THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED GENESIS
(An Introduction)
AUTHOR: Moses, the great lawgiver and deliverer of Israel. Moses was the great leader who led Israel from Egyptian bondage and through the wilderness wanderings.
Moses’ authorship is questioned by some commentators. It is true that Genesis is silent: the book does not name an author. But the evidence is strong—very strong—that Moses is the author. The Pulpit Commentary says this in its Introduction to Genesis:
“There does not appear, however, to have been any serious questioning on the subject of the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch as a whole, or of Genesis as a part of that larger work, until the sixteenth century, when it began to be insinuated by Masius (1574), Spinoza (1670), and Anton Van Dale (1696), that not Moses, the Hebrew lawgiver, but Ezra, the priest-prophet of the Restoration, was the first composer of those parts of sacred Scripture” (“The Pulpit Commentary,” Vol.1, ed. by HDM Spence and Joseph S. Exell. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1950, p. 88).
This means, of course, that the earlier Biblical commentators—those who lived and wrote before the sixteenth century—held that Moses was the author. Any serious suggestion that he might not be did not arise until the sixteenth century.
However, for several centuries now there has been a popular theory that is called “the documentary hypothesis.” This theory says there are four major sources for the Pentateuch, each of which was written sometime between 900-400 B.C. These sources are said to be...
Þ J (for Jehovah or Yahweh). This represents the writer or source that used the Hebrew name Jehovah or Yahweh for God throughout the Pentateuch.
Þ E (for Elohim). This represents the writer or source that used the Hebrew name Elohim for God.
Þ D (for Deuteronomist). This represents the writer or source that recorded the different accounts of the law throughout the Pentateuch.
Þ P (for Priestly). This represents the writer or source that recorded the information dealing with the priests.
The first person to suggest this theory was a French physician, Jean Astruc, in 1752. Note that he was a physician, not a theologian. The theory was later picked up by the German historian and Biblical writer, J.G. Eichhorn in 1787. However, “the documentary hypothesis” was not thoroughly developed and popularized until Julius Wellhausen who lived in 1844-1918 (Victor Hamilton. The Book of Genesis, Genesis 1-17, p.13).
The NIV has an excellent summary about this theory:
“Each of these documents is claimed to have its own characteristics and its own theology, which often contradicts that of the other documents. The Pentateuch is thus depicted as a patchwork of stories, poems and laws. However, this view is not supported by conclusive evidence, and intensive archaeological and literary research has undercut many of the arguments used to challenge Mosaic authorship” (Taken from The NIV Study Bible. Copyright 1985 by The Zondervan Corporation, p.2. Used by permission.)
The great weight of evidence points to Moses being the author of Genesis. The evidence can be summarized in the following points.
1. Genesis is the first book of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), and the Pentateuch is said to be written by Moses. In fact, the Pentateuch is sometimes simply called “Moses” (John 5:46; Luke 24:27, cp. Luke 24:44).
2. Each of the five books of the Pentateuch says that Moses is the author, except for Genesis (Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:3-4; Exodus 34:27; Leviticus 1:1; Leviticus 4:1; Leviticus 6:1, 8, 19, 24; Leviticus 7:22, 28; Leviticus 8:1; Numbers 33:2; Deut. 1:1; Deut. 17:18-19; Deut. 27:1-8; Deut. 28:58, 61; Deut. 29:19-20, 27; Deut. 30:10; Deut. 31:9-11, 24-26).
3. The Old Testament always refers without exception to Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (Joshua 1:7-8; Joshua 8:31-32; 1 Kings 2:3; 1 Kings 8:9, 53; 2 Kings 10:31; 2 Kings 14:6; Ezra 6:18; Neh. 13:1; Daniel 9:11-13; Malachi 4:4).
4. The New Testament always refers to Moses as the author of the Pentateuch which includes Genesis (Matthew 8:4; Matthew 19:7-8; Matthew 23:2; Mark 1:44; Mark 7:10; Mark 10:3-4; Mark 12:19, 26; Luke 5:14; Luke 16:29-31; Luke 20:37; Luke 24:27, 44; John 1:17; John 3:14; John 5:45-46; John 6:32; John 7:19, John 22-23; Acts 3:22; Acts 13:39; Acts 15:1, 5, 21; Acts 26:22; Acts 28:23; Romans 10:5, 19; 1 Cor. 9:9; 2 Cor. 3:15). The weight of the Scriptural evidence is that Moses is the author of the whole Pentateuch including Genesis.
