Open up with me to Genesis chapter
1. Genesis chapter 1. Our text is going to be verses
6 to 8. And it says this, Genesis 1-6, And God said, Let there be a
firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the
waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and
divided the waters which were under the firmament from the
waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called
the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning
were the second day. I love Genesis. I really do. I want us to see something in
John chapter 5. Turn with me over to John 5. Our Lord said in John 5 verse
46, For had ye believed Moses, ye
would have believed me. For he wrote of me. Moses wrote of me. Now back in Genesis. At the top of my page, the translators
put a heading. which says the first book of
Moses called Genesis. As we read this, we must remember
Moses wrote of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything Moses wrote was about
Jesus Christ. Isn't that something? There are
so many facts in this book which we love. So many things for us
to learn. But every single thing that Moses
wrote was about Jesus Christ. Now I want to show you the gospel
of God this morning right off the bat. First thing, we're not
going to build up, we're just going to tell it. Look at our
text. Verse 6 says, and God said. Verse 7 says, and God made. Verse 8 says, and God called. God said, God made, and God called. That's the operation of our God. That's how God works on a sinner. That's how salvation is wrought.
That's how conversion takes place. God said, God made, and God called. As if to say, God required, God
fulfilled, God notified. All right, let's look at verse
six. It says, And God said, let there
be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide
the waters from the waters. Let there be a firmament. My margin says an expansion. And yours will too soon. An expansion. Now the first thing we desire
as we look at this is to give our God all the glory and all
the credit for the things that He has done. We want to give
Him all the glory and all the credit, every bit of it. Turn
with me to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11, verse 3 says, through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word
of God. God said, so that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear. I'm not going to argue evolution
for one minute with anybody. Not for one minute. Who are we going to believe?
Charles Darwin or God? The God that has given us fact
after proven fact after proven fact for thousands of years or
the man who in 1959 said, I think I have a theory. How was the world created? How
was this firmament created? God said. I was getting ready
this morning thinking about this phrase that everybody says, which
came first, the chicken or the egg? the chicken, God said. Let there be a chicken. Turn with me to John chapter
1. John 1 verse 3 says, all things were made by
Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Nothing. Not one thing. Not one thing. We give God all
the glory in all things, everything in creation, everything in this
world, everything that I am, me. God made me. He owns me. He controls me. We give him all the glory. Now
back to Genesis 1. Not one time in Genesis 1 will
you find our God explaining or proving creation. Have you noticed that? This is a declaration. Creation
is a declaration. Look at Genesis 1.1. It says,
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, period. Verse 3 says, And God said, Let
there be light, and there was light, period. Verse six says,
and God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and
let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the
firmament and divided the waters, which were under the firmament
from the waters, which were above the firmament. And it was so
period. We'll explain it. No. Prove it. No. Believe it. Just believe it. I believe that. I actually believe
that. Hannah pulled up on YouTube a
gorilla that can understand English and sign. And I told her yesterday,
I said, boy, that's gonna give evolutionists some fuel. And thanks be to God, I believe
this. I believe this only because he
told me, believe it. Believe it. Now, what is this
firmament? Well, it's something that physically
touches heaven and touches earth. Look at verse 14. And God said,
let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day
from the night and let them be for signs and for seasons and
for days and years. And let them be for lights in
the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth and
it was so. And God made two great lights, the greater light to
rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the
stars also. And God set them in the firmament
of the heaven to give light upon the earth. That's where the stars and the
planets are. Things beyond our realm, the
firmament. Now look at verse 20. And God
said, let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature
that hath life and fowl that they may fly above the earth
in the open firmament of heaven." That's down here on earth where
birds fly, the firmament. It's something that has the ability
to touch both heaven and earth. Now, what do you think that is? Jacob dreamed a dream one time
about a ladder. that set up on the earth and
the top of it reached to heaven. And when Jacob got to the end
of that dream, he said, I've seen God. I've seen God. John said, the
word was God. And the word became flesh. Let's not forget, we just read
where our Lord said, Moses wrote of me. This firmament is Jesus Christ,
the only mediator between God and man. Now, what did this firmament
do? God said and God made. For what purpose? Verse 6 in
Genesis 1 says, And God said, Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the
waters. That's what this firmament does. Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters and let it Divide the waters from the waters. Now just listen to Hebrews chapter
four, verse 12. It says, for the word of God
is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the
joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart. Dividing. Turn with me over to Romans chapter
9. Romans chapter 9 verse 21 says, Hath not the potter power over
the clay? of the same lump." That's the
thing I want to point out. Of the same lump. That's what makes grace so amazing. Of the same lump. He goes on
to say, to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. The clay in the vessel of honor
is no different than the clay in the vessel of dishonor. Same
lump. What makes the difference? The
potter. The potter. That water was all
the same water. Us. What divided it? What separated it? It. The firmament. Back in Genesis
1 verse 6 it says, God said, let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters. Who maketh thee to differ? We
all come from the same love. Who maketh thee to differ? The
Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only thing that makes
us to differ. We preach grace. We preach grace. You know that? Has that ever
dawned on you? We preach grace. We preach grace. What causes me to differ? The
grace of God. Jesus Christ. How? How did He make us differ? Verse 7 says, And God made the
firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament
from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. Some of the waters got to be
up under the firmament. Some of the waters did not. You see that? That's how he divided. Some got
to be up under the firmament. Some did not. Now listen to what
