PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

b. In the Proper Measurements with the Solid Bases and the Marking Cornerstones

When God created this earth, He measured it out and laid it on solid bases. Not only were there bases, but there were also cornerstones, marking the corners. The earth was made very well, not in a messy way. Job 38:5-6 mentions this clearly.

c. Spreading Forth the Earth and What Springs Up from It

God spread forth not only the earth but also all the things that spring up from the earth (Isaiah 42:5b). What was His purpose in doing this? Isaiah 45:18 says that God created the earth to be inhabited by man. The globe is a fitting place for man to live on. When man landed on the moon..., we found out how different from the earth things are there. There is no air on the moon, so we cannot live there. There are no living things on the moon. The moon is not a fitting place for us to live. Genesis 1 speaks of the firmament. That is the air. From the firmament rain comes, and in the winter the snow comes. These make the earth a fitting place for us to live.

d. The Stars Sang Together and All the Angels, the Sons of God, Shouted for Joy at God's Beautiful Building of the Earth

At the time when God was spreading forth the earth, the stars sang together and all the angels, the sons of God, shouted for joy at God's beautiful building of the earth (Job 38:7). The earth is really beautiful. This is why so many people enjoy sightseeing. In places like Yosemite or Yellowstone, you can see how beautiful the earth is. Everything is beautiful, even the flowers. If you go to a zoo, you can see beautiful animals: bears, tigers, lions, leopards, and all kinds of birds. God created the earth in this way for us. God is a God of good pleasure, and He made us as men of good pleasure. Because of this, man seeks amusement. Today's amusements, however, are terrible because they are full of Satan.

 But in the beginning there was real amusement. In Genesis 2 there is such a phrase: "every tree that is pleasant to the sight" (v. 9). All the trees are pleasant to the sight. How do we know that God loves beauty? We need only look at the earth He created for us. Furthermore, on a clear night we can see how beautiful all the stars are. All these prove that God is a God of beauty.

B. God's Initial Creation of the Universe Occurred before Satan's Rebellion

The foregoing matters are all related to God's initial creation of the universe, which occurred before Satan's rebellion.

II. JUDGING SATAN AND THE UNIVERSE

A. Satan was One of the Early Angels Created by God at the "Morning" of the Universe

In Isaiah 14:12 Satan is called the Daystar. This term Daystar was translated Lucifer in the Latin version of the Bible. Daystar means morning star. He is also called the son of the dawn, indicating that Satan was one of the earliest angels created by God at the "morning" of the universe.

B. He Was in Eden, the Garden of God, upon the Holy Mountain in the Heavenlies, and Was Anointed by God to Be the Chief Archangel

Ezekiel 28:13-14 says that Satan was in Eden, the garden of God. This is not the Eden in Genesis 2, which was the Eden on this earth. The Eden here is the garden of God upon the holy mountain in the heavenlies. Furthermore, Satan was anointed by God to be the chief archangel. Jude 9 also tells us that he was the chief archangel and was above all the angels.

1. As the Ruler of the World

From the day of Satan's creation, God prepared musical instruments around him (Ezekiel 28:13b). This indicates that he was a ruler, a king. Furthermore, in John 12:31 the Lord says that Satan is the ruler of the world. Then in Luke 4:5-6 Satan himself indicated that he has authority over the world. Ephesians 2:2 calls Satan the ruler of the authority of the air.

2. As the Cherub Covering the Ark

Ezekiel 28:14 goes on to tell us that Satan was the cherub covering the ark. This is not the ark on the earth but the ark in heaven. He was the cherub upon the ark, covering it. He was very close to God as the high priest serving God. Therefore, on the one hand he was a king, and on the other hand he was a priest. Today we have taken this position. We were born priests, and we are going to be kings. Our position today was once Satan's position. Because of his failure, this position has come to us.

C. He Rebelled against God

Satan's heart was lifted up because of his beauty and his brightness (Ezekiel 28:17). This was arrogance. He said in his heart, "I will ascend to heaven; / Above the stars of God / I will exalt my throne. / And I will sit upon the mount of assembly / In the uttermost parts of the north" (Isaiah 14:13). The uttermost parts of the north means the highest place. This was Satan's arrogant declaration. He wanted to sit upon the throne of assembly, where God sits in the uttermost parts of the north. In Job there are two times when God assembles with all the angels in this place of assembly (1:6; 2:1). Isaiah 14 continues: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; / I will make myself like the Most High" (v. 14). These are the five points of Satan's arrogant declaration, each beginning with the words "I will." Satan wanted to be on the same level as God. This was his rebellion.

(continued on page 3)