Sermon #2 Series: Pictures of Grace in Genesis

Title: Creation - A Picture of Redemption

Text: Genesis 1:31-2:3

Reading:

Subject: Christ in Genesis 1

Date: Tuesday Evening - April 30, 1991

Tape #

Introduction:

On Sunday morning, I showed you how that creation is a picture of grace. Tonight, I want us to look at the creation again. My subject tonight is Creation - A Picture of Redemption.

“Christ is the key which unlocks the golden doors into the temple of Divine truth” (A. W. Pink). Our Lord says, “Search the Scriptures…for they testify of me” (John 5:39). He declares, “In the volume of the book it is written of me” (Heb. 10:7). This Book, the Word of God, speaks of him. Christ is the Subject of the Book. He is enshrined upon every page. The book of Genesis speaks of him just as much as the Book of Matthew.

Proposition:

Tonight, I want to show you how that the opening chapter of Genesis, as it describes God’s work of creation, typically sets forth the entire work of redemption by Christ.

In the opening verses of Genesis the great need of redemption is typically set forth. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Like everything else that comes from the hand of God, the original creation of the world was perfect, beautiful, and glorious. And that was the original condition of man. Adam was made in the image of God. He was endowed with life by the breath of the Almighty. And God said, concerning him, he was “very good.”

Then something happened. In verse 2 we read, “And the earth was without form and void,” the earth became a ruin. As I showed you Sunday, between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 a terrible thing happened which resulted in the ruin of the earth. Sin entered the universe. Satan, the mightiest and most excellent of God’s creatures, was filled with pride. Lucifer dared to oppose the will of his Creator. “The anointed cherub that covereth” dared to defy God’s right to be God. And he was cast out of heaven, cast down to the earth. This fall of satan had far reaching consequences. The earth, originally created by God fair and beautiful, became “became without form and void,” a desolate place of ruin. “And darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

This is a striking picture of what happened in the garden. Man, who was created in the image of God, fell into sin. And his fall had far reaching consequences. The effects of his sin reached all his posterity. Humanity became a ruin. All future generations were cursed, dead, incapable of bringing forth life, as the result of Adam’s fall. “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, for all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12).

“And darkness was upon the face of the deep.” Darkness is the opposite of light. God is light. Satan is darkness. And man under sin, being void of all light, is engulfed in total, spiritual darkness. Separated from God, morally blind, spiritually dead, darkness is the condition of all unregenerate men and women. This is the black background upon which God has chosen to display the glory of his grace in redemption by Christ. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:21). Tonight, I want to show you how that God’s great work of redemption by Christ is typically set forth in the days of creation. As the Lord God restored creation from ruin in those first six days of time, so he restores his elect from the ruin of the fall by his redemptive works in Christ. Seven things are set before us in this chapter.

I. IN THE FIRST DAY’S WORK, THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST IS TYPICALLY SET FORTH (vv. 2-5).

If fallen man is to be reconciled to the holy God, something must be done. But what? How can that great gulf which separates man from God be bridged? What ladder can be set up upon the earth that will reach into heaven itself? Only one answer can be given. The initial work of restoration must be the incarnation of God himself. The Word must be made flesh. God himself must come down to the horrible pit where humanity lives in helplessness, death and sin. If ever man is to be lifted out of the miry clay and transported into heavenly glory, the God of glory must become a man, the Son of God must take upon himself the form of a servant and be made in the likeness of men. This is precisely what the first day typifies.

A. First, there is the work of the Holy Spirit.

“And the Spirit of God moved upon (brooded over) the face of the waters” (v. 2). That is exactly what happened in the incarnation of Christ (Lk. 1:35). That holy body which was created in Mary’s womb was the offspring of God the Holy Spirit.

B. Secondly, the Word brought forth light.

“And God said, (there is his Word), Let there be light; and there was light” (v. 3). And as soon as Mary brought forth her child, the Word, Light came into the world (Lk. 2:8-9, 29-32; John 1:9).

C. Third, the light was given God’s approval.

“And God saw the light, that it was good” (v. 4). The same word here translated “good” is in other places translated “beautiful”. “He hath made everything beautiful in his time” (Eccles. 3:11). “God saw the light, that it was good,” beautiful! Even so, the Lord God, looks upon his incarnate Son with delight, satisfaction and approval (Lk. 2:52; Matt. 3:17).

D. Fourth, the light was separated from the darkness.

“And God divided the light from the darkness” (v. 4). How carefully God guards even the types of Scripture! Though the Lord Jesus was made to be the Son of man, he was separated from the sons of men by infinity. He knew no sin! (Heb. 7:26).

E. Fifth, the light was named by God.

“And God called the light day” (v. 5). So it was with him who is the Light of the world. It was not left up to Joseph and Mary to select a name for the Savior. God himself gave him his name (Isa. 49:1; Matt. 1:21). 1^st Day - The Incarnation!

II. IN THE SECOND DAY’S WORK THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS TYPICALLY FORESHADOWED (vv. 6-8).

Now hear me carefully. We could not be saved by the life of Christ. His life could never bring in righteousness. His life could never satisfy the justice of God. His life could never atone for our sins. Thank God for his holy life. But we are justified, redeemed, forgiven, and made righteous by his blood! “Without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:22). Life is in the blood. We could never have lived with Christ but by the death of Christ upon the cross (John 12:24). The cross of Christ is the only place where the righteous claims of the Holy God could be met!

