2018.10.29 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 1:20-23

Read Genesis 1:20-23

Questions for Littles: What is God doing at the beginning of v20? What does He say? What does He command to fly above the earth? Did they exist yet? Before the face of what do they fly? From what did God create the great sea creatures (v21)? What else did He create from nothing? What did the waters do with them? According to what were they created? According to what were the winged birds created? What did God do them in v22? And what did He command them to do? Then what came (v23)? And then what came? And what did that conclude? 

From the Scripture for this week’s sermon, we heard about “the great sea creatures.”

The word translated “sea creature” is elsewhere translated “Leviathan.” Among Israel, and the nations that surrounded them, unbelievers commonly thought of the Leviathan as an almost-mythical beast that was a physical manifestation of an evil god.

In the book of Job, where Job feels that everything is against him, and (even though Job didn’t know it) it was in fact Satan who had attacked him, one of the things of which God reminds Job is that Leviathan is under His absolute control.

Here, the Lord does not merely mention a single leviathan, but He uses the plural, leviathans. This isn’t some being of greatness to rival God. It’s a creature that is to be fruitful and multiply like the other creatures. In fact, it’s not just leviathans, but great leviathans in v21.

God delights to make impressively large fearsome creatures. Not so that we will be so fearful of the creature that we treat it like some kind of great demon. But so that we will see the impressive creation and be all the more impressed with its sovereign, almighty Creator.

Yes, in comparative size and strength, we may be closer to the minnows than the great leviathans. But that’s just it, isn’t it: not a sparrow falls to the ground apart from our God. He commanded the minnows to be fruitful and multiply because He delights in them as His creatures.

How much more with you, dear Christian? Though you feel ever so small, He has revealed Himself here already as God of the small. And small though you be, He not only created You in His own image, but He has taken upon Himself your humanity to save you. He is Lord over the great for the sake of the small. He is working all things for your good!

What great problems have you feeling small? How does Genesis 1:21 help you?

Suggested Songs: ARP46 “God Is Our Refuge and Our Strength” or TPH244 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”