In the sermon titled 'Days 2 and 3 Of Creation' by David Green, the speaker explores the biblical account of creation as described in Genesis 1:6-13. On the second day, God creates an expanse, known as the firmament, to separate the waters above from those below, which is called heaven. The sermon discusses the concept of three levels of heaven, referencing various biblical passages. The speaker emphasizes that the Bible uses the term 'day' in a literal sense, describing a 24-hour period. On the third day, God gathers the waters to reveal dry land, called Earth, and creates vegetation. The sermon highlights the logical order and wisdom in God's creation, noting that everything was created to reproduce after its kind. The speaker also addresses common misconceptions about the creation process, clarifying that terms like 'create' and 'make' are used interchangeably in the context of the biblical narrative.

Genesis chapter 1 and today we're going to start reading at verse 6. We're going to go down to verse 13. So verse 6, Then God said, let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. So God made the expanse and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it was so.

God called the expanse heaven. There was evening and there was morning, a second day. Then God said, Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry land appear. And it was so. And God called the dry land earth and the gathering of the waters he called seeds.

God saw that it was good. Then God said, let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them, and it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seeds in them after their kind, and God saw that it was good. There was evening, and there was morning, a third day. Last week we looked at day one of creation, and today we're going to look at these verses which cover days two and day three.

Right away we notice that as God spoke the creation into existence, that he spoke an expanse. Let there be an expanse. You may recall in the King James the text there says, Affirmament. In fact, it's kind of interesting to me that as I looked over my old notes from 2009 when I preached this using the King James, I put in my notes what is a firmament and I put that it was an expanse. And here in the text, the Legacy Standard translators, they put expanse and there's a footnote and you'll see there in the footnote it says or affirmative and so this is one of those words that could go either way either way in the in the Hebrew but as the Hebrew.

But as we go down further and kind of as we... Excuse me. Getting ahead of ourselves a little bit. The Bible is the Bible's best commentary. And so if we get down to verse 8, we see that God called the expanse heaven.

This is what God is calling heaven, what this expanse. In verse 1, the beginning here, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now, the word heaven is used in different ways in the scriptures. And so, let's think about this for a moment as we think of the awesomeness of God's creation and what what he's talking about here when he talks about this expanse. Paul wrote of the highest heaven in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 in verse 2, he says, I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago, whether in the body I do not know or out of the body I do not know, God knows such a man was caught up to the third heaven. Okay, so when he talks about the highest heaven, he says the third heaven. The third heaven. If there's the third heaven, there must be a second first. What are these three levels of heaven?

Well these are all above the earth, And so in Jeremiah chapter 4, Jeremiah chapter 4, and I'm sorry I meant to have some pictures and things to show on the screen, and I totally forgot all about that, but I had intended on doing that some with these sermons. Maybe I'll have some visuals for next time. But you can visualize it in your mind, perhaps. You think of three levels above the earth. Jeremiah chapter 4 verse 25, I saw and behold there was no man and all the birds of the sky had fled.

And so there's a level, the heavens where the birds are. And so you look up in the sky and you see there are birds flying. There's a certain level there that's limited to where the birds fly. That's the first heaven. You think of it that way.

The atmospheric heaven, maybe, perhaps you might call it that. But over in Isaiah chapter 13, As we think about God and how he created the heavens, and as we read about this expanse above the earth, the firmament as it's translated in the King James, Isaiah chapter 13 and verse 10. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not flash forth their light. The sun will be dark when it rises and the moon will not shed its light. Thus I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity.

I will also put an end to the pride of the arrogant and will bring low the lofty pride of the ruthless." What's he talking about? He's talking about the heavens where the stars are, where the sun is, what we might think of as space. The vastness of the universe where the stars and other planets are and so on and so forth is far beyond even what we can imagine. We've only, as human beings, begun to explore some of those places. And it's doubtful that we'll even ever get to the far reaches of this universe.

God's creation is so magnificent and beautiful. But then there's the third heaven, Hebrews chapter 9, Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 24, Verse 24, for Christ did not enter holy places made with hands, mere copies of the true ones, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us." And so there's the heaven where God's throne is. That's the third heaven. Over in 2 Chronicles chapter 2, 2 Chronicles chapter As Solomon is talking about building a house for the name of Yahweh, in verse 6 he says this, But who is able to build a house for him, for the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain him? So who am I that I should build a house for him except to burn incense before him?" As Solomon thought about this and as he spoke of this, I believe the heavens and the highest heavens, I believe he was speaking of all of this, all of the atmospheric heaven, the place where the stars are, the place where God's throne is, all of this combined.

He's contemplating the fact that the vastness of God's creation The vastness of God's creation cannot contain God. Truly God's creation is amazing. Truly, God's creation is amazing. And from our passage there in Genesis chapter 1, while we stand in awe of the way that creation looks now, apparently in this Second day, as he describes the creative work of God, when he said, let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate the waters from the waters So God made the expanse and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse and It was so and God called the expanse heaven. As He was creating this, before this expanse existed, the earth waters on the surface and the cloud waters were not separate.

