Genesis 1:1
Genesis is one of the most incredible books that you could ever study! As you dig into the teachings of Genesis you will find instruction on many doctrines and concepts that continue throughout the rest of the Bible. Jesus even referred to Genesis many times as He taught the disciples and answered the questions of the religious leaders of His day (Matt. 19:4-6; Matt. 22:29-32). The title of the book of Genesis comes from the first verse where God declares, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The word beginning means genesis, or what comes first, or a starting point. This is a book of beginnings which literally records the beginning and the starting point of all that God has undertaken on behalf of mankind. But the first thing that is most important to see, is that in the beginning before anything was created, God already existed. He is the Eternal One, that existed from eternity past and will continue into eternity future. David referred to the eternal nature of God. When David erected the Tabernacle in Jerusalem he proclaimed, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, ‘Amen!’ and praised the LORD” (1 Chron. 16:36). The Hebrew word for everlasting refers to an unending time which goes on into the future. But this God is also “from everlasting,” which refers to an unending time which originates in the past. He is truly an everlasting God. It is also interesting that this same phrase is used in reference to Jesus (Micah 5:2). Therefore, it is quite clear that the “God,” referred to in the Bible is the only One who could do what is written in these pages. Once someone recognizes this truth, then they can understand the great power and glory of the God who can create all things.
Here in Genesis, you see the origin and the beginning of the universe, our solar system, and of the earth itself. You will then see the origin of light, water, plant life, and all animal life. God reveals the origin of man, woman, and marriage as an essential priority for life and the propagation of the human race. Men and women did not evolve, but were the result of a special creation of God. As you continue reading Genesis you see the origin of evil, sin, and its cause, man’s disobedience to God. But Genesis also reveals the origin of God’s solution to sin and the promise of our Messiah and Deliverer. This Deliverer also required the beginning of the nation Israel that would bring Him forth into the family linage of Abraham and David. And finally, God reveals the origin of the nations, and the laws that govern them. Genesis is therefore, an essential story for you to know, if you desire to understand God, your own life, and His plan to draw you into a relationship with Him. The book of Genesis is the cornerstone for understanding all of life!
Is Genesis to be taken literally, or is it an allegory or just a myth?
Many times, when I speak to people about origins and the beginning of the world, and refer to the book of Genesis, people will say to me, “Genesis is just an allegory.” Others declare that Genesis is just a myth. How can you know if Genesis is to be taken literally, or as an allegory? The answer is really quite simple. Let me give you several reasons why I firmly believe that Genesis is not an allegory or a myth.
1. First, there is no figurative or allegoric language used in Genesis. The simple rules of speech, grammar and context demand that Genesis be taken literally, because it is written in a narrative or story format. When there are allegories or parables used in the Bible it is clearly stated, or it is obvious by the use of metaphors and similes. Please look at these examples for proof. See, Revelation 1:13-16, Matthew 5:13-14, John 16:25, and Galatians 4:22-26.
2. The New Testament writers quote the book of Genesis 165 times, and never do these writers ever refer to this material as an allegory. They always reference Genesis in a literal way. See, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Hebrews 11:8, and James 2:23.
3. Jesus quoted from Genesis at least six times and always referred to individuals as literal people, or literal circumstances they were involved in. Consider these passages for study, Matthew 19:4-6, Matthew 23:25, and Matthew 24:36-39.
4. If Adam was a myth or an allegory, then there would have been no need for Jesus to come. However, Paul affirmed, “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:21-22). These verses make it pretty clear that if the first man was a myth or an allegory, then why do you need the second Man and His death and resurrection?
5. If sin and the fall of man is just a myth or an allegory, then we have no need of a Savior. The concept and truth about man’s sin and his need of salvation are directly connected together.
6. If the stories of Genesis are a myth or an allegory, then the prophets and Jesus Himself are false witnesses, because they all referred to the stories and people as real individuals.
Who wrote Genesis? Who was there in the beginning to give us this account?
Determining the author of Genesis is easy for three reasons. First Moses referred to himself numerus times as the author of Genesis, and the other books of the Pentateuch. He declared, “And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel” (Ex. 24:4). See also Numbers 33:2; Deuteronomy 31:9; Deuteronomy 31:22. In addition, Jesus told us that Moses wrote about Him several times. Jesus said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me” (John 5:46). See also Luke 24:44. In addition, the disciples believed that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. Phillip said to Nathaniel, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45).