5. The Talmud, the earliest writings of the Jews, says that Moses was the author of Genesis.
6. Moses was an eyewitness, an actual participant in the events of Exodus through Deuteronomy. For example, note his observation of twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees (Exodus 15:27).
7. Moses was well acquainted with Egypt. The author of Genesis is familiar with Egyptian names, and Genesis actually has a larger number of Egyptian words than any other book in the Old Testament.
8. The ordinance of circumcision is said to be part of the law of Moses (John 7:23), and circumcision was instituted in Genesis 17:12, as well as in Exodus 12:48 and in Leviticus 12:3.
9. Genesis and Exodus form a whole; that is, Exodus is just incomplete without Genesis. It is Genesis that explains such questions as...
Þ how Israel got into Egypt.
Þ how Israel was freed from Egyptian slavery and was formed as a nation.
Þ how Israel became so involved with the promises and covenant relationship with God.
Þ why the Exodus of Israel and the journey into the land of Canaan were so important.
There is also this fact: in the Hebrew the first word in the Book of Exodus is “and” (Exodus 1:1). It connects Exodus with some former writing. The weight of the evidence is that the same person wrote both Exodus and Genesis, and Moses is said to be the author of Exodus.
One final thing should be said about Moses writing Genesis. All the events in Genesis happened before Moses: they occurred about four hundred years before his time. How then does he know about such events as the creation and such persons as the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph?
The following possibilities seem reasonable since God is a God of revelation.
1. God revealed to Adam the creation account.
2. Adam and his descendents—the godly line—were led to preserve God’s dealings with them. Each person, especially one who was truly godly, was bound to pass on—both by spoken and written word—the most significant events of their lives, which would be their relationship to God and His promises. Norman Geisler, who has written an excellent survey of the Old Testament, says this:
“We can conclude that Moses, using the family records which had been passed on to him, compiled the Book of Genesis.... Jewish history shows that family records were kept and passed on to later generations. Moses could have copied his material from such records just as Hezekiah’s men copied from Solomon’s writings to complete the Book of Proverbs (cf. Proverbs 25:1)” (A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, p.38).
3. Moses was well educated in “all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22). He was well prepared by God to take both the written and oral testimony of his forefathers and write the beginning history of the world, especially under the inspiration of God’s Spirit. Again, Norman Geisler has an excellent comment on this point:
“Moses is the only person we know of from this early time period who had the ability to write this book. The rest of the Israelites were a nation of uneducated slaves, whereas Moses was a highly educated son of the king (Acts 7:22). Moses was the only one who had both the interest and information to write Genesis. Being Jewish Moses would have had access to the family records of his ancestors (cf. Genesis 5:1; Genesis 10:1; Genesis 25:19; etc.) which were no doubt brought down to Egypt by Jacob (Genesis 46). Since Moses was bent on delivering his people from Egypt, it is natural to assume that he was familiar with the promises of God passed down by his forefathers that God would indeed deliver them (cf. Genesis 46:3-4; Exodus 2:24)” (A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, p.37).
DATE: Probably some time between 1450-1406 B.C. Perhaps sometime before 1487 B.C.
1. Moses lived 120 years (Deut. 34:7).
2. Moses spent 40 years in Egypt (Acts 7:22-23).
3. Moses spent 40 years in Midian (Exodus 2:15).
4. Moses spent 40 years leading Israel through the wilderness experiences (Deut. 8:2f).
Now, we know with some accuracy when Moses lived:
“And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD” (1 Kings 6:1).
The fourth year of Solomon’s reign was about 966 B.C.; therefore, Moses led Israel out of Egypt around 1446 B.C. (480 years before Solomon’s 4th year as king (NIV Study Bible, p.2). Based upon this information, Moses’ life would be dated as follows:
Þ Moses in Egypt 1526-1486 B.C.
Þ Moses in Midian 1486-1446 B.C.
Þ Moses leading Israel through the wilderness 1446-1406 B.C.
