Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so. God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
~Genesis 1:29-31~
~Genesis 1:29-31~
The opening verse of the Bible is one of the most known verses in the Bible by believers and nonbelievers all around the world: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth—perhaps its only rival is John 3:16. We put on so much emphasis when we read that verse that we unintentionally skim over a major theological doctrine that all Christians must accept as truth.
In the beginning, God. God’s preexistence is crucial in a proper understanding of who God is. It is logical to say that if God brought everything into existence, then He must have existed prior to that creation. There was nobody present when the physical universe came into existence by God, and therefore nobody can tell us what happened except for God who was there.
Who is this God? While this is still just the first verse of the Bible, the author does not answer that question as the remainder of the chapter unfolds. The author focuses strictly on what this God did. “The author doesn’t pause to tell us theologically or philosophically who God is,” says Francis Chan.[1] There is an obvious and apparent assumption of God’s existence, and is therefore the first truth one must accept from the Bible prior to a proper understanding of the rest.
Later in the Bible, in 2 Timothy 3:16, the scripture states that everything God has revealed to us in the Bible serves a specific purpose, so why would God not seek to reveal who He is in the beginning? The rest of the Bible brings forth more clarity into His attributes and character, but the purpose of Genesis 1 is to establish the origins of the world and physical universe.
“‘God has no origin,’ said Novation, and it is precisely this concept of no-origin which distinguishes that-which-is-God from that-which-is-not-God. Origin is a word that can apply only to things created. When we think of anything that has origin, we are not thinking of God. God is self-existent, while all created things necessarily originated somewhere at some time. Aside from God, nothing is self-caused.”[2]
The earth was formless and empty. The first step of creation after the physical universe (the heavens) was for God to create the earth. The earth was unformed and unfilled, making it an unfinished production by which God spent the following three days forming and the three subsequent days filling to be finished and complete on the seventh day of rest, a symbol reiterated throughout the entirety of scripture.
“Now we know beyond reasonable doubt that the universe of space-time and matter had a beginning. It is now no longer reasonable to believe that the universe has always been here. That is now an irrational belief. Instead, we now know beyond reasonable doubt that the physical cosmos, of matter, and of space, and of time, came into existence some time ago.”[3]
The Spirit of God on the waters is translated in such a way that compares with an eagle hovering over her young. God is not a deity who creates and walks away; He has a specific purpose for His creation and seeks to guide it toward the fulfillment of that purpose. This moving represents God’s guarding and watchful eye over His creation.
“The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. He sat brooding over the scene of his future operations. A dark scene, truly, and one in which there was ample room for the God of light and life to act. He alone could enlighten the darkness, cause life to spring up, substitute order for chaos, open an expanse between the waters, where life might display itself without fear of death.”[4]
Let there be light! It was not an act of God that light became existent, but His word. How fascinating it is that God need not act for something to occur, He need only speak (Heb. 11:3). It takes a truly sovereign ruler to just say let it be and have it come about. “As God’s speech-creature, the world is evoked by this summoning God who will have his way. Creation by such speech shows God’s authority.”[5]
I cannot help but ponder on the world famous ballad Let it Be by the Beatles. In this song, John Lennon speaks of an idealistic utopia of peace and happiness, yet when he says let it be, nothing happens. Perhaps one of the most influential lyricists of all time, a member in a group many claimed to be more famous than God wished something to be and it did not happen. How much greater than is our God!
“One common objection to a traditional reading of Genesis 1 is the creation of light before the creation of the light-bearers. …The real problem with this argument…is that it addresses creation from a purely naturalistic point of view. This interpretation assumes that God is not working outside of the laws of nature.”[6] As Christians, we believe that God spoke the universe into existence, that His Son was born to a virgin, that He lived a perfect life as God manifested in human form where He performed tremendous miracles, and Whom raised to life from death—if we believe those things, we cannot call ourselves naturalists, because believing those things makes us supernaturalists.
