Book of Genesis Chapter
One Commentary by
Pastor Ron Beckham
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 1:1-5
Verse 1. "In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.”
“In the beginning” – what does that mean? It signifies
there was a point when there had previously been NOTHING as we understand it,
and at the moment of this verse, everything began. There previously was no
matter, no universe, no energy, or time as we know it; there was nothing at all.
It’s hard for us to imagine – nothing! We have no real idea how it was. Only God
can really know such things, but since this detail is recorded here, it can also
be partly understood by those to whom such information is revealed. Suddenly, in
an event that would continue over the next few days as time now began, God “created” (Hebrew “bara”)
everything, including that which existed, but has since passed out of existence
through the extinction of species.
There are three heavens mentioned in Scripture, 1) the
atmosphere of earth, 2) the interstellar vastness of outer space, and 3) the place of God,
which is outside of the so-called “natural” universe as we understand it. What
we call time, a linear measure of the decay of matter into energy, did not exist
prior to that moment. As it will be stated in Verse 5, this was the first day of
creation. The word for “heavens” (Hebrew “shamayim”) in this verse signifies the atmosphere
surrounding this planet; because the creation of other planets, stars and
galaxies are mentioned as a subsequent event in Verse 14.
Verse 2. "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.”
The earth existed at this point in time, but it was “formless" (Hebrew “tohu”)
and
“void” (Hebrew “bohu”).
There were no features that an onlooker would identify. It was covered with an
endless, utterly still ocean, for there was no moon or other massive
gravitational object that would create the tides we see today. It was completely
dark, unlike any blackness since that time. There was no sound, but movement did
exist, which was seen only by the beautiful, unimaginable creatures who looked
upon this new creation from their place at the throne of God.
The One seen moving at this moment was “the Spirit of God,” that seldom understood Person who has
been the Protector and Teacher of humanity since the beginning. And the Messiah,
the Christ, the Anointed One of God, was also present, for Scripture says of
Him, “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of
the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Psalm 102:25,
Hebrews 1:10). How can God be One and yet more than One? We do not truly know,
but it should be stated that the word for “God” in
these verses is “Elohim,” which translates as “Gods.” He is One and yet He is even more.
Verse 3. "Then God said, ‘Let there be
light;’ and there was light.”
The “darkness” of Verse 2
was more profound than any interstellar blackness at the present time; it was
the total absence of anything that would act upon our retinas and produce the
phenomenon of “light.” But it was not darkness to
God, for “the darkness and the light are both alike”
to Him (Psalm 139:12). The blind can say, “even the night
shall be light about me” (Psalm 139:11), when the Lord is in us. God
spoke “light” into the darkness and note that
whatever He speaks – happens! At some point He will speak “peace” and the
trouble of this world will be no more.
This verse is not the creation of the star called “Sol,”
our sun. It is instead the creation of a specific light source, of which the
outward “sun” is actually just a reflector. The sun was to be created on the
fourth day (Verses 14-18). Light can exist without a sun. Sight can exist
without eyes. It is possible to think if our brain is destroyed. We can be
killed, eaten by cannibals or destroyed by an explosion, but yet we live if God
says it is so. Jesus, who participated in Creation (John 1:1-14) said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12), indicating that
we need more than physical eyes that can see. We need the Lord, who will generate
in us the light that comes from God.
Verse 4. "God saw that the light was
good; and God separated the light from the darkness.”
There are two very important truths that are revealed in
this verse. Number one, this is the first of the “good”
statements made by God about the original creation of all that is. “God saw that the light was good.” There was nothing
negative in it. It was utterly good with no hint of any defect. The First Law of
Thermodynamics was coming into being, but the Second did not exist – the
physical matter of the "earth" (Hebrew “erets” – Verse 1) had been created, but there was no
tendency of systems to decay and become unusable. It “was
(simply) good!”
The second piece of information that is very important
to note is that “God separated the light from the darkness.”
The earth now rotated on its axis in relation to the created source of light
that was spoken of in Verse 3. The orbit of this planet around the light and the
earth’s rotation on its axis were each now established. Suddenly, because God
said it would happen, there was a dawn, a morning, an afternoon, evening and night,
followed by another dawn. Just like today.
Verse 5. "God called the light day, and
the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one
day.”
