Monday: The Heart of the Creator
The drama of Creation week is extraordinary. Day after day the Creator speaks into existence the life systems and life forms that continue to amaze scientists. Even God refers to the extreme joy of that time. 1
How does God express to Job the excitement that was part of the earth’s creation? Job 38:4–7.
A hint of the joy in the Creator’s heart that first week can also be found in the second verse of Genesis chapter one (NKJV): “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Biblical scholars become ever more appreciative of the fine literary crafting of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) by Moses. In this instance, as Moses describes the Spirit of God “hovering” over the face of the waters at the opening of Creation week, he deliberately chooses a word that he will only use one more time—in Deuteronomy 32. That chapter is part of his farewell sermon to Israel.
How does Moses use the word hovering this second time? Deut. 32:10, 11. (See also Matt. 23:37.)
Think of how mother birds lovingly prepare the nest for their babies. Then picture them hovering over their babies, bringing them food, and then teaching them how to fly. Moses, who had taken care of sheep for 40 years, must have seen this natural phenomenon happen each spring, and it made him think of God’s tender care. Under inspiration, he pictured the same emotions in the Holy Spirit’s heart as our human “nest” was being constructed.
Everything in the Creation account, then, in contrast to the various evolutionary models—which depict our Creation as the work of forces violently competing with each other—reveals a God who loves His creation, who cares about it, and who purposely and carefully designed it. There’s nothing impersonal about the creation, nothing emotionless, nothing purposeless. Love was there, at the start of the Creation week. What a contrast to evolution, which teaches that love somehow emerged but only after billions of years of selfish violence. Love motivated the creation, and love will be there when this damaged version of creation is created anew.
Dwell on the marvels of nature. How do you see the amazing love of God manifested there?
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I study the lesson every day when I am at home and I read the chapter every day
love the lessons, i read them every night when i get home from work. they help me out alot.
When I look at nature as a whole it seems to me that it’s one huge testament of God’s love for me. Something in my head tells me that God didn’t create nature for nature itself or just because. He created it for you, me, humanity-we His children. Think about it, we (humans), were the very last things to be created and that’s because God was busy creating the perfect world just for us. Everything He did was for us-to provide for us and as a testament of His love to us. God created a beautiful, colorful, masterful world. Why? So He could sit back and marvel at His own works? No, so we could stand back and in awe witness the power of His love, a love so out of this world that it would create beauty for no other reason than to bring us delight.
Great lesson for Sunday. i would like to do bible sturdy on line but i dont have a computer right now.
Well said Bridgett. When you look at the beauty and complexity of His handiwork you have to marvel at the incredible intelligence and creativity it took to place everything in motion for His unique creation (us) and then to put us in charge of helping to maintain it. It is especially difficult for me to comprehend how anyone can believe that this planet came into existence by some random process.