Genesis 1 - In the Beginning

In our study this evening, we are going back to the book of Genesis. The word genesis means beginning, which is fitting as the first book of the Bible. In this book we see the beginning of several things: We see the beginning of creation, life, sin, and God’s plan of redemption for mankind. We see record of the first marriage and the first mention of love in the Bible. In Bible hermeneutics there is something called the principle of first mention. Whenever you see something mentioned for the first time in the Bible, it usually carries a higher significance because the Holy Spirit is highlighting something for us. I believe that it is for this reason that this book (in particular the first several chapters) is a target for so many critics of the Bible. Thus, it is this book that sets the framework for the rest of the Scriptures. So, let’s go ahead and jump into chapter 1.

In verse 1 it states, “In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth.”  The first thing to note here is that God was in the beginning. A former pastor of ours once said that The Bible doesn’t set out to prove God’s existence; it assumes it. It doesn’t need to prove it, for creation itself is proof there is a God. David wrote in Psalms, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Psalms 19:1) The apostle Paul wrote, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19-20) Suppose I told you that this lot where our home is used to be a junk yard, and one day a tornado came through and put all the pieces together to build this house? Your response would probably be, “That is ridiculous!” Whenever we see a house, building, or some other structure, we automatically conclude that there was a designer and builder. So too, creation bears the marks of intelligent design, and therefore, there must have been a designer. God has made Himself known through creation, and thereby left man without excuse.

The Second thing to take note of here is that the word for God is not in the singular (El), nor is it in the dual form (Elah), but it is in the form of three or more (Elohim). So, in the first verse of the Bible, the first time that God appears, it is in the plural form of three or more. This is no accident, because the rest of the Scriptures reveal Him as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The next thing we see is what the Lord did in the beginning of time. The Genesis account states that in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. In verse two it goes on to say that the earth was without form and void, and darkness covered the deep. At this point the earth apparently was covered by water, and there was no source of light to illuminate its surface. There are some who like to insert millions of years into verse two, but according to Answers in Genesis, the plain grammar of the ancient Hebrew does not support this. Verse two is a parenthetical statement describing the original state of the earth. Those who ascribe to this view (Gap Theory), often do so in order to explain the fossil record. However, Paul is clear in Romans that death came through Adam. (Rom 5:12)

The Scriptures tell us that the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. The word hover can mean different things depending on the context, but what probably makes the most sense here is to move or to shake. The Institute for Creation Research (ICR) defines it as follows: to “vibrate in the presence of the waters.” They go on to state, “Waves of gravitational energy and waves of electro-magnetic energy began to pulse forth from the great “Breath” (another meaning of ruach) of God, the Prime Mover of the universe.” Because this word can also be interpreted to brood, some assert the Holy Spirit is feminine, like a mother bird brooding on her young. However, the Holy Spirit is consistently referred to in the masculine in the Scriptures along with the Father and the Son. Remember, we are talking about one triune God here, three distinct yet inseparable persons who share the same nature. In verse 5 God (Elohim) will be referred to with the pronoun “He.” Water is also idiomatic of the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit took great care in inspiring the Scriptures, and He does the same in revealing them to us.

In Verse three, God then spoke, and the first thing he said was “Let there be light.” The phrase “let there be light” in the Hebrew is a command that literally means: “light be or light exist.” Throughout the entire creation account until we get to the sixth day, the Lord spoke everything into existence. When man creates something, he must use his own physical resources in some way to do so; the Lord however, merely had to speak it into existence. This should give us somewhat of a glimpse into the awesome power of our Lord. I have heard it said that God’s Word is His authority, and this is so true. God’s Word itself is power, and is and should be our authority to govern our lives. The source of the light here is unknown, since the sun, moon and stars were not formed until day four of creation. The good news is, although I would like to know why the Lord waited until day four to create the sun, moon, and stars, ultimately, I do not have to understand it for it to be true. My job is just to trust the Lord at His Word. If the Lord can create something from nothing by merely speaking it into existence, then I don’t really have any problems believing He could form light without the existence of the sun or other stars. The Lord then divides the light from the dark; thus, making a distinction between day and night. It says the Lord saw that it was good.  The formation of day and night marked the first day of creation.

