Tag: creation

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Handmade by God.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Several verses start with the powerful words, “God said…”

God said (’ĕ·lō·hîm way·yō·mer, amar: to utter, say).

God spoke:

  • And light existed out of nothing.
  • And a divide separated sea from sky. And the water (qavah: wait) or collected.
  • And vegetation, fruit and trees (min: kind, species) according to their own kind.
  • And in the (raqia: expanse) let (maor: a luminary) light appear, one smaller one to govern the night, and a larger one to govern the day.
  • And living creatures (chay: age, ne·p̄eš: living being) in the waters and the sky. Even great sea creatures (tannin: serpent, dragon, sea monster), all according to their kind (lə·mî·nê·hem).
  • And every sort of animal (chay, ne·p̄eš – living being) beast (wə·ḥay·ṯōw), creeping things (wā·re·meś), cattle (bə·hê·māh) all according to their kind (lə·mî·nāh).

But in verse 26 God said something different.

God said let us make…(na·‘ă·śeh). Let us make mankind (adam: man, mankind) in our image (bə·ṣal·mê·nū, tselem). All the other things God created, He spoke into existence. Then when it comes to humans, God fashions, makes us. As humans, we are exclusively different than all other creatures.

“The soul is first, in God’s image. This, as suggesting an external likeness, may refer to man’s reason, free-will, self-consciousness, and so on. But it is, secondly, in God’s likeness, which implies something closer and more inward. It refers to man’s moral powers, and especially to his capacity of attaining unto holiness.” But the third characteristic is dominion – having both authority and responsibility for all the rest of creation. Finally, it is God that determined the two physical differences between them – male (zakar) and female (neqebah) He created them.

I love the picture in Genesis 2:7, Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and man became a living person. God (yatsar: to form, fashion) formed us out of the dust (aphar: dry earth, dust) and breathed (neshamah: breath) into his nostrils, the breath of life, and man became a living soul (nephesh: a soul).

Everything God created is good, but we are very good because we bear God’s image.

Prayer

Dad,
This who idea of we are, who made us, is so important when we are searching for meaning in our lives. I would think this makes the quest for answers so much easier. I would never really had a chance to discover purpose or even a future if you had not found me and offered me a new life. I am forever thankful for the way you have loved me and led me since I was just a teen. Amen.

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Tonight’s BIGGEST nightlight show on earth!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority— the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

You have the opportunity of seeing Psalm 8 in the night sky. Tonight’s show (8-30-23) can be seen just before 8pm PST. There is another August Super-moon. From NPR – A perigean full moon, better known as a supermoon, happens when the moon is full during the closest point in its orbit around Earth. This means it’ll appear about 8% larger than a normal full moon and 15% brighter than a normal full moon. So it’s rare for us on Earth to see two full moons in the span of a single month. When we do, we call it a “blue moon.” Tonight, this Psalm will be spectacularly displayed in full color.

The Psalmist declares this intense moment when every human being on the planet can simply look up at the night sky and actually see the glory of God displayed in wonder! Saying, “when I look and see,” it’s all there. Then, as though the psalmist allows his gaze to drift downward, he also sees his friends, possibly standing with him, also looking up in the night sky. He writes about God’s care for “mere mortals,” mankind that God should attend to/care about. God made humans just slightly lower than the angels, yet he crowns us with his own glory and honor. God shares some of what he is with human beings! God charged us and gave us the authority over everything he made. God made us the caretakers of this planet. He entrusted us to keep the beauty and sustainability of this beautiful blue planet! How are we doing with that? God declared what he made was good and gave us the job of keeping it good. Believers in God, followers of Jesus, should be the absolute best caretakers on planet! We should be the smartest, most fierce environmentalists ever known. Not because of politics! Not to fall prey to the lies of the Slanderer in believing the earth is to be worshipped, therefore bowing to sun, moon and stars. NO! But to acknowledge that this is our responsibility to manage what God has clearly given us the authority to maintain. We don’t look at a gorgeous blue moon and see an object to worship. We don’t study the stars, the monkeys or the whales because we are just in awe of them. We are overwhelmed by the God who created all things and gave us charge over all of it! When I look up at night, I see God’s glory. When I look around in the daylight, I see God’s glory. And, when I look at you, I see God’s glory!