Language had its origin in God. There is an absolute
name for everything, which has been corrupted into our words, our languages of
today. Notice in Chapter Two of Genesis that Adam and Eve simply started out
speaking, as though it is self-evident that everything has a name, reflecting
its essence, its underlying meaning. “Day” and “night” meant just what we think of them – the
commencement of the approximately 24-hour cycle of night and day that we
presently experience.
The planet was now rotating peacefully on its axis,
revolving around the source of light mentioned in Verses 3 and 4. The Law of
Gravity was in full effect, emanating from the center of the earth as it does
today, and it also came from the light source of Verse 3. Colossians 1:17 is very interesting
in relation to the onset of the gravitational pulls that hold everything in
place. That verse says of Jesus Christ, “He is before all
things, and in Him all things hold together” (NASB).
Dear God, we trust in You. It is clear from
these verses that You are MORE than we can possibly understand, and so we simply
RECEIVE You right now, knowing that You, the Creator, can and will sustain us
today, tomorrow and forever. We love You and praise Your Holy Name.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 1:6-10
Verse 6. "Then God said, ‘Let there be
an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the
waters.’"
The “expanse” of this verse
is called the “firmament” in some translations. We
will see more in the following verses about this “expanse,”
which today is called the “atmosphere” of planet earth. Daily we routinely breathe
in and out oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon and other gases, without
even considering that the air which gives us life was created suddenly by a word
from Almighty
God at the moment in time reflected by this verse.
And note again that God only has to speak and everything
is changed for the good. If there seems to be a deficiency in your life, it is
because God has a higher goal than your present understanding. He could have
left the earth and its creatures within the murky depths of the sea, but instead
He chose to create the atmosphere and place us within it, so we would see higher
and further. We were to see the stars that were soon to be created, with the
intention that we would be
drawn to reach out to Him who made it all.
Verse 7. "God made the expanse, and
separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were
above the expanse; and it was so.”
Whatever the topography of the earth might have been
beneath the “waters” which covered the planet of that
time is not known, but from outer space this planet initially would have appeared to be an utterly smooth
ball of water. At the moment when God made the "expanse,"
there was no atmosphere and no clouds, but all of it was changed because of the
creative word of God reflected in Verse 6, when He created the “expanse,” the air in which we move, breathe and live.
He now “separated the waters,”
which at first glance might seem to be the creation of continents, but that was
not the case. Instead, He took a great mass of water from the planet and
suddenly it was lifted up, forming a “belt” at the edge of space, joining the
ozone, radiation and other layers that protect life on earth. Possibly fifty
percent of the earth’s present water was raised up in that manner, but today it
is no longer there. We have water vapor in the air, but this early protective
canopy of water later fell in the Flood of Noah and it is now in our great ocean
basins, which were formed when the earth once more was covered with
water.
Verse 8. "God called the expanse heaven.
And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.”
God, who has an ultimate name for everything, including
your identity and mine, “called the expanse (the
atmosphere) heaven.” And since this verse
represents the dawn of “a second day,” let’s wonder
together - why did creation take six days? Why did God stretch out something
that He could have accomplished in an instant? If we stretch out a project, it
is because we are unsure about it or because it is hard for us. Neither of those
concerns apply to the creation of God's earth, His universe.
He has no uncertainty about anything. Creating the world
in six days instead of in an instant does reveal His power, but it also shows
His love, a touching delight in what was being wrought for those destined to
become His children. We are shown breathtaking moments of creation on
consecutive days which speaks of loving concern, a delight in the object of His
love. He is the Father of all that is, and He wanted us to see, in these verses,
His love, His care for us all.
Verse 9. "Then God said, 'Let the waters
below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear;' and
it was so.”
At God’s command, a great, but also surprisingly calm
up-thrusting of solid matter from beneath the waters covering the earth now
occurred. Portions of the crust of the earth were raised up to become our future
home. The sea that covered the solid earth since the first day had
already been reduced in depth by the uplifting to the top of the atmosphere of a
great portion of that water, as reflected in Verse 7, but now the waters were
shifted once more.
With simply a word He uplifted great areas that were to
be the continents that would dominate the earth for hundreds, perhaps thousands
of years until the time of the Great Flood, when the planet would be
reconfigured once more. The seas formed at the time of this verse were shallow
and the land masses were larger than today. Dry land was suddenly in appearance
at just the word of God, and His holy angels waited with excitement for what
was to be His next creative act.