However, the really difficult question is, who was there at the very beginning to be able to see and write this account of the creation? No human had been created yet, so how do we know that this is what happened? We can reasonably conclude that after Adam and Eve were created, they would have been given this information by God Himself. This could easily have happened as they walked together in the cool of the day in the Garden, and then Adam recorded this information on a stone tablet for all of us to read (Gen. 2:15-16; 3:8). Adam and Eve would then have given this information to their sons and daughters. Most scholars believe that all the information in Genesis was all transmitted to Moses by stone tablet. Writing on stone tablets was the way people wrote their history down. In the book of Joshua, we read that this is exactly what Joshua did. Joshua told us, “And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written” (Joshua 8:32). Remember that even God Himself wrote the 10 Commandments on two tablets of stone, which He then gave to Moses. Archaeologists find these stone and clay tablets by the hundreds of thousands in the ancient city archives when they are excavating a site. These records tell the history, the economy of the city, and the tax records that were all put on stone or clay tablets. Probably one of the most famous stone tablets ever found was the Rosetta Stone written in 196 BCE. Many of you have heard of this incredible find. The Rosetta Stone was found in the little town of Rosetta in Egypt in 1799 CE. The interesting thing about the Rosetta Stone was that it had the same account written in three different languages side by side. One record was in Greek, the other was the common Egyptian script of the time, which archeologists knew, and the third language was in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. The importance of this find was the fact that up to that point in time archaeologists could not decipher ancient hieroglyphics. But now the Rosetta Stone gave them the key to understanding these ancient hieroglyphics. So, whether it was the Rosetta Stone, or the 10 Commandments written on stone, or the hundreds of thousands of other tablets of stone that have been found, it proves that is how ancient man transmitted information and recorded history.
The interesting thing you find in the book of Genesis is that this book is divided up into ten sections of information, and each of them has a specific similar phrase that reveals a new section of the history. In Genesis 2:4, you read after God finished His creative work He declared, “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens” (Gen. 2:4). The word history in this passage means genealogy, or an account of descent, or origins of, or in other words, how it all happened. Then Genesis 2:5 begins to record more specific details of God’s creative work and information that Adam would have seen and known. In Genesis 5:1, it declares, “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God” (Gen. 5:1). The Hebrew word used for genealogy is the same word used in Genesis 2:4 for history. What is recorded from Genesis 2:5 through Genesis 5:1 is the history, or what happened, which Adam would have written down on stone tablets for posterity. This is continued eight more times in Genesis showing the written records of Noah (Genesis 6:9), the sons of Noah, which were Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen. 10:1), the specific history of Shem, because he was the father of Abram and the family linage of the Messiah (Gen. 11:10), the history of Terah, the father of Abram (Genesis 11:27), the history of Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar (Gen. 25:12), the history of Isaac, Abraham’s promised son by Sarah (Genesis 25:19), the history of Esau, Isaac’s son (Genesis 36:1), and finally, the history of Jacob also, Isaac’s son (Genesis 37:2). All ten of these statements are like the signature of these individuals placed upon their histories. Most scholars believe that Moses just pieced together these 10 ancient histories that were on these stone tablets, which form the book of Genesis.
Why does God want you to know the history of creation and the beginning of life?
The answer to this question is probably one of the most important reasons why the book of Genesis is in your Bible. God is revealing who He is, and His mighty power to create all things. Note that God doesn’t try to prove that He exists; He just states the fact that He does exist. This is why He begins with the statement of fact, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” God reveals Himself as the only sovereign God, Who is before all things, Who causes all things to come into existence by the power of His spoken Word. God begins with the declaration, “I am your Creator. I am in charge. I am the Creator of all things. I am the sovereign God who rules in the affairs of men.” As long as a person resists this fact and God’s control in their life, a person’s life will be upside down and confusing as to the purpose and reason for life. It would be like a contractor trying to build a building without looking at the plans of the architect. He would only be guessing at what the owner and architect wanted. Without acknowledging God’s rightful place as Lord and creator over your life, nothing will go according to His plan, because you have rejected the architect and planner of your life. This is why God declared in Isaiah 45:22-24, “‘Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.’ He shall say, ‘Surely in the LORD I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him.’” God’s point is that you don’t have righteousness or strength in yourself. You only have righteousness and strength that is found in the Lord. Righteousness and strength come from bowing your knee to Him as Lord of your life. Those who are incensed against Him will be ashamed one day when they stand before Him. In addition, Paul quoted this same passage in the New Testament where he stated in Philippians 2:10, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” Notice Paul declares, “Every knee should bow.” This is what we should do by choice today if we acknowledge God’s place as our sovereign creator God. The important thing to remember is that we can bow by choice today, or we will be made to bow in the day of judgment! One way or the other, every knee will bow to Him. Today, I choose to bow my knee willingly to Him!
