The birth of a child, and the development of a life is exciting for anticipating parents, desirous of a family, and of their family and friends. Is this a boy or a girl? As they grow, the wonderment of their interests and gifts materialize. What will they do, who will they become? Not only do we live in the present, and look to the future, but we also look back. Who were our predecessors? Where did they originate from? What were their stories? Inquisitive children wonder where and how all this incredible world and universe came from. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Secular humanism states that the answer is found in personal meaning. But when we make our lives the center of our world it shrivels and diminishes us. When it becomes simply what makes me happy, then this quest becomes elusive. We chase after being loved, noticed, and valued. We seek it in activities, relationships, and experiences. We see the cycle of life, birth, growth, deterioration, and then death. What is the true meaning and purpose of life? How did our universe come into being? Where are we headed? Are there answers?
The bible begins at the beginning. Why is Genesis such a critical book to understand in the hour in which we are living in?
Winston Churchill stated: “The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.”[i]
It is critical to understand the foundation we are building our lives upon. When foundations deteriorate, it is only a matter of time when the entire structure collapses. Many people have never discovered the foundation that they are building their lives upon. Is it a sure foundation that when the uncertainties and difficulties come our way, we are able to stand? Or are we building on a faulty foundation? What we believe about the beginnings of our universe and its meaning will shape the direction of our future. When God’s covenant people, Israel, turned their backs on God, God sent prophets to warn them of their impending doom. These warnings are just as valid today as they were hundreds of years ago. One of those warnings from the prophet Isaiah appeals to the past—who God is, and God’s creative purposes which He will fulfill in the end.
Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.[ii]
Leaving a sure foundation as a culture, we are now adrift. If we don’t have our bearings set correctly by understanding the past, we are moving toward an unwanted and chaotic future. One lesson from the past is how God is constantly bringing order from chaos and life from death. We discover this from verse two of Genesis, when the creation was described as being without form and empty.
Rather than rewriting and dismissing the past as our generation seeks to promote, what we ought to ask is, what foundation are we standing on? It is from this that we gain insight into where we are going. What can we learn from a biblical foundation that will help guide us faithfully to the end?
Genesis was an apologetic, an answer and explanation of man’s origins distinct from the myths of other people groups.
The Genesis 1 account is simple and solemn and in so many ways quite the reverse of the creation stories being told in the world at the time. Were the people who were used to these other creation stories to read Genesis 1, they could not help but notice striking differences. In fact, there are some indications that the writer of Genesis is taking on and speaking against these other accounts. For example, in Genesis 1 …
• God doesn’t come into existence. He simply is.
• Rather than matter pre-existing God, God pre-exists matter.
• The sun, moon, stars and sea monsters, all of whom were powerful deities according to the creation myths of the surrounding nations, are merely creatures or entities who display God’s power and skill.
• Human beings are not an afterthought of the gods, nor are they created by the whim of the gods for their pleasure and service. Rather, humans are central in God’s world and the world is provided for them and their use.[iii]
In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew wording there has profound implications regarding creation. The Hebrew word translated beginning is (bĕrēʾšît). Kenneth Mathews explains what is being communicated by this term. “In the beginning” (bĕrēʾšît) marks inauguration but it also anticipates the “end” of the universe and human history.”[iv] The opening statement in Genesis confronts us with a powerful statement and equally amazing implications. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
The Hebrew word for create, as pointed out by James McKeown, is never used with human beings as the subject. This highlights the very special nature of the events in this chapter, and it emphasizes the power and transcendence of God. These creative events are not repeatable by anyone else. Furthermore, God is not one of a number of deities competing with each other; he alone creates, and he has neither equal nor rival.[v]
In the first four words, we find both negative and positive statements implied by this declaration regarding the beginning of time, space, and material. There are two underlying realities in which Genesis 1 speaks to us of who God is in relationship to us and our world.
THE FIRST REALITY ADDRESSES CERTAIN DENIALS OF TRUTH ABOUT LIFE
James Boice mentions three such denials, of which the clearest of them is the denial of atheism. We are immediately confronted from our text that God is a personal being actively involved in our universe.
If God was in the beginning, then there was and is a God. …But even here we must see that these words already take us beyond the farthest point that can be viewed by science. Science can take us back to the big bang, to the moment of creation. But if that original, colossal explosion obliterated anything that came before it, as science suggests, then nothing before that point can be made known scientifically, including the cause of that explosion. The bible comes forward at this point to tell us simply, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’[vi]
We have come a long ways from Charles Darwin, in his book, ‘The origin of the Species.’ His premises are untenable and unsustainable in light of the continued studies of scientists today. The complexity of the human body, and our universe scream of intelligence designing both in the study of astronomy and the amazing reality of the human body. This is in contrast to the random development into a world that cannot be sustained apart from conditions so precisely created to sustain life. Examples like the distance of our planet to our sun; the development of the human eye, which cannot have evolved over time. To give us some idea of the complexity of just this one part of the human anatomy.