Verse 10. "God called the dry land
earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was
good.”
“God called the dry land
(that was emerging) earth,” appearing in these
verses as the Hebrew “erets” (which means “earth”). This is the same planet where we live today, but
it has been since modified drastically, first by the Fall of Mankind, then by
the Great Flood, and also by the contaminating actions of humanity. Note, by the
way, that God created everything in finished form. Rocks, large and small, were
present, including uranium, lead, gold, silver, copper and everything else that
would be sought by miners and rock collectors in the millennia that was to
follow. Fertile soil was present in abundance. Sand lined the
beaches.
But note that the “earth”
and the “seas” of these verses were unspoiled and
completely pure. There were no nuclear waste dumps. No slag from mining
activities existed. Any spillage from oil tankers or overflowing waste treatment
plants was far in the future from that moment. The soil was full of nutrients
and minerals and was precisely ready for the advent of plant life on the
following day. The emerging climate was gentle and the place was completely
suited for the rest of creation. “And God
saw that it was (completely) – good!”
Dear God, thank You for creating such a beautiful
home for us. Please forgive us for spoiling it as we often have done. We see
from Scripture that You have much beauty for us in the future, and we trust in
You, knowing that You will bring it to pass. We praise Your Holy Name and we
worship You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 1:11-15
Verse 11. "Then God
said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding
seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their
kind with seed in them;’ and it was so.”
In this and the verses that follow,
we are given a simple rendering of the sudden onset of the
vegetable kingdom on planet earth. A moment before, nothing
existed except the atmosphere, water, rocks and dirt, and
now, in the water and on the land, everything was FILLED
with vegetation. God Himself, the Great Gardener of
eternity, simply spoke, saying “Let
the earth sprout vegetation…” and it did. The globe
we live on was suddenly teeming with life more varied and
beautiful than any time since. Various forms of seaweed,
trees large and small, vines, from microscopic plant life to
the great redwoods; it was all in existence because God
merely spoke "and it was so."
There were at least 100 kinds of
fruit and other trees that have since become extinct from
this earth for every one that exists today. Thousands,
probably millions of large and small plants were present at
that moment which we will not see again until after the
Lord’s return, when He restores all things. God loves new
life, He loves our little ones and the creatures of nature,
and every tiny plant is precious to Him. From the very
beginning, the genetic structure of it all was present so
these innumerable plants could mature fully and reproduce
themselves perfectly. There was nothing more to do for it
was done!
Verse 12. "The earth
brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their
kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their
kind; and God saw that it was good.”
The “vegetation”
of that creative day contained an enormous difference from
what we see in today’s world and it is actually beyond our
ability to grasp. We are discussing plants that somehow did
not die, or contain any toxic substances, or have anything
like thorns. There was no death in the world at that moment,
and there would not be any death until the moment of the
Fall of Mankind. There was no decay and no rotting leaves
would be on the ground or in the sea from any of these
millions of plant-like organisms.
And this verse leaves little room
for the Theory of Evolution to be true or be anything more
than an unproven idea. The description of the “vegetation” that all of it consisted of “plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing
fruit with seed in them, after their kind,” is a
simple expression of the incredibly complex structure of
DNA, a natural computer program that produces a specific
result – a pear tree will produce pears, which, if placed
into the ground, will grow more pear trees. In that pure
environment the process would have occurred forever. Note
also that plants take in carbon dioxide and breathe out
oxygen. The atmosphere already contained these elements in
perfect balance, awaiting the creation of the animal kingdom
that was soon to follow.
Verse 13. "There was
evening and there was morning, a third day.”
A heavenly pause now occurred once
more. Again the question is asked – Why this breathless
pause between these incredible moments of intense creative
activity? The incredible reason can actually be felt within
this verse. God looked upon His creation and was delighted
with it. The planet continued to rotate and as the sunlight
gave way to beautiful shadows in one place and the dawn
broke in another, He thought of the feelings we would have
at such moments in the thousands of years that would follow,
and the words repeated so often in these verses, filled the
heart of God. He “saw that it was good”
(as it is written in Verse 12).
Verse 14. "Then God
said, '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;’”
Another type of “heavens” is touched upon in this verse and the ones
that follow – the interstellar vastness of outer space.