Moses had access to the records and writings of Israel only when he was with them. He was not with them in Midian, so he wrote Genesis either when he was living as the adopted son of Pharaoh in Egypt and was close by Israel and their writings, or else when he was with them in the wilderness.
Þ Norman Geisler, who holds to the earlier date, has an excellent reason for this position.
“There are three reasons for believing that Moses compiled Genesis during the first forty years of his life (before 1487 B.C.). During this period Moses came to faith in God and the desire to deliver his people (cf. Exod. 2:11f.; Hebrews 11:24). He must have carefully studied Israel’s history and God’s promises to Abraham’s descendants at this time. Later, while in Midian, Moses would not have had access (such as he had had in Egypt) to all the records of his people. By the third period of his life, Moses was busy as a leader and writer of the other books of the Law. It is more likely, then, that Genesis was compiled while his early interest in his people’s past and their deliverance gave him access to the records of their history and the promises of God to deliver them” (A Popular Survey of the Old Testament, p.38).
Þ However, a later date—during the wilderness wanderings—is also possible (1446-1406 B.C.). Moses unquestionably wrote the other four books of the Pentateuch—Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—during this period. Apparently, he did what many great men have done down through history, he kept a diary of the events and compiled his notes into the various books as he found time.
There are also two other strong points for the later date:
Þ Moses would have been much more mature spiritually during the wilderness wanderings. When he was a young man in Egypt, he seems to have lacked the spiritual maturity necessary for the Holy Spirit to inspire him to write Genesis. In fact, it was his having committed murder that forced him to flee Egypt (cp. Exodus 2:11-15).
Þ It was during the wilderness wanderings that God dealt with Moses time and again face to face (so to speak). If God Himself shared the creation story and any other earlier events of human history with Moses, it was more likely during these forty years of his life.
Whatever the case, Moses wrote Genesis either during the years he was in Pharaoh’s court or during the years of the wilderness wanderings, either...
· Around or before 1487 B.C.
· or 1447-1407 B.C.
TO WHOM WRITTEN: Israel in particular and the human race in general.
God is a God of love and truth; consequently His love is bound to lead Him to reveal the truth to all people everywhere...
· the truth of their origin: where they have come from
· the truth of their purpose: why they are on the earth
· the truth of their end and destiny: where they are going
Genesis was written to both Israel and the human race, to reveal the truth of their origin, purpose, and destiny. God’s very purpose in creating man is for all people to know these three great truths.
PURPOSE: Three purposes can be gleaned from Genesis, a historical, doctrinal, and Christological purpose.
1. The historical purpose: to encourage and strengthen Israel in its faith and trust in God. Remember, for about 430 years the children of Israel suffered the awful bondage of slavery in Egypt, and now during the time that Genesis was being written, they were suffering through the trials and temptations of the wilderness wanderings. The one thing the people needed above all else was to be encouraged and strengthened in their faith in God. Historically, Genesis was written to teach Israel five strong lessons.
a. To teach Israel that there was only one living and true God, one God who had created and purposed all things (Genesis 1-11).
b. To teach Israel its roots, that they had actually been chosen by God Himself through Abraham, appointed to be the chosen line of God’s people.
c. To teach Israel that the promised seed, the Savior, was to be sent into the world through them. They were the chosen line through whom God was going to save the world. Salvation—the promised seed—was to come through Israel.
d. To teach Israel that they were to receive the promised land, the land of Canaan, and that God would be faithful to His Word and give them the promised land.
e. To teach Israel that they must believe and follow God...
· in conquering and overcoming the trials and enemies of life.
· in seeking after the promised land.
2. The doctrinal or spiritual purpose: to teach all people everywhere...
a. To teach that God is the Sovereign Creator: He is the Lord and Majesty of the universe, the Supreme Intelligence and Force of all creation, both visible and invisible (Genesis 1-2).
b. To teach that God created man and woman: He created them to pour out His grace upon them and to secure their personal fellowship and service, both now and forever (Genesis 1:26-2:25).
c. To teach the origin of sin and death: why these two awful things exist and infect the lives of people so deeply (Genesis 3).
d. To teach God’s mercy and grace: that God has mercy upon man and will pour out His grace upon him, if man will just repent and turn back to God (Genesis 1-50. Cp. the lives of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)
e. To teach the faithfulness of God and His Word: that what God says and promises will be fulfilled no matter what He has to do to overcome the terrible failings of men (Genesis 9-50. Cp. the failings of Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)
f. To teach that all true believers—both ancient and present—are to receive the promised land (a symbol of heaven).