Light is also idiomatic of the Scriptures. The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psa 119:105) It is the light of the Gospel and the truths of the word of God that pulls us out of darkness into the light of Christ (2 Cor 4:6).

In verses 6-8 we see the Lord made the firmament, or what we would know as our atmosphere. According to the text, this atmosphere was in between water (water above and below the atmosphere). The apostle Peter confirms this in his second epistle: “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.” (2Peter 3:5-6) It is thought by some that the water above the atmosphere formed a vaporous canopy that would have created a layer of protection from the sun’s harmful rays, as well as creating a global greenhouse effect. This would have greatly reduced the aging process, stabilized the earth’s climate, and made the temperature warmer and relatively consistent around the planet. This firmament God called Heaven. In the Bible, heaven can refer to our atmosphere (as we see in this text), outer-space (Matthew 24:29), or the dwelling place of God (Hebrews 8:1). This marked the second day of creation.

In verses 9-13 we see the gathering together of the waters under the heaven, thus making a distinction between the dry land and the seas. It would seem that there was some tectonic shifting going on here in order for the water to retreat, and the dry land to appear. It states again that God saw that it was good. He also created vegetation, which included grass, all seed-yielding plants, and fruit trees.  Notice that they were created as mature plants. Also, He states they are to bring forth after their own kind. This phrase appears 10 times in Genesis 1, and refers to a subdivision of a larger group that are able to bread and have offspring. In the scientific classification of organisms, the kind spoken of in the Bible would best fit in the family level of classification. This eliminates the evolutionary view of one kind evolving into another. There can be variation within a kind, but never between kinds. An example of this would be the mating of a zebra and a horse. They can produce offspring because they are in the same kind (family). God also saw that this was good, and this marked the completion of the third day. Just a quick note: if the days of creation represented geologic timeframes, then plants would have had to live millions of years before the sun was formed. Although certainly possible from a divine standpoint, it seems unlikely given what we have seen so far. However, plants can survive several days to a couple of weeks without sunlight depending on the species.

In verses 14-19 it states that the Lord created the sun, moon, and stars. These were to divide the day from the night, and to mark signs, seasons, days, and years. Pagan cultures have made various rituals and practices in their worship of the heavenly beings, but the Lord simply made them for our benefit. One picture that can be seen here is that in the Genesis account, the Lord referred to the sun as the greater light, and the moon as the lesser light. Now the moon itself is not a true source of light, but merely a reflector of it. The earth and moon both reflect the light of the sun. So too, we as believers are not a source of light ourselves, but we are a reflector of the light from the Son Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “’You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mat 5:14-16) The creation of these lights marked the completion of the fourth day.

In verses 20-23 we see the creation of living creatures. The Lord made all the animals that live in the waters, and birds that flew in the heaven: Both were to bring forth after their own kind. Again, God saw that it was good. It states the Lord blessed them, and charged them to be fruitful and multiply throughout the earth.  This marked the completion of the fifth day.

In verses 24 through the end of the chapter, we see the creation of land animals, as well as the creation of man. All beasts, cattle and creeping things he made, and they were all to bring forth after their own kind. Again, the Lord saw that it was good. If macro evolution were true, there should be evidence in the fossil record, but, in fact, the opposite is true. It shows that most species are unchanged in all their documented history, and that when they appear in a particular area, they appear all at once fully formed. In areas where the fossil record is very complete, there is no evidence of one species coming from another. Even Charles Darwin himself admitted that the fossil record was the strongest evidence against his theory.

In verse 26 God (Elohim) says let us make man in Our own image, after Our likeness. This is another reference to the trinity in the first chapter of the first book of the Bible. Contrary to science, man is not part of the animal kingdom, but is unique and separate from every other living creature. God took special care to make mankind (both male and female) in His own image. This should give us a glimpse into how much the Lord values us as humans. If He cares enough for us to make us in His image, then He will love us enough to take care of us. It is much like our own children: They are born in our own image and likeness, and we will naturally love them and take care of them in a way we would not take care of someone else’s children.

