For when they [mockers] maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. - 2 Peter 3:5-6
Good morning! A few weeks ago we began a new sermon series titled “The Unnamed Church”. We are studying the Biblical time period from creation until the calling of Abraham. This is recorded in Genesis 1-11. Today’s sermon is the 3rd message of this new series.
The Bible begins with the story of creation. In the beginning, God created the natural universe - the heavens and the earth. He created them out of nothing. All 3 Persons of the Trinity - Father, Son, and Spirit - were present and active in this work. Initially, the earth was unformed, uninhabited, shrouded in darkness, and covered with water.
God began to shape the heavens and earth into a suitable home for human life. This creative process lasted 7 days. On Day 1 God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. He separated the light from the darkness, creating evening and morning, and thereby initiated the dimension of time.
This morning we are going to discuss Day 2 of creation. We will be in Genesis 1:6-8. If you have not already done so, turn to this passage in your Bibles and let’s begin.
6 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.
I. GOD SEPARATES THE WATERS
God spoke saying, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters” which would separate those below from those above. Some Bible translations use the word firmament, but expanse provides a better description of the original Hebrew. In other words, God placed an area of space between the waters. This is generally understood as God’s creation of the atmosphere.
God called this expanse “heaven”. The Bible speaks about 3 heavens. The 1st heaven is the sky or atmosphere, where the birds fly and the clouds gather (Psalm 19:1). The 2nd heaven is outer space, where the sun, moon, and stars are found (Isaiah 40:26). The 3rd heaven lies beyond the natural universe, where God Himself resides (Philippians 3:20). The context of the passage typically makes it clear which heaven is in view.
The waters below the expanse are not in dispute. Everyone agrees that they are the oceans and seas which originally covered the entire surface of the earth. However, there are various opinions and theories about the waters above the expanse. What were these? Let’s consider a few possibilities.
II. WATER IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Some believe that “the waters above the expanse” are actually the waters in the sky. As water on the surface of the earth evaporates, water vapor rises up into the atmosphere. There it condenses into tiny water droplets that accumulate to form clouds. Once these droplets become large enough, they fall back to the earth in the form of precipitation. This precipitation runs off into streams, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water where it evaporates, starting the cycle over again (Job 36:27-28).
The water cycle is extremely important for life to exist on earth, as it naturally recycles, replenishes, and relocates water… but is this what is being described in these verses? The waters in the sky are not “above” it. The Bible clearly states that there are waters above the expanse. Let’s consider another explanation.
III. THE CANOPY THEORY
The Canopy Theory suggests that God actually formed a layer of water above the atmosphere which separated it from outer space. This canopy of water protected the earth from the sun’s radiation, which allowed people to live much longer life spans. However, when God decided to destroy the earth, He caused this canopy to collapse (Genesis 7:11; 8:2). The earth was flooded and most of humanity was wiped out, except for Noah and his family. Since that time, the canopy of water “above the expanse” no longer exists, and, consequently, life spans are much shorter.
On every other day of creation, God saw what He had done was “good”. However, this observation is noticeably omitted on Day 2. Advocates of The Canopy Theory argue that, although God’s creation of the atmosphere was necessary for the survival of mankind, He did not affirm that it was good because He foreknew that the waters above the expanse would be used to flood the earth.
While it used to be quite popular, over the past several decades support for The Canopy Theory has declined significantly. The theory has a few flaws, most notably seeming to contrast with Scripture itself. In the book of Psalms, which was written hundreds of years after the Great Flood (and the supposed collapse of the canopy), David called upon the waters “above the heavens” to praise the LORD (Psalm 148:4). According to David, whatever these waters are, they were still there during his lifetime (and presumably are there even now). Which leads us to another possibility…
IV. THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE
Perhaps the expanse of heaven described in this verse includes both the earth’s atmosphere and outer space. If so, the waters “above” it would be at the outermost edge of the universe. This would mean that the natural universe is finite - it has a definite ending. Modern scientists are split on whether the universe is infinite or finite, as neither has been conclusively proven. Following this line of thinking, there would be a shell of water that surrounds the universe.
If this is true, these waters would emit electromagnetic radiation which would travel towards the earth from all directions. Interestingly, scientists have discovered that such a radiation field does exist in space. While many cite this discovery as proof of The Big Band Theory, it could alternatively be proof that water forms the boundary of the universe. Who knows?
CONCLUSION
The verses describing Day 2 of creation can be understood in different ways. While the waters below the expanse are almost certainly the earth’s surface waters, those above the expanse are uncertain. Nevertheless, God created an expanse - believed to be the atmosphere or sky - which surrounds the earth. Why is this important?
The atmosphere forms a protective cover around the earth. It contains essential gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, that are necessary to sustain life. It shields the earth from the sun’s harmful radiation and regulates the earth's temperature. It burns up most meteors and other space debris before they strike the earth. I tend to think of the atmosphere as a giant incubator which provides and maintains optimal conditions for life to prosper within.
So, by the close of Day 2, God had created light and the earth’s atmosphere. Still, the earth itself was formless and void. When would He begin to work on it specifically? Hmm… see you next Sunday.
