THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
Program Air Date – 4-4-10
LESSON TITLE: “THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE: GOD CALLED THE LIGHT DAY”
WELCOME
Thank you for joining us this morning let me welcome you to the program. The Living Word is a work of our Lord, dedicated to doing God’s Will in His Way! As always, it will be our privilege today to sing songs of praise and to study from His Word. In these acts of worship, may we all be encouraged, but ultimately may we each praise God according to the sacrifices to offer toward His Throne. It will also be our honor this morning to speak with God through prayer. Will you bow with me as we talk to our creator?
(PRAYER)
Our first song this morning reminds us of the fact that our Lord and Savior truly does guide us as His own. So, won’t you join in with the congregation at this time as we sing together this encouraging song, its name “Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah.”
(SONG # 1)
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
One of the greatest lessons which we can learn from Jesus was His true humility. There He was, the very Son of God on this earth. Furthermore, He was deity in the flesh. But what was it that He continually chose to do? He glorified His Father! He proclaimed “not my will, but yours be done!” You see, Jesus not only loved, respected and reverenced His Father; He also honored, gave praise to and glorified Him. Oh, what a true picture of submission and obedience Jesus was, and what a great lesson we can learn from these things as well.
I think that John helps us understand this idea better, as He actually records for us the words of Jesus in his gospel account. In chapter 12, verses 49-50, we read, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” Our Lord Jesus did not come to do His own will or to speak His own Words, but what He was all about was the work of the Father! No doubt this is why He told His mother at a very young age, “Woman, don’t you know that I must be about my Father’s business?” Certainly, Jesus knew His responsibility to His God. He definitely knew His duty to the Father above, and His every desire and effort was to accomplish the commanded purpose at hand!
Brethren, if we could only learn to have a similar attitude as Jesus. To put our own wants, likes and desires aside, and to determine to humble ourselves completely to the things which God has revealed to us through His Word. What a privilege we have to do God’s Will and to accomplish it according to His purpose and desire. The question for us all is, will we choose to speak the words of the Father as Jesus did? Will we be willing to follow the Almighty’s commands, again as Jesus did? Will we commit to doing all the will of God as it has been given to us in His own precious Word, the Bible? Just how much will you choose to humble yourself before God?
Today, we will begin a new series of study entitled, “This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made.” In this study we will be focusing on what the Bible teaches us about the concept of the word “day,” as well as considering what days the Lord has made for you and me. Our specific lessons this morning is entitled, “God Called The Light Day!” So please stay with us this morning and after our next song together, I will lead us in our main thoughts of the day. Now it’s time to join in our second song, the name of this hymn, “Standing On The Promises.”
(SONG # 2)
LESSON
By Ray Sullins
In Psalm 118 and verse 24 the Bible says, “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
I’m glad you stayed with us this morning because now we’re going to begin a new series of study in relationship to this very concept of how blessed we are to know that our God has created for us each and every day.
Wasn’t it great this morning even to wake up and to be able to walk around and then to maybe look outside and that we now are even in the midst of our day and looking forward no doubt hopefully to a wonderful day, a day of worship and praise and commitment to our God. And why are we here? Why do we have this day? Well as we just read, “This is the day that the Lord has made.” You know, God has made every day. He always blesses us time and time again. In fact, brethren and friends, all that we have, every blessing that we enjoy is from God, not only our breath and our life, but the day in which even to enjoy that breath and life that God has given us. Therefore, we should rejoice and we should be glad in it.
Our first lesson is going to focus on the concept of the day itself. We want to begin understanding what it was that God meant when He spoke the word “day.” If we go back to the original language, the Old Testament was written in what is referred to as Hebrew. In Hebrew, the root word generally is called “Yom,” but there are over 20 other different types or forms of that same word that also refers to day in one way or another.
In the Greek, it is no different. We have a word there that is referred to as “ogo.” (spelling?) That word again has over 25 different forms that again reference one type of day or another.
