 8); of the sea, the earth, and its fruits the third day (verses 9-13); of the lights of heaven the fourth day (verses 14-19); of the fish and fowl the fifth day (verses 20-23); of the beasts (verses 24-25); of man (verses 26-28); and a food for both the sixth day (verses 29-30).
3. The review and the approbation of the whole work (verse 31).
The Creation. BC 4004.
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 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."
In these verses, we have the work of creation in its epitome and in its embryo.
One: Its epitome, verse 1, where we find, to our comfort, the first article of our Creed: "That God the Father Almighty is the Maker of heaven and earth," and as such we believe in him.
Observe in this verse four things:
1. The effect produced: "the heaven and the earth," that is, the world, including the whole frame and furniture of the universe (Acts 17:24). The world is a great house, consisting of upper and lower storeys; the structure stately and magnificent, uniform and convenient, and every room well and wisely furnished. It is the visible part of the creation that Moses here designs to account for; therefore, he mentions not the creation of angels. But as the earth has not only its surface adorned with grass and flowers, but also its bowels enriched with metals and precious stones, which partake more of its solid nature and are more valuable, though the creation of them is not mentioned here; so the heavens are not only beautified to our eyes with glorious lamps which garnish its outside, of whose creation we here read, but they are within replenished with glorious beings out of our sight, more celestial and more surpassing them in worth and excellency than the gold or sapphires surpass the lilies of the field. In the visible world, it is easy to observe:
a. Great variety: several sorts of beings, vastly differing in their nature and constitution from each other. "Lord, how manifold are thy works!" (Psalm 104:24).
b. Great beauty: the azure sky and verdant earth are charming to the eye of the curious spectator; much more the ornaments of both. How transcendent then must the beauty of the Creator be!
c. Great exactness and accuracy: to those that, with the help of microscopes, narrowly look into the works of nature, they appear far more fine than any of the works of art.
d. Great power: it is not a lump of dead and inactive matter, but there is virtue, more or less, in every creature; the earth itself has a magnetic power.
e. Great order: a mutual dependence of beings, and exact harmony of motions, an admirable chain and connection of causes.
f. Great mystery: there are phenomena in nature which cannot be solved, secrets which cannot be fathomed nor accounted for. But from what we see of heaven and earth, we may easily enough infer the internal power and Godhead of the great Creator, and may furnish ourselves with abundant matter for His praises. And let our make, as men, remind us of our duty as Christians, which is always to keep heaven in our eye and the earth under our feet.
2. The author and cause of this great work: "God." The Hebrew word is Elohim, which bespeaks:
a. The power of God the Creator. El signifies "the strong God," and what less than almighty strength could bring all things out of nothing?
b. The plurality of persons in the Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. This plural name of God in Hebrew, which speaks of him as many, though he is one, was to the Gentiles perhaps the savour of death unto death, hardening them in their idolatry; but it is to us a savour of life unto life, confirming our faith in the doctrine of the Trinity, which, though but darkly intimated in the Old Testament, is clearly revealed in the New. The Son of God, the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father, was with him when he made the world (Proverbs 8:30). Nay, we are often told that the world was made by him, and nothing made without him (John 1:3, 10; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2). Oh, what thoughts should this form in our minds of that great God whom we draw nigh to in religious worship, and that great Mediator by whose name we draw nigh!
3. The manner in which this work was effected: "God created it," that is, made it out of nothing. There was not any pre-existent matter out of which the world was produced. The fish and fowl were indeed produced out of the waters, and the beasts and man out of the earth; but what earth and what waters were made out of nothing by the ordinary power of nature is impossible. That anything should be made out of nothing? No artificer can work unless he has something to work on. But by the almighty power of God, it is not only possible that something should be made out of nothing; the God of nature is not subject to the laws of nature. But in the creation, is it possible it should be otherwise? For nothing is more injurious to the honor of the eternal mind than the supposition of eternal matter. Thus, the excellency of the power is of God, and all the glory is to him.
