Let's Start At The Very Beginning

I love beginnings, don't you? There's something so appealing and hopeful about a fresh start, a clean slate, a new dawn.



As we enter 2011, one of the changes I plan to incorporate at WordVessel is an online Bible study. I'm by no means a Bible expert, but I believe that great good can come from studying God's Word together. I hope you'll join me, and I pray God's blessings upon this endeavor. I trust that God's Spirit will guide us through His Word.



In the movie, The Sound of Music , when Maria von Trapp teaches her seven young charges about music, she sings, "Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start..." I can think of no better way to start the new year than at the very beginning of time and space, in the book of Genesis, which means "in beginning."



The creation of the universe by a self-existing and eternal God is the foundation of our faith. No wonder the enemy and prince of darkness wants to confuse the issue by using the theories of the big bang and evolution. The truth of creation is so important that the Holy Scripture begins with it, and it's referenced and reinforced throughout the Bible.

God reveals Himself through His creation, so those who choose to neglect the truth of God's Word, do so to their peril (Romans 1:20).

The first chapter of Genesis is a familiar passage, so my prayer as we study is that we'll do so with fresh eyes and that God's Spirit will enable us to glean fresh insight, which will spill over into praise for our Creator. Let's start at the very beginning . . .





In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty; darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. ~Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV)



God - Elohim The Hebrew word used for God in this passage is critical to our understanding of the scripture. It is a plural word, not suggesting many gods, but the triune God--God the Father, God the Son (the Word - John 1:1-3), and God the Holy Spirit. Every aspect of God was present at creation. Elohim carries with it the meaning of being uncreated or self-existent, transcendent, and the source of all other existence. It also alludes to His majesty, authority and sovereignty. 



Created  The Hebrew word for create is bara', and it literally means to make something out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3; 1 Corinthians 8:6, Acts 14:15, Isaiah 45:18, Jeremiah 10:12). The use of this verb throughout the Old Testament consistently uses God as the subject. Man can make or form, but only God can truly create--or make something from nothing.



Heavens  When the Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth, 'heavens' refers to space and the infinite universe.



Formless, Empty, Darkness  God's first work of creation was creating the heavens and the earth, but the earth was dark, shapeless and void. With the creation of light, and the separation of day from night, God began to bring order from chaos--not so much disorder--but a lack of order.



One has only to consider the high level of order and complexity in nature to realize that our God is a God of order. During the first three days of creation, we see God giving this form and order to the earth, and in the last three days of creation He populates the planet with life, with man as the crown and purpose of creation.



Spirit of God hovering over the waters I love the picture this paints. First of all, it portrays God as a mother protecting her infant. The same word (hover) is used in Deuteronomy 32:10-11 and Isaiah 31:5 in much the same way.



As a writer, this phrase also builds a sense of anticipation. We sense that God is about to act.



And God said These same three words are used in each daily account of God's creative work. What power! All He had to was speak--or give the Word (Christ)--and everything that is came to be.



Light Let there be light! The implications of this part of creation (and the relating scripture) was so enormous that rather than mention it all here, I decided to put it in another blog post. Be sure to catch Wednesday's post, Let There Be Light! Suffice it to say for now, that darkness can never overcome light, but light always overcomes the darkness!



The light was good God gave His divine approval to the beginning of Paradise. As we continue our study of the other days of creation, you'll see that He approves every part of His work.



Called day and night The fact that God named the light 'day' and the darkness 'night' indicates His Sovereignty and Lordship. Many times in the Bible we see earthly kings giving new names to their subjects (e.g. 2 Kings 23:34) and God gave new names to many people throughout the Bible, including Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, and Paul. God owns it all!



Evening, then morning

Further proof that God's Spirit will continue to delight us with fresh insight to His Word when we study it. I've probably read this passage thousands of times, but never noticed that evening is mentioned first. My personal thought is that it's no coincidence that God placed them in this order. I'm eternally grateful that morning follows night (Psalm 30:5)!



APPLICATION & QUESTIONS (Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below if you so desire.)

1. How does the fact that God created all things into being by willing it to exist impact you? When considering God's work at creation, what should be our response to Him? (Revelation 4:11)

2. Christ is referred to as the Word in John, chapter 1. How does the Word play a part in creation? (Hebrews 1:2; Colossians 1:15-16)

3. Who is the focus of creation?

4. As Sovereign God, He could have chosen not to create the world. Why do you think God chose to create the world, knowing in His complete wisdom that man would fall? (John 3:16)

Father God, we're amazed that You, as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, made us for Your praise and glory. We find the depth of Your love for us hard to fathom, but we're grateful. You continue the process of bringing order out of chaos. We look forward to the day when You will make all things new again in Your kingdom. Amen.