The human eye functions as a highly advanced biological camera, capturing light from the environment and converting it into electrical signals that the brain reconstructs into the visual world. Consisting of over two million working parts, this complex sensory organ handles about 36,000 pieces of information every hour and can differentiate approximately 10 million colors.[vii]
We need to admit that it is human folly to denounce the existence of God by appealing to science. Werner Heisenberg received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932 “for the creation of quantum mechanics”. He is attributed as saying: “The first gulp from the glass of natural science will make you an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting.” Heisenberg was a lifelong Christian and saw no incapability between science and faith. Our created world is constantly communicating the presence of a Creator, who intelligently designed our world with great care and a balancing ecosystem. Listen to the declaration of the inspired writer David.
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.[viii]
Paul uses this truth to convey the folly of atheism and attributes their unbelief as a moral issue in which they refuse to look at the facts in an unbiased manner in order to sustain autonomy from God. Sin has a way of blinding us to the truth.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.[ix]
Another denial of truth is to deny the spiritual world, and adopt a position that reality is only what we see. This is the idea behind materialism.
When the text says that God was in the beginning, before creation, it set him apart from creation and therefore apart from matter of which all else is made. Ours is not entirely a materialistic universe. Moreover, since God created matter, matter did not always exist, which is what a true philosophy of materialism teaches.[x]
More people are aware of the spiritual component of life that exists. Yet, even embracing this concept we find rival views. Ancient people believed in many deities or spiritual entities. Genesis is introducing us to the Creator and Redeemer of humanity.
Finally, the opening statements of Genesis deny pantheism. Pantheism is the philosophy that God is in matter or is matter. It underlies most pagan or animalistic religions. But if God created matter, then he is separate from it and is superior to it. Any religion that worships matter is idolatrous.[xi]
So, when we make the pursuit of things over God we are idolaters, which the Scriptures condemn. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Colossians 3:5)
God is transcendent which means that He is distinct from what He created. So, while the first words reveal some negative statements, there are also positive statements helping us learn something about God.
THE SECOND REALITY ADDRESSES CERTAIN REALITIES OF TRUTH ABOUT LIFE
Genesis declares God’s presence in creation. There are a number of underlying elements regarding the nature of God from this declaration.
- The first is that God is self-existent.
Self-existent means that God has always existed and does not require anything or anyone. Everything that has been made by God requires God in order to live. One of the implications of God’s self-existence is that we are accountable to Him and that He has purpose and an end in mind for His creation. I’ve been asked the question many times, where did God come from? As creatures of time, we may struggle with the idea that God is outside the realm of time, space, and materialism. God is spirit, intelligence, and is eternal in nature. From Him flows all we see in our created world. He created the first human being.
The creator has a purpose and will for creation. The creation exists only because of that will. The creator continues to address the creation, calling it to faithful response and glad obedience to his will. The creation has not been turned loose on its own. It has not been abandoned. Nor has it been given free rein for its own inclinations. But the purposes of the creator are not implemented in a coercive way nor imposed as a tyrant might. The creator loves and respects his creation. The freedom of the creation is taken seriously by the creator. Therefore, his sovereign rule is expressed in terms of faithfulness, patience, and anguish.[xii]
God is faithfully patient toward us, while experiencing anguish when we choose self-determination which He knows will lead to our own frustration. Yet, as we will discover later in this first chapter, God created human beings in His own image and gave them amazing capacity to think (intellect), have the capacity of emotion, and volition (a will), and the capacity to act and choose. Without the capacity to know, feel, and act, we could never express love. God desires a mutually loving relationship with us.
James Boice also explains the significance of God’s self-existence in a significant aspect in relationship to our criticisms of God.
He [God] is not answerable to us, and we do not like that. We want God to give an account of himself and defend his actions. But while he sometimes explains things to us, he does not have to and often does not. God does not have to explain himself to anyone.[xiii]
A biblical example of this is found in the book of Job, where tragedy strikes and Job demands an answer, which God refuses to give him.
‘Only grant me these two things, God, and then I will not hide from you: Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply to me. How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin. Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy?’[xiv]
So, how does God respond to Job’s demand for answers?
The Lord said to Job: ‘Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!’ Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm: ‘Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?’[xv]
One of the lessons we learn from the book of Job is that God is not accountable or answerable to us, but we are to him. Job acknowledges this and repents of his demands and accusations against God. God’s presence satisfies Job.