There have been many through the centuries who have been
embarrassed by these verses. The thought that the earth is
central to God’s plan and existed first is simply denied by
those who do not understand the love that God has for you
and me and the special place He has in store for us. Is
there any physical end to the universe? If we are not
precisely in the center of this galaxy, but are instead in a
galactic backwater, it would be a reminder that we are
peripheral to God, who is the Center of all that is. It
reminds us that godly humility is better than pride.
There incredibly seems to be no end
to the suns, planets, galaxies, asteroids, comets and such
that were created at the moment when He said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens…”
TIME, which seems to not exist in eternity (the place of
God, as we understand things) was now in existence on the
earth. The “lights in the expanse of
the heavens” have many uses in the plan of God, but a
key stated purpose here is so that we would have a mechanism
to mark “the day,” the “night,” and “seasons”
and “years” of our lives. And
note that light travels at 186,000 miles per second, which
sounds fast, but the universe is so large that the light
from the most distant galaxies would take billions of years
to reach earth. A subtle miracle is revealed in this verse
because at the moment God said, “Let
there be lights…” the light from them was already
reaching this planet. For us it is a paradox; for God it was
merely “His handiwork” (Psalm
19:1).
Verse 15. "’and let
them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give
light on the earth;’ and it was so.”
These enormous bodies that were to
be “lights in the expanse of the
heavens to give light on the earth,” included, as we
will see in the next verse, the sun that directly gives us
light, and the moon, which is seldom seen in the day, but it
reflects that great solar light and enables us to see our
way in the dark of night. It is often taught that the
universe in its present form existed on the first day, but
was not seen because of clouds over the earth. These verses
do not support such an idea.
When my youngest son was born, I had
no money for "extras," but I wanted what is called a
“mobile” to be over his crib, to draw him out of himself and
into curiosity about life. So I took two sticks and tied
them together across each other, suspended the sticks from
the ceiling and hung brightly-colored Christmas ornaments
from them. It accomplished what I wanted – he was stimulated
by them, watching with bright eyes and the beginning of a
smile. God created the “lights”
with a similar idea – we were to be drawn out of ourselves
and to discover Him who created all things.
Father, thank You for these
verses, that help us to look out of ourselves and find You.
We give our hearts and lives to You, for indeed You are the
Creator of all that is. We praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 1:16-20
Verse 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.”
“The two great lights” consisted of “the greater light,” which is an enormous controlled
nuclear energy plant called “Sol,” our sun, and “the
lesser light” is earth’s satellite, the moon. And almost it seems as an
afterthought, God then spoke into being the apparently endless systems of “stars.” We can’t imagine that He would fill the
universe with stars and planets on our behalf, but that is because we do not
understand that our God is a good Father; the best Father of all, who intends to
delight you and me.
The world calls it "egocentricity," but to those who believe, it is the
reality of faith. David, who lived much later in time than these verses, had a God-given ability to
understand the purposes of creation. He said, “I
consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which
You have ordained” (Psalm 8:3). The endless galaxies of this universe are
beyond comprehension to us, but for God, creating everything was like
finger work, as easy for Him as finger painting would be for a child. He “made” all that is and He did it for humanity, His little
ones on this earth.
Verse 17. "God placed them in the expanse of the
heavens to give light on the earth,”
Even on a moonless night, the stars themselves are often bright enough “to give light on the earth.” And when you look at them,
you have a choice. You can either praise the God who made them, or you can view
them as merely the product of some kind of cosmic chance, an accident that just
happens to give us inadvertent benefits. It's amazing the difference it
makes in our lives and attitudes when we recognize that we have a caring Father
who made all things out of His love.
In relation to Verse 16, David was referred to as a “prophet” by the Apostle Peter in Acts 2:29-30. Prophets
have information that others do not know about, simply because God reveals it to
them. David the prophet knew that the stars were created by God, who did it
just because He loves us. David continued speaking in relation to God’s creation:
“ Therefore (he asked), what is man that You are mindful of him, and
the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:4). David was amazed at the
love of God and he chose to praise the God who made all things; just as we
should praise Him, as well.
Verse 18. "and to govern the day and the night, and to
separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.”
Notice that once again God looked upon all that was being done and He was
pleased. He “saw that it was good.” The specific
reference here is to the “two great lights, the greater
light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night," and
it also refers to the “stars,” as mentioned in
Verse 16. The separation of "the light from the darkness"
meant that the earth's rotation on its axis was occurring. And the galaxies were
in existence because He spoke and made it so. He called all of it – “good.”
