004 – Foundations 004 – The Creator Revealed
Posted On May 1, 2020
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Intro: Did you know that the details of the creation on the second day show us how much God wants us to know him? He reveals himself, and wants us to know him, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the atmosphere we have. That is one way the Creator revealed himself. Things would have been distorted if God had chosen a different atmosphere in which to place us. This is truly powerful!
- What was created on the second day?
- Created the sky and called it Heaven
- There are three “heavens” in Scripture: 1st = The sky within our atmosphere. 2nd – Outer space. 3rd – “Heaven of Heavens” = The abode of God’s throne.
- The visible universe is about 29 billion light years across!
- Created gases and certain elements of the periodic table (Oxygyn, Nitrogen, Helium etc.)
- i.e. He created Air, and all that is in the air. The atmosphere.
- Wanted us to be air breathers. Why? (We’ll answer that in a moment.)
- Earth’s atmosphere is about 300 miles (480 kilometers) thick, but most of it is within 10 miles (16 km) the surface. The gases in Earth’s atmosphere include: Nitrogen – 78 percent; Oxygen – 21 percent; Argon – 0.93 percent; Carbon dioxide – 0.038 percent. Water vapor and other gases exist in small amounts as well.
- What about the water?
- Water below is clearly the oceans, etc. Water above is still under debate.
- Problems with the Canopy
- Ps. 148:4
- Sun’s radiation has to be 25% lower than it is today.
- There are problems but the theory is not totally out of consideration.
- Probably at the edge of the universe in some way. (Ref. – https://answersingenesis.org/environmental-science/the-collapse-of-the-canopy-model/)
- Created the sky and called it Heaven
- What meaning do we find in this now?
- The atmosphere is perfect!
- Any thicker and the earth would become much too hot, among other problems. Any thinner and the air would escape and we would be pelted by meteors, solar radiation… we’d die!
- God was protecting us before we needed it.
- He still does this today. Protects before we even realize we need it.
- God Reveals Himself
- We live in the air. Our atmosphere also provides us with a clear view of the universe in which we live. This gives us the opportunity to see what God has done and gain an understanding of his character and vastness.
- If God made us so that we lived in the water, the light of the universe that we observe would be refracted and distorted.
- In other words, we would not understand our universe as it really is. Our understanding would be skewed.
- God wants us to understand himself and the world he made as it really is. Not distorted or “refracted.”
- Privileged Planet – “Atmospheres come in many forms, but not all allow for complex life or clear views of the wider universe. Complex life requires a certain type of atmosphere. It turns that this same type of atmosphere provides a remarkably clear view of the near and distant universe. Complex, intelligent beings are unlikely to find themselves on a planet with an opaque atmosphere or deep in a murky ocean.” (emphasis added)
- God wants us to know him.
- Deut. 4:39
- Jer. 31:34
- John 14:21
- God desires to be known, and the fact that he gave us the sky that we have reveals this eternal truth, taught to us in Scripture.
- The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
- Ps. 19:1
- The sky is vast – God is bigger than any problem.
- The sky is beautiful – More beautiful is our Father in Heaven.
- The atmosphere protects us – Our Father protects us from more than we will ever know.
- Ps. 113:4
- As magnificent as the sky is, God’s glory is greater.
- Ps. 19:1
- The atmosphere is perfect!