Commentary Upon Genesis 1-3, Commentary on Genesis · Chapter 1 · Verse 7 – Verse 8
VERSE 7.
ANd God made the Firmament] By that Word or Effectual Will and Decree of his, which the Pſalmiſt calls his Commandement, Pſal. 33.9.
And divided] He made not only the body of the Firmament, but withall made it ſerviceable to the uſe for which he had appointed it. Thus both in this, and in the narrations which follow, the Holy Ghoſt punctually ſets before us the Effect anſwerable in every particular Circumſtance to the Will and Decree of God by which it was appointed to be ſo. Whence once for all we may,
1. Obſerve, God performs all things, and that in every particular Circumſtance, according to that which he hath decreed.
Obſerv. 1 IN the time; The ſelf-ſame day, at the end of 430 years, the time which God had decreed and foretold Abraham long before, Gen. 15.13. the children of Iſrael came out of Egypt, Exod. 12.41. In the ſame inſtant that the years foretold by Daniel were accompliſhed in the Children of Iſraels captivity, the Decree came out from Cyrus, for their return, Dan. 9.20, 23. In the place, the dogs ſhall eat the fleſh of Jezabel by the wall of Jezreel, 1 King. 21.23. which was made good in every tittle, 2 King. 9.36. Our Saviour Chriſt came at the time, was born of the Stock, and in the place, and condition foretold by the Prophets; Lived, Did, Spake, and Suffered, according to all that had been propheſied of him. Thus nothing falls to the ground of all that God hath ſpoken, 2 King. 10.10.
Reaſon 1. T… God, that doth whatſoever he pleaſeth in heaven and earth, … all deeps, Pſal. 135.6, can as eaſily do when and where, and how he will, as what he will.
2. Circumſtances, as they grace and commend the actions of men, ſo they do Gods alſo; he makes every thing beautifull in his time, Eccleſ. 3.11, And therefore it concerns God, if he will commend his Work, and make it wonderful and glorious, to Grace it both in the ſubſtance, and circumſtances of every action that is done by him.
If we deſire to give unto God the due honour of his glorious Works, in which he makes himſelf known unto us, let us, 1. Take notice of all the Circumſtances, as well as of the ſubſtance of every work of his, there to ſeek out his work, Pſal. 111.2.2. Compare them all with his Word, as Jehu did the Judgments upon Ahabs Family, with Elijahs Prophecie, 2 King. 9.25, 36. & 10.10. 3. In reading Gods Word, let us carefully lay up in our hearts, whatſoever we find written therein, concerning his Decrees, either of Mercy, or Judgment, with every Circumſtance thereof, that we may know what to expect for time to come. This will be the means to diſcover unto us more clearly all the wayes of God, by which our hearts may be quickned to fear, admiration, thankfulneſſe, and an holy rejoycing in him, and be ſtrengthened to an holy dependance, and reliance on him. In all which we ſhall yeeld unto him the due honour of his Wiſdom, Power, Mercy, Faithfulneſſe, and Truth, which as it is the end that God aimes at in his works, ſo it ſhould be of our Obſervation of them.
God is ſaid not only to make the Firmament, that might divide the waters, in the former Verſe, but in this, the very act of dividing the waters above, from thoſe below, is aſcribed unto him alſo. So that he both made the means, by which the work ſhould be done, and yet did the work too. Whence,
2. Obſerve, Even where God provides the Means, yet it is he that Doth, and Muſt, perform the Work by them.
Obſerv. 2 GOd gives us bread, but we live not by it, but by every word that proceeds out of Gods mouth, Deut. 8.3. He ſends rain upon the earth, yet the fruitfulneſſe of it is by Gods bleſſing; it is He, and not the ſhowres, that prepares the corn, and bleſſeth the ſpringing of it, Pſal. 65.10. Much more in ſpiritual things; Paul plants, and Apollo waters, the Miniſters that God ſends; but they effect nothing of themſelves, it is God alone that gives the increaſe, 1 Cor. 3.7.
Reaſon 1. The very Means themſelves have no power in them, to produce any effect, they have all their force, and efficacy from God, and work in his might, 2 Cor. 10.4. When Paul laboured more abundantly then all the reſt, yet it was not he, but the grace of God with him, as himſelf acknowledgeth, 1 Cor. 15.10.
2. It is moſt fit it ſhould be ſo, that no Creature might ſhare with him in his honour: which cannot be reſerved entirely unto himſelf, till it be acknowledged, that it is done by him, who worketh all in all, 1 Cor. 12.6. and in whom all things conſiſt, Col. 1.17.
1. Let God have all the honour and glory for all that is wrought In us, or By us. Of our Natural, and of our New birth; of the nouriſhment of our bodies, and of our ſoules; of the ſubduing of our Outward, and of our Inward enemies: Love the inſtrument, but honour only the hand that works by it.