Good morning! A few weeks ago we began a new sermon series titled “The Unnamed Church”. We are studying the Biblical time period from creation until the calling of Abraham. This is recorded in Genesis 1-11. Today’s sermon is the 3rd message of this new series.
The Bible begins with the story of creation. In the beginning, God created the natural universe - the heavens and the earth. He created them out of nothing. All 3 Persons of the Trinity - Father, Son, and Spirit - were present and active in this work. Initially, the earth was unformed, uninhabited, shrouded in darkness, and covered with water.
God began to shape the heavens and earth into a suitable home for human life. This creative process lasted 7 days. On Day 1 God said, “Let there be light” and there was light. He separated the light from the darkness, creating evening and morning, and thereby initiated the dimension of time.
This morning we are going to discuss Day 2 of creation. We will be in Genesis 1:6-8. If you have not already done so, turn to this passage in your Bibles and let’s begin.
6 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.
I. GOD SEPARATES THE WATERS
God spoke saying, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters” which would separate those below from those above. Some Bible translations use the word firmament, but expanse provides a better description of the original Hebrew. In other words, God placed an area of space between the waters. This is generally understood as God’s creation of the atmosphere.
God called this expanse “heaven”. The Bible speaks about 3 heavens. The 1st heaven is the sky or atmosphere, where the birds fly and the clouds gather (Psalm 19:1). The 2nd heaven is outer space, where the sun, moon, and stars are found (Isaiah 40:26). The 3rd heaven lies beyond the natural universe, where God Himself resides (Philippians 3:20). The context of the passage typically makes it clear which heaven is in view.
The waters below the expanse are not in dispute. Everyone agrees that they are the oceans and seas which originally covered the entire surface of the earth. However, there are various opinions and theories about the waters above the expanse. What were these? Let’s consider a few possibilities.
II. WATER IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Some believe that “the waters above the expanse” are actually the waters in the sky. As water on the surface of the earth evaporates, water vapor rises up into the atmosphere. There it condenses into tiny water droplets that accumulate to form clouds. Once these droplets become large enough, they fall back to the earth in the form of precipitation. This precipitation runs off into streams, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water where it evaporates, starting the cycle over again (Job 36:27-28).
The water cycle is extremely important for life to exist on earth, as it naturally recycles, replenishes, and relocates water… but is this what is being described in these verses? The waters in the sky are not “above” it. The Bible clearly states that there are waters above the expanse. Let’s consider another explanation.
III. THE CANOPY THEORY
The Canopy Theory suggests that God actually formed a layer of water above the atmosphere which separated it from outer space. This canopy of water protected the earth from the sun’s radiation, which allowed people to live much longer life spans. However, when God decided to destroy the earth, He caused this canopy to collapse (Genesis 7:11; 8:2). The earth was flooded and most of humanity was wiped out, except for Noah and his family. Since that time, the canopy of water “above the expanse” no longer exists, and, consequently, life spans are much shorter.
On every other day of creation, God saw what He had done was “good”. However, this observation is noticeably omitted on Day 2. Advocates of The Canopy Theory argue that, although God’s creation of the atmosphere was necessary for the survival of mankind, He did not affirm that it was good because He foreknew that the waters above the expanse would be used to flood the earth.
While it used to be quite popular, over the past several decades support for The Canopy Theory has declined significantly. The theory has a few flaws, most notably seeming to contrast with Scripture itself. In the book of Psalms, which was written hundreds of years after the Great Flood (and the supposed collapse of the canopy), David called upon the waters “above the heavens” to praise the LORD (Psalm 148:4). According to David, whatever these waters are, they were still there during his lifetime (and presumably are there even now). Which leads us to another possibility…
IV. THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE
Perhaps the expanse of heaven described in this verse includes both the earth’s atmosphere and outer space. If so, the waters “above” it would be at the outermost edge of the universe. This would mean that the natural universe is finite - it has a definite ending. Modern scientists are split on whether the universe is infinite or finite, as neither has been conclusively proven. Following this line of thinking, there would be a shell of water that surrounds the universe.
If this is true, these waters would emit electromagnetic radiation which would travel towards the earth from all directions. Interestingly, scientists have discovered that such a radiation field does exist in space. While many cite this discovery as proof of The Big Band Theory, it could alternatively be proof that water forms the boundary of the universe. Who knows?
CONCLUSION
The verses describing Day 2 of creation can be understood in different ways. While the waters below the expanse are almost certainly the earth’s surface waters, those above the expanse are uncertain. Nevertheless, God created an expanse - believed to be the atmosphere or sky - which surrounds the earth. Why is this important?
The atmosphere forms a protective cover around the earth. It contains essential gases, such as oxygen and carbon dioxide, that are necessary to sustain life. It shields the earth from the sun’s harmful radiation and regulates the earth's temperature. It burns up most meteors and other space debris before they strike the earth. I tend to think of the atmosphere as a giant incubator which provides and maintains optimal conditions for life to prosper within.
So, by the close of Day 2, God had created light and the earth’s atmosphere. Still, the earth itself was formless and void. When would He begin to work on it specifically? Hmm… see you next Sunday.