The Bringing Forth of Animals.

The Book of Genesis Day 8 Ge 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it was so. 25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. “Let the earth bring forth…..” Where have we heard that before? Sounds almost evolutionary doesn’t it? Rest assured, it’s not. Cattle and creeping things don’t evolve in one 24 hour day, and that parameter was established on the fourth day of creation. This phrase, “bring forth,” appears three separate times in these early verses of Genesis, and on each occasion we are talking about three separate Hebrew words. The first “bringing forth” is that of vegetation and the Hebrew term means “to sprout.” The next “bringing forth,” is found in verse 30. “Let the waters bring forth,” and the Hebrew word used here is “wriggle.” Let the waters wriggle with an abundance of living creatures. This carries with it the connotation of instantaneous creation of creatures abounding in the water. The third “bringing forth,” is that of the living creatures, and the Hebrew word is “to bring out.” God literally drew the animals out of the ground! The earth literally brought them forth in accordance with the Master Potter’s design. In Gen 2:19 we can read of this same concept as God “brought” the animals and birds to Adam to be named. Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. What a Sculptor! All the beautiful varieties of animals made by Gods design and given life. All built with the things needed to get this far in our world today! They had built in adaptability to the changing conditions on this earth that time would bring. Some were meant to be phased out, but all were made to fulfill His divine purpose and design. All of them, created with a wisdom that ought to strike awe in every one of us….believer or not! (Is it any wonder that in many cultures, these creations are worshiped? Even here in America there have been attempts to give them human status!) It seems that the more we find out about our animal friends, the more we should bow down and praise, not the creature, but their Creator! Upon completion of His creative work God “saw that it was good.” When we look at these animals, we ought to be hit with the realization that our God is good! Reflection: What’s your “must see” exhibit at the zoo? Why? Did you ever own a pet? What was your pet like? Name some animals specifically mentioned in the Bible. Can they teach us anything about God? About us? (Hint: Lions, sheep, sparrows, etc) Pray: Father, Your creation is awesome! Your wisdom too much for me to fathom! Help me to enjoy animals and care for them, but guard me from the trap of worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.