Lesson 1: The Existence And Nature Of God Series

Introduction: The Question Behind Every Question

The Bible opens with a bold and beautiful claim: “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1). There is no attempt to prove His existence — it is assumed, asserted, and revealed. For ancient readers, this was no surprise. In the ancient world, belief in divine beings was universal. What set Israel apart was not that they believed in a god, but which God they believed in — the one true Creator of all.

Today, we live in a world where some question even that foundational truth. While ancient people could not imagine a world without the divine, some modern people cannot imagine a world with it. Yet Scripture, creation, and conscience all point us to a God who is not only real, but near — not only powerful, but personal.

In this lesson, we begin exploring what the Bible says about the existence and nature of God, how creation testifies to Him, how human reason echoes His revelation, and how all of Scripture calls us not merely to believe in God, but to walk with Him.

The only way to truly know God is relationally. The creation account in Genesis is not a detached cosmological explanation—it is the beginning of our story, the story between us and God. God is not an object to be studied but a subject to be known, loved, and worshiped. Jesus told the woman at the well, “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22), emphasizing relational and redemptive knowledge. Yet He also rebuked the religious leaders of His day: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:39–40). Knowing God is not merely about data—it’s about devotion and discovery through divine encounter.

I. The Reality of God in the Ancient World

The opening pages of Scripture assume the existence of God. In the Ancient Near East (ANE), a world without gods or spirits was unthinkable. Yet Genesis begins not with myth or rivalry among deities, but with a sovereign declaration: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). This foundational merism — “heavens and earth” — signals totality: all things seen and unseen are the work of one Creator.

This monotheistic account sharply contrasts with other ANE creation stories:

The Enuma Elish (Babylonian): Creation results from a cosmic battle. Marduk defeats Tiamat and fashions the world from her body. Humans are created as laborers to relieve the gods of work.

The Egyptian Memphite Theology: Ptah, a high god, speaks the world into existence through his heart and tongue. The world emerges from divine thought and utterance, but within a crowded pantheon.

The Ugaritic Baal Cycle: Gods contend violently for supremacy. The natural world is shaped through cycles of combat, death, and seasonal return.

In Genesis, there is no violence, no rivals, no pantheon. God creates alone, by word and will. Humanity is formed in His image, not as a slave but as a partner (Genesis 1:26–27). This sets the stage for covenant, vocation, and relationship.

II. Scripture’s Divine Focus and Light

Like Rembrandt guiding a viewer’s eye through carefully cast light, God shines through Scripture to reveal His character and intentions. When we fixate on speculative shadows or minor details, we risk missing the central truth He illuminates.

God's Word shines light on what truly matters: Himself. His being, His acts, and His invitation to relationship form the narrative arc from Genesis to Revelation. Psalm 36:9 declares, “In your light we see light.” Revelation begins with creation and ends with God dwelling among His people, the Lamb on the throne, and the light of God's presence replacing the sun (Revelation 21:23).

The spotlight of Scripture is on God's desire to dwell with and redeem His people. He reveals not merely that He is, but that He cares.

III. Creation Reveals God

Creation itself testifies to God's character — not just His existence, but His nature. He is:

Omnipotent (All-Powerful): God speaks, and it is so. The act of creation by divine command — “Let there be…” — demonstrates effortless power. This divine power is evident not only in the biblical narrative but also in scientific observation. Consider the immense energy unleashed in the Big Bang — the singularity from which all matter, energy, time, and space emerged. Scientists estimate that within the first second of the universe's existence, fundamental forces were established and fine-tuned. The force holding protons and neutrons together, the expansion rate of the universe, and the strength of gravity — all had to be precisely calibrated or no stable universe could exist. This cosmic precision speaks not merely of power, but purposeful power.