4. The time when this work was produced: "In the beginning," that is, in the beginning of time, when that clock was first set to going. Time began with the production of those things that are measured by time. Before the beginning of time, there is none but that infinite Being that inhabits eternity. Should we ask why God made the world no sooner? We should but darken counsel by words without knowledge, for how could there be sooner or later in eternity? And he did make it in the beginning of time, according to his eternal counsels, before all time. The Jewish rabbis have a saying that there were seven things which God created before the world, by which they only mean to express the excellency of these things: the Law, repentance, paradise, hell, the throne of glory, the house of the sanctuary, and the name of the Messiah. But to us, it is enough to say, "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1).
Let us learn hence:
1. That atheism is folly, and atheists are the greatest fools in nature, for they see there is a world that could not make itself, and yet they will not own there is a God that made it. Doubtless, they are without excuse, but the god of this world has blinded their minds.
2. That God is sovereign Lord of all by an incontestable right; if he is the Creator, no doubt he is the owner and possessor of heaven and earth.
3. That with God all things are possible, and therefore happy are the people that have him for their God, and whose help and hope stand in his name (Psalm 121:2 and 124:8).
4. For that the God we serve is worthy of, and yet his exalted far above all blessing and praise (Nehemiah 9:5-6).
5. If he made the world, he needs not our services, nor can be benefited by them (Acts 27:24, 21); and yet he justly requires them and deserves our praise (Revelation 4:11).
6. If all is of him, all must be to him.
Two: Its embryo, verse 2, where we have an account of the first matter and the first mover.
1. A chaos was the first matter. It is here called "the earth," though the earth properly taken was not made till the third day (verse 10), because it did most resemble that which afterward was called earth, mere earth, destitute of its ornaments. Such a heavy, unwieldy mass was it. It is also called "the deep," both for its vastness and because waters, which were afterwards separated from the earth, were now mixed with it. This immense mass of matter was it out of which all bodies, even the firmament, invisible heavens themselves, were afterwards produced by the power of the eternal Word. The Creator could have made his work perfect at first, but by this gradual proceeding, he would show what is ordinarily the method of his Providence and grace.
Observe the description of this chaos:
a. There was nothing in it desirable to be seen, for it was "without form, and void." Tohu and bohu, confusion, emptiness, so these words are rendered (Isaiah 34:11). It was shapeless, it was useless, it was without inhabitants, without ornaments; the shadow or rough draught of things to come, and not the image of the things (Hebrews 10:1). The earth is almost reduced to the same condition again by the Son of Man, under which the creation groans (see Jeremiah 4:23). "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void." To those who have their hearts in heaven, this low world, in comparison with that upper, still appears to be nothing but confusion and emptiness. There is no true beauty to be seen, no satisfying fullness to be enjoyed in this earth, but in God only.
b. If there had been anything desirable to be seen, yet there was no light to see it by, for "darkness was upon the face of the deep." God did not create this darkness, as he is said to create the darkness of affliction (Isaiah 45:7), for it was only the want of light, which yet could not be said to be wanted till something was made that might be seen by it. Nor needs the want of it be much complained of when there is nothing to be seen but confusion and emptiness. If the work of grace in the soul is a new creation, this chaos represents the state of an unregenerate, graceless soul: there is disorder, confusion, and every evil work; it is empty of all good, for it is without God; it is dark, is darkness itself. This is our condition by nature, till almighty grace effects a blessed change.
2. The Spirit of God was the first mover. "He moved upon the face of the waters." When we consider the earth without form and void, methinks it is like the valley full of dead and dry bones. Can these live? Can this confused mass of matter be formed into a beautiful world? Yes, if a Spirit of life from God enter into it (Ezekiel 37:9). Now there's hope concerning this thing, for the Spirit of God begins to work, and if he work, who or what shall hinder? God is said to make the world by his Spirit (Psalm 33:6; Job 26:13), and by the same mighty Worker the new creation is effected. He moved upon the face of the deep, as Elijah stretched himself upon the dead child; as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings and hovers over them to warm and cherish them (Matthew 23:37); as the eagle stirs up her nest and flutters over her young. It is the same word that is here used (Deuteronomy 32:11).