When we say one type of day or another, what do we mean? Well we certainly understand in the English that we might be referring in the concept of day to morning, to noon or even to evening. We also understand that at times we speak of day or night. We no doubt also have the concept or issue of day or days, the plural form, meaning more than one day.
But not only that, but sometimes this concept of “day” refers to a time period. For instance, the Bible often says, “And in those days,” or “in the days of those kings…” Well it’s not talking about a specific day in a singular nature. It is talking about a time period when the days are fulfilled. And so we need to understand what it is that the Bible speaks when it speaks of day, but also we need to further understand that the context gives us the clear understanding and meaning really of what the word “day” is really is all about and what the “day” is referencing.
Now to understand this further, let’s think for a moment as the Jews would have thought. If we look back and really research from many different types of lexicons or concordances or even commentators, we’re going to find the concept of “day” according to the Jews was basically something understood from sunset to sunset. A good text for that would be Leviticus chapter 23 and also verse 32 there referencing the idea that the day really was from sunset to sunset. That was early on in the beginning obviously in the wanderings of the wilderness when they were waiting to enter into that Promised Land after having received the Law.
But then the Jews also would look at the day in reference to the morning and evening. For instance, the book of Psalm 55 we have the concept of the “heat of the day.” Then also there in 1 Samuel 11 and verse 11 we have the idea of “the cool of the day.” Well the cool of the day always was heading toward the evening time and the heat of the day would have been much, much earlier which most believed would have been around 9 o’clock or so in the Jewish day because there in that region of the land, the country which we certainly now understand to be what is referenced as the Middle East. Certainly it is very hot even early in the day there at even 9 o’clock and the sun is bearing down and very, very warm.
There are also basically three different ideas that the Jews often made reference to as a division or part to the day. For instance, “from sunset even to midnight,” there in Lamentations chapter 2 and verse 19. Also, “from midnight until the cock crowing.” You find this in Judges chapter 7 and verse 19. And then also the idea from “the cock crowing until sunrise,” Exodus 14 and 24.
You see all of these help us to understand that when we talk about day again, we might reference many things and so how do I know what is being spoken about? Often, again the context, shows me whether it was early in the morning, first thing in the morning, the heat of the day, whether it was at noon or whether it was in the cool of the day or in the evening, and then that helps us to understand what it is that is being spoken about. It even helps us to know whether we are talking about a specific day or the days of feasting or the day that something would come or would actually take place.
Now with all of that in mind then, we want to understand what God’s concept of the general word “Yom” was or “day.” What was it that God thought about? What was it that His intent was? As He inspired the man, Moses, what did He want us to understand when He said there that “He created the world in seven days?”
I wish you would back up there with me to Genesis chapter 1, the very first chapter of all the Bible. There in verse 3 beginning, God said, “Let there be light and there was light.” Verse 4 says, “And God saw the light that it was good and God divided the light from the darkness.” Now you and I aren’t rocket scientists, but we know what light is and we know what darkness is. We know when the sun is up it is light or daytime. We know that when it is dark, guess what, it is also nighttime. Now who did that? Who planned that? Was it man? Was it some group of individuals along the history of mankind, something that some specific group wanted? No! Certainly not! Because verse 5 says this, “And God called the light day and the darkness He called night.” Now you guess what happens with me when the sun comes up and it goes as the earth moves and eventually as the earth is rotating and the sun goes down and the moon arises. What happens? We have day and night! Do you think God understood that? Certainly He understood that! He created it. He set all things in order. Why is it so important? Because some people today actually go to the Creation, the seven days that are mentioned in the Creation, six being the work days and one being the rest day, and they say that, “These weren’t days. How could God created in one day? How could God in one day create all of the things of the earth? How could He create all plant life, all animal life? How could He?” He is God! How could He do anything at all? He is God!
