Genesis 1:1-5
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day (The Holy Bible, New International Version).
Human Condition: In Genesis 1, Moses gives us the account of God’s creation. The focus of this historical account is on earth and mankind. In this particular passage (verses 1-5), we note that human beings are still non-existing. It tells us of the very beginning of all things.
God Himself and His Work: First, we realize that God is the beginning of all things. “In the beginning” suggests time, and in reference to time, God is already there before any time ever existed. It did not say, “In the beginning there was God”. God is eternal and He cannot be defined by time and space. Second, the passage explains that God is a powerful creator. The word “created” is used of God’s creative activity alone (MacArthur 16). We see that God created all things out of nothing; God needed no pre-existing material. Moreover, we see the greatness of God’s work in that there is great variety in creation. Even throughout the entire account of creation, we realize several sorts of being with nature and constitution different from each other (Henry 13-14). Also, we realize great beauty in His work. Verse 4 tells us that “the light was good”. Indeed, we attest to this reality that the day is good. Otherwise, we will be living every day for the rest of our lives in total darkness, having an eternal night. We also see great accuracy and order in God’s creation. God made an accurate description of the light and darkness. He separated it in the appropriate way. For instance, the sun never shows itself to us at night or rises from the North Pole. We can see this order in the nature around us. Lastly, this passage gives us the answer to great mysteries. There are great phenomena in nature on earth and beyond which cannot be fully fathomed. It is because there is God, who is the greatest artist.
God’s Will for Us: The account of creation also implies great messages to all men, particularly Christians. First, it reminds us of our dependency on God. All of our entire being is derived from God. This therefore, calls everyone to humility before God. Man, in his sinful nature, is proud. However, the fact that we are mere creatures, we cannot be proud so as to think highly of ourselves before others or even go against Him. Second, this calls us to submit to Him. If God created all things, He is the owner and possessor of heaven and earth (Henry 15) – including our lives. Man has no right over his own life, and thus should submit to the ownership of his Creator. Thirds, this provides foundation for our trust in Him. If God powerfully created all things out of nothing, then with God, nothing is impossible. This means that earthly needs of men – including food, shelter, and clothing – are not out of God’s control and power. Moreover, God has the power to shape even the spiritual life of a sinner. He has the power to deal with man’s salvation, as well as any sinful habit that the Christian may still struggle with. Further, this calls us to serve God and praise Him. He does not need our services to be God. However, He justly requires us to serve Him, and after all, He rightfully deserves all of it – as explained in Romans 11:36. Lastly, God created man in His likeness, and He commands Christians to be like Him. Thus, in every work, we are never to be lazy but work with our hearts – diligently, faithfully, and excellently.
Works Cited
Henry, Matthew. Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume I (Genesis to Deuteronomy). Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library. PDF e-book.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. Colorado, CO: Biblica, Inc., 2011. Print.
MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2006. Print.