Learn hence:
a. That God is not only the author of all being, but the fountain of life and spring of motion. Dead matter would be forever dead if he did not quicken it. And this makes it credible to us that God should raise the dead. That power which brought such a world as this out of confusion, emptiness, and darkness at the beginning of time, can at the end of time bring our vile bodies out of the grave, though it is a land of darkness as darkness itself and without any order (Job 10:22), and can make them glorious bodies (Philippians 3:21).
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."
We have here a further account of the first day's work, in which we observe:
1. That the first of all visible beings which God created was light. Nothing by it he himself might see to work, for the darkness and light are both alike to him; but that by it we might see his works and his glory in them, that we might work our works while in his day. The works of Satan and his servants are works of darkness, but he that doeth truth and doeth good cometh to the light, and coveteth at it, that his deeds may be made manifest (John 3:21). Light is the great beauty and blessing of the universe. Like the firstborn, it does of all visible beings most resemble its great Parent in purity and power, brightness and beneficence. It is of great affinity with the Spirit, and is next to it. Though by it we see other things, and are sure that it is, yet we know not its nature, nor can describe what it is, or by what way the light is parted (Job 38:19, 24). By the sight of it, let us be led to and assisted in the believing contemplation of Him whose light is infinite and eternal (1 John 1:5), and the Father of lights (James 1:17), and in whom dwells inaccessible light (1 Timothy 6:16). In the new creation, the first thing wrought in the soul is light; the blessed Spirit quickens as the will and affections by enlightening the understanding, so coming into the heart by the door, like the Good Shepherd, whose own the sheep are, while Satan, like thieves and robbers, climbs up some other way. Those that by sin were darkness, by grace become light in the world (Ephesians 5:8).
2. That the light was made by the word of God's power. He said, "Let there be light," he willed and appointed it, and it was done immediately. There was light. Such a copy has exactly answered the original idea in the eternal mind. Oh, the power of the Word of God! He spoke, and it was done, done really, effectually, and perpetually, not in show only, but to serve a present turn, for "he commanded, and it stood fast." With him it was dictum, factum: a word and a world. The Word of God, that is, his will and the good pleasure of it, is quick and powerful. Christ is the Word, the essential, eternal Word, and by him the light was produced, for "in him was light, and he is the true light, the light of the world" (John 1:9, 9:5). The divine light which shines and sanctifies souls is wrought by the power of God, the power of his Word and of the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, opening the understanding, scattering the mists of ignorance and mistake, and giving the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ, as "God commanded the light to shine out of darkness" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Darkness would have been perpetually upon the face of fallen man if the Son of God had not come and given us an understanding (1 John 5:23).
3. That the light which God willed, when it was produced, he approved of. "God saw the light, that it was good." It was exactly as he designed it, and it was fit to answer the end for which he designed it. It was useful and profitable; the world, which now is a palace, would have been a dungeon without it. It was amiable and pleasant; "truly the light is sweet" (Ecclesiastes 11:7), it rejoiceth the heart (Proverbs 15:30). What God commands, he will approve and graciously accept. He will be well pleased with the work of his own hands. That is good indeed which is so in the sight of God, for he sees not as man sees. If the light is good, how good is He that is the fountain of light, from whom we receive it, and to whom we owe all praise for it, and all the services we do by it!
4. For that God divided the light from the darkness, so put them asunder as that they could never be joined together or reconciled, for "what fellowship has light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14). And yet he divided time between them: the day for the light, and the night for the darkness, in a constant and regular succession to each other. That the darkness was now scattered by the light, yet it was not condemned to a perpetual banishment, but takes its turn with the light, and has its place because it has its use. For as the light of the morning befriends the business of the day, so the shadows of the evening befriend the repose of the night, and draw the curtains about us that we may sleep the better (see Job 7:2). God has thus divided time between light and darkness because he would daily remind us that this is a world of mixtures and changes. In heaven there is perfect and perpetual light, and no darkness at all; in hell, utter darkness and no gleam of light; in that world between these two, there is a great gulf fixed. But in this world, there are interchange and we pass daily from one to another, that we may learn to expect the lights, vicissitudes, in the Providence of God, peace and trouble, joy and sorrow, and may set the one over against the other, accommodating ourselves to both, as we do to the light and darkness, bidding both welcome and making the best of both.