But what was God’s concept of day? Morning and evening! What was God’s concept of day? Day or light and darkness and night! We know that because verse 5 tells us. God said, “The light is day and then when the darkness falls, it is night.”
Then further to understand this guess what He tells us at the end of verse 5, “And the evening and the morning were (what?) the first day.” Remember what we said about the Jews? The Jews said, “From sunset to sunset,” the evening and the morning, starting at the evening until the morning were what? The first day.
And then he goes down through here and in verse 8 the second day was set with what? The evening and the morning. Verse 13, the third day was set with what? The evening and the morning. He then goes all the way down through there. What is distinguished about evening? Night! What is distinguished about morning? Day! Who set day as light? God! Who set darkness as night? God!
And so certainly we understand that God established this pattern and then interestingly enough in the same text, it says in verse 14, that “He established the light to rule over the day and a light to rule over the night.” Notice that He did not do this until the fourth day. That means that there was already light and darkness before the sun and the moon ever existed. But when God finally brought it about, it says that in a day, evening and morning, in that day, the fourth day, He brought about (what?) the great light, the sun and the lesser light to rule the night which was the moon. Day and night! A 24-hour period! The same way that God has set it from the very beginning of time even until now.
Now you know as we think about this it makes perfect sense because why would God mean anything else than what He said? God said, “Let there be light.” Then He made the light and the darkness. He called the light day and the darkness night and then He said, “It was good. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” Yom.
Well God knows what a day is. You and I know what a day is. I believe that in this text most understand what a day is, but they don’t want to accept it. They don’t have faith. They don’t believe in the power of God. That’s what it is. They don’t believe that God can really do what He said He did.
There is one text that beyond a shadow of a doubt that tells us that the concept of day in Genesis 1 means the day that we think of, the idea of a 24-hour period. It is not actually found until Exodus chapter 20. Do you know what is in Exodus chapter 20? The Ten Commandments! When God gave the Ten Commandments to His own people, He established certain laws. Guess what He established in verse 8. The Sabbath Day! Do you know what the Sabbath Day was? A 24-hour period! Then He goes on and he says, “And six days…” Do you think the Jews knew what he was talking about? Certainly! Six days, light-day, darkness-night. He said, “Six days you shall work and do all of these things for in six days you have accomplished the things that God has,” but then he says, “but on the Sabbath Day (the what?) you shall rest.” Why? Because back in Genesis chapter 2 we see that God also did what? Rested on the seventh day.
But now I want you to notice with me what he says in verse 11. “For in six days the Lord made the Heavens and the Earth and the seas and all that is in them and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath Day and hallowed it.” What? Do you mean to tell me that the very concept under the Jewish Law, that which the Jews did for thousands of years according to the Law of Moses, that they would work six days and they would rest on the seventh day is based on what? The same principle of God creating the Earth in what? Six days, and then resting on the seventh day. Guess what. In that text, the word “day” or “days” is the same. They are in unity or unison. They work together as the days of man, six days of work and a day of rest, are like the days of creation, six days of work and one day of rest. That’s why when we go back to Genesis chapter 2 and we see there the beautiful thought that on the seventh day God ended His work from all that He had done. He rested on the seventh day. What a beautiful thought that is because He saw all that He had done and He had found happiness and joy in accomplishing that wondrous thing including His ultimate creation of mankind.
So I encourage us to accept the Word of God for what it says, to have the faith to believe it no matter what and to understand that if we don’t believe, we cannot be saved and we cannot be a child of God. Will you serve God? Will you have that type of faith?
(SONG # 3 - “An Empty Mansion”)
CLOSING COMMENTS
Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us today, in this offering to God. I know our time together has been an encouragement and blessing to all of us. We invite you back every Sunday morning at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to this service of God!
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We thank God for the days of Creations and for making each and every one of us in His own likeness and image. Truly the days which the Lord makes are glorious and wonderful. How blessed we are as those who love God!
(Program closing)