3. The Christological or Christ-centered purpose: to teach that the promised seed pointed to Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, that Jesus Christ is the promised seed who came from the godly line of...
Þ the woman (Genesis 3:15)
Þ Seth (Genesis 4:25)
Þ Shem (Genesis 9:27; Genesis 11:10-26)
Þ Abraham (Genesis 12:3; cp. Romans 9:7-9)
Þ Isaac (Genesis 21:12)
Þ Jacob (Genesis 25:23; cp. Romans 9:10-12)
Þ Judah (Genesis 49:10)
SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Genesis is “The Great Book of Prehistoric Times” or “The Great Book of Creation.” In fact the title, “The Book of the Creation of the World” was an actual title given to Genesis during the early history of the Jews and Jewish tradition (Talmudic times). It is the only written record of prehistoric times that is both accurate and satisfying to the human mind and heart. Man’s mind seeks accuracy, and his heart craves a satisfying understanding lying behind the accuracy of facts. In Genesis God gives a glimpse of prehistoric times and reveals what lies behind the beginning of creation and history.
2. Genesis is “The Great Book of Beginnings.” The very first word of Genesis is Bereshith which means “in the beginning.” The Jews have sometimes even referred to the book simply as Bereshith. The Greeks called the book Genesis (genesis), which is the title the English speaking world has adopted. Genesis means origin, source, generation, beginning. It is a record of several major beginnings.
a. The beginning of the universe, both of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1-11:31).
b. The beginning of man and woman (Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 2:4-25).
c. The beginning of God’s covenant with man (Genesis 2:15-17).
d. The beginning of sin (Genesis 3:1-13; Genesis 4:8-15).
e. The beginning of salvation, of man’s deliverance from sin and death through God’s promised seed, the Savior of the world (Genesis 3:14-21).
f. The beginning of the family (Genesis 4:1-15).
g. The beginning of civilization and society (Genesis 4:16-9:29).
h. The beginning of the nations and races (Genesis 10-11).
i. The beginning of Israel, God’s chosen people (Genesis 12-50).
j. The beginning of the hope for the promised land (Canaan, a symbol of heaven) (Genesis 12-50).
3. Genesis is “The Great Book of Generations.” The word “generations” (toledot) means offspring, descendents, or history of a person. The word is used ten times by the author to divide the book under ten headings. The author begins each section with the words, “These are the generations.” Genesis is often outlined by these sections. They are as follows:
a. The generations of the heavens and earth (Genesis 2:4-4:26).
b. The generations or history of Adam (Genesis 5:1-6:8).
c. The generations or history of Noah (Genesis 6:9-9:29).
d. The generations or history of the sons of Noah (Genesis 10:1-11:9).
e. The generations or history of Shem (Genesis 11:10-26).
f. The generations or history of Terah (Abraham) (Genesis 11:27-25:11).
g. The generations or history of Ishmael (Genesis 25:12-18).
h. The generations or history of Isaac (Genesis 25:19-35:29).
i. The generations or history of Esau (Genesis 36:1-43).
j. The generations or history of Jacob (Genesis 37:1-50:26).
4. Genesis is “The Great Book of Human Ancestry.” (See Special Feature, point 3.)
5. Genesis is “The Great Book of Patriarchal History” or “The Great Book of the Patriarchs.” The lives of the fathers of Israel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are covered by Genesis.
6. Genesis is “The Great Book that Launches God’s Grace Toward Man.” Of course, creation and life itself with all their privileges are an act of grace, an act of God’s favor toward man. By grace means much more than just creation and life, as wonderful as they are. Grace means that God favors man despite man’s terrible sin and rebellion against God. God favors man by saving him from a destiny of corruption and death to a life of perfection that is to last forever. This glorious salvation was launched right after Adam’s first sin and rebellion against God, launched when God began to seek and call out to Adam, “Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:9). God became the seeking Savior, ready to launch His glorious plan of salvation and redemption, all through His wonderful grace. But this was not all: the theme of grace continued as God sacrificed the life and blood of an animal in order to secure “coats of skin and clothe” Adam and Eve in their nakedness (Genesis 3:21). A life had to be sacrificed in order to clothe and save them. From then on, God is seen ever seeking and crying out to man “where art thou” in order to cover and forgive man’s sin and failure. Even the chosen people of God, the patriarchal fathers themselves, demonstrated time after time an unbelievable tendency toward sin and rebellion that necessitated God’s intervening grace.