5. That God divided them from each other by distinguishing names. He called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. He gave them names as Lord of both, for "the day is his, and the night also is his" (Psalm 74:16). He is the Lord of time, and will be so till day and night shall come to an end, and the stream of time be swallowed up in the ocean of eternity. Let us acknowledge God in the constant succession of day and night, and consecrate both to his honor, by working for him every day and resting in him every night, meditating in his law day and night.
6. That this was the first day's work, and a good day's work it was. "The evening and the morning were the first day." The darkness of the evening was before the light of the morning, that it might serve for a foil to it, to set it off and make it shine the brighter. This was not only the first day of the world, but the first day of the week. I observe it to the honor of that day, because the new world began on the first day of the week, likewise, in the resurrection of Christ, as the light of the world, early in the morning. In him, the Dayspring from on high has visited the world, and happy are we forever happy, if that day-star arise in our hearts.
"And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day."
We have here an account of the second day's work, the creation of the firmament, in which observe:
1. The command of God concerning it: "Let there be a firmament." An expansion, so the Hebrew word signifies, like a sheet spread or curtain drawn out. This includes all that is visible above the earth, between it and the third heavens: the air, its higher, middle, and lower regions; the celestial globe, and all the spheres and orbs of light above it. It reaches as high as the place where the stars are fixed, for that is called here the firmament of heaven (verses 14-15), and as low as the place where the birds fly, for that also is called the firmament of heaven (verse 20). When God had made the light, he appointed the air to be the receptacle and vehicle of its means, and to be as a medium of communication between the invisible and the visible world. For though between heaven and earth there's an inconceivable distance, yet there is not an impassable gulf, as there is between heaven and hell. This firmament is not a wall or partition, but a way of intercourse (see Job 26:7; 37:18; Psalm 104:3; Amos 9:6, 2).
2. The creation of it: "And God made the firmament." Lest it should seem as if God had only commanded to be done, and someone else had done it, he adds, "And God made the firmament." What God requires of us, he himself works in us, or it is not done. He commands faith, holiness, and love; creates them by the power of His grace, and going along with his word, that he may have all the praise. "Lord, give what thou commandest, and then command what thou pleasest." The firmament is said to be the work of God's fingers (Psalm 8:3). The vastness of its extent declares it to be the work of his arm stretched out; yet the admirable finesse of its constitution shows it to be a curious piece of art, the work of his fingers.
3. The use and design of it: "to divide the waters from the waters," that is, to distinguish between the waters that are wrapped up in the clouds and those that cover the sea; the waters in the air and those in the earth. See the difference between these two carefully observed (Deuteronomy 11:10-11), where Canaan is upon this account preferred to Egypt, that Egypt was moistened and made fruitful with the waters under the firmament, but Canaan with the waters from above, out of the firmament, even the dew of heaven, which tarrieth not for the sons of men (Micah 5:7). God has in the firmament of his power chambers, store-chambers, whence he watereth the earth (Psalm 104:13; 65:9-10). He has also treasures or magazines of snow and hail, which he hath reserved against the day of battle and war (Job 38:22-23). Oh, what a great God is he who has thus provided for the comfort of all that serve him and the confusion of all that hate him! It is good having him our friend, and bad having him our enemy.
4. The naming of it: "He called the firmament Heaven." It is visible heaven, the pavement in the holy city above the firmament. God is said to have his throne (Ezekiel 1:26), for he has prepared it in the heavens. The heavens, therefore, are said to rule (Daniel 4:26). Is not God in the height of heaven? (Job 22:12). Yes, he is, and we should be led by the contemplation of the heavens that are in our eye to consider our Father who is in heaven. The height of the heavens should remind us of God's supremacy and the infinite distance there is between Him; the brightness of the heavens and their purity should remind us of his glory and majesty and perfect holiness; the vastness of the heavens, their encompassing the earth, and the influence they have upon it, should remind us of his immensity and universal providence.
