In the Beginning...God Pt. 1

Wednesday 01/11/17

Message – In the Beginning…God Pt. 1

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Genesis as a book

Genesis is a Greek word meaning “Origin” or “source”.

Every New Testament author quotes or alludes to the book of Genesis. The New Testament has at least 60 allusions to the first 11 chapters alone and the number grows to at least 200 when you include the rest of the book.

It is safe to say that Genesis was held by Jesus and the Apostles as both a literal and foundational book upon which ALL other doctrine in the Bible relies.

Is it any wonder than that the book of Genesis – ESPECIALLY the first 11 chapters has undergone such an unprecedented attack in the modern age?

There are more people who accept the possibility of Jesus raising from the dead, than there are of those who believe in a straight forward and literal understanding of the first 11 chapters of the Bible.

In the Beginning…God!

If you’ll remember, I taught over the last two Sundays that we need to pay attention to HOW we read the Bible.

What were some of the reasons why?

We fail to understand the actual point of a scripture.
We will jump to conclusions about passages
We will fail to learn the lessons of scripture.

…and ULTIMATELY the Net result is – it dulls our perception of God’s voice.

Since you all read the first few chapters in preparation for tonight let me ask you this – What is the subject of the first chapter of Genesis?

How many of your ever did grammar diagrams when you were in school?

Let’s do that with the first verse and see what it reveals about the point, lessons and perceptions God intended for us to walk away with from reading this initial chapter…

So what is the first lesson God tried to teach man?

In the beginning….GOD.

God IS the subject of the first chapter of Genesis!

I know the chapter reviews the “beginning” of the natural universe in the creation week (yes I said week as in literal week), but if you look for the subject in most of the sentences, you will find that overwhelmingly their subject was God! So it isn’t about what God DID, but about WHO God IS as revealing in His work of creation.

The words “in the beginning” is actually just one word.

It is translated into other words in various places like…

the first
the chief
the best
or even the first-fruits

…but in this passage it appears as if it actually just means “the beginning” and the word “IN” is added for our benefit in English.

Now one of the first rules of studying any passage will be familiar to you if you ever studied basic English. The first rule is to discover the…

What (or who)
Where
Why
When
and How’s

of a passage.

We already discovered the What (or Who) in Genesis 1 and that is GOD. He IS the subject!

The ‘where’ in this case is quite unique because the “where” is BEING CREATED as we read.

The ‘WHY’ will not be discovered until later.

So we are looking for the ‘WHEN’ and according to this passage it is ‘IN THE BEGINNING’.

Now this is actually a little tricky, because this is really not the actual beginning beginning – it is a subsequent beginning to the first beginning.

Meaning, the natural world was not the first thing God created. There are several references to the “beginning” of the spiritual word and the “beginning” of spiritual beings PRIOR to the “Beginning” of the natural world.

Turn to Proverbs 8

Prov. 8:22-32 (Wisdom is speaking)

“(22) The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

(23) I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was ever an earth.

(24) When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water. (25) Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth; (26) While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, Or the primal dust of the world. (27) When He prepared the heavens, I was there, When He drew a circle on the face of the deep, (28) When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep, (29) When He assigned to the sea its limit, So that the waters would not transgress His command, When He marked out the foundations of the earth, (30) Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight, Rejoicing always before Him, (31) Rejoicing in His inhabited world, And my delight was with the sons of men. (32) “Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.”

Rev 10:6

“(6) and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be delay no longer,”

So the “beginning” God is referring to here is the beginning of the natural creation.

Genesis 1:1-5

“In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth and the Earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was brooding over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”

LOTS OF INFORMATION for Day One

On the first day God created the three things which science has determined exist.

Time – in the beginning
Space – heavens
Matter – earth

If you count them they are three. But if you go deeper you will see 9, because each of the three have three expressions.

Time = Present, past, future
Space = length, width and depth
Matter = gas, liquid and solid

Now I am aware that if you wanted to get technical this could be further broken down into energy, but since we know that energy is simply a conversion of matter since matter can be turned into energy and energy into matter (E=MC²)…but this gets more technical than would be constructive here so we will leave that alone.