7. Genesis is “The Great Book that Launches God’s Plan of Salvation.” (See Special Features, point 6.)
8. Genesis is “The Great Book that Begins the History of Redemption.” (See Special Features, point 6.)
9. Genesis is “The Great Book that Begins the Trail of Blood and Sacrifice.” (See §Special Features, point 6; and see note—§Genesis 3:21, esp. pt.4.)
0. Genesis is “The Great Book that Establishes God’s Covenant Relationship with Man.” Genesis shows God’s very special relationship with man, how God established His first four covenants with man at four crucial times in man’s history.
These covenants are:
a. The Edenic covenant whereby God met man’s most basic needs (Genesis 2:15-17).
b. The Adamic covenant or the covenant with Adam whereby God promises redemption (Genesis 3:15).
c. The Noahic covenant or the covenant with Noah whereby God preserves the human race (Genesis 6:18; Genesis 9:8-17).
d. The Abrahamic covenant or the covenant with Abraham whereby God begins a new race (the Jews) to be the chosen line of God’s people (Genesis 12:1-3).
It is important to note that the covenants with Adam and Noah were universal covenants; that is, they cover the relationship that exists between God and the whole human race. But the covenant with Abraham is a limited covenant; that is, it covers only the relationship that exists between God and His chosen people, the believers of the earth who diligently follow God (Genesis 11:6).
11. Genesis is “The Great Book that Begins Man’s Pilgrimage of Faith.”
Þ Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were men of great faith. Scripture declares:
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country...a better country, that is, an heavenly” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
Man’s life—his pilgrimage from birth right on through death and to whatever lies beyond—is either a pilgrimage into the unknown or a pilgrimage of faith in God’s promises. Genesis is the story of men who walked the pilgrimage of faith.
12. Genesis is “The Great Book that Reveals and Deals with the Major Promises of God.”
Þ There is God’s promise to send the promised seed, the Savior of the world, to crush the power of that “old serpent, called the devil” (Genesis 3:15; cp. Rev. 12:9; Rev. 20:2).
Þ There is God’s promise to always see that a godly line of people exists so that He can fulfill his promises and purposes upon earth (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:1-3).
Þ There is God’s promise to give the promised land of Canaan to Israel. But note: the promised land refers to both a physical inheritance and a spiritual inheritance. The promised land is a symbol of heaven which God has promised to all genuine believers who diligently seek after Him.
13. Genesis is “The Great Book of the Promised Seed,” the Savior of the world. The promised seed is one of the major themes that runs throughout the whole Bible.
14. Genesis is “The Great Book of Theological Pictures.” Biblical doctrines are not developed in Genesis, but practically every doctrine that is developed in the New Testament is pictured or illustrated in Genesis.
a. There are the names or doctrinal pictures of God as...
· The Almighty God (Elohim, Genesis 1:1).
· The God of redemption and revelation, the covenant God who establishes a personal relationship with man (Jehovah or Yahweh, Genesis 2:4; Genesis 2:7).
· God Most High (El Elyon, Genesis 14:18-20).
· God Almighty (El Shaddai, Genesis 17:1; cp. Exodus 6:3).
· The Everlasting God (El Olam, Genesis 21:33).
· God of Seeing (El Roi, Genesis 16:13).
· God, the God of Israel (El-elohe-Israel, Genesis 33:20).
· God of Bethel (El-Bethel, Genesis 35:7).
· God of Abraham (Genesis 24:12; Genesis 28:13; Genesis 31:42; cp. Exodus 3:6).
· The Fear of Isaac (Genesis 31:42, 53).
· The Strong or Mighty One of Jacob (Genesis 49:24; cp. Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 132:2).
· The Lord God of Shem (Genesis 9:26).