"And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto 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 called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, and herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and an herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit whose seed was in itself after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day."
The third day's work is related in these verses: the forming of the sea and the dry land, and the making of the earth fruitful. Hitherto, the power of the Creator had been exerted, employed about the upper part of the visible world; the light of heaven was kindled, and the firmament of heaven fixed. But now he descends to his lower world, the earth, which was designed for the children of men, designed both for their habitation and for their maintenance. And here we have an account of the furnishing of it for both, a billionaire house and the spraying of their table.
Observe:
1. How the earth was prepared to be a habitation for man by the gathering of the waters together and the making of the dry land to appear. Thus, instead of the confusion which there was (verse 2), when earth and water mixed in one great mass, behold now there is order. For such a separation has rendered them both useful. God said, "Let it be so," and it was so. No sooner said than done.
a. The waters, which had covered the earth, were ordered to retire and gather into one place, namely, those hollows which were fittingly appointed for their reception and rest. The waters thus cleared, thus collected, and thus lodged in their proper place, he called Seas, though there are many in distant regions and washing several shores, yet either above ground or underground they have communication with each other, and so they are one and the common receptacle of waters, in which all the rivers flow (Ecclesiastes 1:7). Waters and seas often in scripture signify troubles and afflictions (Psalm 42:7, 69:2, 14-15). God's own people are not exempted from these in this world, but it is their comfort that they are only waters under the heaven, there are none in heaven, and that they are all in the place that God has appointed them and within the bounds that he has set for them. How the waters were gathered together at first, and how they are still bound and limited by the same Almighty hand that first confined them, are elegantly described (Psalm 104:6-9) and are there mentioned as matter of praise. Those that go down to the sea and ships, all to acknowledge daily the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Creator in making the great waters serviceable for man, for trade and commerce. And those that tarry at home must own themselves indebted to him that keeps the seas with bars and doors, and its decreed place, and stays its proud waves (Job 38:10-11).
b. To the dry land was made to appear and emerge out of the waters, and was called Earth, and given to the children of men. The earth, it seems, was in being before, but it was of no use because it was under water. Many of God's gifts are received in vain because they are buried; make them to appear, and they become serviceable. We who to this day enjoy the benefit of the dry land, though since this it was once too and dried again, must own ourselves tenants too and dependent upon that God whose hands formed the dry land (Psalm 95:5; Jonah 1:9).
2. How the earth was furnished for the maintenance and support of man (verses 11-12). Present provision was now made by the immediate products of the upstart earth, which, in obedience to God's command, was no sooner made than it became fruitful and brought forth grass for the cattle and herb for the service of man. Provision was likewise made for time to come by the perpetuating of the several kinds of vegetables, which are numerous, various, and all curious, and everyone having a seed in itself after its kind, that during the continuance of man upon the earth, food might be fetched out of the earth for his use and benefit. Lord, what is man, that he is thus visited and regarded, that such care should be taken and such provision made for the support and preservation of those guilty and obnoxious lives which have been a thousand times forfeited!
Observe here:
a. That not only the earth is the Lord's, but the fullness thereof, and he is the rightful owner and sovereign disposer not only of it, but of all its furniture. The earth was emptiness (verse 2), but now by a word speaking, it has become full of God's riches. And though they are still his corn, his wine, his wool, and his flax (Hosea 2:9), though the use of them is allowed to us, the property still remains in him, and to his service and honor they must be used. To that common Providence is continued creation, and in it our Father worketh hitherto. The earth still remains under the efficacy of this command to bring forth grass and herbs, and its annual products. And though, being according to the common course of nature, these are not standing miracles, yet they are standing instances of the unworried power and unexhausted goodness of the world's great Maker and Master.
b. That though God ordinarily makes use of the agency of second causes according to their nature, yet he neither needs nor is tied to them. For though the precious fruits of the earth are usually brought forth by the influences of the sun and moon (Deuteronomy 33:14), yet here we find the earth yielding a great abundance of fruit, probable ripe fruit, before the sun and moon were made. For that is good to provide things necessary before we have occasion to use them. Before the beasts and man were made, here were grass and herbs prepared for them. God thus dealt wisely and graciously with man; let not man then be foolish and unwise for himself.
c. That God must have the glory of all the benefit we receive from the products of the earth, either for food or physic. It is he that hears the heavens when they hear the earth (Hosea 2:21-22). And if we have, through grace, an interest in Him who is the fountain, when the streams are dried up, and the fig tree doth not blossom, we may rejoice in him.
