Chapter 2

God's Creatorial and Governmental Ordering

("Creatorial ordering" refers to the way God ordered things originally. "Governmental

ordering" refers to what God has decreed as necessary because sin has come into the

world.)

One thing that no doubt puzzles a good many is that while they can see God's glory and handiwork in creation, they can also see that not only humanity suffers but also the animal creation. Animals have feelings, just as they in varying degrees have intelligence. Their intelligence is not in the same league as that of mankind and we therefore may I believe safely assume that neither are their feelings. However, many, if not all, do have them to some extent, else why are we expected to be kind to them (Proverbs 12:10)? We do not have to be kind to plants.

What I believe we have to see is that in Genesis 1 the creation of the heavens and earth was carried out while evil was present. In the beginning the "newly born" earth required protection, hence the swaddling of the earth in darkness (Job 38:9 & Genesis 1:2) and the hovering of the Spirit of God (Genesis 1:2; compare Deuteronomy 32:10-12 where the eagle is said to hover over her young). God went on to divide the light from the darkness. He did not then eliminate the darkness. The darkness He called Night and this will not exist any more in the world to come (Revelation 21:25). On the second day God made the expanse in the midst of the waters, but He did not pronounce his work very good; no doubt because the waters speak of judgment and were used in Noah's day for this purpose. Again, on the third day God made the dry land and gathered together the waters and called them Seas. He did not get rid of the waters then, but in the day to come there will be no more sea (Revelation 21 :1). All this goes to show that perfect conditions do not yet exist. As to the fourth day we need to note what is said in Job: "Lo, even the moon is not bright; and the stars are not pure in his sight" (Job 25:5). If the heavens and earth had not been stained by sin there would be no need for God to create them anew (2 Peter 3:13). Satan and his angels abode in heaven and have to be cast out (Revelation 12:7-9, hence the impurity there.

When we come to the Garden of Eden we find that God put Adam in the garden to till it and to GUARD it (Genesis 2:15). It appears that Adam failed to guard it properly for he allowed the serpent to get in! The fact that guarding was necessary showed that evil existed and needed to be kept out. Sin existed before man, hence it is said: "For from [the] beginning the devil sins" (1 John 3:8). "By one man sin entered into the world" (Romans 5:12). If it hadn't been in existence it could not have "entered in".

However, as we know Eve succumbed to the wiles of the Devil and Adam followed her into sin. Thus Adam fell and brought misery on the human race. Disobedience in Adam was followed by murder in Cain. The human race (sons of disobedience - Ephesians 5:6) apart from Noah and his family sank further and further into corruption and violence (Genesis 6:11) until God brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly (2 Peter 2:5).