There was no such thing as a “nova,” an exploding star. There were no
galaxies colliding with one another. No comets, asteroids or other space debris
were crashing into planets. Solar flares did not reach the earth. Nothing was
damaged or in danger - "it was good." Note also
there was an additional protective layer of water over the earth in existence at
the time, as commented on in Verse 7. Evidence of God as our Creator and
sustainer was (and is) everywhere, and all creation happened because of His love.
Verse 19. "There was evening and there was morning, a
fourth day.”
This was a moment in time when there was no sin upon the earth and therefore no
pollution in the water or on the land. The air was smog-free; more clear than it
has ever been since that point in time. The soil was deep and clean, filled with
nutrients, full of vegetation and ready for the new life that soon would thrive
upon it. The plants did not contain poisons or other noxious substances – all
was pure and undefiled. “It was good” (Verse 18).
Was this the first planet that God ever created? Were there previous
creations in which He produced angels, cherubim and seraphim? If so, did He
utilize mechanisms other than planets to produce them? We certainly do not know,
nor do we need to know, but those creatures around the Throne of God, such as
angels and cherubim, who had
come into being in some other context must have watched with breathless
anticipation, waiting for what He would do on the “fourth
day.”
Verse 20. "Then God said, 'Let the waters teem with
swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open
expanse of the heavens.’"
And now with a word, God called into being vast numbers of differing types of
“living creatures” that were to fill the seas and
air of this planet. The progenitors of every type of animal, whether mammal,
reptile or bird, large and microscopic; it all was created at the
moment reflected in this verse. Does this include the large group of
creatures we call “dinosaurs?” Emphatically, “Yes!” is the answer.
EVERYTHING was created at the moment of this verse. But there were no predators and
no prey; no violence and no accidents. All of creation was in a gentle
balance and it could have remained that way forever. In the future, in
eternity, it will all be in perfect balance once more.
The phrase, “It was good” in these verses,
includes a very important factor. In Chapter 3, death is introduced for the
first time. Until that moment there was no death at all. Therefore the fossil
record was empty at the moment of this verse in Genesis 1. All of the abundant
skeletal remains that
exist in the strata of the earth were simply not there. Every “dinosaur” and
other type of creature in the sea and air came into being at this moment. The
pterodactyl in the air and the plesiosaur of the sea were suddenly alive and in
full motion. The earth teemed with gentle creatures.
Oh Lord, use these verses to touch us with understanding. Help us to
know through Your creation that You love us and sustain us. Enable us to
come alive with Your Spirit, so we may praise Your Holy Name for all that You
have done. Thank You. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Genesis 1:21-25
Verse 21. "God created the great sea
monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed
after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was
good.”
The great “sea monsters”
named in this verse includes every kind of oceanic dinosaur, squid, whale and other large water
creature that has ever lived on earth; and note that this verse and Verse 20 are really
one two-sentence statement. With a sweeping declaration, we are told that the progenitors of ALL
the living organisms that have ever lived on earth came into existence at the time
of Genesis 1:21. And
it included all the bird-like creatures that ever have been on earth.
And note that no death had as yet occurred. However God
may have sustained these creatures before the events of Genesis
Chapter 3, none of the forces that lead to death existed. If the shark had
sharp teeth, they were not used to kill other creatures. About the future
when the Lord returns to this earth, Scripture says, “They
shall not hurt nor destroy…” (Isaiah 65:25). All creation will return to
the way it was meant to be, and we will agree with God: “It
(is) good.”
Verse 22. "God blessed them, saying, 'Be
fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply
on the earth.’"
At the moment in time reflected by this verse, all creation was in perfect harmony. It would appear from this verse that the capacity for
reproduction was already occurring from the beginning, and it was numbered among
the “good” things of creation. The whole sexual and
asexual reproduction given to those on earth is a part of the creation of God –
we are to honor His creation and also the limits He has placed upon it. The
capacity to “be fruitful and multiply” is a
blessing and a gift from God.
At the time when mankind fell from God's grace, as recorded in Genesis
Chapter Three, everything would change. The physical bodies given to humanity
became subject to disease and death. And this seemingly endless cycle of life
and death extended to the animal and plant kingdoms. One type of life would eat
another for food to live another day. It may also be that the various
reproductive mechanisms given to the creatures of earth were changed dramatically as
well.
