Introduction: More than a simple record of events
“In the beginning…” You cannot prove the existence of God from the Bible. I remember in my first theology class being shocked at that statement from my professor and then reading it in my systematic theology textbook. It was an assumed fact by the Bible writers. Genesis chapter 1 illustrates this point. It starts with four words, “In the beginning God…” After this, the rest of the chapter tells us what he did and how he did it in broad strokes intended only to show us God’s power, sovereignty and glory.
In writing, the beginning sets the tone for everything that follows; it is also what hooks the reader. The opening keeps people reading. Genesis throws down a gauntlet to all other religions and cosmologies. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. He didn’t create a group of minor gods to produce water, wind, light, and earth. He didn’t get into some galactic fight with the forces of chaos to bring about order. In fact, living creatures live in an inanimate universe. The Sun doesn’t have intelligence, nor do the Moon or stars. Furthermore, they have no power over our lives or destinies. Angry gods do not cause natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and storms; they are natural events that happen because of processes God ordained. I will leave the debates on how God did things to the creationist theologians and the humanistic scientists. I don’t care if the universe is thousands of years old, or billions of years old. The same God created it either way, and I am interested in why, as were the writers of Scripture. Science can tell us how the universe came to be, but it cannot give us a reason, and that is the purpose of Scripture, starting with the first chapter of the Bible.
Creation Demonstrates God’s Power
In ancient times names meant something more than a simple designation for a person, place, or thing, and as such there could be multiple names for the same person and would sometimes change. Names were often descriptive. An example of this is God changing Abram to Abraham when he made the Abrahamic covenant, promising to make Abraham a great nation and that through him all nations would be blessed (Gen. 17:1-22), and Jacob becoming Israel. We will see this with God as we continue to explore the book of Genesis. This name change often causes confusion among Bible scholars who know a lot about the Bible but don’t understand the theological implications. In the first chapter, we see God standing alone in power and majesty as he creates the entire universe with nothing but a thought and a word. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. Psalm 33:6 (NKJV) In chapter 2, the focus will shift to a relational narrative as God interacts with his creation. In chapter 2, we will see the first use of the compound name for God. Yahweh Elohim, translated as Lord God. Right now, we are emphasizing God as the supreme Creator and ruler of everything that has a beginning. As a side note, the word Elohim is plural, which could signify a couple of possibilities. One of those implications hints at the later revelation of the Trinity. I remember the head of theology at Baptist Bible College relating a story related to this issue. He was also a pastor and was visiting a member in the hospital. He found himself on the elevator with a rabbi who noticed the Bible. The rabbi made the remark, “So you’re one of those three-God people.” Dr. Gillming replied, “Why is your word for God plural?” End of conversation.
Let’s take a moment to talk about light and the problem with using science to disprove the Bible. Even today agnostics, atheists and all those who want to make the Bible into nothing more than myths and legends love to use the fact that light appeared before the Sun was created to reject Genesis 1 as a fairytale and ridicule anyone who takes the creation account literally. We now know that light did indeed precede anything else, including stars in the universe. It is what is known as cosmic microwave background radiation. Light is made of charged photons, and photons have what is called mass. It differs from sound because it remains even after what energized it is turned off. Sound ceases as soon as the source goes quiet, but light continues. Sound requires air, or some other medium to conduct the waves created by the source. Light is independent of its surroundings. There are videos on the internet that show this. If these photons remain charged, they produce light. There are other explanations as well, but those involve discussions beyond the scope of this blog. For now, suffice it to say that God spoke light into existence.
Creation shows God is apart from his creation, and there is no struggle by God. The universe is inanimate and without intelligence. There is not another god, or gods, creating at a supreme ruler’s command. Elohim speaks, and nature obeys. At God’s command, the universe is formed, and matter and energy are created. By his word order comes out of chaos. Dry land appears, plants grow, and clouds form. Mist congeals into blue sky; the Earth spins and tilts on its axis. Light and darkness become days, weeks, months, and years. The sea and sky are filled with life. Then land animals are created. Finally, God creates his crowning achievement in man. The one being on Earth endowed by God with a touch of the divine. God commands, separates, forms, fills, blesses, and rests.
Our response should be humility. David declared in Psalms Psalm 8:3–4 (NKJV) When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? When we consider all of creation, it should humble us at the sheer vastness of it. There are two more considerations: first is the amazement that the Creator would even acknowledge us, let alone care. The other is that it shows us how unqualified we are to critique such a being as one with the power and intelligence to bring everything into existence by the sound of his voice. If that isn’t enough to humble us, then consider God’s interchange with Job. After Job declares he is being treated unfairly by God and demands an audience, he gets his wish. It starts in Job 38:1-11 (NKJV) Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? “Or who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth and issued from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band; when I fixed my limit for it, and set bars and doors; when I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!’ God could simply speak the universe into existence. By his word the universe was formed and continues to be sustained.
