Lesson 9
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Bible Study 1 - Genesis 1
SERIES: A WORLD IN A WEEK
LESSON 9 GENESIS 1.20-23 DAY 5–THE CREATION OF THE FISH AND THE FOWL
(KJV)
20. “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
21. “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”
22. “And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.”
23. “And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.”
REVIEW AND INTRODUCTION
On the fifth day, the Bible tells us about God creating the fish for the sea and the fowl for the sky. We have been following these days of creation and we have observed that in the first three days of creation, God has formed the various spaces for life to exist. He has formed the sky. He has formed the sea. He has formed the earth.
INTERPRETATION
In the final three days of God's creation, we learn that God fills what He has formed. On the fourth day we are told that for the stellar heavens, God has formed the heavenly bodies - the sun, the moon, and the stars. There is no evidence at that point that there is any life in the stellar atmosphere. Scientist continue to search to see if there is any kind of life on any other planet or star in the stellar atmosphere or if there ever has been. We have no scientific evidence, nor is there any evidence given to us in the Bible that there is any form of life in the stellar heavens or ever has been. There are those who have theorized that's how life began on the earth. I mentioned to you that some have a theory that a meteor came very close to the earth and in the course of this close encounter, a germ of life dropped off and fell to the earth. There is no evidence of this scientifically; there is certainly no indication in the Bible that this is true. Again, just another bogus imagination brought forth as a possibility for the beginning of life rather than the acceptance of the truth as presented in the Bible in Genesis chapter 1.
Then we are told about God creating the plant life. Here God created organic life. Life now existed, but it is a different form of life. In these verses on the fifth day we are told again – “God created.” It is the first time that it says “God created” since the earlier verses of the chapter. Therefore, we have the creation of God of conscious (or mindful) life. Plants have organic life, but organic life does not have brains. Organic life does not have nervous systems. Now, the Bible says God creates conscious (or mindful) physical life - the fish of the sea and the fowl for the air. We are going talk about the fact that God did this by direct decree. The theory of evolution takes the position that all of this evolved over a long period of time. Evolution teaches that millions, even billions of years, through random chance, through accident, all these things came into existence. However, the Bible says in verses 20, 21, and 22 in three specific statements. "And God said" (verse 20). "And God created" (verse 21). "And God blessed" (verse 22). Three direct statements making it clear that God brought into existence the fish of the sea and the fowl of the air by divine decree, not by some evolutionary process or by some random accidental matter.
I want to talk to you about the fascinating world of the fish and the fascinating world of the fowl - the birds of the air. We are told first of all, in these verses, that
I. ON THE 5TH DAY GOD CREATED THE FISH FOR THE SEA.
THAT BRINGS US TO THE STUDY OF ICHTHYOLOGY. ( ich·thy·ol·o·gy) (It is pronounced (“ik-thee-ol-uh-jee”) That is a branch of zoology devoted to the study of the fish of the sea. Don’t let that trip you up! I had never heard of this term myself until I started my research for this Bible Study, but you will see as I did how informative it is. I have always loved the ocean and sea life. It is an amazing thing to see how God has designed the fish for the sea. They are exactly designed for the the environment in which they find themselves.
EXPLANATION
A. WHEN YOU STUDY ICHTHYOLOGY(ich·thy·ol·o·gy)YOU DISCOVER AN AMAZING VARIETY OF THE FISH.
Consider how God designed the fish. Think about the shape of a fish. It is exactly and perfectly shaped so that it can move swiftly and unhindered in the water. Think also about the scales on the fish. What an amazing thing are the scales. Nearest to the meat of the fish there is an unusual hook on that scale - something like a horse's hoof that ties to the flesh of the fish. Then it moves out feather-like to give an all skin covering or protection for the fish. Think also about the breathing of the fish. We know the fish are in the water. We know that there is free oxygen in the water. Water is H2O. Two parts hydrogen; one part oxygen. Nevertheless, it is impossible for the fish to get to the oxygen in that form. So God designed for the fish what we call gills. The gills in a fish separate the oxygen from the water and make it possible for the fish to breathe. What an amazing thing is God’s design of the fish.