The Lord then gave man dominion over the earth, and everything in it. This may upset many environmentalist folks today, but plants and animals are not on equal par with humans. Jesus said, “Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26) This does not mean we shouldn’t take care of the environment, but we need to have our priorities in the right place. The Lord provides these resources to us for our benefit, and it is up to us to be good stewards of them. He then blesses mankind, and told them to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, to subdue it, and to have dominion over all living creatures. In order to successfully subdue and have dominion over the earth, you must reproduce. This is true both in the physical and in the spiritual realm. David wrote for his son Solomon, “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psalms 127:3-5)  Jesus charged His disciples prior to His ascending back up into Heaven, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20) The Lord’s intent was and still is that the Earth be filled with godly people to steward it, and this is meant to be a blessing to man. Most important of all, He wants us to spread the Gospel to those around us in hopes they will through repentance and faith escape His coming judgment.

We see the Lord gave food for man and animals to eat. At this point both man and animals only ate plants. In a perfect world with a relatively stable climate and optimum growing conditions, a vegetarian diet was all that was necessary. This would later change, but was His design in the beginning. After the Lord finished everything He had made, the Scriptures say that He saw it, and it was very good.

The lord made everything in six days, and on the seventh day He rested. He then blessed the seventh day and set it apart from the rest of the week (Genesis 2:1-3). This does not mean that the Lord was tired from all of His creating, but it simply means that He ceased from His work on the seventh day. Later when He gave the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, He would instruct mankind to rest from their labor as well. He was setting a pattern for man to follow that was intended to be a blessing, and it ultimately was to be a picture of the Gospel. As the author of Hebrews explains to us, the Sabbath rest is a picture of the rest we have in Jesus Christ. Just as man was to rest from his work on the seventh day, so too are we to cease from our own works and trust in Christ through faith for salvation (Hebrews 4:1-11).

One of the long-standing debates in the Christian Church is whether or not the days mentioned in Genesis 1 are literal days. There are many who believe they represent geological time periods, or are poetic in nature, thus negating the necessity to take the six days literally. Sad to say, this is the Church’s attempt to be culturally relevant and to not be at odds with modern Science. However, there are some contextual problems we see with this view. The Hebrew word for day is yome, and out of the 1,480 times it is used, 1,181 of them mean a literal day. When it is modified by a number or in connection with evening or morning “And the evening and the morning were the first day,” it always means a literal day. Furthermore, when the Lord wrote the 10 Commandments in stone with His own finger he wrote, “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:11) If the Lord took the time to write it in stone with His own finger, I think we can take Him at face value.

It is here in the first two chapters where Genesis is probably attacked the most and the hardest, since this flies in the face of the evolutionary world-view. As I previously stated, how we begin to interpret the first chapters of the first book of the Bible will heavily influence how we interpret the remainder of it. If Satan can get people to doubt Genesis, then his job of getting them to doubt the rest of Scripture becomes much easier. If we doubt the literal days of creation, then believing in a literal world-wide flood becomes more difficult. If we doubt the flood, then why not doubt Israel as God’s chosen people. If we doubt this, then what about the virgin birth, the deity of Jesus Christ, and His death burial, and bodily resurrection?  Once you start doubting Scripture, it is a slippery slope that ultimately has its end in apostasy and complete rejection of Biblical truth. Most of the woke churches today were once Bible-believing churches that started questioning the Scriptures little by little.

I think one of the main take-aways here is that we can trust the Word of God, folks. David wrote in Psalms, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psa 12:6) Solomon also wrote, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.” (Pro 30:5) The Scriptures were not written so that only the intellectual and highly educated individuals could understand them. They were written so that the average person like you and me can read them and apply them to our lives. Mark Twain once said, “It ain't the parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me, it's the parts that I do understand.” This is so true. Mark Twain was not a godly man, but he voiced what many have thought throughout the ages. When we come to the plain teachings of the Scriptures, it’s not that we do not understand what they are saying, it’s that we do not like what they are saying. It’s amazing what people will do with the Scriptures when they want them to justify a certain position. There are certainly passages that are figurative and challenging to understand, but those are pretty obvious. However, when it comes to the plain teachings of the Bible, we need to take them for what they are, popular or no, accepted or rejected by the main stream.

If you are reading this today and are not a Christian, place your faith in the God of the Bible: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Fully trust in Him, and allow Him to credit His righteousness to your account. Repent from your sins, and begin living the way He wants you to. If you are a believer, trust His word and obey it. It is purer than the purest metal, and it is your lamp and light to guide you through life.