How can light exist if God has not yet created light-bearers such as the sun, moon, and stars into place? This is a common argument against the literal interpretation of Genesis 1. The problem, though, with this assessment is it is rooted in a foundation that God is subject to the laws of nature that He created. If God created natural law, and if He exists outside realm of the physical universe, then He has the capability of working outside of that realm and outside those laws.
Coincidentally, later in scripture, we learn that God is light (John 1:5), that God wears a cloak of light (Ps. 104:2) whose radiance is light (Hab. 3:3-4). Moreover, there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever (Rev. 22:5). With a full-biblical understanding, it is entirely possible that in the midst of creating, the mere glory pouring out from Him was the light that lit the unfinished world; almost as if He said, “Let light begin with me and never end.”
In day two and three, God creates the skies below and above the waters. These waters refer to a vapor canopy that many scholars believe would have significantly affected life expectancy. These waters ultimately became the large amount of water that fell to the earth in the Flood. The expanse had a specific purpose of separation; the earth separated from the seas, with the purpose of growing vegetation. God formed the universe and earth, but now the filling needed to occur.
In day four, the first day of filling, God filled the universe with light-bearers, specifically the sun and moon. God created the sun and moon with a specific purpose of giving light and governing day and night.
In day five, the second day of filling, God filled the earth with sea and sky animals. God blessed the animals of the sea and sky with the ability to reproduce. This is not the first time a blessing like this is given. God also gave the vegetation the ability to reproduce as well. God’s purpose for His creation was to continue, to bless it with prosperity and longevity; in the first part of day six, God filled the earth with dry-land animals with that same blessing.
Before moving forward, go back to verse one: In the beginning, God. In Hebrew, the word that we get God from is Elohim. Elohim is a plural noun. This is not by accident! Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. If God was the only being in existence prior to creation, then whom is God equating Himself with in this introduction to the origins of man? This is not by accident!
God created man in His own image. How is God simultaneously singular and plural? Those with a church background are putting the pieces together for the doctrine of the trinity. To be certain, if considering the passages contained within the first chapter of Genesis, the doctrine of the trinity is not conclusive; however, with a view of the entire scripture, these passages do great justice to that doctrine. To be sure, the creation of man was in the image of all three personalities of the one triune God.
What is the image of God? We are not told directly; however, whatever the image of God is, it makes man unique from all the rest of creation, because it was only man that God created in His own image. With the entirety of scripture in mind, it is likely that the image of God refers specifically to God’s spiritual and moral nature.
“In his spiritual likeness, man as a regenerated being may have fellowship with God; in his natural likeness, man has intellect, emotions, and will to know and commune with God; in his moral likeness, man may know and obey the precepts of God.”[7] God gives man responsibility over the creation that He created. The image of God in man is a capacity for creation, meaning the power to create from His raw creation (Heb. 11:3).
Just as He did with the vegetation and animals, God blessed man with specific purposes. God blessed man with sex—therefore populate the earth. What is interesting about this is it is not a required act for man, but a gift for man. This means that God has not called all of humanity to have children, but He did specifically call the first man and woman to have children. Later in scripture, in First Corinthians 7:8 we see Paul empower those called to singlehood, and to be sure, Jesus Christ, who we worship as our Savior, was a virgin. So certainly, God’s blessing of sex was not a mandate to all of humanity, but a gift.
God blessed man with dominion over creation. This concept of dominion implicates responsibility and management over the creation, rather than dictatorship and exploitation. Many in the Church today outright deny scientific claims because they risk being associated with the evolutionist worldview; however, where they miss the point is that if God created science, then science should not dictate what we believe of the Bible, but serve as observable evidence for the claims made in the Bible.
While the subject of science will return in a later lesson, it is important to point out that in the past decade, major scientific claims have been made about the earth, and they allege that the cause is from man’s actions. As Christians, we should take those claims seriously, because God has blessed us with stewardship over His creation. God gave us creation—we should use it, not abuse it.