Consider the abundance of the fish. It is interesting to note what the Word of God had to say in verse 20. "Let the waters bring forth abundantly." The literal rendering of the Hebrew is this: let the waters swarm with swarms. Some translate it: let the waters teem with life. It is talking about a large quantity of the fish of the sea, the wealth of life in the water. We know this to be entirely and exactly true. When you study the seas you discover large quantities of every imaginable form of sea life there is. There are all kinds of fish in the seas, and an abundance of life. We know that even small portions of water have an unbelievable multiplicity of life. Think about the multiplicity of a mackerel. Have you heard about how a mackerel can reproduce itself? They tell me that it is possible for a mackerel to produce 500 thousand eggs. Now, if evolution were true, you could cross a mackerel with a hen and you could get rich selling eggs. We read about the mackerel and it fits just exactly with what God says in the Bible about the multiplicity of the creatures of the sea.
Consider the different kinds of fish. In verse 20 “ And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life” Then in verse 21 it says “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind.” That suggests the idea of variety. It has been estimated that there are about nine thousand species of fish alone in the waters of the earth. The National Explorer has stated that after years of exploration they believe there may be thousands of species of fish in the depths of the ocean that have never been discovered. They are continuously documenting new species of sea life of which there is no record of ever being seen before. In addition, there are depths of the ocean that man has never ventured because of his inability and lack of technology to go that deep. They have found some species of fish so deep that the fish have never seen light and are completely blind and some of them have no eyes. They live, feed, and function by vibrations and other various senses. God has a perfect plan and functions for all the creatures He creates.
Think about the archerfish. The way it gets its food is it shoots a stream of water and hits an insect and knocks it off a tree or a leaf. When you look at that archerfish you discover that it forms a tube with its upper palate and with its tongue to make it possible for that jet stream of water to knock down its food. That is an amazing thing!
Think about the amazing fish called the seahorse. It has a head like a horse. That's where it gets its name. However, it has no neck, it cannot turn, its jaws are fixed and cannot move, and it has no teeth. How does the seahorse eat? It eats by sucking tiny shrimp into its mouth. By the way, the female seahorse turns the tables on the male seahorse. She takes her eggs and deposits those eggs in a pouch, carried by the male. Then the male goes through labor. The male delivers those little seahorses. Some of you ladies think there ought to be a change sometimes so the men could go through what you've gone through also. Well, that is what the seahorse does. God created him that way. I could go on and on about the amazing variety of fish.
A. WHEN YOU STUDY ICHTHYOLOGY (ich·thy·ol·o·gy) YOU DISCOVER AN AMAZING VARIETY OF THE FISH.
B. WHEN YOU STUDY ICHTHYOLOGY (ich·thy·ol·o·gy) YOU NOTICE THE ABSOLUTE FIXITY OF THE FISH. Verse 21 says, “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind”. Do you remember back when we were studying on Day 3? It tells about plant life in verses 11 and 12. It uses that phrase "after his kind”. Ten times that phrase is found in Genesis 1. When it talks about the fish of the sea, it inserts that little phrase which establishes the fixity of the species of fish. This is a divinely imposed restriction by God so that all conscious life reproduces only its own kind.
That means that a seahorse only reproduces another seahorse. That means that a bass only reproduces another bass. There is unwavering consistency and uniformity. There is a sense of understanding that you will get the same thing every time reproduction occurs.
However evolution takes the opposite view. As we shall see, as we move on in our study, evolution says that it is possible for one species to transfer into another. That there can be a transition and that one species can move from one species to another. Yet, when you study the Word of God you will find that there is no contradiction between what the Bible says here and actual facts of science. The Bible says, "Reproduce after its kind”. It is not merely a religious statement. It is a statement which is consistent with the truth of the science of genetics.