· The Lord of all (Adonay, Genesis 18:27; cp. Exodus 23:17; Isaiah 6:1; Isaiah 10:16, 33).
There are the doctrinal pictures of...
· justification (Genesis 15:6 cp. Romans 4:3, 20-23).
· righteousness and the necessity of being clothed in righteousness by God (Genesis 3:21).
· creation (Genesis 1-2).
· redemption (Genesis 3:21).
· salvation through the promised seed, the Savior of the world (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 12:3).
· heaven, the promised land (Genesis 12:1).
· believers, a godly line of people who follow God (Genesis 4-50).
· mercy (Genesis 4:15; Genesis 6:8; Genesis 18:26; Genesis 19:16).
· election (Genesis 25:21-23 cp. Romans 9:9-13).
· judgment (Genesis 6:1-7; Genesis 19:24 cp. Genesis 18:16-33).
· death and the hope of conquering death through the promises of God, the promised seed (Genesis 3:15; Genesis 5:24), and the promised land (Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 22:5; Genesis 47:29; Genesis 50:24 cp. Hebrews 11:13-14, 16, 17-19, esp. Hebrews 11:19).
· prayer (Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:21; Genesis 32:24-32).
human law (Genesis 9:4-6).
On and on the list could go, but the above list illustrates how Genesis is “The Great Book of Theological or Doctrinal Pictures.”
15. Genesis is “The Great Book of Israel’s Beginnings.” From Genesis 12 onward—from the selection of Abraham through Joseph—the book is simply a history of Israel’s beginnings, the beginning of the Jewish nation, the nation chosen by God to be His witness to the world.
INTRODUCTION TO THE SEVEN DAYS OF CREATION
The Bible declares an astounding truth: the earth and the universe did not just happen by chance nor by some random accident.
Þ The earth and the heavens did not originate out of nowhere.
Þ Something—some particle or force, some matter or energy, some element or electrical impulse, some atom, proton, neutron, electron, chemical, gas, or something else—did not just appear out of nothing.
Þ The earth and the universe did not evolve from some particle of dust, some gas, or some energy that just appeared. For something to appear out of nothing is against all the laws of nature and science.
The Bible declares this astounding truth: the earth and the heavens were created by a Sovereign Intelligence and Power who has revealed Himself to be the Supreme Person of the universe, to be ELOHIM, GOD ALMIGHTY, the Supreme Lord and Majesty of all! The Bible declares that the universe has been deliberately and personally created by God Himself. God, Elohim, is the Mighty God who alone has the Intelligence and Power to create a universe like ours, a universe ...
· that stretches so far into the outer reaches of space.
· that reaches out in unbelievable distances.
· that includes an unbelievable number of worlds.
· that reaches unfathomable dimensions.
· that exceeds the comprehension and understanding of man.
The Bible declares that God (Elohim) is the Creator, the Supreme Person, the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the universe. Note how the Bible begins:
“In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1).
The stress is God. God was there in the beginning, already existing when the universe first began. He is the God of power who actually existed before the universe and who acted and created the universe. God (Elohim) is the subject, the Sovereign Person who stands behind all things. This is the great declaration of the very first chapter of Genesis. This is immediately seen by quickly glancing at the underlined words of the Scripture below.
(1:1-2:3) Creation: profound, impressive, stunning—here is the true account of creation in God’s Holy Scripture; here is what God reveals to man about the origin of the universe and of life upon earth. God has much to say to man in the account of creation, and man desperately needs to heed the truth of what God says. Why?
There are at least four reasons.
1. Man was not present—no man—when the universe was created; only God was there. Therefore, man cannot know—not for sure, not with absolute certainty—how the universe came into being. Only God can know. If we are to know, and know for sure, where the universe and man came from, God has to tell us. Science can discover much about our origin, but it cannot know with absolute certainty how the universe and life came into being. It cannot explain how something can come out of nothing. For something to come out of nothing is impossible according to natural law, impossible according to everything that is known in the physical and material universe. But God knows, for God was there. And God tells us in the Holy Scripture that He created the world. Therefore, man must heed what God reveals or else man will miss God, and he will have to give an account for his rejection and denial of God.
The account of creation, of just what happened, must have been given to man in one of two ways.
