God Reveals Himself (129) eGenesis 1:1-31
James R. Davis
Sometime ago I watched a television program about prisoners' rights. The prisoners were filing lawsuits against the institutions that were holding them prisoners. One prisoner filed a lawsuit for his rights to reproduce offspring based upon Genesis 1:22, God said, "Be fruitful and multiply." He won the lawsuit on the basis that prison confinement prevented him from practicing his religious beliefs. Now the prison must allow the prisoner to have visits supposedly for the purpose of procreation.
According to an article entitled "Pot Proof" that was printed in Christianity Today, September 22, 1978, p. 43, Herb Overton was arrested in Olathe, Kansas, for possession of marijuana. Herb Overton based his defense on Genesis 1:29: " . . . and God said, . . . I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth . . . " Therefore, he concluded, since God had given him the drug he had done nothing wrong.
However, Judge Earl Jones doubted Overton's hermeneutics. According to a Chicago Tribune account, the judge told the Bible-quoting defendant: "As a mere mortal, I'm going to find you guilty of possession of marijuana. If you want to appeal to a higher authority, that's fine with me." 1
In much the same way we have attempted to find answers in the first chapter of Genesis to mysteries which may or may not be explained elsewhere. The book doesn't open in a defensive apologetic manner. Genesis chapter one only asserts its claims. We come here in an effort to prove the scientific accuracy of the Bible, or we go with apologetic motives to prove what we believe concerning creation, or we go looking for the origin of good and evil trying to fit Satan's fall and judgment into the account of creation. We begin looking for what to our amazement is not there! 2
"In our approach we often fail to apply the first chapter of Genesis in a way that is relevant to our own spiritual lives . . . We come to Genesis one expecting nothing more than to have our apologetic batteries recharged again." Thus we have frequently failed to call for any response as we have taught Genesis chapter one. 3
"There is much about the world we live in which we do not and cannot understand. The writer does not attempt, or want, to explain creation . . . He is not concerned with the question 'How did God do it?' He would not, I think, have been terribly interested in our debates about the time-scale of evolution, or the physics of the First Three Minutes. Those are not the questions he is asking. And when we ourselves bring such questions to the text, we are disappointed . . . He is concerned with something else. He is safeguarding and proclaiming something of the unsearchable mystery of God. We mistake the purpose of this chapter if we expect to answer all the questions we, with the benefit of modern science, want to ask about creation." 4
Historical Context of Genesis Important
As with any other passage of the Bible, the historical setting in which the story was revealed is important. We must ask some important questions as we look at Genesis chapter one, "When was it written?", "To whom was it written?" and "What did this passage mean to those to whom it was originally given?"
After spending half a millennium in Egypt, Abraham's descendants needed a clear revelation of God. Joshua indicates the influence Egyptian culture had on the Israelites when he said, "Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:14) In the ancient Egyptian culture there were nature gods, sun gods, moon gods, rain gods, and so on. Israel's present need is to know the true nature of the Creator of it all.
"One can imagine what a rock of stability this chapter would have provided for the people of God when faced with the lure of pagan myths around them . . . Genesis 1 calls them back to the worship of the one sovereign majestic Lord, who, in the transcendent freedom of his creative Word, is the source of all things, all life, all creatures, all people." 5
"For all time, the skies have had a tremendous power to evoke wonder - often in the ancient world leading to the worship of the stars. It was against this that the people of Israel were warned when they saw the sun, moon and stars and all the host of heaven not to be drawn away to worship and serve them. The true worshiper of God knew that it was the glory of God which the heavens are telling, and his handiwork which the firmament proclaims." 6
Deut 4:19-20
And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars-- all the heavenly array-- do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven. But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.The book was written to show the Israelites God's redemptive work with mankind from the time of creation to their present situation as they struggled in the wilderness of Sinai. When Moses came to the Pharaoh, the Pharaoh dared ask Moses, "Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?" (Exodus 5:2) The answer of the Lord was a series of ten plagues. The Lord said, "For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments--I am the Lord." (Exodus 12:12; cf. 18:11; Numbers 33:4) The plagues defied all the gods of Egypt. The message of these plagues was that Israel's God is God alone and beside him there is no other.7
The miracles of the Exodus are much like the miracles of our Lord when he walked the earth; they authenticate the message proclaimed. Those miracles authenticate the first five books of the Bible that Moses wrote. The Exodus proves to the Israelites that Jehovah God is the only God, the Creator, and Redeemer. The first five books of the Bible provide the content for Israel's faith, of which the creation account is the foundation. 8
Meaning of Genesis for the Israelites of Old
The historical purpose of Genesis was to encourage and strengthen Israel in her faith and trust in God. They had suffered slavery and at present were suffering the trials and temptations of the wilderness wanderings. The one thing they needed above all else was to be encouraged and strengthened in their faith in God. Genesis begins to do this by giving Israel a correct view of God in an effort to increase their faith and trust.
