Genesis 1:1-31
Q.1. What does the fact that God created the heavens and the earth reveal about Him? What was the earth like before the six days of creation? What was God’s first creative act in relation to earth? How long was the first day? What did God think of the light? – (Gen.1:1-5)
The opening verse places God entirely in a league of His own, in terms of creative genius and unlimited power. Hebrews confirms that – by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible (Heb.11:3). Since God created such complexity in six single days, it is obvious that He knew exactly what He was doing, before He uttered a single word. Before God spoke a single thing into existence, in His brilliance and wisdom, He had already conceived of every possibility. The Creation of the world introduces TIME. Time has a beginning and an end. Eternity is forever but time is limited. Time for us begins with a conception & birth and it ends in death! Our birth usually brings joy, and our death usually brings sadness. Our time on earth gives us the opportunity to exercise the free-will God gave us. Sinners either believe they can save themselves or that they honestly accept God’s provision of His appointed Saviour, Jesus Christ. Paul unfolds God’s overarching plan in the New Testament (see Col.1:13-20).
Every one of the thirty-one verses in Genesis chapter one begins with AND (Heb. waw). This shows that each statement is both sequential and chronological. Some suggest that something was wrong sometime after the beginning, when the Bible recorded that – the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters (Gen.1:2). However, the Spirit of God was clearly in control, and was simply preparing us for the astounding acts of creation about to be unfolded. The first verse in the Bible declares – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen.1:1). After day six it records – Thus the heavens and the earth were COMPLETED, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God COMPLETED His work which He had done … (Gen.2:1-2). These verses are a testimony to the almightiness and wisdom of God. God made everything perfect, but untested, as we read in Hebrews – 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation (Heb.5:8-9). It was not that Jesus was less than perfect, but that He experienced something in His incarnation and atonement that made Him a merciful and faithful High Priest in the purposes of God. Here in Genesis chapter one, God placed the finishing touches to the world for which He had plans for time – … so that He would be Just and the Justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom.3:26). When time ceases God has already revealed that He will make a brand-new heaven and new earth for all of eternity (see Rev.21:1).
God’s first creative act was to make light – 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness (Gen.1:3-4). Without creating light, which is declared good, there could be no measurement of time, because – God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day (Gen.1:5). The writer unmistakably defined day one as one twenty-four hours period of ‘day’ and ‘night’ … and ‘evening’ and a ‘morning’. Not only is Jesus equated with Light (Jn.8:12), but John also explained – There was the true Light which coming into the world enlightens every man (Jn.1:9 c.f. 1 Jn.1:5). Our response to the light reveals our true heart – 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God (Jn.3:19-21).
Q.2. What made the next two days unique in the created order? What makes planet earth different from all others? Why are the plants described as bearing after their kind? How long were these days? What did God think about these days? – (Gen.1:6-13)
After creating light, God proceeded to separate the waters of the seas from the waters of the skies. It is the abundance of water that makes our planet unique. It is likely that there was a vast mass of water stored in a canopy in the heavens, to protect the earth from the destructive rays of the sun before the deluge at the time of the Flood (see Gen.2:5-6; 7:11-12). We should not assume that everything has always been the same (see 2 Pet.3:4-7).
Neither should we imagine that the earth will always remain as it is today (see Ezk.47:1-12; Mic.4:1-5; Zech.14:4-9). The Master Landscaper now gathered the dry land from the seas, … and vegetation, plants and trees grew in profusion – after their own kind with seed in them (Gen.1:11 & 12). All this confirms that they propagated just as God designed from the beginning. Day two and three are described in the same terms, indicating that God in His almightiness created all these things in two twenty-four-hour periods of time. As recorded previously – God saw that it was good (Gen.1:10 & 12 c.f. Gen.1:4, 18, 25, 21, 31).
Q.3. What was special about the next two days? What was the point of the lights in the heavens? How did God populate the skies and the seas? How long did all this take? What was God’s assessment of His creation? – (Gen.1:14-23)
Though God created light on day one, He did not quantify this light until day four – 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth (Gen.1:16-17). It is specifically stated why God made the heavenly lights – … Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years (Gen.1:14 c.f. Gen.1:18). Seasons, days, and years still serve an important function, in maintaining man’s dependence upon God, and in helping to identify perspective in history and prophecy. On the fifth day, both the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea were created, including great sea monsters after their kind (see Gen.1:20-21). They were commanded to be fruitful and multiply (see Gen.1:22).
Q.4. In what order were the animals created? What makes humans unique compared with the rest of creation? What role was man given? Why is gender mentioned? What diet did God provide? How good was the completed creation? – (Gen.1:24-31)
The sixth day started with the creation of animals, creeping things, and beasts, each after its own kind (see Gen.1:24-25). Everything was exactly as God planned, and it was all good. However, that final day unveiled God’s special creation of man – … Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Gen.1:26). This lifted man’s potential and value above all the rest of creation – God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Gen.1:27). It needed the qualities of a male and female to reflect the image of God. God gave humans primacy over the rest of creation, and – God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen.1:28). From the days of creation, both humans and animals were provided with a diet of fruit and vegetables (see Gen.1:29-30). With His masterpiece completed – God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day (Gen.1:31). In the Genesis record God unveils Himself as a plurality – Let Us make man in Our image (Gen.1:26; 3:22; 11:7) even though He is One (Dt.6:4). This is a vital revelation because it indicates that God experienced fellowship within the Godhead. Without that fellowship, God would never have conceived of creating people in His own likeness for fellowship.