Issue #1,194 October 3,2004 Missing Evening
As usual for this time of year, it's still dark outside as I write this morning's
Gleanings. As I looked out the window into the darkness, a little earlier, I pondered
day and night, light and dark. That got me thinking of the creation account recorded
in Genesis and the missing evening.
Did you ever notice that one evening was missing from the account? Have a read
through and find it.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless
and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was
hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was
evening, and there was morning--the first day.
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from
water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from
the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was
evening, and there was morning--the second day.
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let
dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered
waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the
land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit
with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced
vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit
with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there
was evening, and there was morning--the third day.
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the
day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years,
and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth."
And it was so. God made two great lights--the greater light to govern the day
and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them
in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the
night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And
there was evening, and there was morning--the fourth day.
And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above
the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of
the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according
to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that
it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and
fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there
was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day.
And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds:
livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according
to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds,
the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along
the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said,
"Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish
of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and
over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his
own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the
earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and
over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you
every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has
fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the
earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground--everything
that has the breath of life in it--I give every green plant for food." And it
was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening,
and there was morning--the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the
seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day
he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy,
because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
Genesis 1:1-2:1 NIV
I don't know how many times I read the creation account before I realized there
was an evening missing, probably hundreds at least. Did you see it? If you know
there is an evening missing, it's easy to find. There is no evening recorded for
day seven, the day of God's rest.
I believe that's intentional in the narrative. It's a foreshadowing of God's
plan of redemption for us. When we enter into God's rest, there will be no more
night.
I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb
are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for
the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk
by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On
no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will
ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only
those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 21:22-27 NIV
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street
of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve
crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are
for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne
of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They
will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord
God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. Revelation 22:1-5
NIV
No matter what darkness envelops our lives right now. No matter the pain or sorrow,
it will come to an end. When we walk with God and enter into His rest there is
a promised day coming, a day with no more night. A promised joy that comes with
the morning.
Until next time rejoice in the Light.
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed
Kevin |