And so there was no clear airspace. I don't know what it was like, but in verse 2, something was going on in day one when the earth was formless and void and darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. And then this separation begins to happen. I don't know what things looked like on day one, and as things happened on day two, but as I imagine this, I think it must have been like perhaps a great fog, maybe. A thick fog.

When there was no separation of the waters that were on the earth and the waters that were in the heavens. In this expanse and the things that were going on there. I don't know, but I'm glad that God didn't leave it the way it was. I'm glad that on day two we find that there was an expanse in the midst of the waters and it separated the waters from the waters. I'm glad that on most days there's a separation between the waters that are on the earth and the clouds in the sky and so on and so forth.

I'm thankful that it didn't all just stay together as he created this world and he separated the waters from the waters. As you read through this In verse 7, you may notice that it says, So God made, whereas in verse 1 it said, In the beginning God created. Now some people make a big deal out of this and maybe you didn't even notice this as you read through it and if you didn't that's okay but I'm going to bring this out a little bit because some people do make a lot of big deal out of this the difference between creation and making. And so they begin to build ideas and theories on this, but understand something. In the context here, whether it says creation or making, it's two different Hebrew words, but the writer is bringing out the same truth.

In fact, in Nehemiah chapter 9, Nehemiah chapter 9, chapter 9, Nehemiah chapter 9, verse 6. The writer here says, You alone are Yahweh. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens, with all their hosts, the earth and all that is on it, the seas, and all that is in them, you give life to all of them. The heavenly host bows down to you." You see, he uses that word made, but he's talking about that God created everything. Those who make a big deal out of this, they claim that The word create means the original creation and make means recreation, but they're making a differentiation there that doesn't even come out in the context, especially when you compare it with other passages such as Nehemiah 9 and verse 6.

There is no recreation going on here. This is all one literal week happening that God is creating everything. Genesis 1 verse 7 as we see this separation that's happening, the waters on the earth from the atmosphere, There are those who take this and they build something else out of this. They try to make this into some sort of a solid mass. They try to say that this expanse or this firmament is some sort of a solid mass, and especially those guys that believe in the flat earth, they try to build something out of that as well, but that's not what's being taught here.

According to optical appearance, it's described like a curtain over in Isaiah chapter 40. Isaiah chapter 40 in verse 22. It is he who inhabits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. It is he who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to inhabit." You see, as he writes this he says, the heavens are stretched out like a curtain. The description is given there to show how that how that God has stretched these things out.

In Job, the description is given this way. Job chapter 37. Verse 18. In verse 18, As Elihu answers Job there, or speaks to Job, he says there of the expanse, he says in verse He says in verse 18, can you with him spread out the skies strong as a molten mirror? Molten mirror.

These things are speaking of optical appearances, but there's nothing in these verses to warrant the idea that the heavens were regarded as a solid mass. Indeed, indeed there is these were descriptive terms, and that's it. Just showing of what they appeared to be. And so in verse 8 of Genesis chapter 1, God called the expanse heaven, and there was evening and there was morning, a second day. And so here again we have this definition very clearly given that these are literal days that whereas the word yom, the Hebrew word for day here, can sometimes mean a long period of time or something that is more than just a literal day.

Here In this text, it is a literal day. There was evening, there was morning, a second day. He doesn't say there were evenings, plural, and there were mornings, plural. He doesn't say that. He says there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

So he already said there was evening and there was morning a second day. So he already said there was evening and there was morning a first day. Now he says there's evening and there was morning a second day. So whether you're a Jew who is coming out of Egypt with Moses and you're reading this thousands of years ago, or whether you're here, 2025 America, you understand. Evening, morning, first day, that's one day.

Evening, morning, second day, that's two days. Very, very clear given. Verse 9, then God said let the waters below the heavens, be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear, and it was so." So the expression here, the waters below the heavens, must be taken in light of the context of the previous division which has just happened. So the waters have been divided, the waters below the heavens, this is the water that's on the earth. Now On day one, day two, right here we are, before he spoke this dry land into existence, there was an ocean without a shore.

Think about that. There's just water everywhere. The waters were all in one place. There was no divisions of oceans. There was no Atlantic Ocean.

There was no Pacific Ocean. There was no Gulf of America or Gulf of Mexico, depending on where you're at in the world. There was none of that. It was just one big bunch of water. No dry land until God spoke.

And when he spoke, I believe God means what He says, and He says what He means. And so in verse 9, he says, let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry land appear. And it was so. God called the dry land earth and the gathering of the waters he called seas, God saw that it was good. I believe that when God originally spoke the dry land into existence, that it was all one big piece of land.

And I believe you can still see evidence of that even to this very day. If you take the continents and kind of push them together, it's almost like a puzzle. It seems like that they would fit together. Have you ever looked and noticed that the coastal lines, for instance, of South America and Africa seem to fit together almost perfectly in some of the other places in this world. At one time, I believe there was one giant continent, one piece of land.