Verse 23. "There was evening and there
was morning, a fifth day.”
The Hebrew word “yom” in
these verses, has several meanings, and it is often translated into the English word
for “day.” It can also refer to an unspecified period
of time, but these verses in Genesis One do relate to a time period that is very
specific because of the phrase, an “evening” and a
“morning.” These were 24-hour periods of time,
reflecting the rotation of the earth on its axis, once each “day.”
The “dry land” of this planet first appeared in Verse 9,
and it was being flown-over and touched by the various “winged” creatures of Verse 21. The earth still awaited the rich
abundance of land creatures that would now emerge on the planet, as we will see in Verse 24.
But for now, one more creative day has reached its completion and another is about to begin.
Verse 24. "Then God said, 'Let the earth
bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and
beasts of the earth after their kind;’ and it was so.”
The phrase “after their kind”
is very important in our understanding of the complex systems that Almighty "God,"
the “Elohim” of these verses brought into being.
It’s a mention of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), a nucleic acid that contains
the genetic instructions for the development and functioning of all known living
organisms, such as the animals at creation. It’s incredibly complex. If you
unraveled all the chromosomes from all the cells of your body, then laid out
the DNA end to end, the strands would stretch from the Earth to the Moon about
6,000 times.
The invention of God which we call “DNA” is more complex
than any computer ever built or any computer program that has even been thought
about. It enables the coding in the cells of animals such as those in these
verses, to reproduce “after their kind.” Animals
are biological computer systems that have the capacity to produce other
biological computer systems. Dogs produce dogs, a very flexible program that can
produce the tiniest Chihuahua and the largest Great Dane. As this verse says, “It is so” - and it was.
Verse 25. "God made the beasts of the
earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that
creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.”
If you are in a country where elephants roam, you’ve
probably seen one, and if that’s so, you’ve witnessed something of the creation
of God, which had its onset at the time in this verse. If you’ve gazed at a
caterpillar, a moth, a crocodile, a dog or a cow, you’ve caught a glimpse of the
creatures “God made.” From the tiniest insect to
the largest reptile or mammal, He did it all, and we should praise Him
continually for the
beauty and complexity of what He has done.
And note that the creation of all the myriad creatures
of earth, large and small, was “good.” Today it’s
difficult to understand the gentle environment that is being expressed by these
verses. As we will see in Verse 30, there were no meat-eaters, no carnivores of
any kind. There was no disease, injury or death. Scripture says of the time when the
Messiah will return, “The wolf and the lamb shall graze
together” (Isaiah 65:25). It was “in the beginning”
as it will be in the future. And all will agree it is “good”
once more.
Father, thank You for the complexity of nature, for
it reveals that it was created by a loving Creator, and He who created all
things is - You. We praise Your Holy Name and we thank You for giving us
life. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible
Study - Genesis 1:26-31
Verse 26. "Then God
said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our
likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and
over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all
the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the
earth.’"
“God”
in this verse is “Elohim” in
the Hebrew, which literally is translated “Gods.” When that word is joined with the statement,
“OUR image,” it suggests that
God is more than most of us think. He is One and yet He is
also even more than One. The beginning of the Book of John,
in the New Testament, is similar to the structure of Genesis
One. It starts, “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 came into being
through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that
has come into being” (John 1:1-3). In Verse 14 of
that Chapter, the “Word” is
related to the Messiah, the Son of God.
And note God’s original and ultimate
intention for the members of humanity. We are to “rule” over the creatures of the sea, sky and earth.
And this was never meant to be the cruel taking of the
earth’s resources reflected in human history. God’s model
for leadership is seen in Philippians 2:5-7 & context – “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ
Jesus who, although He existed in the form of God, did not
regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied
Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant…” We will
serve the animal kingdom, guiding any migrations that might
be necessary and healing any wound. The “image” of God will be discussed in the next verse.
Verse 27. "God
created man in His own image, in the image of God He created
him; male and female He created them.”
What is the “image”
of God and how is His image expressed in mankind? Far too
often people have been “turned-off” by an anthropomorphic
view of this verse. The bodies of humanity are sometimes
beautiful, sometimes not so beautiful. Trying to relate them
to the “image” of God does not
make sense to us and we miss the point. Also, it is hard to
understand how both “male and female”
can be in that image. Note this: It’s always best to let
Scripture teach us about Scripture. Our attempts to let
human logic teach us what is meant will fall short of
understanding.
