Series: Broken
Message: Purpose
Preacher: David Smith
Daily Walk: David Smith
Refresh: Open with prayer. Read or listen to Psalm 75:6-10.
Read: Genesis 1-2 (NLT). As you read the New Living Translation, note 1-3 insights or questions that arise from the text.
Reflect: It’s easy to approach the creation story as nothing more than an explanation of origins. In todays’ scientific world, there is a tendency to focus on the when, what, and how of creation as we try to makes sense of it in light of all that we now know and the evidence of the world around us. Very basic science questions begin to arise from a simple reading of the text. How can there be day and night on the first day (or the counting of days at all for that matter) when the sun isn’t created until the fourth day? Does the “firmament” really convey the understanding of a solid dome in the sky? Could Adam possibly take the time to name every single living organism? But as we dissect all of the different aspects of the text we begin to lose sight of what it’s really about. Speaking of Genesis 1-2 the Teacher’s Commentary states this:
It shows every evidence of being intended for liturgical use, of being recited in public worship. It was not intended to be dissected by theologians, but to be listened to and proclaimed. It is clear that the passage has one major thrust—to declare that one creator formed the natural world according to his own will and ordained it for his purpose.
While there are times when it is certainly appropriate to wrestle with how the text aligns with our current understanding of science, we must never miss the essential truths of the text. The primary focus appears to be on the God that we serve. We learn that God is all powerful, that God cares about human relations, and that God is invested in this world that we live in.
Recalibrate:
Respond: Pray for God to continue his act of creation in your heart today .
Research: What are some possible explanations to questions that come out of the creation story?