When discussing the idea of God, you must understand that everyone is a believer in something, and everyone has a god. Your god is the master passion of your life (Ps. 10:3; Ps. 10:17). Your god is what you seek every day, and what you worship, or love more than anything else in life. Your god is what gets you up in the morning. For some, it is money that motivates them. For others, it is pleasure, or power, or position, or control of others. Every person is motivated by their belief that “This is what is important in life!” This is what passionately drives people to do what they do. Those who have not bowed their knee to the true and living God of the Bible, are doomed to worship and pursue a false god that can never satisfy them.
The idea that there is one true and living God, is always in conflict with all other belief systems. The Bible declares what is called a theistic belief system. Theism believes that there is one sovereign God, which is exactly how God reveals Himself in Genesis 1:1. Paul believed the same thing when he taught, “There is one God and one Mediator between man and God, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). But the Bible teaches that there are also those who believe in many gods. This belief is called polytheism. Paul acknowledged this fact when he wrote to the Corinthians who had always believed in many gods. He explained to them, “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live” (1 Cor. 8:5-6). The ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, and Romans were all polytheists. However, most of those in Asia today are what we would call pantheists. Pantheism is the belief that God is equal to the universe, its physical matter, and the forces that govern it. Pantheism is the belief that everything is God. Much of modern New Age spirituality is pantheistic. Hinduism has deified everything, and is the reason they worship millions of different gods. There is also an atheistic belief system that believes in no God. But when a person declares that they are an atheist, they are in reality setting themselves up as God. They are declaring that they are in charge and will determine their own decisions and direction in life. They will bow to no one! This brings us to the next logical question.
How can you know if the One who declares Himself to be God in Genesis, actually exists?
This is a great question. It is essential for every believer to have an answer when someone asks this question. How would you answer this question if someone asked you, “How do you know that God exists? Hasn’t mankind simply made up the idea of God, just to make themselves feel better about the questions they can’t answer?” Let me give you several ways to respond.
1. The proof that God exists is revealed by the creation all around us.
The masterpiece of creation that we see all around us demands a master craftsman and creator. The incredible design we see in the human body, or the diverse types of animals that God has created, or the ecosystems on land or sea, and all the different habitats that support these reveal a master designer. Just take a flower petal and put it under a microscope, and your eyes will be amazed at the detail and design. Then take another, and another, and you will see they are each different from the others. This awesome detail and wisdom to create what we see all around us, demands an intelligent designer with an incredible imagination.
When I talk to people about whether they believe in God or not, I usually always first move to this line of reasoning. Why? Because it is the easiest argument to make for the existence of God, and you have the most evidence that is all around them. When I ask a person if they believe in God and they say, “No way, we are the product of evolution, there is no such thing as God.” I usually respond by pointing to the nearest building and ask, “If I told you that lumber flew out of the lumber yard down the street and just built that building by itself, with all of the most beautiful architecture and detail, would you believe me?” The person usually starts laughing and says, “No I wouldn’t believe that.” I then ask them why. They usually respond, “Because someone built it.” I then say, “You are right! The obvious design, detail, and structure demand an intelligent architect, building contractor, and lots of skilled workers. This is why I believe in God, because of the design and skill of all the natural creation that you see all around you.” Then I add, “If you see all the creative design around you, why wouldn’t you believe there was a creative divine architect and master builder of the universe, the earth, and the human body?” This is why David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” (Ps. 19:1-3). This means that God is testifying to every heart in every language every day the fact that He has gloriously created all things. So that then only a fool would ever say, “There is no God” (Ps. 14:1).
