God created everything. This devotional reading looks at the what and Who of creation.
Nuggets
- Genesis is a book of firsts.
- We have to stop worrying about the how and focus on the Who.
I am so excited to get started diving into the Book of Genesis. We are going to take our time in Genesis 1.
I used to do three verses in 1,500 words. This time, I did 3,000 words in one verse.
Needless to say, I split it into two devotions. It is an interesting place where I had to split it (said in my sarcastic voice). Just work with me, please.
We’ll leave the Connections and Application for the next devotion, alone with part of a verse.
So, let dig into how God created the heavens and earth.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the Celebrating Creation’s Story series
Let's Put It into Context #2
We know God existed before the foundation of the world. God was working before creation.
- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him …” (Eph. 1: 3-4 ESV).
- “He [Jesus] was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you” (I Pet. 1: 20 ESV)
- “And all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain” (Rev. 13: 8 ESV).
- “Father, I [Jesus] desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17: 24 ESV).
- “Who [God] saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (II Tim. 1: 9 ESV).
- “Then the King [Jesus] will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’” (Mt. 25: 34 ESV).
- “For then he [Jesus] would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9: 26 ESV).
That verifies there was existence, which included the Trinity, before the universe was created. That means God has been here for all eternity. That debunks atheism and pantheism.
God’s Word tells us all Three were present at creation.
- “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1: 1 ESV).
- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (Jn. 1: 1-3 ESV).
- “… And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Gen. 1: 2 ESV).
If we look at the names of God, God is translated Elohim. Elohim is a title that means God in the plural form. It was already setting up the Trinity. That debunks polytheism.
Creating Everything in the Beginning
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1: 1 NLT)
Genesis is a book of firsts.
Verse 1 says that earth and sky were created “In the beginning …” (Gen. 1: 1 NLT).
Some believe it means that it was the first time everything is created. That is what “… heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1: 1 ESV) means — everything.
Some base their opinion on the title Genesis, which means origin. It tells us about the beginning.
Many use these criteria to describe the creation.
• God made creation of His own volition. This debunks fatalism.
• He made it and us for His own glory, Will, and pleasure. “… bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made” (Isa. 43: 6-7 ESV).
• He made the seen and unseen universe by using original materials.
• Creation shows us the power and wisdom of God.
Some believe the building blocks had already been created. A long time ago, I saw a video saying that God created the universe from time, space, and matter. The guy making the video was saying those things were already there. I agree and disagree.
Greig agreed with me to disagree. He wrote, “In fact, space and time, the laws of nature, and the law of continuity, are all relations of the finite world; and they could not possibly have any existence till. the finite world itself existed, that is, till the creative act was completed.”
Resource
• God is all present, so His space isn’t limited.
• God is eternal, so time works differently.
• God created nature, so therefore, He created continuity.
Row reminded us that, while this space is necessary for our existence, it did not cause our creation to occur. That makes space only a tool for creation.
Resource
In His existence, God had His own way to tell time. “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (II Pet. 3: 8 ESV). All that means is God lives outside of our time.
God lives outside of space and time.
But that would mean the person who did the video was correct. Time was available at creation — just not time as we know it.
Before creation commenced, a voice announced the arrival of the time, and the purpose is calmly and deliberately executed. That was the voice of God.
Resource
It still wasn’t time as we know it, but we are getting there. Read on.
To me, in the beginning and Day 1 reflect two different things.
Why do I say that? I believe there is a separation between in the beginning and let there be. This separation is the Holy Spirit hovered.
We have no clue how long it took for God to get to work.
Let’s dig deeper. The sun wasn’t created until Day 4. Therefore, the 24-hour clock hadn’t started yet.
In fact, a precise 24-hour period wasn’t invented until centuries later. That makes it a man-made creation, not a God-made creation.
That, though, doesn’t apply. As the day started at sundown on one day and went until sundown on the next, it was never the same from day to day.
All of this tells us that God didn’t need our help in creation. We shouldn’t limit God to man-made rules to govern creation.
What if God, in His own time, created our system of telling time? That makes in the beginning a reference point, not a spot on the clock.
God Created
“In the beginning, God created ...” (Gen. 1: 1 NLT)
We have to stop worrying about the how and focus on the Who.
God is the foundation of creation. He planned it. He executed the plan.
No, Genesis 1 does not give us much detail as to the how. It is not supposed to be a scientific textbook. God never wanted Moses to tell everything down to the smallest fact to satisfy our curiosity.
But it isn’t just curiosity, is it? Usually, when people say the public has a right to know, it is just so they can discount something.
They don’t want to agree that God created everything in the universe — including us.
Genesis 1 tells us the Who. It is supposed to be a religious book. It is supposed to grow our faith in the Creator.
But nowhere in Genesis 1 does it tell us Who God is. It doesn’t tell us how He came to be, who gave Him the authority to make the universe, or even what purpose He had for creating it.
God didn’t need someone or something else to give Him authority. Being self-existent is just one of His attributes.
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We aren’t even given God’s name until Exodus 3. “God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I am has sent me to you”’” (Ex. 3: 14 ESV).
God doesn’t try to convince us that He is Sovereign God. He just puts it out there that He created everything.
Instead, beginning in Genesis 1, we get the revelation of Who God is. He gradually gives us an introduction of Himself.
What we are usually given throughout His Word is God’s title — God — and His characteristics. Those are the most important things we need to know.
Does God tell us everything about Himself in His Word? No. He leaves that to revelations He makes to us after we become His children.
And then, I doubt we get it all.
God wanted — from the beginning — for us to put our faith and trust in Him. We aren’t supposed to try to figure things out ourselves.
Another way we know God is through His Holy Spirit. It is His job to convict us. Once we are His children, it is His job to reveal God to us.
We have to take it on faith that God is Who He says He is. It is faith that allows us to believe the universe was created the way Genesis 1 says.
We have to believe through faith that creation began with and was accomplished through an act of God.
The Trinity is set up from the start without ever being named The Trinity. The Hebrew word used is Elohim. It is plural.
Another definition of Elohim is important. It also indicates greatness. As Elohim can also be used when talking about false gods, it can mean God above all gods.
- “You must not have any other god but me” (Ex. 20: 3 NLT).
- “For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods” (Ps. 95: 3 NLT).
- “Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods” (Ps. 96: 4 NLT).
- “For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods” (97: 9 NLT).
- “I know the greatness of the Lord — that our Lord is greater than any other god” (Ps. 135: 5 NLT).
The Trinity was unified in the purpose and execution of creation. For what purpose would God create the universe?
We have to know that God wanted to create humankind. Before He even created us, He knew we would disobey Him.
God created us anyway.
Why would God do that? The short answer is God loves us.
Creating us did not grow God’s love for us. He already has an infinite amount of love that He lavishes on us.
Another answer is because of God’s character. Since God is immutable, we know God’s natural and moral attributes won’t increase — or decrease, for that matter. He didn’t create us to be more of what He already is.
God’s attributes most in the spotlight at creation were wisdom and power.
Father God. Only You, Sovereign God, are powerful enough to create this universe. For that, You deserve eternal praise. Amen.
What do you think?
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