The Water, Land, Fruit, and Seeds of the Third Day
2/12 Reading Portions: Genesis 45; Mark 15; Job 11; Romans 15
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2/12 Reading Portions: Genesis 45; Mark 15; Job 11; Romans 15
Genesis 1:9-13
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
GATHERED
God commanded the waters to gather so dry land could appear. As alluded to yesterday, water is reflective of Christ’s gospel. The sea of glass before the throne of God presents this truth (Rev 4:6; see devotional of 12/13/25). Salvation is manifested by God’s sovereign grace alone, reflected in the gathering of the waters so that dry land could appear. Again, we have been shown an example of this by our merciful God when Moses led the children of Israel through the Gulf of Aqaba at the Red Sea.
When we are obedient to our sovereign God’s command to gather as gospel worshipers (Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together in one place), the gospel promise of dry land appear[s], which God called Earth, אֶרֶץ (EH-retz) in Hebrew. Indeed, we are commanded to gather (Heb 10:24-25). The Promised Land for the children of Israel was reflective of the promise of the gospel; that is, once God led them into the gospel promise of the land, they had a responsibility toward its stewardship. We, likewise, having been saved by God’s grace through Christ’s gospel, have a responsibility as stewards of the gospel. The promise of Christ’s gospel appears to us for our growth, and to others for their salvation. Thus, fruit is produced in the promised land of the gospel, and that, by God’s sovereign grace (John 15:1-5). That gospel fruit further produces more seed, which falls upon the dry ground of the land to produce more fruit; and again, all that by God’s sovereign design and good providential grace (Matt 13:18-23). The vegetation that produces that fruit, and the seeds that grow in the soil, again, are not our own doing. It occurs by God’s grace as the gospel water flowing from God’s throne above the heavens (see yesterday’s devotional, “The Second Day”) waters the dry ground. It’s all of grace, and God saw that it was good. Hallelujah! What a Savior!