What's With the Firmament?

“And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years” Genesis 1: 7, 14


You know, I can’t seem to get away from this passage of scripture right now. So forgive me as I go for day # 2 in Genesis 1. A couple years back, I remember doing a study on the days of Creation. I was drawing similarities with God’s work in Creation, and His work in the New Birth. I noticed that when He created the heavens and the earth, that they were without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Holy Spirit was hovering, or brooding over the face of the deep. We, too, were without form and void, and without order and chaotic. We too were in spiritual darkness. But the Holy Spirit was hovering over us, too, convicting us of our sin, and telling us of our need for Christ. Then God said, “Let there be light”. We too had to have His light to shine on us in our unregenerate condition, so we could become aware of our need of Him, and His forgiveness. I progressed on in my study, but I stumped when I came to the creation of the firmament. I had no idea what the connection was. The firmament is an old word for the expanse of the sky. And the sky is immensely important. But I just didn’t see any connection. So, I moved on, and eventually studied something else.

Then a month or so later, as I was having my morning devotion before work, I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to read the nineteenth Psalm. So I did. What I read brought back the old study, and that first verse jumped off the page, and into my spirit. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Suddenly, when I had all but forgotten that study, God brought it back and showed me what I had not gotten prior. The purpose of the sky is to allow us to see what God has made above the ground! In a real sense, it’s a window to what He has made beyond our little world. Imagine the beauty of a clear, starry night. See the falling stars, the moon, the planets, and the comets. Get you telescopes and spot the nebulas and far off solar systems. We get to see it all through the “window” of the sky.

In the same way, others need to be able to “look” into our lives and see the great things that God is doing, and has done. Maybe you are like me, and had an anger problem. I’ve put a hole in my bedroom wall. I would throw things. I would scream and yell and give myself migraine headaches for nothing. But God changed me! Maybe God is developing a faith in you that can stand the strongest storms. Perhaps He is putting His love in you for the most unlovable people. It could be joy in the darkest times. But people will notice. And when they do, just as 1 Peter 3:15 says be ready to give them an answer for the hope that is in you!

God wants people to see the change He is making in you. And He will get all the glory for it! So, stay in His presence, and stay in His word. Stay in prayer, and let Him do the surgery that only He can do. Those who look into your life will see only that that declares His glory! God Bless.