"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day."
This is the history of the fourth day's work: the creation of the Sun, Moon, and stars, which are here accounted for now as they are in themselves, in their own nature, by the curious, but as they are in relation to this earth, to which they serve as lights. And this is enough to furnish us with matter for praise and thanksgiving. Holy Job mentions this as an instance of the glorious power of God, that "by his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens" (Job 26:13). And here we have an account of that garniture, which is not only so much the beauty of the upper world, but so much the blessing of this lower. For though heaven is high, yet has it respect to this earth, and therefore should have respect from it.
Of the creation of the lights of heaven we have an account:
1. In general (verses 14-15), where we have the command given concerning them: "Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven." God had said, "Let there be light" (verse 3), and there was light; but this was as it were a chaos of light, scattered and confused. Now was collected, modeled, and made into several luminaries, and so rendered both more glorious and more serviceable. God is the God of order, and not of confusion. And as he is light, so he is the Father and Former of lights. Those lights were to be in the firmament of heaven, that vast expanse which encloses the earth and is conspicuous to all. For no man, when he has lighted a candle, puts it under a bushel, but on a candlestick (Luke 8:16), and a stately golden candlestick the firmament of heaven is, for which these candles give light to all that are in the house. The firmament itself is spoken of as having a brightness of its own (Daniel 12:3), but this was not sufficient to give light to the earth. And perhaps for this reason, it is not expressly said of the second day's work, in which the firmament was made, that it was good, because till it was adorned with these lights on the fourth day, it had not become serviceable to man.
The use intended for these lights:
a. One must be for the distinction of times: of day and night, summer and winter, which are interchanged by the motion of the sun; whose rising makes day, his setting night; his approach towards our tropic, summer; his recess to the other, winter. And thus, under the sun, there is a season to every purpose (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2).
b. They must be for the direction of actions, therefore signs of the change of weather. The husbandman may order his affairs with discretion, foreseen by the face of the sky, whether it will be fair or foul (Matthew 16:2-3).
c. They do also give light upon the earth, that we may walk (John 11:9) and work (John 9:4), according as the duty of every day requires. The lights of heaven do not shine for themselves, nor for the world of spirits above, who need them not, but they shine for us, for our pleasure and advantage. Lord, what is man, that he should be thus regarded? (Psalm 8:3-4). How ungrateful and inexcusable are we, if when God has set up these lights for us to work by, we sleep or play or trifle away the time of business, and neglect the great work we were sent into the world about! The lights of heaven are made to serve us, and they do it faithfully, and shine in their season without fail. But we are sent as lights in this world to serve God, and do we in like manner answer the end of our creation? No, we do not. Our light does not shine before God as his light shines before us (Matthew 5:14). We burn our Master's candles, but do not mind our Master's work.
2. In particular (verses 16-18), observe the lights of heaven: the Sun, Moon, and stars, and all these are the work of God's hands.
a. The Sun is the greatest light of all, more than a million times greater than the earth, and the most glorious and useful of all the lamps of heaven. A noble instance of the Creator's wisdom, power, and goodness, an invaluable blessing to the creatures of this lower world. Let us learn from Psalm 19:1-6 how to give unto God the glory due unto his name as a Maker.
b. The Moon is a lesser light, and yet is here reckoned one of the greater lights, because though in regard to its magnitude and borrowed light it is inferior to many of the stars, yet by virtue of its office as ruler of the night and respect of its usefulness to the earth, it is more excellent than they. Those are most valuable that are most serviceable, and those are the greater lights, not that have the best gifts, but that humbly and faithfully do the most good with them. Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister (Matthew 20:26).
c. Number 3: He made the stars also, which are here spoken of as they appear to vulgar eyes, without distinguishing between the planets and the fixed stars, or accounting for their number, nature, place, magnitude, motions, or influence. For the scriptures were written not to gratify our curiosity and make us astronomers, but to lead us to God and make us saints.
