Genesis starts off with, “In the beginning God created…” – Gen 1:1a. God has always existed and will always exist. There is no time before God and there will never be a time after God. If you believe Genesis 1:1, you should have no problem believing the rest of the Bible. If He is big enough to create the heavens and the earth, isn’t He big enough to do all the rest the Bible says He did, does, or will do?
The word God in Hebrew means Elohim, which is plural. This means that not only was God there to create, but Jesus and the Holy Spirit were there with Him creating the world, too. One person created because there is only one God – the Triune God (Father, son, and Holy Spirit). We know the Holy Spirit was there because of Gen. 1:1 – “…and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” We know Jesus was there because of Gen. 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…’ ”.
God created the heavens. The word created means to make something out of nothing. Think about that. He created the universe with all the galaxies of billions of stars, the sun, the moon, the sky. Think about the distance between the galaxies – the average is about 20 million trillion miles. The universe has just the right gravitational force, just the right speed of light, just the right distance between stars. All this didn’t happen by chance. This could not have happened by itself. God is the intelligent designer. His words are so powerful that He just spoke them into existence. Wow!
God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. In the beginning there was nothing. The earth was formless, empty and dark. The Holy Spirit hovered over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”. His creation began.
Did you notice that God said, “Let there be light”? All He had to do is speak and creation happened. This shows the sovereignty of God. He still speaks today. He speaks through His Word, His Son, His Spirit and His people. Are you listening?
Some have the question about when did God create water. In the beginning He created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). When He created earth, it was all darkness and water. His Spirit hovered over the waters. Then on day 2 God separated the waters making land. So He made the waters when He formed the earth.
Day 1 – God created light. He called it the light, day and the darkness, night.
Day 2 – God created the atmosphere / firmament. He called it heaven or sky.
Day 3 – God created land, seas, vegetation, plants, trees.
Day 4 – God created the sun, moon, stars.
Day 5 – God created birds, sea animals.
Day 6 – God created land animals, humans.
Day 7 – God rested.
How is the light on the 1st day compare to the light of the sun on the 4th day? On the 4th day God created the sun, moon and stars. They serve to mark the seasons and days and years. The light on the 1st day is never explained. God just created it and He can create any kind of light He wants. I look at it as darkness has no fixed source so light doesn’t need to have one either. We don’t have to know what kind of light it was, but that He created it. God Himself is light. Revelation 22:5 and Isaiah 60:19 tell us that in the New Jerusalem there will be no need for the sun, because the Lord will be its light.
On day six God made man in His own image. This doesn’t mean God has a physical body, because He is Spirit. To be made in God’s image means we possess personality, feelings, will, morality, able to make judgments, and have a conscience. It means we possess spirituality. We as humans are made to communion with God. This sets us apart from the animals. He made man to have dominion over the earth.
After God made each day, He saw what He had made and said it was good. When He had finished, He said it was very good. He is affirming His original design and intent was for good. It displayed Him and His good character, His power, His nature, and His wisdom. It measured up to His standards and how He wanted it to be. It was man who later poisoned it.
The phrase, “And there was evening, and there was morning” designates one day. God rested on the 7th day not because He was tired, but because His work was finished. It also gave a pattern to us for the structure of time – the 7 day week. It gave an example of the blessing of rest to us after working all week. It is a gift to man. It is a time for rest and replenishment. It’s also a shadow of the rest available through the work of Jesus. God knew we would need a day off, but God never needs a day off. When Jesus was healing on the Sabbath, He said, “My father has been working to this very day and I too am working.” - John 5:17.
There are those who think God did not create the world in 6 literal 24-hour days as we know it. Some argue that 2 Peter 3:8 says “with the Lord 1,000 years is like a day to the Lord” so it couldn’t be a literal 24-hour day. But if you read the next verse it explains that statement – the Lord is patient and waiting for sinners to repent. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9.
I believe it is a literal 24-hour day, because at the end of each day God said “And there was evening, and there was morning” indicating a literal 24-hour period. God’s creation is beyond our understanding. God spoke this clearly and we should trust His Word over arrogant claims that say otherwise. God can do anything! He had His own reasons for the time and order of the creation events and who are we to question Him. He could have made everything in 6 seconds, but He chose literal days for making His wonderful creation.
What makes it hard to believe there is a Creator God or that He created everything in 6 days?
While you don’t comprehend everything about God, how have you responded when you don’t understand?
Do you try to fit God into a box to rationalize or explain Him?
Will you trust Him with what you can’t understand?
As you study Genesis, will you trust God to lead you in understanding?
Our eternal God speaks to you through His Word, are you listening?
Principles:
The Triune God and He alone created all things.
God is sovereign over His creation.
God created with wisdom and order.
Join me here next week as we continue our study of Genesis -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.
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