So, when you use this rationale, that the design in all of creation demands a designer, you are appealing to the most obvious evidence someone can consider. Now, it is very interesting that one of the least religious founders of our country, Thomas Jefferson, made this point in a letter he wrote to John Adams in 1823, about why he believed in God. Jefferson used the design of creation as an undeniable proof of God’s existence. Jefferson wrote, “I hold without appeal to revelation,” which means without appealing to the revelation of Scripture, “I hold without appeal to revelation, that when we take a view of the universe in its parts, general or particular, it is impossible for the human mind not to perceive and to feel the conviction of design, consummate skill, indefinite power in every atom of its composition… it is impossible, I say for the human mind not to believe that there is… a fabricator of all things.” So, Jefferson came to the conclusion that it was impossible not to believe that there is a God, just from looking at the design of the creation that was all around him. Now consider, when Jefferson wrote these words in 1823, that was a long time ago. Scientific understanding has greatly increased since then, which has only revealed more proof of the great Designer’s power and ability to create all things. This knowledge should demand that we believe in our awesome Creator!
2. The proof that God exists is revealed by simple logic.
The second proof that I give to people who question the existence of God is the logic of cause-and-effect. The example I just explained in my first point is the logic of cause-and-effect. In other words, if you can’t create a solar system, a star, an ocean, or even a simple flower, then a person must conclude that someone beyond our imagination did create it. Reasoning with cause-and-effect concepts are basic to all reasoning and used in many entrance exams for jobs that require sharp reasoning skills. These exams reveal if a person has the ability and qualifications for the job. Problem solving, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning skills are sought by employers for any managerial position.
Therefore, ask the person who questions the existence of God this question. “If I took a stick of dynamite and threw it into a lumber yard, what do you think would be the effect? Will the cause bring about the desired effect of a great skyscraper or an ornate building? The answer is obviously no. Why? Because we logically conclude that the effect of a big bang in a lumber yard would only bring a big mess. There are many such cause-and-effect examples that can be used to make this point that we need a master craftsman to create something masterful. This is just simple logic, and we all use this logic every day in our decision making.
In addition, the Bible uses cause-and-effect reasoning many times. Let me give you just one example. I believe it is well established that we are commanded many places in Scripture to abstain from drunkenness. In addition, the Bible uses cause-and-effect arguments to keep us from ever thinking that we will have no consequences from disobedience to God’s command. How does God keep us from such an error? He uses cause-and-effect reasoning. In Proverbs 23:29-30 God declared, “Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, those who go in search of mixed wine.” This is simple cause-and-effect reasoning. Who is going to have trouble, conflicts, and difficulties in their life? It will be the person who lingers long at the wine bottle. Have you ever seen this cause-and-effect result in any of your friends? I’m sure you have.
Never let someone forget that what they see with their eyes all around them in creation, is the effect of a powerful, intelligent, and knowledgeable Creator. He is the One that caused the world and the universe to come into existence. He caused all plant and animal life, and human life to begin. There can be no other logical answer to the evidence we see.
3. The proof that God exists is revealed by the prophetic scriptures.
Third, I believe in the existence of a sovereign God because of what is revealed in the prophetic Scriptures. I think we can all agree that no man knows the future. Only God can tell me what the future holds, because He exists outside of our time domain. He alone can tell us what’s going to happen before it does. So, when people say, “I don’t believe the Bible is the Word of God, or that God exists,” always turn them to the prophetic element in Scripture. But this means that you must be able to show someone specific prophecies in the Bible, and be able to explain when this prediction was made and how it was fulfilled. Prophecy is about a quarter to one half of the Bible, so it is very important that you understand this fact. If you want to study some of the greatest prophecies in the Bible, go to my podcast and listen to my eight-part audio series on “The Greatest Prophecies in the Bible.” Go to: https://calvarychapelag.libsyn.com/biblestudies/category/Greatest+Prophecies+in+the+Bible Or if you want to watch these on video go to: https://www.youtube.com/user/calvarychapelag/search?query=greatest%20prophesies%20in%20the%20Bible
However, when you only have a few minutes to explain why prophecy is so important, ask them these questions. “Do you know what is going to happen tomorrow?” When they answer, “No,” tell them, “Neither do I.” Then explain to them that the Bible records God’s predictions hundreds of years, and even thousands of years, before they happened. These predictions are made over what is going to happen with individual people, nations, events, and most importantly, the first and Second Coming of Christ.