Theologian John Calvin writes, “In the very order of events, we ought diligently on the paternal goodness of God toward the human race, in not creating Adam until he had liberally enriched the earth with all good things. Had he placed him on an earth barren and unfurnished; had he given life before light, he mind have seemed to pay little regard to his interest. But now that he has arranged the motions of the sun and stars for man’s use, has replenished the air, earth, and water, with living creatures, performing the office of a provident and industrious head of a family, he has shown his wondrous goodness toward us.”[8]
Finally, the pinnacle of the creation account given to us is on day seven with three blessings. God saw all that He created and it was all very good. Since there is no authority over God, God is therefore justified in determining what is good. We see this all throughout scripture: God is the determiner of what is good; He is the standard-bearer in what is acceptable behavior for His creation.
God rested on this seventh day. He rested because He worked, not because He was tired. God enjoyed the satisfaction and repose that comes with the completion of a task. God blessed the seventh day; He sanctified it. Sanctified is one of those words Christians throw around, seemingly without knowing what it actually means. For God to sanctify the seventh day was for Him to make the seventh day set apart from the rest for a distinct purpose of remembering His holiness.
Given later in the Ten Commandments, God required His people Israel to stop all life functions on the Sabbath as a reminder that He was really in charge. Just the same, Christians today should incorporate rest into their lifestyles to remember that God holds all things together. While the laws on Sabbath are not required of Christians today, Christians should elevate one day a week above the other days as a reminder to us that in six days God created everything, and rested on one day to enjoy His work. The specific day you take is less important than the actual taking of a day to remember God’s great work.
God is already in control of your life, whether you acknowledge it or not. He has been in control of your life since before He brought anything into existence (Ps. 139:16). So why should you give God total control of your life if He already has control? To relate this topic, why does the Bible tell us in 1 John 1:9 directly, and various other places indirectly, to confess our sins to God if the Bible also says in Hebrews 4:13 directly, and various other places indirectly, that He knows everything? Confession to God is not about information; it is about transformation. Confessing sins acknowledges God’s role as superior and our role as inferior, and in so doing, humbles us into a life lived within the will of God.
Just the same, giving total control over to God is not about an exchange or transfer of power or sovereignty over our lives from us to Him, because He already has that power. Giving total control over to God is about recognizing His role as the Creator, and our role as His creation. Doing so gives us a peace, because we are no longer trying to fill the role of a sovereign being with tasks that surpass our own abilities. When we recognize God as the sovereign ruler of our life, we can experience the Sabbath rest that He sought us to have, so that our work can have lasting, intrinsic value, and so we may not fear the curveballs that life may pitch our way.
What does recognizing God as the sovereign ruler of our life look like in real life? To put into simple understanding, it is listening to the special revelation of God given to us at various stages of life and applying it to our life. One form of special revelation is the Word of God, given specifically to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us for a life lived in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).
While the other forms shown in the Bible (i.e. dreams, visits from angels, etc.) are less common in the modern age, the second largest form is listening to the preaching of God’s Word. If our hearts are prepared to adjust our lives based on what God reveals to us in scripture, then we will be equipped to submit to God’s sovereignty. If our hearts are prepared to adjust our lives based on what God reveals to us through His faithful servants who interpret the Bible, then we will be equipped to submit to God’s sovereignty. In the beginning, God spoke specific things about life and they occurred. Just the same, when God speaks specific things to us, they need to occur in our life. When we submit to God’s Word, His sovereignty will transform our desires and lives.
[1] Chan, Francis. Multiply. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2012. Page 140.
[2] Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper Collins, 1961. Page 25.
[3] Moreland, J.P. "The Age of Earth." Editorial. Reason to Believe: Reasons.Org, 2, Feb., 2002.
[4] Mackintosh, Charles Henry. Notes on the Book of Genesis. Philadelphia: Henry Longstreth, 1863. Page 6.
[5] Brueggemann, Walter. Genesis: Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982. Page 24.
[6] Heck, Joel D. In the Beginning, God: Creation from God's Perspective. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing, 2011. Pages 20-21.