We now know that because of our understanding of genetics that every living cell has a DNA molecule. We know that in that DNA molecule are all of the instructions, all of the coded information necessary for that cell to reproduce "after its kind”. It is preprogrammed by God. Whatever God has created something to be is exactly what you will have. There may be variations in those species. There may be different colors of the same species of fish. Nevertheless, whatever those differences in colors may be; it is all coded in the DNA. It is all there. There is no evidence in scientific fact for any randomness or any accidental matters that comes to these issues and no possibility that one species can move from one species to another.
When you have random noise you do not expect to hear music. When you have random letters you do not expect to get books. When you hear music you immediately think of a composer. When you read a book you immediately think of an author. When you see the fish of the sea you immediately think of the God who created the creatures of the sea. It says that He created the great whales. The Hebrew word there really means the great sea monsters. Psalm 104:25-26 tells us what God has to say about these great fish of the sea that God created. "So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts." That's exactly what we find. "There go the ships; there is that leviathan, (or that monster) whom thou hast made to play therein." Job made reference to leviathan (or monster) when God was confronting Job and questioning Job. Who was Job to question God? Who was Job to question the activities of God? He said, “Take a look at leviathan, one of the great sea monsters”.
He is saying that God just created that creature to play in the water for our amusement. In the days of Moses, Moses was taught, in the school where he attended, that the sea monsters were divine, that they were gods who existed in the sea. These were sea monsters and men were to be afraid of these sea monsters. However, God comes back and says I want you to know I created these monsters for people to catch them with their hooks and for them to turn into pets. God created the fish for the sea. It all came as result of divine decree.
Now moving back to Genesis 1 I want you to make another consideration.
I. ON THE 5TH DAY GOD CREATED THE FISH FOR THE SEA.
But also:
II. ON THE 5TH DAY GOD CREATED THE FOWL FOR THE SKY.
20. “And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”
THAT BRINGS US TO THE STUDY OF ORNITHOLOGY. (or·ni·thol·o·gy) It is pronounced (“or-nuh-thol-uh-jee”) There again, don’t get tripped up on that big word. It is very important! It is a branch of zoology that deals with the study of birds. I determined that if we were going to use the scientific term to approach the study of fish we needed to do the same with the birds. Maybe it will tickle these old stale minds a little bit and we will learn something we have not thought about before. However, some of you are probably a lot smarter than I and this is elementary, so you will need to overlook my simplicity. Nevertheless, it is an amazing and marvelous thing the way God has designed the "fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” Birds have the ability to fly above the earth. Verse 21 says that “And God created …every winged fowl after his kind”. Birds, with wings, with the ability to fly.
A. IT IS JUST AMAZING THE WAY GOD HAS MADE THE BIRDS OF THE SKY. We know that birds have hollow bones. We know that when the bird breathes it fills bones with air and makes it possible for the birds to fly. We know that the shape of a bird is exactly right to fly in the air. We know that it is like a flying wedge. We design our airplanes along the order of the design of the birds of the air. Think about some of these different birds and what they can do.
Think about the Chimney Sweep. Think about the nests of the birds. Have you ever thought about the different kinds of nests that birds have? The Chimney Sweep takes twigs and glues those twigs together. Where in the world does that Chimney Sweep get that glue? Does it go to the Home Depot and ask for some glue to build a nest? No. In the mouth of that Chimney Sweep, it manufactures its own glue. Tell me how that came about. Did that come about by some accident? Did that come about by some evolutionary process? Did it take millions of years for that Chimney Sweep to be able to develop the ability to make the glue in its mouth? No! When God created a little Chimney Sweep, He created it that way.
Have you thought about the Sparrow? Have you paid attention to a Sparrow lately? Have you watched the Sparrow sleep lately? Here is the Sparrow. It is perched on a twig. That little Sparrow gets very, very sleepy. Its toes are wrapped around that twig and the Sparrow is ready to go to sleep. You say, "Oh, be careful, little Sparrow, you'll fall off that twig”. What keeps that Sparrow, when it goes to sleep, from falling off that twig? I'll tell you what does it. The muscles of the toes of that Sparrow are so designed that at the instant the little Sparrow goes to sleep, those toe muscles clamp down on that branch and remain that way the whole time the Sparrow is asleep. They do not release themselves until the Sparrow wakes up and flies off to McDonald's to get its morning breakfast. Who designed the little Sparrow to be able to perch like that and sleep on a branch? God gave that ability to the little Sparrow.