In summary, we have discussed the seven days of creation, and God said that it was very good. The Lord took special care in making mankind, and in the next chapter the Lord will give us a close-up view of day six and the creation of man.

 

 

Additional Resources

 

Woodpecker Defies Evolution

 

Bombardier Beetle Defies Evolution

 

One of a Kind?

 

Six Literal Days | Answers in Genesis

 

Did Jesus Teach Recent Creation? | The Institute for Creation Research

     

New Defender's Study Bible Notes

 

Ephesians 6 - The Armor of God

    Previously in Ephesians, we saw the Lord’s directives to children and parents. Children are to obey and honor their parents. This is the first commandment with a promise, a promise of an extended life that is blessed. Father’s are to not provoke their children to anger, but to bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Servants are to obey their masters, and masters are to treat their servants well.

Lastly, Paul ends his epistle by reminding us that we are in a battle. Any soldier must be properly attired, and as soldiers of Jesus Christ, it is no different. He says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” If we recall from chapter 3, Paul prayed they would be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in their inner man. Our strength and might for the battle first come from the Spirit of God living inside of us. Second, we need to put on the whole armor of God so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil. The devil is constantly scheming on ways to trip us up or derail us as believers, so it is important that we are not ignorant of his devices. We may think our enemies are a spouse, family member, or co-worker, but truly our battle is a spiritual one. It is with the devil and the various demonic entities. Because of this, we are to take up the whole armor of God so that we can withstand the evil attacks that come our way. The soldier does not fight his battles sitting or lying down, but standing. The soldier of Jesus Christ does all he can to stand ready to fight the battles waged against him. When I was a new believer, I wondered how do we get this armor? Do we pray it on, or is there something else we do? I see both a positional and a practical application of the armor of God. Positionally, we have the armor of God because we have put on the Lord Jesus by faith. Practically, we put on the armor of God as we walk out that faith.

The first piece of armor is the belt of truth. The belt is technically not part of the armor, but was put on before the armor. It was used to protect the abdomen and to gather up the garments so the soldier could move freely. Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6). We put Him on by faith, and we practically put this on by adopting the beliefs of the Christian faith as our own. Guzek writes, “Many people believe that the church will never go forward until it takes off this belt of truth, but that is completely wrong. This is part of the armor to have, which is a foundation to live upon all the time, our understanding of and confidence in the basic doctrines of the faith.” Correct beliefs are important, because correct beliefs produce correct actions.

Next, is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protected the soldier’s vital organs, and, again, was an essential piece of armor. Jesus is our righteousness (2 Co 5:21), and we practically put this on by walking in obedience to His word. Jesus told His disciples, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) And, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” (John 15:14) Lastly, the author of Hebrews writes, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” (Heb 12:14)

Third, are the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace. The Roman soldier’s shoes were thickly studded with sharp nails to ensure a good grip. When thinking of the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace, Paul was probably thinking of the passage in Isaiah that says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” Preparation means a prepared foundation, and carries the idea of being ready. The Gospel is the foundation of everything we do. Not only have we put on the Lord Jesus and the Gospel for ourselves, but we take it with us wherever we go and are ready to share it with others.

In addition to these, we are to take up the shield of faith in order to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. This shield Paul spoke of was the large oblong one that could protect the whole body. The fiery darts were launched in large numbers at the beginning of an attack, not only to injure the enemy, but to shoot at him from all sides to confuse and panic him. As the soldiers would see the blazing darts fly through the air, they would be tempted to drop their shields and expose themselves to the enemy. Any of us who have been Christians long enough have experienced this type of spiritual attack as the enemy sends thoughts, emotions, and fears our way. They can come in such a barrage at times, that it does make you want to retreat and duck for cover, but it is the shield of faith that quenches them. They often come when we are already vulnerable as the devil tries to take advantage of our weakened state. He is not a fair fighter. His power is in his lie, since he has no power over us as believers any longer. It has been destroyed at the cross Col 2:15) The question is, will we believe God and trust His word or not?