Prayer

Dad,
Let everything that has breath praise You! As I look upon the wonder of a super-moon moment tonight, I will lift my voice to the heavens and declare that you are worthy of praise and all glory and honor is due to you and your majestic name fills the earth.

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I can shine brighter than a rock!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭148‬:‭7‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And, ​everything means every thing. The Psalmist captures the height, breadth and width of all that should give our creator what is do – PRAISE.

The Hebrew word for praise, hal·lū put together with the name of God, yah is where we get hallelujah. Interestingly enough, the Hebrew root word for praise (hallu) is halal: shine. Doesn’t that remind us of something to do with light? God made light, but God is also light. Jesus said he was the light of the world!

We as human beings are all light-bearers, or we are supposed to be. The Psalmist goes wild with extravagant words describing how EVERYTHING that God created should reflect light and SHINE or praise Him. All creatures, all elements, all the parts that make up the earth itself and especially those who govern it. All kings, rulers, judges, young and old adults and children – all human existence should reflect, should praise God because He is worthy of it. The only reason we exist is to reflect His light, His glory on the earth. If nature itself could speak, it would shout God’s name in gratefulness. If animals could talk, they would sing songs to the greatness of their creator. It would be wild to discover that whales, dolphins, birds and hyenas aren’t just communicating to each other, but also praising their creator! All creatures big and small, all creation singing, shouting, reflecting God’s glory, His light in thanks. The Psalmist set the declaration in 148:5, “Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being.”

How odd it is that every thing instinctively knows God and has no problem giving Him what is due, yet humans struggle. Humans struggle precisely because God breathed himself, His image – imago dei, into our souls. We struggle because God gave us a free will, a choice to know Him, choose Him, even a choice to praise and reflect Him. We are supposedly the smartest of all creation. We are given so much more, above all that was created, yet we can choose a fake, a lie to believe and love another. Such a dilemma, such a sad story.

While all the earth dances and sings and praises the creator, we pout and brood, curse and complain like a dramatic, moody toddler on Christmas morning. I will not let the earth out praise God for me! With every breath, with every ounce of strength and will, I declare, I am determined to reflect and shine for Him.

Prayer

Dad,
I don’t want a whale, a monkey, bird, rock or tree praising You, shining, reflecting Your glory better than me! I mean, it’s sounds a little competitive, but I want to be better at praising You not worse than other parts of creation. You’ve given me more than words to sing and speak. You’ve give me a grand imagination to draw, paint, build and act out my praise to you. And I can make an instrument out of almost anything! Every creative expression I can think of is at my disposal to shine for you. And, I want to use all of them to reflect Your glory.

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Short n Sweet.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭117‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Hebrew, “laud (shabach: commend) Him all you Gentiles!” SHINE (halal: shine) to Yhvh (Yahweh).

God’s was considered to be so holy that it should never be pronounced by human lips. The Jewish priests had the scribes omit the vowels, thus making it difficult to really know how to pronounce God’s name. It is a guess to insert an “a” and an “e” giving us an approximation of Yahweh. The root word is havah: to become, but God himself referred to his name as “I am” (hayah: to fall out, come to pass, become, be), I was, are and will be. The word hallelujah can be seen in the combining of some common words, halal, shine or praise, to hayah (I am).

In Hebrew it is much clearer: Laud Him, Gentiles. Laud Him people of God (Jews), His truth endures and His merciful kindness towards us is great! Laud Him forever. The Psalm is an eternal declaration due from God’s greatest creation – us. That all people, Jews and Gentiles would recognize and extol our creator.

Any notion that creation, especially us as human beings, came from NOTHING is the greatest insult of arrogance ever perpetrated in history. To believe it and proclaim it shows absolute contempt of intelligence and any shred of humanity towards God, who needs no acknowledgement to exist or extend in His mercy. The mere fact that humans are the only ones stupid enough to shun their creator shows us our own ultimate sin of arrogance and ignorance. The Psalmist writes the declaration of truth that everyone seems to pretend can be decided for themselves outside of God. Even in that denial of existence, that defiance of truth, that selfishness, the Apostle Paul writes, while were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Prayer

Dad,
Simply said, we are an embarrassment to ourselves. Creation itself believes and mocks us in our arrogance. What must the angels, created lower than us, even think about our freedoms spurned against you in such a manner? I humbly apologize for our kind. And, I am thankful for your loving kindness and patient mercy as you woo us towards yourself.