This lecture is an edited version of the lecture given on September 4th, 2005 in the series entitled "In the Beginning."   I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.     John 17:23   God Created the Heavens and the Earth through His Word of WisdomThen God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the third day. Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; "and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then 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. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on 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. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.  (Genesis 1:9-19) On the third day of the creation of the world, God said, "Let the waters be gathered together into one place and let the dry land appear," and He commanded that the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth. If we give careful consideration to the process of the creation on this third day, we can see that it presents us with a condensed version of the entire process of the creation. God set His focus on this earth as He carried out the creation through His word in order to proceed with His plan.In the book of Acts it says, "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.  (17:24-27) Even as we are living by the power of the God who created the heavens and the earth, we live our lives virtually unaware of this. Whether a person has realized the truth of the gospel or not, he has been created by the wisdom of God. We should also be grateful for being able to live our lives with our feet firmly attached to this earth that God, by His wisdom, created. In the letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, "Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful" (1:21). This sin of not being thankful to God is the first to be brought up here. When it says in the Bible, "God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light," (Genesis 1:3) this light does, of course, include the visible light rays that we can see with our eyes and the physical heat that we can feel. These words, however, are also showing us that God's wisdom, which exceeds all things, was cast onto this earth. God said, "Let there be light;" and there was light, and as a result, the waters below the firmament were separated from the waters above the firmament, and as the waters gathered into one place, the dry land appeared. We are able to see very dimly that the gravitational relationship between the earth and the many planets surrounding the earth began the moment that God said, "Let there be light." And in memory of that day, the Bible expresses the period of a day with the words, "So the evening and the morning were the first day." (Genesis 1:5) In his letter to Titus, the apostle Paul used the expression, "before time began." (1:2) He was talking about the time that man is aware of and is able to sense. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon expressed this in a slightly different way when he wrote, "under the sun." As the generations passed, the concept of time was expressed slightly differently in the Bible, but the content is just the same. It is our duty as human beings to understand first of all that we cannot escape from the hand of God who upholds all things by the word of His power, and in His hand we live our lives moving around on the earth. This is important. In the book of Psalms there is a verse that says, Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.  (149:5) This passage may not seem to be very deep or difficult to understand, but as you read it, think about the fact that you are upheld by the hand of God who created the heavens and the earth. This is a really strange passage. From the time a person gets out of bed in the morning until the time he goes to bed at night, there is a certain power that allows him to keep his feet on the ground and walk around, a power that enables him to live his life exercising his freedom to choose. But where does that power come from? It is the wisdom of God that is presented to us in the words of the Bible where it says, "upholding all things by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3). In the Psalms it also says, "For with You is the fountain of life" (36:9). There is a certain strong power that causes our hearts to beat, a power within our brains that controls the circulation of the blood throughout our bodies, and this power comes directly from God. If we are aware of this in the course of our lives, we will find ourselves praising God as we read Bible verses such as these. The writers of the Psalms continually wrote of praising God, from the first Psalm right through to the last. They even wrote that we should praise God from our beds, and in one of the Psalms it says that the Lord "gives His beloved sleep" (127:2). Even when we rest our bodies-if we sit down when we are tired or we are able to lie down and sleep-this all comes from God. It is not only in the book of Genesis that the Bible talks about the creation of the heavens and the earth. In John's Gospel it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. "He was in the beginning with God" (1:1-3). This passage also tells us that the world was created by the word of God, and in the Proverbs this power of creation is expressed as wisdom. Let's turn to Proverbs chapter 8 and read from verse 22. "The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world."  (Verses 22-26) When there was no earth as we know it or even the primeval dust of the world, at that time when there was nothing at all, it says here, "The Lord possessed me." These are the words of God the Son who created the heavens and the earth. The voice of God the Son who would some day be born in the outer shell of a Man by the name of Jesus is expressed here in the Proverbs as wisdom. "When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him."  (Proverbs 8:27-30) First it says here that He prepared the heavens, and then He drew a circle on the face of the deep. Then it says that it was from there that the earth was produced. Here we have an image of God before the first day, the image of God before He humbled Himself and came down to hover over the waters of the earth that was without form and void, the image of God before Satan rebelled against Him. In the Bible it says, "The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters" (Psalm 29:3).Also, in Psalm 148 it says, "Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And  you waters above the heavens!" (Verse 4). This is something that man cannot possibly understand with his powers of thinking. How can there be waters above the heavens that we see over our heads? It doesn't say "heaven"; it says "heavens." The command to these waters above the heavens is that they are to praise God. This is what the Bible says. This is talking about the source of the original waters that the Old Testament refers to, particularly in the Psalms where it talks about the many waters. Through the book of Genesis, we know that the earth broke away from there and was recreated. Also, various passages in the Bible tell us that when all of these events were accomplished, God the Son was at the side of God the Father as the Lord of creation. This is expressed very strongly in Hebrews chapter 1. It says, "His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." (1:2) "Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men."  (Proverbs 8:31) Here it says that man was to inhabit this land. "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it. Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord; But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death."  (Proverbs 8:32-36) Chapter eight of Proverbs begins with the words, "Does not wisdom cry out?" Just as God divided the light from the darkness, throughout the book of Proverbs, a distinction is made between the wise man and the fool. Within this general flow, it also talks about the harlot and, at the end, the virtuous wife. The book of Proverbs presents us with an image that is directly related to the history of mankind. In the Bible it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him." The book of Proverbs expresses the same thing when it says that a power referred to as "wisdom" created the heavens and the earthAs we are living our lives, we need to bear in mind the verse that tells us that we are to sing for joy on our beds, yet most people live their lives with the thought that they are living in this world just because they happen to have been born. In the book of Ecclesiastes, the words of the wise man refer to such people, saying, "Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment" (11:9). The Bible is telling us that some day we must pay the price for what we have done. Why Is there in the Hand of a Fool the Purchase Price of WisdomThe book of Proverbs also says something rather peculiar. It's in Proverbs chapter 17 verse 16. Why is there in the hand of a fool the purchase price of wisdom, Since he has no heart for it? The purchase price of wisdom is in the hand of the fool. Such is the power of money. The Bible talks about those who "being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness" (Romans 10:3). It is indicating the people who try to buy their spirits using the price that they have earned through their own efforts. Adam is a representative example of such people. He sewed fig leaves together to cover his shame. His son, Cain, also appears in a similar light. But the Bible says that it is foolish to try to buy wisdom. Through wisdom God created the heavens and the earth, and He is upholding all things through His words of wisdom. The price for wisdom, however, cannot be paid through the works of man's hands. In certain respects, this expresses the situation of a person who is trapped in a corner, unable to go forwards, backwards, or sideways. Let's turn now to Proverbs chapter 3 and read from verse 13. This passage talks about the direct relationship between wisdom and life. Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes - Keep sound wisdom and discretion; So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck.  (Verses 13-22) This passage comes straight to the point and says, "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth." The power that we can be aware of in our beds from the moment we wake up in the morning, the power that upholds all things, the power that allows me to walk around, breathe the air, and move my body; the Bible is telling us that it is the wisdom of God that upholds all these things. The question that remains for us is how we can pay the price for this wisdom. This is why we read the Bible. We are extremely fortunate to have this. In the book of Job we find something similar. But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living.  (Job 28:12-13) We live our lives enjoying the power and deity of God who created the heavens and the earth. Man, however, cannot find the price capable of praising God sufficiently: a price that God will acknowledge. It says that man does not know what this price is. The deep says, 'It is not in me'; And the sea says, 'It is not with me.' It cannot be purchased for gold, Nor can silver be weighed for its price. It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir, In precious onyx or sapphire. Neither gold nor crystal can equal it, Nor can it be exchanged for jewelry of fine gold. No mention shall be made of coral or quartz, For the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of Ethiopia cannot equal it, Nor can it be valued in pure gold. "From where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living, And concealed from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a report about it with our ears.'"  (Job 28:14-22) People become envious when someone else has more money than they do, or the diamond on another person's finger is bigger than their own. The Bible tells us, however, that the wisdom to be found within its pages is far more precious than any such things. Also, this is something that we have already received from God, whether we are aware of it or not. The Bible says that God upholds all things by the word of His power, and we are living and breathing in this world that is upheld by His word. Even the power that maintains our lives and the flow of the blood in our bodies is a gift that we have received from God. So a person who is greedy before God is acknowledged as a sinner. This is because God has already given him everything.No one knows where to find the price that must be paid, but "God understands its way, and He knows its place." "God understands its way, and He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth, and sees under the whole heavens, to establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure. When He made a law for the rain, and a path for the thunderbolt, then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.'"  (Job 28:23-28) God has told all of us living on this earth, everyone whose life is maintained by the grace of God-whether we are born again or not-that the price to be paid lies in the fear of the Lord. All wisdom lies in the fear of the Lord, and to depart from evil is understanding. The Bible is declaring to us that when the problem of our sin-the evil that is part of you as an individual and the sin about which you personally cannot do anything-when this problem is solved, the debt that we owe to God can all be paid. This is amazing. As people who know the gospel, we are living in the joy of knowing that we have been forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ and that we have become children of God. But think about the extent to which the blood of Jesus Christ is upholding you. Through the fellowship that we have with one another, and through the communication we have with one another, we learn about the way in which our bodies function and about how to maintain our health. We learn about such matters in the course of our lives as saved Christians, and as we do so, we find that the blood of Jesus Christ has the tremendous power not only to deal with our sins but also to unite all things. We need to have a clear awareness of thi

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