Fourth, is the helmet of salvation. The helmet was a leather cap studded with metal for strength. Obviously, this protected the soldier’s head, the most vital part of his body. Again, we have the helmet of salvation when we put on the Lord Jesus, but our salvation has three aspects. We have been saved (justified), we are being saved (sanctified), and we will be saved (glorified). Most of us can walk in the assurance of salvation, but can struggle at times with the other two. Not only have we been set free from the penalty of sin, we have also been set free from the power of sin. Paul has been telling us these things in Ephesians, and he told us in Romans as well. Lastly, we will be set free from the presence of sin when we reach Heaven.

The battle to believe these things starts in our mind. As gotquestions.org puts it, “our way of thinking needs preservation. The head is the seat of the mind, which, when it has laid hold of the sure hope of eternal life, will not receive false doctrine or give way to Satan’s temptations.” Sometimes, we allow the enemy to rob us of our hope. One of the Enemy’s tricks is to try to discourage us from doing what is right. Discouragement often gives way to despair and hopelessness if we do not combat this with the truth. When we choose to believe the truth, this produces perseverance, character, and then hope, and hope does not disappoint us as Paul said in Romans. He also wrote to the Thessalonians that they were to put on the helmet of the hope of salvation. We truly do have the hope of salvation, because Jesus will do what He said He will do. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you. And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed and therefore I spoke,’ we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” (2 Co 4:8-14) So far, Paul has covered the defensive weapons of the Christian, and next he will cover the offensive weapons.

The first offensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit which Paul tells us is the word of God. The Roman sword was both a defensive and an offensive weapon, and was double-edged, allowing better penetration and cutting in each direction. The Scriptures are not just some words written on a page two thousand years ago, but are relevant, alive, and full of power for us today. The author of Hebrews writes, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb 4:12) Paul wrote to Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim 3:16-17) All the Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it is He who makes them alive to us when we read them. Even Jesus, when He was tempted in the wilderness, used the Scriptures as His offensive weapon against the devil. For each temptation He would respond, “It is written,” followed by the appropriate Scripture to fit the occasion. It is imperative that we use the Scriptures when doing spiritual battle. They are not only how we hold our ground, but also how we gain ground. Just as a soldier would practice with his weapons, we need to be practiced in using the Scriptures. Again, Paul writes, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim 2:15) We need to know the Word, and be able to appropriately apply it to our lives, including the spiritual battles we face.

Lastly, we are to pray. There is a break in the Greek text, indicating this is not a seventh piece of armor, but is the communication line with our Commander, Jesus Christ. Roman soldiers would communicate with their commander with a trumpet or by shouting, and intermittent communication would invite trouble. So too, intermittent prayer invites problems on the spiritual battle field. As it has been said, Prayer as the Lifeblood of Spiritual Warfare. Prayer is how we request boldness in persecution, ask for divine strength, and is how we get re-enforcements. If we recall from the book of Daniel, Daniel had been praying and fasting for 21 days. An angel had been sent to him to deliver a message, but the prince of Persia (a demonic entity) withstood the angelic messenger. Then Michael the archangel was sent to fight with the prince of Persia. So then, the Lord may send angels to help in our spiritual battles.

We are to pray always (on every occasion) with all types of prayer. Some people don’t think you’re praying unless you’re shouting, and others don’t think you’re praying unless you are on your knees. It is both, and everything in between. We are to pray in the Spirit, meaning it is energized, guided, and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27 and Jude 20). We are to pray in a state of watchfulness (being awake and alert); we cannot afford to fall asleep on the job. We are to pray for ourselves, as well as persevering in prayer for others.

Paul throws in a request at the end that they would pray for him, that he would be bold for Jesus while he was in prison. He was thrown into prison because of preaching the Gospel, so it would be tempting for him to be silent in hopes of getting off easier. Paul wanted to be a faithful witness, even in chains.

In his closing, Paul tells them that he is sending Tychicus, who was a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, to tell them how he was doing and to comfort them. The Ephesian believers loved Paul, and no doubt, were concerned for him. He ended with a blessing for them, “Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is yet another passage that refers to Jesus Christ as Lord. He extended it further to praying for grace for all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. “Amen.”

What a book! Three chapters telling us where we are seated and all we have in Christ. Another three chapters telling us how we should live in light of this heavenly position. Lastly, we are told to stand on it. We are to stand on all that God has done for us, and join with Him in the battle of the ages in which we emerge victorious if we stay in fellowship with our Commander, Jesus Christ.