2. Let no man be diſcouraged, when the means are either weak, or none at all. Seeing the effects of all things are not from them, but from him who can work without them, what he pleaſeth, and will not fail to work what he hath promiſed. Only neglect not means, where God offers them, but uſe them conſcionably, depending not upon them, but upon him that worketh In and By them, for the ſucceſſe of all that we take in hand, and ſtill aſcribing all that is effected, to Him Alone.
Now Moſes expreſly tells us, that God divided, or ſeparated the waters above the Firmament, from thoſe below, which if we underſtand of the clouds, and rain contained in them; We may
3. Obſerve, The Clouds and Rain are Gods works, and are raiſed up only by his Power.
Obſerv. 3 HE prepareth the rain for the earth, and covers the heaven with clouds, Pſal. 147.8. and carrieth them about by his counſel, Job 37.12. and maketh ſmall the drops of water, Job 36.27. which have no other Father, Job 38.28. neither can any of the vanities of the Gentiles give them, Jer. 14.22.
Acknowledge both the Rain, and the fruitfulneſſe of the earth, to him only, as his bleſſings. 1. By ſeeking them at his hand, with Elijah, Jam. 5.17. As we are directed to do, 1 King. 8.35. 2. By returning thanks to him, and holding our ſelves engaged by ſuch mercies, to his fear, and ſervice (the neglect whereof is taxed, Jer. 5.24.) as bleſſings of ineſtimable value, the want whereof; in one year, might ruine the world.
VERSE 8.
ANd God called] What is to be underſtood by that phraſe, ſee ver. 3.
The Firmament, Heaven]. The Original Shammajim (ſignifying, as much as there be waters) is taken in Scripture, 1. For the lower part of the Ayr, wherein the birds flye, the clouds are carried, and the winds blow, Gen. 8.2. 2. It is taken for the place where the Sun, Moon, and Stars are ſettled, Gen. 1.17. 3. It ſignifies the dwelling of the Saints, and bleſſed Angels, Matth. 22.2. called the Third Heaven, 2 Cor. 12.2. If we comprehend All, or only the two firſt, under this name, the work is of vaſte extent, as we have ſeen already, which if we compare with the means by which it was raiſed, and ſtretched out, and fixed in the place which God aſſigned to it, which was only his VVord, VVe may
1. Obſerve, The glorious, and vaſte frame of the heavens, was raiſed up, and ſettled, only by the Word of God.
Obſerv. 1 PSalm 33.6, 9. God ſpake, and it was done, the Heavens, and all the hoſt of them by his VVord, and by the breath of his mouth, and according to his Ordinance, they are ſettled, and continue to this day, Pſal. 119.89, 91. [See the Second Obſervation on the Third; and the Firſt on the Sixth verſe.]
The Evening and Morning keep their courſe, as they did the firſt day, and ſo do they all the dayes enſuing; yea, as we ſee even to this time, as they ſhall do to the worlds end. VVhence,
2. Obſerve, Whatſoever God hath once Settled, doth, and ſhall, continue for ever, in that Order that he hath appointed.
Obſerv. 2 HE laid the foundations of the Earth, that it ſhould not be moved for ever, Pſal. 104.5. bounded the Sea by a perpetual decree, Jer. 5.22. ſet the Sun and Moon a conſtant courſe, which they ſtill obſerve, Pſal. 104.19. Yea, appointed earing, and harveſt, Summer, and VVinter, to continue as long as the earth remaineth, Gen. 8.22. which continue all of them according to his Ordinance, Pſal. 119.91.
Reaſon 1. Becauſe the ſame power that Created them, continues the ſame for ever to uphold them, Heb. 1.3, 12. And the ſame Wiſdome orders and directs them ſtill, which at the firſt determined and decreed them.
2. Becauſe God, that appointed and made them, is capable, neither of Errour, nor Inconſtancy, James 1.17. and therefore there is neither cauſe for him to alter his mind, nor any diſpoſition in him, to alter it without cauſe: wherefore his counſel muſt of neceſſity ſtand for ever, and the thoughts of his heart throughout all Generations, Pſal. 33.11.
Let all men then depend upon that, which God hath once ſetled and decreed, as a foundation that cannot fail: As we do in the courſe of natural cauſes, ſo much more in the decrees of his Word, which is firmer then heaven and earth, Matth. 5.18. VVhether it publiſh unto us the Covenant of Grace, eſtabliſhed with his ſervants, Jer. 31.35. & 33.20. Iſa. 54.10. or the decrees of vengeance upon the wicked, Exod. 17.24. In both which, Gods honour is moſt manifeſted and advanced, and unto the execution of them both, he is neceſſarily and freely, carried on by the righteouſneſſe of his unchangeable Nature, for the manifeſting of his Truth, in making good, both his mercies promiſed, and his Judgments threatned.