Some respond and say, “Oh the Bible just gives vague predictions that anyone can interpret any way they want.” This is simply not true. When the God of the Bible declares that specific nations, which He names, will be destroyed, that is pretty easy to check out. All you have to do is search the internet, and examine the time frame the prediction was made and see what happened. God predicted that He would bring the Babylonians to take the Israelites captive into Babylon because of the sins of the people (Is. 39:5-7; Jer. 20:4). The Lord also predicted that Babylon would be destroyed (Jer. 25:11-12; Is. 48:14). In addition, God predicted that He would bring His people back again to the land of Israel after their seventy-year captivity in Babylon (Jer. 29:10-13). Did these things take place in history? Yes! Because only God knows the future. Later during the ministry of Christ, Jesus also predicted that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed again, and the Jews would be scattered into all nations once more (Luke 21:24). But the Bible again predicts that the Jews will be brought back to their land again before the Second Coming of Christ (Eze. 37:1-10; Eze. 37:21-28). This prophecy of the Jewish people’s return was fulfilled when the modern state of Israel became a nation again in 1948. Is this specific enough for you to believe? God said it, and it came to pass.
Do you realize that the Quran, the Hindu Gitas, the Book of Mormon, or any other religious book does not have any prophecies within it? Why? Because all it would take is for one prediction to not come to pass, and it would be seen that the guru or Muhamad was a false prophet. Consider the challenge that God gave to all false gods in Isaiah 41:21-23. He challenges these false gods to, “‘Present your case,’ says the LORD. ‘Bring forth your strong reasons,’ says the King of Jacob. ‘Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; let them show the former things, what they were, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare to us things to come. Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; yes, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed and see it together.’” God is asking the idols to come down off the shelf they are sitting on, and do something good or evil. In other words, God is saying, “show us that you are more than just a piece of wood or stone.” But the ultimate challenge God makes to these false gods is to “declare to us things to come,” or in other words to predict the future, and then we will know that you are a god. Prophecy is the ultimate proof that the author of the Bible is the only true and living God in Heaven. Therefore, if you understand the prophetic Scriptures, you will become thoroughly established in your faith, and you will have a very powerful argument for why someone should believe in the God of the Bible! Please, make a study of the prophesies in the Bible, and you will see what I mean.
4. The proof that God exists is revealed by the fact that He came to this earth.
God didn’t just tell you in a book that He exists. No, He did much more than that to prove His existence. He came to this earth to reveal Himself as God in the flesh of a man, Jesus Christ. God wanted every single person on this earth to be absolutely sure that there was a God in Heaven, so the Son of God came here to prove it.
However, many today think that Jesus was just a myth, and that He didn’t really live on this earth and do the miracles taught in the Bible. So, I usually ask people, “Do you believe that Jesus was a real person in history?” This is an important question because people will sometimes say, “Well I don’t know; I’ve never seen Him.” I then reply, “Did you ever see Abraham Lincoln? Have you ever seen George Washington? Did you meet the Roman emperor Caesar Nero? The answer is, of course not. If a person has never seen these people, how do they know that they actually existed?” People respond, “by reading history books.” Then I explain to them that Josephus, a first century Jewish historian, referred to Jesus Christ in his writings. He was not a believer in Jesus, but confirmed His existence. Also, Tacitus the first century Roman historian referred to the man Jesus and the miracles He did. Tacitus was also not a believer in Jesus, so he had no reason to lie about this fact. So, it is pretty clear that Jesus was a real historical figure. The most important proof that Jesus was, and is God, is based on the claims that He made referring to Himself as the great I AM (John 8:24; John 8:58). The miracles He did and His resurrection from the dead are the ultimate proof that He is God (John 14:11; John 2:19-21).
What does Genesis reveal about the God of heaven?
When God asked men to record the history of the beginning of the world, what was He trying to communicate to you? This is a message you do not want to miss! Why? Because this message will form your view of God and His heart toward mankind. If you are to follow Him you must know and trust His heart toward you.
1. Genesis is a revelation of the limitless power of God that is beyond your imagination.
The Genesis record reveals the awesome exceeding glory of God’s creative power that opens your eyes to His limitless ability in your life that is beyond any imagination. The ability and power of God revealed in Genesis 1:1, can easily be seen as you go out in a very dark place in the desert or in the mountains and simply look up. This is the most powerful testimony of the God you are dealing with. Remember the statement by David, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1). The heavens are screaming every day at every person on this earth, “There is a God, and this is what He can do!” Paul the Apostle also agreed with David when He said, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things which are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). In other words, Paul is declaring that with what is seen in the heavens every day and night, all mankind will be without excuse when they stand before God on judgment day. Why? Because by the simple testimony of the heavens, men should logically conclude that God exists, and that He is very powerful. No one will be able to say that they didn’t know there is a God. It is that obvious.