[7] Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago: Moody, 2008. Page 42.
[8] Calvin, John. The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Seattle: Pacific Publishing Studio, 2011. Page 76.
In the beginning, God. God’s preexistence is crucial in a proper understanding of who God is. It is logical to say that if God brought everything into existence, then He must have existed prior to that creation. There was nobody present when the physical universe came into existence by God, and therefore nobody can tell us what happened except for God who was there.
Who is this God? While this is still just the first verse of the Bible, the author does not answer that question as the remainder of the chapter unfolds. The author focuses strictly on what this God did. “The author doesn’t pause to tell us theologically or philosophically who God is,” says Francis Chan.[1] There is an obvious and apparent assumption of God’s existence, and is therefore the first truth one must accept from the Bible prior to a proper understanding of the rest.
Later in the Bible, in 2 Timothy 3:16, the scripture states that everything God has revealed to us in the Bible serves a specific purpose, so why would God not seek to reveal who He is in the beginning? The rest of the Bible brings forth more clarity into His attributes and character, but the purpose of Genesis 1 is to establish the origins of the world and physical universe.
“‘God has no origin,’ said Novation, and it is precisely this concept of no-origin which distinguishes that-which-is-God from that-which-is-not-God. Origin is a word that can apply only to things created. When we think of anything that has origin, we are not thinking of God. God is self-existent, while all created things necessarily originated somewhere at some time. Aside from God, nothing is self-caused.”[2]
The earth was formless and empty. The first step of creation after the physical universe (the heavens) was for God to create the earth. The earth was unformed and unfilled, making it an unfinished production by which God spent the following three days forming and the three subsequent days filling to be finished and complete on the seventh day of rest, a symbol reiterated throughout the entirety of scripture.
“Now we know beyond reasonable doubt that the universe of space-time and matter had a beginning. It is now no longer reasonable to believe that the universe has always been here. That is now an irrational belief. Instead, we now know beyond reasonable doubt that the physical cosmos, of matter, and of space, and of time, came into existence some time ago.”[3]
The Spirit of God on the waters is translated in such a way that compares with an eagle hovering over her young. God is not a deity who creates and walks away; He has a specific purpose for His creation and seeks to guide it toward the fulfillment of that purpose. This moving represents God’s guarding and watchful eye over His creation.
“The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. He sat brooding over the scene of his future operations. A dark scene, truly, and one in which there was ample room for the God of light and life to act. He alone could enlighten the darkness, cause life to spring up, substitute order for chaos, open an expanse between the waters, where life might display itself without fear of death.”[4]
Let there be light! It was not an act of God that light became existent, but His word. How fascinating it is that God need not act for something to occur, He need only speak (Heb. 11:3). It takes a truly sovereign ruler to just say let it be and have it come about. “As God’s speech-creature, the world is evoked by this summoning God who will have his way. Creation by such speech shows God’s authority.”[5]
I cannot help but ponder on the world famous ballad Let it Be by the Beatles. In this song, John Lennon speaks of an idealistic utopia of peace and happiness, yet when he says let it be, nothing happens. Perhaps one of the most influential lyricists of all time, a member in a group many claimed to be more famous than God wished something to be and it did not happen. How much greater than is our God!
“One common objection to a traditional reading of Genesis 1 is the creation of light before the creation of the light-bearers. …The real problem with this argument…is that it addresses creation from a purely naturalistic point of view. This interpretation assumes that God is not working outside of the laws of nature.”[6] As Christians, we believe that God spoke the universe into existence, that His Son was born to a virgin, that He lived a perfect life as God manifested in human form where He performed tremendous miracles, and Whom raised to life from death—if we believe those things, we cannot call ourselves naturalists, because believing those things makes us supernaturalists.
How can light exist if God has not yet created light-bearers such as the sun, moon, and stars into place? This is a common argument against the literal interpretation of Genesis 1. The problem, though, with this assessment is it is rooted in a foundation that God is subject to the laws of nature that He created. If God created natural law, and if He exists outside realm of the physical universe, then He has the capability of working outside of that realm and outside those laws.