Created the heavens and the earth.

There are TWO words that are of critical importance when studying Genesis 1 & 2, they are the words created (bara) and made (asah).

In these chapters “create” means ex nihilo to bring into existence out of nothing. (Poor definition but it will do)

“Made” means to form something out of pre-existing material.

This later word is used frequently to show the performance of an activity with a distinct purpose, goal or moral obligation in view. In other words when God made stuff with what He created – He had…

a specific goal in mind
a distinct purpose for it’s design, appearance and function
and a specific moral obligation He was fulfilling (meaning He could not have done it any other way – He was obligated by His Own Character to reveal Himself in what He created. To do otherwise would be to lie.)

Col 1:15-17

“(15) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (16) 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. (17) And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”

Rev 4:11

“(11) You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

Rom 1:18-20

“(18) 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,”

You have seen me make reference to this MANY times in the scriptures. Many times you have seen it in reference to the genders which is where MANY of the teachings relationally lead us BECAUSE they are the most clear depiction of the inter relationships within the Godhead itself AND of the proper relationship God has with human-kind.

VERSE 2

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

Without form and void is how we translate the Hebrew words Tohu and bohu but to be fair these words are barely understood and so it is dangerous to read too much into them.

At best the words could convey that the earth was a heap of ingredience God was going to progressively put into order over the coarse of the 6 days of creation.
At worse it could be a mass of confusion, disorder and utter chaos.

It is also possible that the only ingredient in existence on this day was either hydrogen or water. Out of these it would be possible to create all other elements and molecules.

SO let me ask you…how should we go about discovering the most likely interpretation of these words?

Well, another rule of understanding scripture is allowing the Bible to define itself.

Jer 4:19-28 (23)

“(19) O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, Because you have heard, O my soul, The sound of the trumpet, The alarm of war. (20) Destruction upon destruction is cried, For the whole land is plundered. Suddenly my tents are plundered, And my curtains in a moment. (21) How long will I see the standard, And hear the sound of the trumpet? (22) “For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.” (23) I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; And the heavens, they had no light. (24) I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, And all the hills moved back and forth. (25) I beheld, and indeed there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens had fled. (26) I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, And all its cities were broken down At the presence of the LORD, By His fierce anger. (27) For thus says the LORD: “The whole land shall be desolate; Yet I will not make a full end. (28) For this shall the earth mourn, And the heavens above be black, Because I have spoken. I have purposed and will not relent, Nor will I turn back from it.”

Isa 34:11

“(11) But the pelican and the porcupine shall possess it, Also the owl and the raven shall dwell in it. And He shall stretch out over it The line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.”

I did not reference the entire chapter since it is long, but if you go back to read it you will find it is the result of judgment just like it is in Jeremiah.

So this introduces a sub-doctrine in the church which is not widely accepted but which has “some” limited proofs “IF” certain scriptures are read just right.

We will only mention 2 of them since they are the ones you are most likely to run into…

Gap theory – This view believes it sees a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. This is possible and as I said has some limited proof texts if they are read a certain way.
- Psa 104:30 “(30) You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.”
- Eze 28:11-19 “(11) Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, (12) “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. (13) You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. (14) “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. (15) You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. (16) “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. (17) “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. (18) “You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. (19) All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, And shall be no more forever.” ‘ “

7 day literal – Just that
- Mark 13:19-20 “(19) For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. (20) And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.”
- Eph 3:8-10 “(8) To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, (9) and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; (10) to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,”

Isa 45:18 “(18) For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”

Created – bara Out of nothing
Formed – yasar To fashion, frame of shape.
Made – asah To complete it with a specific purpose, goal and moral objective in mind
Established – kun Make it and fix it as steadfast

Now, I don’t believe such a study is very productive since if it were necessary to know God would have gone out of His way to tell us.

This introduces another rule of study… “Is it worth the trouble?”

If the world had been previously ruled and inhabited by angels who traversed freely between heaven and earth (much like we will in the final age)…or if the FIRST and designed inhabitants of the earth was mankind does it change any fundamental church doctrine?

