Last Week we started a study of the 1st Book of the Bible, which is appropriately titled Genesis, meaning, the beginning. Please open your Bibles to the beginning and let us learn more about God. Before we read, let us prepare our hearts to be fertile ground to receive God’s Word. Pray with me………
Read along with me Genesis 1:1-13…………..
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
God existed before the earth and the universe. God created first our home planet earth; then He created the sun and the rest of the universe. God always thinks about us first.
God created because He is a God of love, power, and glory! Let me ask you a question: Is God powerful enough to create everything in an instant??
We read over and over again in Genesis 1, “and God said….and it was so!” “God said….and it was so!” God spoke and it happened! Who was God talking to??
God was talking to Himself! What does this mean?
God is so powerful that all He has to do is think of something and it happens!
Now, before we look at the details of what happened in Creation, let us note some general truths.
1st of all, we can note that God created in sequence, day by day. We note in the last sentence of v5 after the creation of the earth and the sun, “there was evening and there was morning – the first day.” In v8, there was the 2nd day; and in v13, there was the 3rd day. God could have created everything instantly. But He wanted us to know that God is a God of order!
Now, many people question verse 1………….
Some say the heavens in v1 is the universe. Therefore, God created the universe first then the earth.
But the earth was created on the first day and if you look at v14-19, the universe was created on the fourth day. Always look at Scriptures in context.
There can be 2 explanations for v1:
1. it is a title for what God did in v2-19. or 2. the “heavens” in v1 could mean the spiritual world where angels live. Colossians 1:16 states…
2. God created everything, both visible and invisible.
One more thing to note before getting into the details of creation: Some say something happened between v1 and v2 of Genesis 1. They call it “the gap theory”. This theory basically says that the creation described in Genesis 1 is a second creation of God; that God judged the first creation. Gap Theorists will cite that v2 talks about an earth formless, empty, and dark because it was cursed. Gap Theorists will tell you that their theory explains why scientists can date the earth as billions of years old. Sounds interesting?
Well, there are strong arguments against this gap theory.
1. There are no verses in the Bible that supports this theory.
2. Genesis 1 - 2 states that everything that God made good.
3. Many Bible passages state that God created “everything”
in 3 days.
4. If fossils of plants and animals from the supposedly 1st
creation were a failure and needed to be destroyed, why
did God create them again?
If you want to learn more about this gap theory, come to Sunday School.
Since we proclaim to be a biblical church, let’s focus on what the Bible directly says, not what it doesn’t say. Amen?
And so, what did happen in Creation?
We note in v1 of Genesis 1 that God created the earth.
In v2, we note what the earth was like in the beginning.
The earth was formless. Likely at this time, the earth was not spinning yet. It was not shaped by God yet. But because God is powerful and loving, like a gentle Potter, God eventually placed His hands around the formless earth, spun it, and shaped it perfectly.
The earth was empty. There was nothing on the earth in the beginning. Of course we can note that the earth was covered with water. V2 states “darkness over the surface of the deep”. And we note in v6, God separated this water. In v9, we note that initially, water covered the land.
We can briefly note here that in Noah’s time, the water that God separated was brought back to flood the earth.
The earth was initially empty. But because God is life, we read in v11-12, God filled the earth with plants and trees.
The earth was initially formless, empty, was covered with water, and it was dark. There was no light on earth in the beginning. But guess what, God can see everything even with His eyes closed! Have you tried hiding from God? God sees everything!
And because God is a God of light and He knew that the people who will live on earth will need light to see and also to rest, in v3-5, God created the sun.
As we noted earlier, God eventually spun the earth and made it rotate around the sun, because God made the first day, with evening and morning. Ever notice what plants and trees (show trees picture) do with the sun? Plants will always reach out to the sun. (show sunflowers picture) The plants and the trees were privileged to see the first sunrise and the first sunset!
Do you know what the plants and trees are doing when they are reaching out towards the sun?
Scientists will tell you it is because of photosynthesis.
This is true but here’s what we read from the Bible:
Psalm 96:10-12,
The Lord reigns……. Let the fields be jubilant and everything in them, then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy!
Isaiah 55:12, …the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands!
God is worthy of praise! Even the plants and trees know this. How is our worship of God? Next time you’re sunbathing, think of the worship of the plants and the trees.
And the last part of v2 tells us that God the Spirit was present during Creation. God eternally exists in 3 Persons. The Holy Triune God were in Creation. God the Father planned and created. God the Holy Spirit protected, sustained, and governed creation. And we read in many Bible passages that everything was created through Jesus Christ, God the Son. Want to know more? Come to S. S.
We read over and over again in Scriptures that God is one but eternally exists in 3 Persons! We have an amazing God and there are things about God which we will never fully understand. He is God Creator! We are the created blessed by God. God reveals Himself to us through His Creation, His Word, His Spirit, and His Son. We have everything we need for life and godliness.
God is amazing and powerful, He can create anything in an instant and God put in writing what we need to know. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
God put into writing what we need to know.
Be careful! Do not add or subtract from the Word of God.
God is the Word! God is love! God is power! God is glory! God is order! God is in control of everything! God is good! God is beautiful! God is amazing!
Believe in the God of the Bible, who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and you will have eternal life!
Do you believe in the God of the Bible?
Or, do you have other gods in your life?
Study and obey the Word of God and you will be blessed!
Are you reading the Bible daily?
Are you obeying what the Bible says?
Do not miss out on the joy of the Lord! And like the plants and trees, raise your hands and your voices to God in praise! Praise Him now in prayer……………