Something must have broken them apart. We'll get to that a little later, but I believe the answer for that mystery has to do the answer is also found in Genesis, but it has to do with the great flood. Something catastrophic happened to this world. Over in Psalms 104, we'll get to the flood later, but Psalms 104 verses 7 through 9 Verses seven through nine. At your rebuke they fled, at the sound of your thunder they hurried away in alarm.

The mountains went up, the valleys went down, to the place which you founded for them you set a boundary that they may not pass over so that they will not return to cover the earth. I believe that here God is speaking of His creative work on day three. The sound of his thunder, his voice. The mountains went up, the valleys went down. He set the boundaries.

The creation of dry land is what we read here. In fact, when we talk about it, oftentimes we talk about how that we're elect before the foundation of the world. What's that even mean? I believe the Bible speaks of the creation of dry land as the foundation of the earth. Over in Psalm 102.

Psalm 102. Psalm 102, in verse 25. Of old you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hand of your hands over in Job chapter 38 Job 38 in verse 4 Job 38, verse 4. Yahweh answers Job here, he says, where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you know understanding.

Who said it's measurements since you know? Or who stretched the line on it. Isaiah chapter 48, Isaiah 48 and verse 13. Also my hand founded the earth, my right hand spread out the heavens. When I called to them, they stand together.

And then lastly over in Zechariah chapter 12 Zechariah chapter 12 Verse 1 The article, the word of Yahweh concerning Israel, Thus declares Yahweh who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him." So we see in all of this the greatness of God as He stretches out the stars in heaven, as He lays the foundation of the earth. And we read of that in Genesis 1 with his speech, by his word. Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place and let the dry land appear. And it was so. God called the dry land earth and the gathering of the waters he called seas and God saw that it was good.

God gives names to what He has created and again God saw that it was good. He did not need any man to verify the goodness of it. No man was there yet. He did not need to ask any angel for verification. God saw that it was good.

That's how we know it is good. And then God spoke again. Verse 11 and 12. Then God said, Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind was seed in them, and it was so. And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them after their kind and God saw that it was good." You see, God speaks and something happens.

As we go through the study of the creation, we find that in his power, he could have done all this in an instant But he didn't He didn't take billions of years He took six days, but he didn't need to take six days, but he did. One of the reasons that he took six days is so that you and I, as we read through this, we can see not only his power, but also his wisdom. Don't miss this. It's wonderful. When you begin to think about the order of creation, it's fantastic because He had an order.

You and I, when we go to make something, number one, we have to use materials. We can't make something out of nothing, but we have to have the order right or it doesn't come out right. Can you imagine trying to build a house and starting with the roof without the foundation or the walls? It would be a mess, wouldn't it? God has an order.

And so, he did not create the grass before there was dirt. Right? He didn't create the cattle before they had a pasture, before they had grass and water, you see. All of these things we see the order and the wisdom and the knowledge of Almighty God. Three things are mentioned here in this text in verses 11 and 12.

He says, let the earth sprout vegetation, plant-shielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth, bearing fruit after their kind was seed in them. It is significant that these were not made as seeds. He could have done that. He could have just made the land and put the seeds there, but rather he did not do that. He made them, he created them as full-grown plants, full-grown trees, full-grown vegetation, and each were given the ability to reproduce by way of a seed.

All of this was ready for what was coming, the animals that were coming, the people that were coming, And everything was built into them so that they could reproduce. Why? Because God is good. He provides. Speaking of reproduction, we see this order even to this very day.

The logic of God, You see, where does logic come from? Where does order come from? Well, it comes from God. This universe did not come into being by random chance processes. In John chapter 1, we won't go there, but when John wrote, in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God, The word that he used there in the Greek is the word logos.

It's the word from which we get our word logic. Logic comes from God. God is logical. His universe is logical. It works in a logical way.

The sun sets, rises, always in the same place, always in an orderly fashion. The tides work in an orderly fashion. The vegetation, the plants, the trees, If I go over to the hardware store and I buy an orange tree and I plant it, I don't have to worry that it's going to produce onions. Why? Why?

Because God has made it. If I get chickens and put them in the backyard, I don't have to worry that they're gonna lay alligator eggs. Why? Because God has made them the way that they are. While we sometimes see variations in different kinds, In other words, there might be different variations of oranges, and there might be variations of different apples, and there might be variations of different chickens, we don't see any kind becoming another kind.

There are no dogs that give birth to cats. There are no orange trees that have apple trees hanging off of them, and so on and so forth. Why? Because right here, the answer is in Genesis. The world can't explain it, but we have the answer right here because beginning in Genesis chapter 1, as we see these plants, these vegetation, these fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind was seed in them, what happened?

And it was so, and it's still so today. And in Verse 13, and there was evening and there was morning, a third day. So again, this is very clearly God telling us that this was a literal 24-hour day and this is what he did on that third day. So with that, we'll conclude the teaching from this chapter and Lord willing we'll pick up next week where we left off. So before we dismiss in prayer, I'll ask does anybody have any questions from anything that we've looked at tonight?

All right, well let's go ahead and have prayer. So I'll ask Brother Barry if you'll lead us and then I'll close this out.