It is the cross of Christ that is set forth in the second day’s work (vv. 6-7). Let me show you how the firmament which God made typifies the cross of Christ.

A. The firmament was purposed by God before it was made by God.

In verse 6, God said, “Let there be a firmament.” Then, in verse 7, “God made the firmament.”

Long, long before the cross was erected upon Mt. Calvary it was purposed by God in everlasting mercy (Rev. 13:8). “I have found a ransom!”

B. The firmament was set “in the midst of the waters.”

NOTE: “Waters” in the Scriptures means “peoples” (Rev. 17:15).

· Christ was crucified publicly.

· Christ was crucified in the midst of two thieves.

· Christ was crucified in Jerusalem, in the middle of the earth.

C. The firmament “divided the waters.”

It divided the waters under it, upon the earth, from the waters above it, in the heavens. And the cross of Christ is the great divider of mankind. As it divided the two thieves, the penitent from the unbelieving, so it divides all men into two categories: the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman, the children of darkness and the children of light, the children of satan and the sons of God. On the one hand, “the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness,” but on the other hand, “unto us which are saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18).

D. The firmament was designed by God.

“And God made the firmament.” As God designed and made the firmament that divided the waters, so the cross of Christ that divides the peoples of the world was designed and made by God himself (Acts 2:23; Isa. 53:9-11).

1. Christ’s death was by the design of God and by the hand of God.

2. The results of Christ’s death are by the design of God and by the hand of God.

· The 1^st day - The Incarnation.

· The 2^nd day - The Cross.

III. IN THE THIRD DAY’S WORK OUR LORD’S RESURRECTION WAS FORESHADOWED (vv. 9-13).

The third thing necessary in the accomplishment of redemption was the resurrection of the crucified Christ. A dead Christ could save no one. He is able to save to the uttermost all who come to God by him for this reason - “He ever liveth!” (Heb. 7:25).

Hither to death had reigned supreme. No life had appeared upon the face of the ruined earth. But on the third day, the earth is commanded to “bring forth”. Not on the second, not on the fourth, but on the third day life buds forth upon the previously dead and barren earth. Even so, on the third day our Lord Jesus Christ arose from the dead to give lift to the world “according to the Scriptures!”

· The 1^st day - The Incarnation.

· The 2^nd day - The Cross.

· The 3^rd day - The Resurrection.

IV. IN THE FOURTH DAY’S WORK OUR REDEEMER’S ASCENSION AND EXALTATION IS SET FORTH (vv. 14-19).

The resurrection did not complete our Savior’s work. It was necessary for him to enter into that place not made with hands with the merits of his own blood, that he might obtain eternal redemption for us and there forever appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Heb. 9:12, 24).

Look at the type given. On the fourth day our eyes are lifted from the earth to heaven. As I read these verses, I can almost hear the Spirit of God saying, “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2).

A. As we lift our eyes to heaven we see two great lights.

1. The greater light, Christ, the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2).

2. The lesser light, his church, the moon to reflect his light (Rev. 12:1).

B. These two great lights are set by God to rule over the day and over the night, to give light upon the earth.

· In his night of darkness.

· In that world of light that is to come.

The 1^st day - The Incarnation.

The 2^nd day - The Cross.

The 3^rd day - The Resurrection.

The 4^th Day - The Ascension.

V. IN THE FIFTH DAY’S WORK GOD GAVE LIFE TO THE WATERS, TYPICALLY FORESHADOWING THE RESULTS OF CHRIST’S ASCENSION (vv. 20-23). Salvation!

I have already shown you that in the Scriptures “waters” symbolically represent “peoples”. As the result of Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, the peoples of the earth have been blessed with God’s salvation (Psa. 68:18-20; John 17:2; Gal. 3:13-14).

VI. IN THE SIXTH DAY’S WORK WE HAVE A TYPICAL PICTURE OF THE CONSUMMATION OF CHRIST’S REDEMPTIVE WORK (vv. 24-31).

Our Lord is not done yet. He assumed our nature in the incarnation. He died in our place on the cross. He arose from the dead as our Representative. He ascended up to heaven and bestows the blessings of grace upon his elect. Yet, there is a work to be done. There is a day coming called the restitution of all things. And in that great day:

· This sin cursed earth will be made new, to bring forth fruit unto God (Rom. 8).

· Manhood, in God’s elect multitude, shall be made into the image of God perfectly - Glorification.

· And God shall give to his elect every god thing - “Heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.”

The 1^st day - The Incarnation.

The 2^nd day - The Cross.

The 3^rd day - The Resurrection.

The 4^th day - The Ascension.

The 5^th day - Salvation.

The 6^th day - Glorification.

VII. OH, BUT BLESSED BE GOD, THERE IS A SEVENTH DAY! (2:1-3). THE SEVENTH DAY WAS A DAY OF REST! It represented three things:

· The rest of faith in Christ (Matt. 11:28-30; Heb. 4:3).

· The rest of Christ, our successful Savior.

· The rest of the Triune God in everlasting glory (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

As creation is a picture of grace, so creation is a picture of redemption, for all grace comes to us freely through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.