Study Desk

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Then God said, "Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth."

And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens.

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.

This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,

May the God of your father help you; may the Almighty bless you with the blessings of the heavens above, and blessings of the watery depths below, and blessings of the breasts and womb.

"You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

"Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?

"You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

"Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God.

The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them.

"Listen, O heavens, and I will speak! Hear, O earth, the words that I say!

"Rejoice with him, you heavens, and let all of God's angels worship him. Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles, and let all the angels be strengthened in him. For he will avenge the blood of his children; he will take revenge against his enemies. He will repay those who hate him and cleanse his people's land."

Moses said this about the tribes of Joseph: "May their land be blessed by the Lord with the precious gift of dew from the heavens and water from beneath the earth;

"There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor.

So Israel will live in safety, prosperous Jacob in security, in a land of grain and new wine, while the heavens drop down dew.

No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

"Then the earth quaked and trembled. The foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger.

He opened the heavens and came down; dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.