With the creation of the Hubble telescope and of space travel it is even more obvious that there is a God who created all things. Below are pictures taken from Voyager 1 in 1990 on its voyage into space. The picture below was taken from 3.7 billion miles from earth as Voyager left our solar system. This is the famous “Pale Blue Dot” picture of earth.
The Pale Blue Dot of earth seen in the distance as Voyager passes by Saturn.
Voyager 1 picture of the Earth and the Moon from 7 ½ million miles from earth.
Our Milky Way Galaxy
Looking from earth out through one of the spiral legs of our Milky Way Galaxy.
A picture taken of deep space from the Hubble Telescope
After looking at these pictures, I hope you are in awe of the enormous universe we are living in. Scientists have observed a region of space that is 13.8 billion light years from earth. This would mean that the universe is at a minimum of 28 billion light years in diameter. At this time this is as far as we can see with the telescopes we have today. Other scientists believe that the universe could be as much as 96 billion light years in diameter. How far away is one light year? Light travels at 186,000 miles per second. That is traveling completely around the Earth in a little more than 7 seconds. But, consider one light year. If you get on a ray of light traveling at 186,000 miles per second, and count off 60 seconds you have traveled 11 million, 160 thousand miles in that one minute. If you continued traveling at this speed for 60 minutes you would have gone 669 million, 600 thousand miles in one hour. In 24 hours, you would have traveled 16 billion, 70 million, and 400 thousand miles in one day. But then you have to multiply that figure by 365 to get the distance traveled in one light year. One light year you would travel 5 trillion, 865 billion, 696 million miles. Then multiply that figure by 28 billion. This distance is beyond anyone’s comprehension. In other words, we live in a big universe that is ever expanding. Then realize that the God you serve is bigger than everything He has created. We have a great God!
Then consider that the entire universe moves in an orderly fashion. All of the billions of galaxies and planets of the universe all rotate in their place with perfect precision, and they don’t crash into each other. Think of the power of God that maintains this order. When God wanted to humble Job, He asked him some very important questions: “Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion? Can you bring out Mazzaroth in its season? Or can you guide the Great Bear with its cubs? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth” (Job 38:31-33)? Note that God asked if Job could guide the Great Bear, which is the constellation Ursa Major, that stretches 55 degrees across the night sky. The answer is obviously no. But God does guide this constellation and all the others in the heavens all at the same time.
The Father has also created your physical body that functions with all its systems which enables most people to live 70 or 80 years. He created all of the ecosystems on the earth that keep life functioning here our planet. He created the hydrologic cycle that keeps the earth watered and plants alive. Trees and plants then produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis that keep all life alive. All these truths should bring you to the conclusion that our God has understanding and wisdom beyond our comprehension, and assure us that He can do whatever He has promised in His Word. In Isaiah 40:28-31, God challenges His people by asking, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” May your faith be challenged to believe in the God whose understanding and power is unsearchable. Believe that He will give you His strength and wisdom for whatever the needs you have in your life today. He is a God who can help you. All you must do is wait upon Him in faith. He will renew your strength, and He will empower you to walk with Him!
2. Genesis is a revelation of the greatness of God’s love for you.
Genesis reveals not only the greatness of God’s power and wisdom, but also the greatness of His love and pursuit of mankind. The Father is seen from the beginning, walking with Adam and Eve in the midst of the Garden, giving instruction to Adam concerning his responsibilities to tend and keep the Garden (Gen. 2:15-17). Even after the fall of man, you still see God as the One who initiates and pursues contact with Adam and Eve and then promises redemption. In Genesis 3:8-9 it declared, “They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” So, who initiated contact here? It is the Lord. He is the one pursuing them so that fellowship can be restored. He knows exactly what they have done, and in His love, He comes after them. This is what God has done with each one of us. His Spirit convicted our hearts and He sent people to us to share the gospel with each of us. He knew everything we had done, and He still loved and sought us out. This is why Jesus said of His own ministry that, “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Only the great love of God would ever come to seek and to save those who hated Him, and disobeyed His every command.