Now, these lights are said to rule (verses 16-18). Now that they have a supreme dominion, as God has, but they are deputy governors, rulers under him. Here, the lesser light, the Moon, is said to rule the night, but in Psalm 36:9, the stars are mentioned as sharers in that government. The Moon and stars to rule by night, no more is meant than that they give light (Jeremiah 31:35). The best and most honorable way of ruling is by giving light, in doing good. Those come to respect that live a useful life, and so shine as lights.
Remember to learn from this:
a. The sin and folly of that ancient idolatry, the worshipping of the Sun, Moon, and stars, which some think took occasion for countenance at least from some broken traditions in the patriarchal age concerning the rule and dominion of the lights of heaven. But the account here given of them plainly shows that they are both God's creatures and man's servants, and therefore it is both a great affront to God and a great reproach to ourselves to make deities of them and give them divine honors (see Deuteronomy 4:19).
b. The duty and wisdom of daily worshipping that God who made all these things, and made them to be that to us which they are. The revolutions of the day and night oblige us to offer the solemn sacrifice of prayer and praise every morning and evening.
"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day."
Each day hitherto has produced very noble and excellent beings, which we can never sufficiently admire, but we do not read of the creation of any living creature till the fifth day, of which these verses give us an account. The work of creation not only proceeded gradually from one thing to another, but rose in advance gradually from that which was less excellent to that which was more so, teaching us to press towards perfection and endeavor that our last works may be our best works. It was on this day that the fish and fowl were created, and both out of the waters. Though there is one kind of flesh of fishes and another of birds, yet they were made together, and both out of the water, for the power of the first cause can produce very different effects from the same second cause.
Observe:
1. The making of the fish and fowl (verses 20-21). God commanded them to be produced. He said, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly," not as if the waters had any productive power of their own, but let them be brought into being: the fish in the waters, and the fowl out of them. This command he himself executed. "And God created great whales," etc. Insects, which perhaps are as various and as numerous as any species of animals, and their structure is curious, were part of this day's work, some of them being allied to the fish and others to the fowl. Mr. Boyle, I remember, says he admires the Creator's wisdom and power as much in an ant as an elephant. Notice is taken of the various sorts of fish and fowl, each after their kind, and of the great numbers of both that were produced, for the waters brought forth abundantly. And particular mention is made of great whales, the largest of fishes, whose bulk and strength are exceeding that of any other animal, are remarkable proofs of the power and greatness of the Creator. The express notice here taken of the whale above all the rest seems sufficient to determine what animal is meant by the Leviathan (Job 41:1). The curious formation of the bodies of animals, their different sizes, shapes, and natures, with the admirable power of the sensitive life with which they are endued, when duly considered, serve not only to silence and shame the objections of atheists and infidels, but to raise high thoughts and high praises of God in pious and devout souls (Psalm 104:25).
2. The blessing of them in order to their continuance. Life is a wasting thing; its strength is not the strength of stones; it is a candle that will burn out if it be not first blown out. And therefore, the wise Creator not only made the individuals, but provided for the propagation of the several kinds. "God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply" (verse 22). God will bless his own works and not forsake them, and what he does shall be for perpetuity (Ecclesiastes 3:14). The power of God's providence preserves all things as at first his creating power produced them. Fruitfulness is the effect of God's blessing, and must be ascribed to it. The multiplying of the fish and fowl from year to year is still the fruit of his blessing. Well, let us give to God the glory of the continuance of these creatures to this day for the benefit of man (see Job 12:7, 9). It is a pity that fishing and fowling recreations, innocent in themselves, should ever be abused to divert any from God and their duty, while they are capable of being improved to lead us to the contemplation of the wisdom, power, and goodness of Him that made all these things, and to engage us to stand in awe of Him, as efficient fowl do of us.
End of Chapter 1, Part 1.