2018.10.08 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 1:6-8

Read Genesis 1:6-8

Questions for Littles: What did God command to exist in v6? What would the firmament be between? What would it do to the waters? What new information does v7 give us? What does God call the firmament (v8)? What makes day two? 

From the Scripture for this week’s sermon, we learned that God spends an entire day of creation on something that almost never again gets mentioned: the firmament.

Here is something that turns out to be a display to us of the throne of God.

It is, first of all, a throne of glory. After Genesis 1, the next place that we see the raquiya (firmament) is in Psalm 19:1 and Psalm 150:1, and then not again until four times in Ezekiel 1:22-26. The last two times are Ezekiel 10:1 and Daniel 12:3.

Take the time to read each of those passages. You will see that every one of them is describing a special display of the glory God. In a couple places, it is specifically connected to God’s “sanctuary” and God’s “throne.”

The firmament is, second of all, a throne of judgment. As God “saw that it was good” last week, we learned about God that He makes judgments and distinctions. There is, perhaps, no book in the Bible where this is more clear than the book of Ezekiel (even though the name “Daniel” means “God is my Judge”!). And it is here, when God appears seated on the throne of the cherub-chariot, in judgment over His people (and all other peoples, cf. Ezek chs. 25-32), that we hear the most about a firmament… this interesting thing that He spent an entire day of creation on. The firmament is a throne of glory and a throne of judgment.

But finally, the firmament is a throne of grace. We know that already, of course. We come to God’s throne in Jesus Christ, and find Christ Himself seated on that throne. Hallelujah! And, the people of Israel, as they first received Genesis 1, would have done so knowing that when God broke that separation of the waters, the flood had come—but also that God had spared Noah and promised never to send such a judgment again. He spent a day of creation creating that separation. And then in the covenant of grace, He promised to maintain it. God’s throne is a throne of grace!

How are you bowing before God’s glory? God’s judgment? God’s grace!

Suggested Songs: ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage?” or TPH2B “Why Do Heathen Nations Rage?”