Have you ever thought about the migration of birds like the Blackpoll Warbler? What an amazing thing! The Blackpoll Warbler lives in Canada and vacations in Brazil. That is a journey of about 4,000 miles. Yet, at the exact same season every year, that Blackpoll Warbler makes its journey down to Brazil. It goes to exactly the same place where its ancestors have already gone. Who tells that little Warbler where to go? God tells it where to go. Who gives navigation and directions for that little bird? God gives directions to that bird.
Think about the Albatross. Have you ever thought about the migratory habits of the Albatross, one of our largest birds? It has a wingspan of 12 feet sometimes. It is able to fly up to speeds of 1000 miles in a day. Sometimes it glides over long distances. Sometimes those birds go for seven months and never touch the earth. Yet, they go exactly where they are supposed to go. They go around the world seven times in the course of their migratory habits. Yet, they say an Albatross can land on the deck of a ship and get just as seasick as it can possibly be. Who tells that Albatross how to make that journey? God does!
Think about the amazing speed of birds, especially the Falcon. Just think about how fast birds are able to fly! Have you ever thought about the Falcon? A Falcon can fly at 180 miles per hour, descending upon their prey. It can stop within 20 feet when it gets where it wants to get too. Its eyesight is so keen and so perfect that in that 180 miles per hour journey, stopping to get its prey, it adjusts perfectly so that its eyesight is always in focus. It has a third eyelid on its eyes to serve as a windshield to make it possible for the Falcon to go down and get its prey. How does the Falcon know to do that? God created the birds of the air. Just like God created the fish of the sea.
A. IT IS JUST AMAZING THE WAY GOD HAS MADE THE BIRDS OF THE SKY. It is an amazing and marvelous thing the way God has designed the "fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.” Verse 21 says that “God created …every winged fowl after his kind.” The word, “fowl”, literally means a flying creature. Therefore it is possible that this could not only make reference to the bird, but it also could make reference to the flying insects.
B. IT IS JUST AMAZING THE WAY GOD HAS MADE THE INSECTS OF THE SKY. When I began to ponder that in my mind I immediately thought about the bee. What a cute little thing is the bee. The bee, when it gets pollen, its breathing devices have a tendency to clog up. Yet, when you look at that bee you also discover that on the knee of that bee is a brush. This brush is able to get that pollen off the breathing device of the bee. If evolution was true, if it was true that that little bee evolved, there would be no ability to have a brush to get the pollen away from the breathing device of the bee, so what happened to the first bee? How did that first bee live if there were no brush on that knee? Evolution collapses on the knee of a bee! God is the One who gave that brush to that knee on that bee. Insects are interesting little creatures. Even though we consider the pests and spend lots of money trying get rid of them, they are God’s creation, and they take up space in the firmament which God has made and many of them have a Divine purpose.
You see multiplicity in the fowl of the air. You see variety. They estimate there are over five billion birds in America alone. Some say that there is the same number of species of birds as there are fish - about 9000 species. Yet, notice what God does. It says when God created the fowl of the air that he created them after his own kind. In other words, God established a reproductive limit. God established a system of uniformity so that a fish will only reproduce a fish. A bird will only reproduce a bird. You will never, ever see a bass producing a Falcon. You will never, ever see a Sparrow producing a red lobster. It is always "after its kind”.
In the human family we have all kinds of noses. Some have big noses. Some have REALLY BIG noses. Some have medium noses. Some have little noses. However, no matter the size of the nose, that does not change the fact that a person is a person, is a person. When your wife gets ready to deliver that little baby you know it's either going to be a boy or a girl. You never have to say, "I hope it's not a bass. I hope it's not a mocking bird. I hope it's not a grasshpper." God said "After its kind."