Coincidentally, later in scripture, we learn that God is light (John 1:5), that God wears a cloak of light (Ps. 104:2) whose radiance is light (Hab. 3:3-4). Moreover, there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever (Rev. 22:5). With a full-biblical understanding, it is entirely possible that in the midst of creating, the mere glory pouring out from Him was the light that lit the unfinished world; almost as if He said, “Let light begin with me and never end.”
In day two and three, God creates the skies below and above the waters. These waters refer to a vapor canopy that many scholars believe would have significantly affected life expectancy. These waters ultimately became the large amount of water that fell to the earth in the Flood. The expanse had a specific purpose of separation; the earth separated from the seas, with the purpose of growing vegetation. God formed the universe and earth, but now the filling needed to occur.
In day four, the first day of filling, God filled the universe with light-bearers, specifically the sun and moon. God created the sun and moon with a specific purpose of giving light and governing day and night.
In day five, the second day of filling, God filled the earth with sea and sky animals. God blessed the animals of the sea and sky with the ability to reproduce. This is not the first time a blessing like this is given. God also gave the vegetation the ability to reproduce as well. God’s purpose for His creation was to continue, to bless it with prosperity and longevity; in the first part of day six, God filled the earth with dry-land animals with that same blessing.
Before moving forward, go back to verse one: In the beginning, God. In Hebrew, the word that we get God from is Elohim. Elohim is a plural noun. This is not by accident! Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. If God was the only being in existence prior to creation, then whom is God equating Himself with in this introduction to the origins of man? This is not by accident!
God created man in His own image. How is God simultaneously singular and plural? Those with a church background are putting the pieces together for the doctrine of the trinity. To be certain, if considering the passages contained within the first chapter of Genesis, the doctrine of the trinity is not conclusive; however, with a view of the entire scripture, these passages do great justice to that doctrine. To be sure, the creation of man was in the image of all three personalities of the one triune God.
What is the image of God? We are not told directly; however, whatever the image of God is, it makes man unique from all the rest of creation, because it was only man that God created in His own image. With the entirety of scripture in mind, it is likely that the image of God refers specifically to God’s spiritual and moral nature.
“In his spiritual likeness, man as a regenerated being may have fellowship with God; in his natural likeness, man has intellect, emotions, and will to know and commune with God; in his moral likeness, man may know and obey the precepts of God.”[7] God gives man responsibility over the creation that He created. The image of God in man is a capacity for creation, meaning the power to create from His raw creation (Heb. 11:3).
Just as He did with the vegetation and animals, God blessed man with specific purposes. God blessed man with sex—therefore populate the earth. What is interesting about this is it is not a required act for man, but a gift for man. This means that God has not called all of humanity to have children, but He did specifically call the first man and woman to have children. Later in scripture, in First Corinthians 7:8 we see Paul empower those called to singlehood, and to be sure, Jesus Christ, who we worship as our Savior, was a virgin. So certainly, God’s blessing of sex was not a mandate to all of humanity, but a gift.
God blessed man with dominion over creation. This concept of dominion implicates responsibility and management over the creation, rather than dictatorship and exploitation. Many in the Church today outright deny scientific claims because they risk being associated with the evolutionist worldview; however, where they miss the point is that if God created science, then science should not dictate what we believe of the Bible, but serve as observable evidence for the claims made in the Bible.
While the subject of science will return in a later lesson, it is important to point out that in the past decade, major scientific claims have been made about the earth, and they allege that the cause is from man’s actions. As Christians, we should take those claims seriously, because God has blessed us with stewardship over His creation. God gave us creation—we should use it, not abuse it.
