March Through HIStory - The Beginning

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. ~Hebrews 11:3 (NASB)



Read Genesis 1





The world and its ruler, the prince of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), would have us believe a pack of lies (John 8:44) and live our lives accordingly. Already many around us have succumbed to lies which say God is a figment of our imagination and a crutch for the weak-minded, that we evolved from primordial ooze to "recreate" ourselves into higher planes of existence, that we are in charge of our own individual destiny apart from everything and everyone else. These are not new lies; they've been around since the beginning.



In truth, we humans are given a choice in what we believe, but with that choice comes an eternal consequence. The critical decision lies in what and who we choose to put our faith in, and our actions then demonstrate the depth of what we say we profess. If for no other reason than the critical choice which lies before us, I pray that the readers of this post will prayerfully and carefully consider the following truth:



God Has Always Been  (v. 1)


Before time began, God was. He was not created, but is transcendent, beyond human comprehension, time, and the material world.



Elohim  (v. 1, 26)

In the very first sentence of the account of creation, God is called by His name, Elohim, a plural word. This is not to indicate that there are many "gods," but that God exists as three in one. In the act of creation we see transcendent God (v. 1), the Spirit of God (v. 2), and the Word of God, Jesus (v. 3; John 1:1) functioning as One to bring the universe into being. We also see Elohim in Genesis 1:26 when He says: "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness..."



Created From Nothing--Order From Disorder (v. 2)

As supported by the Hebrews 11:3, the world was created from nothing. It was formless, empty, and dark. A chaos above the surface of the abyss, a nothingingness. With each act of creation, God brought more and more order from the disorder.



Hovering Spirit  (v. 2)


The same Hebrew word used here for "hovering" is also used in Deuteronomy 32:11: 


Like an eagle that stirs up its nest,
That hovers over its young,
He spread His wings and caught them,
He carried them on His pinions.

Jesus expressed this same mother heart of God when He mourned over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37). God longs to protect us beneath His sheltering wings.




And God Said...And It Was So (v. 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 20, 24, 26, 29, 30)

It's easy to overlook the three simple words, "and God said," but to do so neglects important facts of creation. First, God's power is so great that all He has to do is speak to create a massive universe from nothing. Secondly, "said" indicates "word," and that powerful Word used in creation is Jesus (John 1:1-5).  


Light (v. 3)

It's not insignificant that God's first act of creation was light. He is light (1 John 1:5) and the light of the world (John 8:12). As His children we are called to be light-bearers (Matthew 5:14-16).



God's Lordship Over Creation  (v. 5, 8, 10)

By giving parts of His creation names--day, night, sky, land--God revealed His Lordship. The naming of things and people has been used throughout history to indicate ownership, not just in the spiritual realm, but also in the human realm (2 Kings 23:34). When it came to creation, God made it, so God owned it, and God named it.



Intricacy of Design (v. 11, 12, 14, 21, 24, 25)

God is no ordinary craftsmen. Each part of His creation was designed in detail. This is revealed when the seed-bearing plants, trees, water creatures, birds, and animal life were able to produce "according to their kind." The creation of the lights in the sky to show the seasons, days and years also reveal the scope and intricacy of a Master Designer. 



It Was Good 

As God's handiwork took shape, He saw that it was good. And good it was, for God provided, in advance, everything needed for the needs of the crowning event of His creation, mankind.



The First Blessings

On the fifth day of creation, God pronounces His first blessing by giving living creatures the ability to reproduce. He repeats this blessing for man on the sixth day.



Made in His Image

When God created man, He made Him in the image and likeness of God. God is spirit (John 4:24). No other part of God's creation has a spirit. In our existence on this planet, it is easy to believe by sight that we are human beings attempting to have a spiritual experience. But in reality--something we must accept by faith--we are spiritual beings in the midst of a human experience. One lie of Satan is that mankind is merely an evolved animal. God's Word defeats that lie. Though we are not divine (Psalm 8:5), we are made in His image, not in the image of animals.



God Communicates With Man

When God blessed mankind, He didn't just speak, He spoke "to" them. Here we see the grace of the Divine Elohim in His desire for a relationship with His creation.



Dominion 

As the crown jewel of God's perfect creation, man was given dominion (rulership, lordship) over the rest of creation. This is also demonstrated later in the book of Genesis when God brings the animals to Adam (whose name literally means mankind) to name. With this dominion came the responsibility of stewardship. God owned it all, but graciously gave it to mankind to rule. 



APPLICATION  

What is our response in light of this account of creation?


Recognize Who made us--the all-powerful, self-existing, eternal, transcendent and three-in-One God, who since time began hovers over us like a mother bird over her young.
Reflect His light to a lost and dying world that has yet to recognize Who He is.
Realize our position in His eternal plan--lower than the heavenly beings, but made in His image and likeness to be stewards of His good world that He created for our benefit.
Respond to His desire to communicate and have a relationship with us.           

Elohim, we recognize and honor You as all-powerful, self-existing, eternal, transcendent and triune Creator of Your universe. Lord, You own it all, and we thank You for the privilege You've bestowed on us as stewards of Your creation. Forgive us for how we've put our own slant on the mysteries of how we came to be and our purpose in this place. May we by faith accept Your Word and take ownership of the responsibilities You've ordained for us. Help us to reflect Your light, that light that existed from the first day of creation. Most importantly, Father, may we choose to respond to Your gracious invitation of a relationship with You, made possible through the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross to buy us back from sin. Amen.