God's Plan for Earth and Man Takes Shape

     God’s ageless plan for the earth and its future overseer takes on physical form.  It began with light which revealed the very presence of the Creator.  Next, God spoke three layers into existence, i.e. the waters in the atmosphere, the waters covering the earth, and the layer in between.  Then He caused dry land to appear in the midst of the waters which defined the continents and the water separating them He called ‘Seas’.

     On the dry land He caused foliage to appear which would yield fruit to sustain the life which He was about to create.

     Then God created the solar and lunar systems which would provide a means for future man to measure time and thereby understand history which God was about to write before it actually unfolded.

     Next God created life to fill the seas, the land, and the layer above the earth’s surface for the birds.

  And then the capstone of God’s creation: God created man in His own image to have dominion over all other life on the earth.

     “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply,’ fill the earth and subdue it.’ Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”  Genesis 1:27-28

     And very significantly, God looked over the newly prepared earth and its inhabitants with great satisfaction, knowing His purpose for man had begun.

     “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good…”  Genesis 1:31

     The Hebrew for ‘very’ means exceedingly.

     The second chapter of Genesis provides more detail about earth’s preparation for life and man.

     The chapter begins by stating that His creative work for earth and man was completed.

     “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.  And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.”  Genesis 2:1-2

     There were seven ‘days’ in God’s work to prepare the earth and its inhabitants to fulfill God’s purpose for them.  It will be seen that God will use the number seven and its multiples to explain the mysteries of pre-written history.

     It should also be noted that every living animal, bird, or fish was created and would multiply after ‘its own kind’.  That Biblical truth would hopefully dispel the confidence in the school of thought commonly termed ‘evolution’.

     Up to this point in history, rain had not yet been provided, rather ‘a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.’  Also ‘there was no man to till the ground.’ 

     God had chosen a particular place on the earth where He would place His ultimate creation.

     “The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden…and out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  Genesis 2:8-9

     God provided flowing rivers to water the garden which contained the tree of life.  The location of the Garden would subsequently be called Babylon in the land of Shinar.  The location is presently called Iraq.

     There were four rivers that provided water for the Garden, two of which were the Tigris and Euphrates.

     The next step in the sequence was to place His highest creation in the midst of the garden to ‘tend and keep’ it.  In other words man would be given the responsibility to assist in the earth’s productivity to fulfill the purpose which God had determined before time began.

     Man’s journey would soon begin with a simple, single instruction to test his obedience. 

     Next, we’ll examine in more detail man’s origin and purpose on the earth.  We’ll also begin to learn of God’s absolute sovereignty, longsuffering, and justice.