the word firmament means. It means to pound the earth by
hammering. And it means to overlay, to spread
over, to cover. A few weeks ago, we looked at
the first day, and man, I enjoyed that so much. I enjoyed it so
much. In the first day, God said, let
there be light. Open your eyes. Behold your God. Behold your sin. Behold my holiness. Behold your wickedness. Behold
my law. Behold your punishment for breaking
my law. Let there be light. And then
do you know what the very next thing that this gracious God
showed sinful earth was? Sinful man? He said, the wages
of sin is death. A pounding is coming, a hammer
will fall, but I've provided a cover for you. It's coming, but I've provided
an expansion for you. You think about being up under
this firmament. A covering is an atonement. That's what that word means. I've spread an atonement all
over you. We just sang, what can wash away
my sin? Nothing but the blood. I've spread something that will
hide you and take all that wrath for you. Now turn with me to
Psalm 91. Psalm 91. Way back in the day, there was
an old schoolhouse where all the kids came to go to school. And there was a kid there named
Big Johnny. I've heard this illustration
so many times I don't even know if I remember it right. I love
it. Biggest kid in the class. Kind
of ran things around there. One day somebody stole his lunch. And Johnny got mad. So he went and told the teacher
Somebody stole my lunch, and I want him to be punished for
it. Teacher said, well, Johnny, what
do you think the punishment ought to be? He said, three licks with a strap
across the bare back. Teacher said, that seems kind
of harsh. Johnny said, three licks with
a strap across the bare back. Teacher said, okay. So the teacher
stood up in front of the class and said, whoever stole Johnny's
lunch, you need to confess. And you're gonna get three licks
with a strap across the bare back. Nobody confessed. Teacher said, if you don't confess,
Every student in this room is going to get detention. Now who did it? And a little boy in the back
of the room named Billy raised his hand. Smallest kid in the class. Poor. Just poor. Dirt poor. Just skin and bones. He raised
his frail little arm and he said, I did it. He said, I'm sorry, Johnny. He
said, I was just so hungry. He said, I haven't eaten in days. He said, but I'm the one who
stole your lunch. Teacher said, okay, Billy, come on up and take
your licks. Big Johnny said, teacher, don't
worry about it. It's okay. It's all right. Don't
worry about it. Teacher said, Johnny, this school
will not tolerate thieves. Now, Billy, you get up here and
take your licks. So Billy got up. He walked to
the front of the class. Johnny said, please, teacher,
don't do it. Don't do it, please!" The teacher said, Johnny, a punishment
has been set. A punishment will be given. Now
Billy, take your shirt off. So Billy took his shirt off.
You could see every rib in his frail little body. The teacher said, OK Billy, here
it comes. And Big Johnny stood up. And
he took his shirt off. And he walked over and wrapped
his arms around that frail little boy. And he said, alright teacher,
give it to him. One! Two! Boom! Psalm 91 says, He that dwelleth in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow
of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is
my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. Surely
he shall deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from
the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his
feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall
be thy shield and thy buckler. Is that not the best news you've
ever heard in your life? That's what Jesus Christ did
for me. That's what Jesus Christ did
for every single sinner whom He put under the firmament. God said, let there be a firmament,
and God made the firmament, and it was so. Christ is our firmament. Christ is the mediator between
God and man. My little children, these things
write unto you that you sin not. And if you sin, just like that
little scrawny kid, if you sin, you have an advocate with the
Father. Jesus Christ the righteous. Now go back to Genesis 1. Verse 6 says, God said, let there
be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide
the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament and
divided the waters which were under the firmament from the
waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called
the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning
were the second day. The Lord Jesus Christ is heaven. Wherever He is, that's heaven. Heaven came down. Heaven walked
this earth. Heaven paid the price. Heaven
did. God said, let there be a covering. And God made that covering. He made it on the cross of Calvary.
When He shed His blood, That blood covered every single sinner
whom He separated unto salvation. He made the covering. For every
chosen sinner whom God saves, what God requires, you stole
the lunch, you paid the price. What God requires of that sinner,
God Himself provides for that sinner. What God requires of
a sinner, God Himself works in that sinner. What God requires
of us, He Himself works in us. He requires faith of me. Believe,
right? He requires holiness. He requires
love. That's three things I don't possess
by nature. If I'm gonna produce those things, what must happen?
He must create those things in me. Now listen to this. A man named Matthew Henry said,
Lord, give what thou commandest, and then command what thou pleasest. Don't you love that? Give to
me what you command. and then command whatever you
want. God said and God made. Go to Psalm 8. Psalm 8. Verse 1 says, O Lord, our Lord,
how excellent is thy name in all the earth! Who has set thy
glory above the heavens? Out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings thou hast ordained strength, because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I
consider the heavens, the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the
moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is man, that
thou art mindful of him, and the Son of man, that thou visitest
him?" When you consider that this firmament, the heavens,
everything in it is the work of His hands. Who am I? What is man? That you would do
this for me? Who am I that you would cover
me? Who am I that you would visit
me? Who am I that you would prepare
a place for me in heaven? That means in Christ. Who am I? Just listen to Isaiah 45. Isaiah
45 verse 21 says this. Tell ye and bring them near.
Yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient
time? I mean the beginning. He declared
it all the way from Genesis 1. Who hath told it from that time?
Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside
me, a just God and a Savior. There is none beside me." Day one, the first thing God
said was, let there be light. See your God, see your sin. Second thing He said was, see
your covering. He said, I'm a just God and a
Savior. He goes on to say, look unto
me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and
there is none else. God said let there be a firmament.
God made the firmament and God called the firmament heaven.
Jesus Christ is heaven. I want to go to heaven. I don't care about streets of
gold. I don't care about choirs and all that stuff. I wanna go
to Jesus Christ. I wanna be where He is. God's
wrath is gonna come down on this world. I need to be under the
firmament, right? Under the atonement, under the
blood. I pray the Lord will bless His
word. Let's stand together.