"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth…And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Genesis 1:1, 3-5).
On the fourth day of creation: “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: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day” (Genesis 1:14-19).
On the sixth day of creation: “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them…And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Genesis 1:26-27, 31).
Approximately 2500 years later Moses wrote: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). Ever since “the beginning,” for ages upon ages of time, the world has known (and continues to know) seasons and days and years. Every day and night, for ages upon ages of time, God’s handywork has been (and continues to be) declared and shown to man. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork” (Psalm 19:1). Are you listening?
Every day and night, for ages upon ages of time, these “signs” in the heavens have spoken (and continue to speak) to mankind and have shown (and continue to show) us God’s infinite knowledge. “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge” (Psalm 19:2). Are you listening?
In “the beginning”: “the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech” (Genesis 11:1) Then men “said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:4) Then “the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:6-9).
Ever since the confounding of the languages at the tower of Babel, every day and night, for ages upon ages of time, even though men have been scattered “abroad upon the face of all the earth” the speech and voice of the “signs” in the heavens has gone (and continues to go) throughout all the earth yea to the end of the world. “Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:4) Are you listening?
One of these “signs” in the heavens is the sun. “In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun” (Psalm 19:4). Every morning, for ages upon ages of time, the sun, like a bridegroom, has come out (and continues to come out) of his chamber and he rejoices, like a strong man, to run a daylong race. “Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race” (Psalm 19:5) Are you watching?
Every day, for ages upon ages of time, the sun has gone forth (and continues to go forth) from the east end of the heavens and his circuit continues to the west end of the heavens and no one is hid from him. “His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof” (Psalm 19:6) Are you watching?
On this new-year’s day, January 1, 2015, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows us His handiwork. On this new-year’s day, January 1, 2015, the signs in the heavens utter speech to us and show knowledge to us of God’s creation. On this new-year’s day, January 1, 2015, there is no speech nor language where the voice of these signs in the heavens is not heard. On this new-year’s day, January 1, 2015, these signs in the heavens are going out through all the earth and the words of these signs in the heavens are going out to the end of the world. Are you listening and watching?
We cannot physically see God with our own unaided (by God) vision. But, “that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.” Question: what can we understand by the things that are made? Answer: “even his eternal power and Godhead” Question: Does anyone have an excuse for not believing in God? Answer: “so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).
Thus, we are told: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6) Question: how does one come to God in faith? Answer: Hear God’s Son. At the transfiguration God spoke. “and behold [there was] a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5). Question: What does Christ say? Answer: First step: “Ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). Second step: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Third step: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew. 10:32). Fourth step: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16) Fifth step: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Revelation. 2:10) Are you listening?
On this new-year’s day, January 1, 2015, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for you is that you might be saved. Are you listening?
David B. Watson