IN THE BEGINNING…

…God1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth

SPACE

MATTER

TIME

ENERGY

GOD

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 1:2

…like an eagle that stirs up its nest and hovers over its young, that spreads its wings to catch them and carries them on its pinions Deut 32:11

My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble.I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD and his holy words. Jer 23:9

The First presentation of God’s character isa Father trembling over the ‘newborn’ He has created

HEAVEN

WATERS EARTH

Lightin Heaven

Water raised up, creates

sky

Earth revealed,

made plentiful

32

1

Heaven populate

d

Sea/Sky

populated

Earthpopulate

d65

4

Natural Creation:The Physical Universe

7Res

t

A “signature”

HEAVEN

WATERS EARTH

Lightin Heaven

Water raised up, creates

sky

Earth revealed,

made plentiful

32

1

Heaven populate

d

Sea/Sky

populated

Earthpopulate

d65

4

Natural Creation:The Physical Universe

7Res

t

A “signature”

A God of Order

Day 1God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness.

Day 2“Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.”

Day 3“Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.”

A God of Discrimination

The Principle of Work and Rest

“Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work…” Ex 20:9-10

4th commandment governs 2 principles

Often supposed this commandment is “dropped” in the NT…

perhaps a wrong assumption

“All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.”

New Testament “4th Commandment” of Work & Rest

“the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living”

Younger son won’t Work

Older son won’t Rest

The Parable of the Prodigal Son Lk 15

And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground-trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 2:9-10

• Tree by rivers of water• Centre of the Garden, centre of Creation• Imagery which sets a precedent

God’s Design of the Garden

LIGHT

WATERTREES/ FOOD

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Jn 17:3

Acts 2:38“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

The New CreationThe Disciple: Intake

Mt 26:26Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

God’s Signature in:

“You are the light of the world… let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Mt 5:14,16

Jn 4:14“whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Psa 1:3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

LIGHT

WATERTREES/ FOOD

God’s Signature in:The New CreationThe Disciple: Output

Psa 1:3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

Righteous Man reflects Eden

The Righteous Disciple is central to God’s design

Tree of life was at the centre of the garden

LIGHT

WATERTREES/ FOOD

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life… The true light that gives light to every man…” Jn 8:12; 1:9

Jn 4:14“If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

Jn 6:48-51“I am the bread of life… I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”

The New “Creator”:Jesus Christ

God’s Signature in:

“…the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” Jn 5:19

LIGHT

WATERTREES/ FOOD

I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east… and the land was radiant [Heb: ‘to become light’] with his glory. Ez 43:2

Ez 47:1,5I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east… a river that no one could cross

Ez 47:7,12I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river... “Their leaves will not wither… Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

New TempleEz 43-47

God’s Signature in:

LIGHT

WATERTREES/ FOOD

The LORD God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple… the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp

the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

On each side of the river stood the tree of life, … And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

New JerusalemRev 21:22 - 22:3

God’s Signature in:

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. …On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. Rev 22:1-3

The Final Signature: New Jerusalem

• Well of water Jn 4• Tree by water Psa 1• Throne of God?? Rev 22

Saints =

God is actively involved at every step (as a Father would be)Therefore can see His ‘signature’ in:

• Physical Creation• Spiritual Creation• The Disciple’s Input & Output• New Temple • New JerusalemPhilosophical Consequence

Impacts Creation / Evolution discussion

Deism (a version of Theistic Evolution)

=> ‘First domino’ pushed over, then everything figured itself out

Bible Pattern=> God actively involved at

every step of development

Observation