Creation declares God’s Authority
If you create something, it belongs to you, and you can do anything with it and to it that you desire. As creator of the universe, the universe belongs to God, and that gives him sovereignty over it. The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them. Psalm 89:11 (NKJV) I know this rubs humanity the wrong way, but that is because of our pride and arrogance. In fact, every atheist I have listened to and engaged with on a personal level has one thing in common. It’s not that they don’t believe in God; it’s that they believe they are God. Yet many verses stand in opposition to this and in fact our attitude is the original sin which caused Satan to fall. I will ascend into heaven, I will be like the most high. (Isaiah 14:12-15) Yet Romans 9:20-21 tells us that the clay doesn’t get to question the potter. But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?” 21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? Romans 9:20–21 (NKJV)
Colossians 1:16-17 continues this theme: For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:16–17 (NKJV) A discussion of the Trinity is beyond this blog post, so I will leave it for another day, but Paul and John both establish that Jesus was and is God and as such the creator of the universe. It also further establishes that all things are made by him for his use and benefit. The takeaway that we can conclude is that first creation, including our lives, are not random. This stands in stark contrast to the humanist who only accepts the reality they can discern from their senses. For them, the universe is based on randomness and chaos. It’s all predetermined, but based on chance and circumstance, without purpose or intelligence. Genesis chapter 1 shows that the entire universe, and especially the Earth and its inhabitants, were created with intelligence and purpose. Those purposes may be incomprehensible to us, but not to the Creator. For many reasons, we may not understand everything; we may be left with more questions than answers. Even when we get an answer, it may not be what we wanted, but we can be assured that there is a purpose and a plan. Even though God is sovereign, it doesn’t mean that he has predetermined everything in a way that violates our freewill. Because of his omniscience, he knows what we are going to do ahead of time and how we will react to circumstances. When he created man in his image, part of that image was the ability to make our own decisions. Even when humanity chose to rebel, our existence did not become meaningless. Our Creator offered a path of restored fellowship.
What is most grating to us as rebellious creatures is that we are not our own. While we have freedom of choice, still we are owned by our Creator, and it is his decision alone about our lives and our final destiny. Thankfully, God is not arbitrary, unpredictable, unjust, or without mercy. Even after we rebelled, he provided a way back.
Job 40:3–8 (NKJV) Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.” Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: “Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me: “Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
Creation Display’s God’s Glory and Character
Every creative work reveals something of its creator. Romans 1:18–23 (NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Perception is not reality. I realize this will come as a shock to many, but there is reality and then there is how you perceive it. My point is that God does not depend on you for his existence; you depend on him.
First, we need to understand what we are talking about regarding God’s glory. God’s glory isn’t about some divine bragging, or some galactic being needing validation from those he created. Creation reveals who God is. His power, wisdom, transcendence, order, goodness, honor, splendor, and majesty are expressed through his creation. He doesn’t really care what we think of him; in fact, he finds our arrogance amusing. (Psalms 2:1-5) John 1:14 shows us that the fullness of God’s glory is revealed in Jesus Christ, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
I am not concerned with the idea that the universe is over 14 billion years old. If it is it just magnifies the vastness of God. The fact that life is so delicate and it took just the right combination of factors for life to exist doesn’t argue against a creator, in fact it argues in favor of it. That there are elements of a code of morality throughout all humanity argues for a God of holiness expressed through justice. The classical arguments for the existence of God are a progressive series of assertions that not only argue for his existence but for his character as well. A couple of these arguments fit here.
The teleological argument is that because there is order to the universe and everything serves a purpose it is unlikely to come about by pure chance. The argument is that the laws of physics had to come from somewhere. Even if you accept a utilitarian approach to evolution, you cannot explain why organisms evolve when they don’t need to.
Another argument is the anthropological. This argues that man’s intellect and moral nature are more likely than not to come from a common source. This fits with Scripture that tells us God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul. That man even has the capacity to debate whether we have freewill is evidence of man’s uniqueness in creation. Then you add in our capacity for altruism when it has no apparent benefit and you have something that at a minimum makes you ask why?
When it comes to God’s majesty, go out into the country, away from the city lights, and look at the night sky. I know when I do, I am filled with wonder. I have a small 100mm desktop telescope and a pair of binoculars for stargazing. When you get away from the light pollution of the cities, you see wonders that are overwhelming. The river of stars we call the Milky Way stretches across the middle of the sky. Train your binoculars on the Pleiades and suddenly there is an explosion of stars. With my own eyes I have seen the rings of Saturn, the cloud bands of Jupiter, not to mention the Orion nebula, and the Andromeda galaxy. When I see all these wonders and many more, I feel so small and realize how huge God is. Then I say with David, “What is man that thou art mindful of him?”
The Pattern of Creation Demonstrates a God of Order and Logic
We have looked at God’s power and his authority. Then we saw how the universe declares his glory and character. As we start to come to the end of this blog, let us see a God of organization, logic and order. Genesis 1: 2 says, ” and the Earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” God was about to bring light into the darkness and order out of the chaos. The Holy Spirit has been doing this in nature, in society and in the hearts of men ever since. He then separates the waters into those above and those below. The waters below are gathered so that dry land appears.