Theologian John Calvin writes, “In the very order of events, we ought diligently on the paternal goodness of God toward the human race, in not creating Adam until he had liberally enriched the earth with all good things. Had he placed him on an earth barren and unfurnished; had he given life before light, he mind have seemed to pay little regard to his interest. But now that he has arranged the motions of the sun and stars for man’s use, has replenished the air, earth, and water, with living creatures, performing the office of a provident and industrious head of a family, he has shown his wondrous goodness toward us.”[8]
Finally, the pinnacle of the creation account given to us is on day seven with three blessings. God saw all that He created and it was all very good. Since there is no authority over God, God is therefore justified in determining what is good. We see this all throughout scripture: God is the determiner of what is good; He is the standard-bearer in what is acceptable behavior for His creation.
God rested on this seventh day. He rested because He worked, not because He was tired. God enjoyed the satisfaction and repose that comes with the completion of a task. God blessed the seventh day; He sanctified it. Sanctified is one of those words Christians throw around, seemingly without knowing what it actually means. For God to sanctify the seventh day was for Him to make the seventh day set apart from the rest for a distinct purpose of remembering His holiness.
Given later in the Ten Commandments, God required His people Israel to stop all life functions on the Sabbath as a reminder that He was really in charge. Just the same, Christians today should incorporate rest into their lifestyles to remember that God holds all things together. While the laws on Sabbath are not required of Christians today, Christians should elevate one day a week above the other days as a reminder to us that in six days God created everything, and rested on one day to enjoy His work. The specific day you take is less important than the actual taking of a day to remember God’s great work.
God is already in control of your life, whether you acknowledge it or not. He has been in control of your life since before He brought anything into existence (Ps. 139:16). So why should you give God total control of your life if He already has control? To relate this topic, why does the Bible tell us in 1 John 1:9 directly, and various other places indirectly, to confess our sins to God if the Bible also says in Hebrews 4:13 directly, and various other places indirectly, that He knows everything? Confession to God is not about information; it is about transformation. Confessing sins acknowledges God’s role as superior and our role as inferior, and in so doing, humbles us into a life lived within the will of God.
Just the same, giving total control over to God is not about an exchange or transfer of power or sovereignty over our lives from us to Him, because He already has that power. Giving total control over to God is about recognizing His role as the Creator, and our role as His creation. Doing so gives us a peace, because we are no longer trying to fill the role of a sovereign being with tasks that surpass our own abilities. When we recognize God as the sovereign ruler of our life, we can experience the Sabbath rest that He sought us to have, so that our work can have lasting, intrinsic value, and so we may not fear the curveballs that life may pitch our way.
What does recognizing God as the sovereign ruler of our life look like in real life? To put into simple understanding, it is listening to the special revelation of God given to us at various stages of life and applying it to our life. One form of special revelation is the Word of God, given specifically to teach us, rebuke us, correct us, and train us for a life lived in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16).
While the other forms shown in the Bible (i.e. dreams, visits from angels, etc.) are less common in the modern age, the second largest form is listening to the preaching of God’s Word. If our hearts are prepared to adjust our lives based on what God reveals to us in scripture, then we will be equipped to submit to God’s sovereignty. If our hearts are prepared to adjust our lives based on what God reveals to us through His faithful servants who interpret the Bible, then we will be equipped to submit to God’s sovereignty. In the beginning, God spoke specific things about life and they occurred. Just the same, when God speaks specific things to us, they need to occur in our life. When we submit to God’s Word, His sovereignty will transform our desires and lives.
[1] Chan, Francis. Multiply. Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2012. Page 140.
[2] Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper Collins, 1961. Page 25.
[3] Moreland, J.P. "The Age of Earth." Editorial. Reason to Believe: Reasons.Org, 2, Feb., 2002.
[4] Mackintosh, Charles Henry. Notes on the Book of Genesis. Philadelphia: Henry Longstreth, 1863. Page 6.
[5] Brueggemann, Walter. Genesis: Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1982. Page 24.
[6] Heck, Joel D. In the Beginning, God: Creation from God's Perspective. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing, 2011. Pages 20-21.
[7] Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago: Moody, 2008. Page 42.
[8] Calvin, John. The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Seattle: Pacific Publishing Studio, 2011. Page 76.