This theory of evolution is the most absurd theory that has ever been proposed by the mind of man.
Thing may get a little heated up in the next study when I talk about the animals and when I go on to people. In this passage of Scripture, for the first time, it says, "God blessed." It will say it again as you move on in the creation account. Verse 28 says about the creation of man, "and God blessed”. We are told about the Sabbath day and “God blessed the Sabbath.” We are told about Noah and his family and “God blessed.” We are told about Abraham and “God blessed.” Any time there is fruit, anytime there is multiplication, it is always because of the blessing of God.
In this study I am getting to the front door of some crucial issues. That is one of the reasons I have tried to lay some ground work before hand about evolution verses creation. You will find that I am not afraid to tackle these issues head on whether my convictions and interpretations are popular or not. I only teach what I believe the Bible teaches me as the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to me. If there is anyone who disagrees with me that is okay. Everyone must take what they believe before the Father and get His approval and peace. That is what I do and I am settled and fixed in my position with no arguments to offer. One of the crucial issues in our day is abortion which I feel very strongly about. Is it ethically and morally right to take the life of a baby? After conception is that a baby in the womb of the woman or is it a fetus or just lifeless tissue? For many there is a lot of debate but for me there is no debate. If you believe the Bible, if you believe that God knew you even when you were in your mother’s womb, if you believe God knew you before the foundation of the world, if you believe God had a special plan and purpose for your life and every life, there should be no debate with you either. However, if you don’t believe any of these things which are all Biblical facts, or if you believe in evolution, if you believe that there is no purpose or meaning in life, if you believe everybody just came about as a colossal accident, then human life is very, very cheap. On the other hand, if you believe that reproduction is a blessing of God and that every life has infinite value and worth, then you cannot say abortion is anything but wrong and is murder. There I stand and I hope you do also!
Do you see how it all fits in? God blessed. Be fruitful and multiply. It is true in the creation. It is also true in God’s family. Anytime there is fruit and anytime there is multiplication in God’s family it is because God blesses. It is true in a life. Anytime there is fruitfulness and reproduction in life, it is because God blesses. The Lord Jesus Christ had several events that had to do with fish. He multiplied the fish miraculously on occasion. He called men who were fishermen to follow Him. He got his taxes from a coin that was found in the mouth of a fish one time. The sign of the fish is the sign of Christian faith. ICHTHUS - Jesus Christ, Son of God/Savior. Jesus said that you and I can become fishers of men.
What a message the fowl is to you and to me. The Lord Jesus Christ tells us in His Word that He takes care of the birds of the air. Not one little bird, out of all these billions of birds, ever falls to the ground without the notice of the Heavenly Father. Jesus says, you are of far more value than the little birds. That tear that fell from your eyes this week, the heavenly Father saw it. That need that arose in your life this week, your Heavenly Father understands. The message of the birds is that God loves you and God cares for you.
To find more help in receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior please go to the Bible Study Title Page “ETERNAL LIFE”. Please send me an email and respond to me about any decision for Christ you make so that I may pray for you. Feel free to send me any questions, comments, or responses you may have as well. For those who are already Christians I invite you to also please let me know of any decisions you make in your Christian life for Jesus. Feel free to send me any questions, comments, or responses you may have and let me know if the Bible Studies are helping you. [ rfdenning1951@gmail.com]
ALWAYS REMEMBER!
The support of your local Church ministry and the ministry of your Pastor should be the first priority of your Christian life and your service to the Lord. Be faithful to prayerfully prepare and attend Sunday School and Worship Service this Sunday and participate in worship as your Pastor preaches the Word. Do not forget to give the Lord at least your TITHE through your local church from your gross income – that is your first fruits. Any other other giving is an offering to a ministry unto the Lord. Honor the Lord in all you do and with all that you have. Always remember that everything you have and all you are belongs to the Lord. It is on loan to you – so manage it well! There will be an audit one day! Make sure the Books Balance!