What does God want from you and me? He wants to have a real fellowship with you. Jesus said to the church of Laodicea, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). This is an offer from the sovereign God of the universe to come and fellowship with Him. You have this opportunity every day of your life. To know and fellowship with Him, also means that you must become accountable to Him. In Hebrews 4:13 the apostle declared, “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Just as Adam and Eve were naked and open to His eyes, so are you. As His child, friend, and servant, I must respond to Him, and obey His voice and the commands of His Word. Remember, He is your Creator, which means He owns your soul. This is why God said, “Behold, all souls are Mine” (Eze. 18:4). He created you, redeemed you, and has commanded you to follow and obey Him. This makes you His steward or servant, who is accountable to Him spiritually, morally, and physically. Jesus said, in Luke 12:42-44, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.” If you are accountable to Him as His steward, one day He will reward you for how you heard His voice, used your gifts and talents for His Kingdom, and followed His direction in your life. If you believe His love for you, then this is what you will do.
3. Genesis is a revelation of God’s testimony.
Just as you have a testimony of how you came to follow Jesus, Genesis is God’s testimony of who He is and what He has done. Paul wrote that this was his calling to preach the “Testimony of God” to others (1 Cor 2:1-2). So, God testifies, “I am the Creator of the heavens and the earth; I have created all that you see; I have created you; I will redeem you from your sin, and you are accountable to Me, because one day you will give account of your life before Me.” This is what God has declared, and you must make a decision about whether or not you believe this testimony. In 1 John 5:10-11 the apostle wrote, “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” Why does John make this statement? I believe John is just giving a summation in his epistle and the reason he has written this letter. In reality, believing the testimony that God has given means that you accept it, are in agreement with it, and you will live in accordance to it. John makes it clear that if you believe the testimony that he has just written concerning Jesus, this will bring eternal life into your soul. If you reject this testimony, you are calling God a liar, and you will not have eternal life. The same is true with the testimony of Genesis. You either believe God’s testimony, or you will consider His testimony a lie. There is no in between.
If you reject the testimony of Genesis then you must believe in naturalism, which believes that the world and all that we see just happened resulting from a big bang. Naturalism declares that nothing supernatural occurred by the creative power of some deity or deities. Man and animals, are the products of evolution and natural selection. However, when people tell me that they believe in naturalism, I explain to them that this philosophy of life is the most hopeless belief system they could possibly subscribe to. Why do I say this? Because if man is the result of natural forces, and he is the best that evolution has to offer, what a sad testimony is that. If this life is all there is, and there is no heaven or hell when a person dies, that is it. This would mean that there is no design, no meaning, no purpose to life. Believing this would make anyone feel hopeless. If there is nothing beyond this life, then we should just eat, drink and be merry, because tomorrow we die (1 Cor. 15:32)! In other words, you might as well have fun today, because this is all there is. This is the result of naturalism and evolution. You exist one day, and then you don’t exist. What hopelessness this belief system would bring to you!
However, to believe in the testimony that God has given in Genesis, and the rest of the Bible, will mean there is a purpose for life, and a reason to live your life for the glory of the God who created you. It means that God wants to know me as an individual as He did with Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the multitudes of people He created and called to Himself. God’s testimony is that there is an eternal life that we can have with the God who loves us and has given His Son so that we can be forgiven and live with Him for eternity. Pastor Erwin Lutzer once said, “I would rather live, and live my life like there is a sovereign God, and come to the end of my life and find there is no God, than to live my life, all my life like there is no God, and come to the end of my life and realize there is a God.” I wholeheartedly believe that statement. I know that there is a God who created me and redeemed me, because once I was dead inside my soul, and today I have life just as He promised (John 10:10). Jesus promised life today, and eternal life to those who will follow Him (John 3:16).
So, creationism is the good news, the most hopeful news, because it testifies that there is a God who can transform your life. Paul the Apostle wrote in Romans 12:1-2 that you should, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God… not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” If God can transform atoms and matter, and make the heavens and the earth appear, He can remake your life very easily. You have a decision! Either you believe, “In the beginning God…” or you believe in the beginning there was no one. These are your options. You are either the result of the fortuitous concurrence of accidental random forces, or you believe in a powerful God who has revealed His power by His design, by His prophetic word, and by the sending of His Son to redeem you as He has promised in Genesis. I think the latter is very easy to believe because of the evidence we see all around us. It is up to you. It is your decision.