- God is eternal.
Which means that God had no origins. This eternal nature assures us of something significant as it relates to our relationship with him. God is unchangeable. He is perfect and therefore does not need to change. This brings us great confidence and hope. God will always be true to who He is and what He says. James Boice explains one comforting assurance.
So we need not fear, for example, that although he has shown us his love towards us once in Christ he may nevertheless somehow change his mind and cease to love us in the future. God is always love.[xvi]
His love is unchanging, despite our behavior. Which leads to another important aspect. God is holy, and his attitude toward sin is unchanging. Sin is a very violation of His nature, and God cannot sin. Therefore, God addressed sin because it is a barrier between humans and Himself. However, God in his love and justice took our penalty so that we could be made holy and have access into His presence. Once the barrier of sin is removed we can experience God. Jesus reminds us in the Sermon on the Mount of the necessity of holiness or purity of heart in our lives. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) Another text supporting the necessity of our transformation of being set apart for God’s purposes which is a meaning of holiness is, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)
Yet, we are unable to cleanse ourselves from the power of sin and need God’s grace and kindness to forgive us as we turn to Him in repentance, move away from self-sufficiency and autonomy to dependency, and submit to Him.
Another source of comfort in knowing that God is unchangeable is that we can be assured of His promises being true for all generations.
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.[xvii]
We can be assured that God will do just as He says.
God is unchangeable in his eternal counsel or will. He does what he has determined beforehand to do, and his will never varies. This is a source of great comfort to God’s people. If God were like us, he could not be relied on. He would change, and as a result of that his will and promises would change. We could not depend on him. But God is not like us. He does not change his mind. Consequently, his purposes remain fixed from generation to generation. Also …He does not move away. He will not die. Consequently, we cannot escape him.[xviii]
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.[xix]
In this lies the profundity of the first verse of the Bible. Indeed, we can go farther and say that in some sense this verse may even be the most important verse in the Bible, for at the outset it brings us face-to-face with the God with whom we have to do.
But for many we are like the man who wants life and God on his terms. “He was climbing up a steep mountain on his way to the summit when he began to slip. Unable to stop himself, he slid back down the treacherous incline toward a cliff that plunged a thousand feet to the canyon floor. He was sure he would be killed. But just as he was about to go over the edge he threw his hands out and managed to catch a small branch. There he hung. He had saved himself. But he could not get back up onto the incline, and he knew it was just a matter of time until his grip loosened and he fell. He was not a very religious man. But this was obviously the time to become one, if ever. So he looked up to heaven and called out, ‘Is there anyone up there who can help me?’
He did not expect an answer. So he was greatly surprised when a deep voice came back, saying, ‘Yes, I am here, and I can help you. But first you are going to have to let go of that branch.’
A long pause! Then the man looked up and called out again, ‘Is there anybody else up there who can help me?’
There is no one else. There is only God, the one who was in the beginning and who ever shall be. But he is able and willing to help.[xx]
What can be discovered in Genesis, is that we must come to God on his terms. He is a loving Creator, which when sin and failure are evident, God moves to make a provision of forgiveness and an invitation to come to Him. Genesis challenges us to trust and obey Him.
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[i] William Manchester, The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill Alone, 1932-1940, (New York: Bantam Books, 2013)
[ii] Isaiah 46:8-10, The New International Version of the Bible, Zondervan, 2011.
[iii] Andrew Reid, Genesis: Salvation Begins, (Sydney, Australia: Aquila Press, 2007), 7-8.
[iv] Kenneth Mathews, Genesis 1-11:26, Vol. 1A, The New American Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996), 126.
[v] James McKeown, Genesis, The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary, (Grand Rapids, Mi: William B Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2008), 20.
[vi] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, Vol 1: Creation and Fall, Genesis 1-11, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 29.
[vii] AI overview from North Park Ophthalmology, Oct 17.2026.
[viii] Psalm 19:1-4.
[ix] Romans 1:18-20.
[x] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, Vol 1: Creation and Fall, Genesis 1-11, 29.
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] Walter Brueggemann, Genesis, Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching, (Louisville, Ky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 13.
[xiii] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, Vol 1: Creation and Fall, Genesis 1-11, 30.
[xiv] Job 13:20-24.
[xv] Job 40:1-2, 6-8.
[xvi] Boice, Genesis, Vol 1: Creation and Fall, Genesis 1-11, 32.
[xvii] James 1:17-18.
[xviii] Boice, Genesis, Vol 1: Creation and Fall, Genesis 1-11, 32.
[xix] Psalm 139:7-12.
[xx] James Montgomery Boice, Genesis, Vol 1: Creation and Fall, Genesis 1-11, 29.
