Day 2 Creation

Genesis 1:6-8 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7. God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8. God called the expanse heaven.  And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. 

Dylan made a profound (or at least I thought profound) statement to mother the other night.  He came to her and told her that he could see where there could have been a race of people BEFORE Adam and Eve because “everything was created in the beginning”.  I started this study BEFORE Dylan made this statement and as I read the stated I had a few questions form in my mind.  Some of these questions are as follows:

1. This was the beginning ~ was there an earth before creation here?
2. Where did the water come from?
3. Was there another great flood BEFORE the flood of Noah’s time?

I must say, I haven’t found any concrete answers to these questions, but I did write them down in my notes for possible exploration later.  With that said, I will now move forward in this comparison.

Psalm 148:4 Praise Him, highest heavens, and the waters that are above the heavens!

Isaiah 40:22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretch out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

Job 22:14 Clouds are a hiding place for Him, so that he cannot see; and He walks on the vault of heaven.

Let there be a firmament: Strongs Hebrew 7549: raqiya (raw-keé-ah) from 7554; properly, an expanse, i.e. the firmament or (apparently) visible arch of the sky:--firmament.

In the midst: Strongs Hebrew 8432: tavek (taw’-vek) from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the center:-- among (-st), X between, half, X (there-, where-), in (-to), middle, mid (-night), midst (among), X out (of), X through, X with (-in).

Heaven: Strongs Hebrew 8064: shamayim (shaw-mah’-yim) dual of an unused singular shameh (shaw-meh’); from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):-- air, X astrologer, heaven (-s).

On this day God divided the waters.  There was a separation.  He created an atmosphere we can live in.  He [set] water in the heavens [apart] from the water on the earth. He {sanctified} a place for us to live.

The Laver

Laver: wash basin ~ A basin for water where the priests washed their hands and feet as required when they performed their functions of ministry.

Exodus 30:18-21 You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.  19. Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it;             20. when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they will not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the Lord.  21. So they shall was their hands and their feet, so that they will not die; and it shall be a perpetual statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.

Exodus 38:8 Moreover, he made the lave of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

Exodus 40:30-32 He placed the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.  31. From it Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet.  32. When they entered the tent of meeting, and when they approached the altar, they washed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Exodus 28:43 They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die.

Day 2 and The Laver:  Separation of the waters of the heavens and the waters of the earth; creating our atmosphere: -- sky.  Heaven and earth are no longer one but two.  The Laver- a method of cleansing; a way to remove the dirt and grime attained from sacrifice at the altar and the walk over.  A means of sanctification for the priest.  They are [set apart]; a cleansing.

The words sanctify and holy have the same meaning.  Sancto in Latin is holy and ficio means to make.  It means to set apart for holy.  The Hebrew word is qadesh.  God is holy, his place of worship is holy.

Leviticus 10:10 And so as to make a distinction between the holy and the profane, and between the unclean and the clean.

Exodus 3:5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Joshua 5:15 The captain of the Lord’s host said to Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.

God is holy, his name is holy, his place of worship is holy, his dwelling place is called the holy of holies, the most holy place.  God is holy in his person and character.

Adjective: Qadesh: God by nature is holy.  His holiness is defined in Isaiah 6:3: And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”

Numbers 14:21 but indeed, as I live, all the  earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord.

Verb: Qadash: The root is to cut and to be separate.

Exodus 19:22-23 “Also let the priest who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, or else the Lord will break out against them.” 23. Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds about the mountain and consecrate it.’”

Leviticus 10:3 Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the Lord spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

The Greek word for sanctification (hagios) means “to purify, to consecrate or set apart.”  Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby the believer is renewed in the whole man after the image of God.  The believer is then enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.  Again, “Sanctification is that continuous operation of the Holy Spirit, by which the holy disposition imparted in regeneration is maintained and strengthened.” (A.H. Strong)

We know that regeneration is an act of God the Holy Spirit.  Sanctification has both divine and human aspect.  God is the author of sanctification.  The agent of sanctification is God the Holy Spirit.  In sanctification we see the work of God’s grace, exercising in the believer, the result of our response and obedience to God.

If sanctification is a sovereign work of God, then how can we obey?  There are two truths.  The sovereignty of God and human responsibility.  These truths are brought together in the progress of sanctification.

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

1 Thes. 2:12 so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.

Sovereignty of God is not a discouragement but an encouragement to true holiness.  It is God’s divine power which gives the believer the motive to exercise obedience.  When man sinned every part of him was affected by sin.  Sins pollution spread into all our parts.  Sin like a river of black, muddy water spread into all parts from our hearts.         [Matthew 15:18-20] [Matthew 12:34]

The image of God was shattered.  In sanctification it will touch and heal every part of man that was affected by sin.  It will restore again to the image of God.

[Ephesians 4:22-24]  [Colossians 3:10]

Regeneration is the head of the fountain and sanctification is the cleansing flow of the water to all the parts, cleansing agent.  Regeneration is instantaneous but sanctification is progressive.  Sanctification is an immediate work of the Holy Spirit on the souls of the believers, purifying and cleansing from the pollution of sin and renewing to the image of God through Jesus.