God prepares for animal life by causing vegetation to grow. It is interesting that the Bible shows the seeds already existed. He then ordains an ecosystem that can sustain the vegetation. Plants hold the ground in place, cleanse the air, and give off life-sustaining oxygen.
Then God populates his creation. The heavens are populated with stars, including the sun, galaxies, nebulae, planets, and other heavenly bodies. I call the heavens God’s clock because you can use them to tell time. The skies he fills with clouds, birds, and even bugs. He fills the seas with ocean life that we are still discovering. The ocean life is so important that around 70% of our oxygen comes from it. Then you have all the land animals. If they arrived before ocean life there would have been no air to breathe; thus, the order is also important. In my high school science class, the only creature we could not figure out how they benefited the eco system were chiggers. Everything else had some benefit, whether as a food source, pollinator, or some other benefit.
Finally, God brings creation to its final culmination and purpose. God creates man from the newly created earth and breathes life into him as part of himself. Man is created in the image of God in his intellect, morality, and freedom of self-determination. Man is then commanded to fill the earth and be its caretaker. When the Bible says we are to have dominion over the Earth, it does not mean we can do with it whatever we choose. It means we are to be stewards of the Earth, managing it for the Creator. We are not accidents of evolution; we are created with purpose, bestowed with dignity and responsibility. God’s conclusion to his creative work is to survey it and declare it to be very good. With his creative work finished, he rests, and in the process, he ordains a principle of rest and reflection. Man is not made for work, work is made for man. Rest is also made for man, and so God shows us balance within ourselves.
Conclusion: Genesis 1 is a Theological Hymn of God’s Majesty
Genesis 1:1-2:3 is more than a record of beginnings. It is also not a comprehensive treatise on scientific knowledge. The emphasis should not be on the methods of God’s creative work; leave that to the scientists. Scripture answers what cannot be seen in scientific instruments and through observation. Scripture gives creation, and its crown jewel, man, meaning. Through it all, it declares God’s power, majesty, sovereignty, wisdom, goodness, and glory.
Bibliography
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New King James Version (NKJV). Published 1982. A total update of the 1611 King James Version.1
English Standard Version (ESV). 2001.
New American Standard Bible (NASB). 1995.
New International Version (NIV). 2011.
New Living Translation (NLT). 2007.
The Amplified Bible (AMP). 1987.
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Frank Charles Thompson and John Stephen Jauchen. Thompson Chain Reference Bible: Topical Index. New King James Version. Kirkbride Bible Company, 1997.2
Leadership Ministries Worldwide. What the Bible Says to the Believer: The Believer’s Personal Handbook. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2011.3
Theological and Exegetical Works
Andrew Bruce Davidson. “GOD.” In A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, edited by James Hastings et al. New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912.
Benjamin D. Bratka. “Elohim.” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary, edited by John D. Barry et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.
C. F. Burney. Outlines of Old Testament Theology. Edited by Leighton Pullan. Oxford Church Text Books. London: Rivingtons, 1899.
C. Hassell Bullock. “God.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996.
Douglas Mangum. “Hebrew Word Study without Hebrew: God Is God, Right?” Bible Study Magazine: November–December 2010. Edited by John D. Barry. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2010.
Douglas Mangum, Miles Custis, and Wendy Widder. Genesis 1–11. Logos Research Commentaries. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2026.
Edward Mack. “God, Names Of.” In The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by James Orr et al. Chicago: The Howard-Severance Company, 1915.
Elmer A. Martens. “God, Names Of.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996.
Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort. Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000.
G. L. Bray. “God.” In New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, edited by T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Gerard Van Groningen. “God, Names Of.” In Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988.
Got Questions Ministries. Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2002–2013.
J. I. Packer. “Authority.” In New Bible Dictionary, edited by D. R. W. Wood et al. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
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Michael E. Peach. “Creation.” In Lexham Theological Wordbook, edited by Douglas Mangum et al. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014.
Robert D. Bergen. “Genesis.” In CSB Study Bible: Notes, edited by Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017.
Robert J. V. Hiebert. “Create, Creation.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996.
Tony Evans. The Tony Evans Bible Commentary. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019.
Å. Viberg. “Job.” In New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, edited by T. Desmond Alexander and Brian S. Rosner. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Wendy Widder et al. Linguistics & Biblical Exegesis. Edited by Douglas Mangum and Josh Westbury. Lexham Methods Series. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.
- 1
Jessica Parks, “New King James Version,” in Major English Bible Translations, Faithlife Biblical and Theological Lists (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, 2022).
- 2
Frank Charles Thompson, Thompson Chain Reference Bible: Topical Index (Kirkbride Bible Company, 1997).
- 3
Leadership Ministries Worldwide, What the Bible Says to the Believer: The Believer’s Personal Handbook (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2011).
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