Genesis chapter one teaches Israel that God is God alone. It is not enough to recognize Yahweh as a god among other gods. Yahweh is God alone. There is no other god. He is the creator of heaven and earth. He is not superior to the gods of the surrounding nations; He is God alone. There is a reason behind the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." There simply are no other gods. 9
Genesis chapter one, in brief form reveals the true nature of the God Israel is presently following as they journey through the wilderness of Sinai. For the Israelites the proofs about the God of creation did not lie in what was written in Genesis one but rather in what they were presently seeing with their own eyes as they experienced the ten plagues, as they crossed the Divinely divided Red Sea and beheld the Egyptian army drowning, as they ate the Manna that came from heaven and drank of the water that came forth from a rock in a barren desert and received the Ten Commandments written by the finger of God. The miracles of their redemption were enough to produce belief in the God who was leading them. Yet, the Israelites needed a correct view of that God. It was essential that Israel know the nature of the God who was leading them. The miracles were authentic enough to prove his power but not clear enough to reveal his complete nature. So Moses endeavors to reveal the true nature of God in the opening chapter of Genesis.
We understand Israel's reasons for believing and following were more real than the pros and cons of apologetic argumentation about Genesis chapter one. As Moses describes God, God is hovering over the Tabernacle by day in a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.
When Rahab was hiding the spies, as Israel was about to cross the Jordan after wandering forty years in the wilderness, she said, " . . . I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." (Joshua 2:9-11) Rahab reveals that if you knew nothing else about the one leading Israel except what he had been doing for Israel for the last 40 + years, at least you would know that "he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath."
Our reasons for believing today are more real when we experience the reality of the Passover as we celebrate the Lord's Supper. Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb, continues pointing all of humanity to the God above, creator of heaven and earth, whom Moses describes in Genesis one. Today Christians experience the same realities the Israelites experienced through knowing God through the Scriptures.
God's Attributes and Character
The God that Israel is following is the one true and living God who created and purposed all things through his sovereign power. Genesis chapter one manifest God's power, order and progression as he skillfully fashions the creation of his Omniscient design. The Israelites could look back to creation and look forward from there and understand the call of Abraham and see his descendants being developed into a great nation and understand that God, through the same sovereignty, power and omniscient design he exercised in creation is now leading Israel out of Egypt as he is sustaining them in the wilderness. Genesis one, in brief form, describes God's character and attributes. The should instill courage in the hearts of those that follow his leading in the wilderness.
God does not present himself as a mere force but as a Person. God is not just a distant cosmic force whose transcendence awes us; he is also immanent as a personal ever-present God. This aspect of God's being is reflected in that he made man in his own image. (Genesis 1:26-28) Our personhood is a mere shadow of God's image. We see Adam as God's counterpart naming the animals. We see God communing with Adam in the garden daily. (Genesis 3:8) God had provided the sun for our light, the earth for habitation, created man in his own image, placed man in a beautiful garden paradise and gave him free access to the personal Creator. 10
God is presented here in contrast to time as the Creator of time. He is eternal. In Genesis time begins with creation as opposed to God's eternal existence. God was before all things including time and he is presented as the origin of all that now exists. God is without beginning or without end. When Moses questioned what he should say when asked who sent him to Egypt to deliver the Israelites, God merely tells him to say that "I Am" sent you; simply meaning that he is eternal.
God's involvement with creation, Adam and Eve demonstrates his goodness. Good or bad is not something dictated by our circumstances. Goodness was reflected in God's creation. When God declares "it is good", he implies a moral value system already in place at creation. Genesis one teaches us that right and wrong were woven into the fabric of creation. This very fact becomes the foundation upon which the Ten Commandments are given. But more importantly God's goodness is being manifested and experienced by the Israelites as they are presently being delivered. In a few short chapters in Genesis Israel is enabled to see the goodness of God and the perversion of man. But in those chapters Israel beholds the gracious redemption of God as he develops a nation for the salvation of mankind and leads them out of Egypt.