In the context of 2 Corinthians 4:4,
Paul the Apostle was addressing the problem of those who
should believe the “Gospel”
(good news) about the advent of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, but oddly don’t believe. It is because mere human logic
falls short of godly faith. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says this –
“If our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled
to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this
world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they
might not see the light of the Gospel of the glory of
CHRIST, who is the IMAGE of God.” This image always
was “Christ in (us),
the hope of Glory” (Colossians
1:27). That “image” was lost
and is restored in and through Him.
Verse 28. "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.’"
This is God’s first command to
humanity: “Be fruitful and multiply.”
In other words, have children and “fill
the earth” with people. It is unlikely that the
method of birth would have been the same in the beginning.
In Verse 30, we will see that all of the creatures in the
animal kingdom were initially plant-eaters. The animals
existed, just as they do today, but none of them were
carnivores. When mankind fell, everything that exists on
earth was changed. As to human bodies, it was only after the
Fall that women experienced “pain”
in childbirth. Our bodies and our method of reproduction
were not the same as they are now.
We were also to “rule over… every living thing
that moves on the earth.” We were to be the earth’s
governors. To what extent were we to rule? Did that include
undersea currents? Atmospheric conditions? Animal
migrations? The Law of Gravity? It does not say. However, in
the early days of the church and for some time thereafter,
real miracles have been given to God’s people, in which the
normal course of nature was suspended for a time. As it
would happen later, it was “in the
beginning.”
Verse 29. "Then God
said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed
that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree
which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;’”
All in humanity were intended to be
vegetarians and initially no meat was eaten by anyone or
anything on earth. God provided every vitamin and mineral
necessary for humanity to survive and even thrive – through
the plants. In the various seeds, plants, fruits, leaves and
roots of the vegetable kingdom of this world were found all
the protein and everything else that was needed. The very
thought of eating meat would have revolted our earliest
ancestors.
All this was to change with the
Great Flood that was to come upon the earth. Subsequently
the climate was not the same. And many of the vegetables and
fruits that existed, now were made extinct because of the
Flood. It is estimated that for every vegetable and fruit
that now exists, at least 100 additional kinds existed
before that destruction occurred. Fruits were lost,
vegetables were lost and all the nutrients they contained
were no longer available to mankind. In Genesis 9:3 &
context, we see the beginning of the eating of meat, so
common throughout history since that time.
Verse 30. "’and to
every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to
every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have
given every green plant for food;’ and it was so.”
The statements, “every beast of the earth…
every bird of the sky (and)
every thing that moves on the earth which has life”
mean just what they say – ALL members of the animal kingdom
were herbivores, plant-eaters. The lion originally grazed
like a cow, and other carnivores of the world, past and
present, originally ate the fruit from trees and grass from
the ground. And they will be like that again, after the
Lord’s return. “The wolf and the lamb
shall feed together (and) the
lion shall eat straw like the ox” (Isaiah 65:25).
Obviously, the physical bodies of
animals in their original state were not the same as they
are now. More than anything else, no such thing as death
existed anywhere in the world. If death was explained to our
earliest ancestors, they would not have understood it, for
it was out of their experience. If it was not for the
intervening actions of sin and judgment, death never would
have existed at all. Such a world is impossible for this
world to even conceive, but it did happen, and it will be
that way in the future.
Verse 31. "God saw
all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And
there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
In six days, God had just created
everything we know, from the vastness of outer space to the
microscopic bacteriological world in a pond of water.
Humanity had a beginning, but not merely as it is taught in
a science class. “In the beginning”
we were created by God and for His purposes. We belong to
Him and He created us out of His love. The tearing, ripping,
violent state of the world today will ultimately be changed.
Before our sin corrupted the world, it was a gentle,
peaceful, pastoral place and it will be so again.
God said through Moses about the
world of that time – “it was very good!” In the future,
after the Messiah’s return, all will agree it is “good” once again. A voice from heaven will call, “the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with
them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be
with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every
tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor
sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the
former things have passed away” Revelation 21:3-4).
It will be “very good.”
Father, we place our faith in
You, knowing that You love us and all that exists is for our
good. It will all be “very good” in the future and we pray
You will help us see the good in our lives right now. We
trust in You and praise Your Holy Name. In Jesus Name. Amen.