So while you are free to believe as you wish concerning this I personally believe God

Made the earth for man.
Created all the ingredience and worked from there.
That chaos and emptiness where part of the lesson to be learned – that things created by God yet not directed by Him or living within the boundaries He sets and for the purposes He created them for – are empty, meaningless, chaotic and destructive.

Regardless of how the earth was in this condition (creative act or judgment), God began a 6 day process of establishing purpose and order.

Just as Hebrews tells us “The worlds were framed by the word of God” The word framed is katartízō. The basic meaning of the word is to put a thing in its appropriate condition, to establish it, set it up, equip it, arrange it, prepare it, or even to mend it.

So what was God’s first act of “framing”?

“and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

This appears to be a very holy and sacred act. The word hovering means to move, hover or tremble. It is even used of the shaking or a person’s bones in fear. Here it most likely means to brood like a bird incubating it’s eggs. It indicates actual contact with the top surface of the water.

We can only speculate what was happening here, but one possible intention may have been to liquify the waters.

It stands to reason that since the earth was not yet arranged in any specific order, it was also not generating internal heat. Also, there was no sun to warm it from the outside, so the earth was most likely a frozen mass of homogenized elements.

As I said earlier it is also possible that the only ingredient” present was water. Hydrogen and oxygen being among the most basic of atoms, it is possible for God to create from hydrogen and oxygen all other elements and molecules.

So running with that assumption, the brooding of the holy Spirit might have been to change the state of water from frozen to a liquid.

If this is true then we have only two things present…water and the vacuum of space.

Sonoluminescence

Sonoluminescence occurs when sound waves hit water in a vacuum causing a bubble.

The bubble “amplifies” the sound vibrations 1 trillion times and implodes at a factor of 1,000 billion times its own weight. This occurs 30,000 x’s a second!

[This photo is taken directly from the article on Sonoluminescence on Wikipedia. The following links are required to attribute authorship to the correct person(-s). Link, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link]

So here in the Beginning, we have…

the mass of water which is the earth floating (as it where) in the…
vacuum of space
God’s voice saying, “Let there be Light”

…and Light itself was formed as a result…

Gen 1:4-5 “(4) And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. (5) God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”

Evening / Morning = a day

God goes from evening to morning. Each day of creation BEGAN at sunset.

According to Thales Gerald Schroeder’s knowledge of Hebrew, as he addresses these two words in his work “The Science of God” he said, “In the subtle language of evening and morning, centuries before the Greek words Chaos and Cosmos were ever written…the Bible described a step-by-step flow from disorder (erev) to order (boker).

Evening

The word in Hebrew for “evening” is erev. It means darkness, dusk, evening, and sunset, but it came out of the understanding of obscurity, mixture, chaos and increasing entropy.

When the day approaches evening, things increasingly get obscured, it becomes hard to see, darkness (chaos) encroaches, and there is seemingly a movement toward disorder (entropy). The word came to mean “evening” because of this.

Morning

The morning is the opposite of evening. Sunlight pierces the darkness and things become discernible. Entropy decreases, visibility is restored, and a seeming order ensues. This is why the Hebrew word boker (or boqer) came to mean “morning.”

Evening and Morning: From Chaos to Order

Though Genesis is a literal account of creation, there is another layer of understanding and depth. On day one, God took creation and brought order to the chaos. On the second day, He continued His work and brought about more order. This continued through day six until creation was complete and therefore the “erev” (obscurity, chaos, entropy) of creation was brought into order.

Why didn’t day seven have an evening and morning? In a literal sense it did – it had a sunrise and a sunset. But there is more to the story than daylight … erev/boker is not mentioned because creation was whole, was now in order, and was therefore “very good” (Genesis 1.31).

In each instance the phrase is and the evening and the morning were the second day or the third day or the fourth day…etc. However in the Hebrew a clear distinction is made concerning the first day. It reads ..”and the evening and the morning were DAY ONE”

These words are very emphatic in the Hebrew. This wording was clearly intended to convey that this day was the first of all days – it was THE day from which all other days would be defined.

…Blessings!

I hope this teaching will challenge you and encourage you to place your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

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Blessings!

In the Beginning…God Part 1