What Is the Meaning of Creation?
Genesis presents the God of creation to Israel as one that deserved their praise and obedience. The Psalmist looks back at God's creative power expressing praise.
Psalms 104:1-9
Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.Yet, Israel's reason to praise God was even more real and personal. Throughout the Old Testament the writers pointed back to what God had done for Israel as he personally led them out of Egypt. They were constantly reminded concerning their need to follow God.
Psalms 105:23-45
Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham. The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes, whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants. He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham. He sent darkness and made the land dark-- for had they not rebelled against his words? He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die. Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers. He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country. He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land; he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country. He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number; they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil. Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood. He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered. Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them. He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night. They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert. For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham. He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy; he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for--that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.Genesis one presents God as one who can be trusted to provide for our every need. We sing a song "God Will Take Care of You".11 In Genesis God is presented as Jehovah-jireh or a God who provides. The Creator is also our Sustainer.
Colossians 1:16-17
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.Psalms 104:14-23
He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate-- bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the pine trees. The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the coneys. The moon marks off the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl. The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens. Then man goes out to his work, to his labor until evening.Genesis presents the wisdom of God that should humble us. When Job in his adversity thought enough was enough, he began to question the wisdom of God. God responded,
Job 38:1-7
Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone--while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?For those of us who want to approach Genesis one apologetically demanding all the answers, maybe we should read the entire chapter of Job 38-40. For when God finished questioning Job, Job responded,
Job 40:1-5
The LORD said to Job: "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!" Then Job answered the LORD: "I am unworthy-- how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer-- twice, but I will say no more."Job was challenged to fathom the wisdom of God in creation. He could not explain or comprehend it, let alone challenge it. How could he possibly question the wisdom of God's working if he could not understand the wisdom of God?
If we choose to ponder any question, ponder and attempt this one, "Why would an infinite God so concern himself with mere man?" 12
Psalms 8:3-5
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.Conclusion:
God's revelation of himself necessitates action. But as great as that story may be, it's significance has been paled by the coming of Jesus Christ. 13
Heb 1:1-4
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.God has presently revealed himself full in his Son.12 Jesus declared to Philip, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father." (John 14:9) There is no way we can ignore that God was Jesus in the flesh and he came to make us his new creation by the work he did on the cross. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
He has come to purge the heavens and earth of the effects of sin.14
2 Pet 3:10-14
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.Are you ready for that day? Have you become a new creation in Christ? Are you willing to allow God to take your shapeless and chaotic life and develop it into a life of beauty?15
Have you ever been reading a book with a desire to flip to the end of the book to see how the drama ends? But you refrain because that would ruin the book for you. But the Bible is no an ordinary book. If you flip to the end of the book and read the last chapter you will catch a glimpse of what God is trying to do through his redemptive work. He is working to restore what was lost in Eden.
Revelation 21:1-7
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.Revelation 22:1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.As we rush to the last chapter of the Bible we understand that Genesis one doesn't just present the Creator of heaven and earth as something to merely believe, but someone to whom we must respond. The Israelites were encouraged to look at what God was doing for them presently and believe in Jehovah God as he revealed himself in Genesis chapter one. As I go to the last chapter of Revelation and retrace the work of God backward through the pages of the Bible contemplating all that God has done in the establishing of his kingdom, in coming to the earth to live, dying on the cross, leading the Israelites, etc. and as I follow God back through the Bible through all the miracles he performed, and promises that he has kept for ages, it gives me a profound respect for Genesis chapter one. This gives me confidence and courage to step out on trusting faith believing God concerning his revelation of himself as revealed in Genesis chapter one. Then I can commit my life in trusting obedience to sovereign power of God who continues to lead his people through his revelation of himself.
Of course many other valid apologetic arguments exist, but the Bible to me presents the most powerful proof of who God is.
Footnotes:
1. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2: The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth, http://www.bible.org
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Atkinson, David, The Message of Genesis 1-11, The Bible Speaks Today Series, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL 1990. Pg.17
5. Ibid., pg. 16
6. Ibid., pg. 32
7. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
8. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
9. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
10. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
11. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
12. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
13. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
14. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2
15. Deffinbaugh, Robert, Series on Genesis, Lesson 2