Not only is there guilt in the sin but there is pollution of sin.  It is the pollution of sin that is opposed to God’s holiness.  Pollution of sin keeps men away from the holy God.         [John 3:19-21]

We are called the temple of God.  We are the temple of the living God.  2 Cor. 6:16 Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols?  For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” [also 29:45]  We must allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse our temple so we will be sanctified unto God for holy purposes.

• Read 2 Kings 23:1-6 ~King Josiah’s cleansing the temple
• Read Matthew 21:12-13 ~ Jesus cleansing the temple
• Read Psalm 79:1-9

When a vessel, cup, altar, or instrument was set apart for divine worship it was never used for common purposes again.  So, to sum up the laver for us:  The priests (Aaron & his sons) had already made the sacrifice at the Brazen Altar.  They had blood on their hands and dirt on their feet from their walk from the altar to the Laver.  They could not take the uncleanness- representing the pollution of sin into the holy place.  They now had to be cleaned of this residue [be set apart], be made holy.  Nothing unclean can come before God.  This too is a separation as He is separating clean = holy from unclean = residue of sin.  To stand in the presence of God, we must be set apart, sanctified, made clean; otherwise, we would be consumed by God’s holiness.

2^nd Assembly in Revelation: Smyrna

Revelation 2:8-11 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 9. ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10. Do not fear what you are about to suffer.  Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you a crown of life.  {Give ear} 11. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’

Isaiah 44:6 “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides me.’”

Rev. 1:18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

This was a set apart people.  They were a holy people.  Did this mean they would not be persecuted or have trials and tribulations?  No, Jesus told them to be faithful until death and He will give them a crown of life.  They are a sanctified people [set apart].  They will have persecutions, but He will be there in the end.  He is telling them to stand firm in their faith, unwavering.

Unleavened Bread

Leviticus 23:6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.

Exodus 12:14-20 (summarized): 7 days you shall eat unleavened bread.

• On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses.
• If you eat anything leavened from the 1^st day until the 7^th day “that person shall be cut off from Israel.”
• Must observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread- for on this day God brought Israel’s host out of the land of Egypt.
• It is a permanent ordinance from God.
• He tells us when: In the 1^st month (Biblical), on the 14^th day of the month at evening – you shall eat unleavened bread, until the 21^st day of the month at evening.
• 7 days there shall be found no leaven in your house.

Deut. 16:8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God; you shall do no work on it.

• 6 days no leaven shall be eaten
• 7^th day – solemn assembly to the Lord – no work on this day.

Significance: Unleavened Bread speaks of sanctification.  Jesus was set apart.  His body would not decay in the grave.

In the bible leaven symbolizes error or evil.  It is the substance that causes fermentation.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread proclaims that Christ’s physical body would not experience the ravages of death while in the grave; for He was sanctified (set apart) by God the Father.

4682 matstsah (mats-tsaw) from 4711 in the sense of greedily devouring for sweetness; properly, sweetness; concretely, sweet (i.e. not soured or bittered with yeast); specifically, an unfermented cake or loaf, or (elliptically) the festival of Passover (because no leaven was used then) : -- unleavened (bread, cake), without leaven.

Bethlehem: House of Bread.

Matthew 16:12; Mark 8:14-15; Luke 12:1; Romans 6:13-22; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Jesus is our House of Bread.  There was no leaven in Him, i.e. no sin or malice.  His body would not decay in the grave because He was set apart [sanctified] by God.  He was different.  Death had no hold on him.

Leaven is symbolic of the sin in our lives.  Pride (puffed up), malice, bitterness, etc., etc.~ disobedience to God ~living for self.  God has called us to be set apart.  Remember the exodus from Egypt.  Israel was freed from the slavery of sin.  This is representative of sanctification.  We are daily called out; set apart, sanctified…this is not a one time thing.

So, we draw to an end the comparison of Day 2 Creation, The Laver, Unleavened Bread, & the 2^nd Assembly in the Book of Revelation.  The connection that I put together through this study is they are all talking, teaching about sanctification. 

This study took me longer to complete than the others I have worked on.  I was tested throughout this study.  Immediately after starting this study, we went through two attacks on my daughter.  I cannot go into detail on these attacks, but I can say that I believe these were a test for me.  As parents we all carry the attitude of, “Do what you like to me, but leave my kids alone.”  Well, God, I believe, wanted to see how I would react to these attacks.  Would I hold to my faith, as he instructed the 2^nd Assembly in Revelation, or would I give to flesh and react in anger?  I found myself having to ask these questions and make a choice.  I believe we are a called out group.  We are walking in the progression of sanctification.  How will we react to the persecution, the attacks, being thrown in prison?  Will we hold our faith until death or will we cave in to human nature and walk with the pollution of sin.  I can say that thankfully I took these things to God in prayer.  My prayer was and still is that everything I do or say will bring glory and honor to Him, my blessed creator.  God is faithful.  He will give us a heart of forgiveness if we ask for it.  He makes a way of escape, we must choose it.