Þ God must have shared the account of creation with Adam. Then the account must have been passed on down from generation to generation by believers (through writing and through word of mouth).
Þ God must have re-shared the creation account with Moses when He called Moses to meet Him on Mount Sinai. It was on Mount Sinai that God gave The Law to Moses which included the creation account. (Remember: The Law means far more than the ten commandments. The Law refers to the first five books of the Bible which includes Genesis and the creation account. The first five books are sometimes called the Pentateuch, which includes Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.)
2. Man owes his life to God. God is the Creator of the universe, the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the universe. Man must heed this fact and worship and serve God as Creator. If man rejects God or neglects his Creator, then it is only logical that he will have to face his Creator in judgment (John 3:18; Romans 1:18-23; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Psalm 95:5-6).
3. Man suffers from disease and accident and from all kinds of trials and temptations. Man is corruptible by nature: he ages, deteriorates, and eventually dies. If man will heed what God reveals in the creation account, then man can be cared for and looked after by God. If man acknowledges God and confesses that God is his Creator and Lord, then man can have a personal relationship with God. Man can be absolutely secure in God’s love and care, in God’s joy and peace (Proverbs 3:5-6; Isaiah 41:10; 1 Peter 5:7).
4. God is a God of love. Despite all the evil in the world, we can look at all the love, goodness, and beauty of the universe and know a striking truth: the Supreme Creator is a God of love. And a God of love is bound to reveal Himself and the basic truth of the universe to man. A God of love would never leave man in the dark, ever seeking and never able to find out where he has come from, why he is here on earth, and where he is going. A God who would leave man in the dark and not reveal Himself and the basic truth about life would be a God of hate, not a God of love. This is not the God of the Holy Scriptures. The God of the Holy Scriptures is not a God of hate; He is not a God who has left man groping and grasping about in the dark seeking after the truth of life. The God of the Holy Scriptures is a God of love. He is a loving God who has revealed the truth...
· about Himself
· about man
· about the universe.
God (Elohim) declares that He is the great Creator, the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the universe. Therefore, man must heed what God reveals both about Himself and about life in the creation account.
Now, what are the truths of creation that man must heed? What are the truths of creation that God declares in the Scripture?
There are at least eight truths.
1. God is; God actually exists, and the universe has come from Him (1:1-2:3).
2. God created the universe by His Word (1:1-2:3).
3. God is the Supreme Intelligence of the universe (1:1-2:3).
4. God is a God of goodness and grace and a God of order (1:1-2:3).
5. God is a God of great will and purpose, a God who plans, foreordains, and predestines (1:1-2:3).
6. God is a God of revelation, a God who reveals His nature, just what He is like and what He has done (1:1-2:3).
7. God is a God of form, fulness, completeness, fulfillment, and satisfaction (1:1-2:3).
8. God is a God of enormous power, a God who created the universe in six days (1:1-2:3).
Please note: the outline uses the word “creation” as a title throughout the creation account. We do this because it is the natural way to read the chapter. However, the word creation may not technically describe what happened on a particular day. For example, on the third day, the waters were separated so that dry land could appear. Water and dry land were not technically created on the third day; they were separated. Nevertheless, as stated, we use the word creation to describe the event because it seems more natural and fitting in describing what God did.
Glance back to the Scripture and note the underlined words and you will see just how true this is, how natural and fitting the word creation describes what God did in each of the six days of creation. Note in Genesis 1:1 that “God created.” Then quickly read the first three words of each day’s creation, “And God said.” What we have is this: “God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
Þ “God said, ‘Let there be light’” on the first day (Genesis 1:3).
Þ “God said, ‘Let there be a firmament [atmosphere]’” on the second day (Genesis 1:6).
Þ “God said, ‘Let the waters...be gathered together...and let the dry land appear’” on the third day (Genesis 1:9).
Þ “God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb [plants]...and the fruit tree’” also on the third day (Genesis 1:11).
Þ “God said, ‘Let there be lights [sun, moon, and stars]’” on the fourth day (Genesis 1:14).
Þ “God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth [the] creature...and fowl that may fly’” on the fifth day (Genesis 1:20).
Þ “God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature’” on the sixth day (Genesis 1:24).
Þ “God said, ‘Let us make man in our image’” also on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26).
Also please note this: if the Gap Theory is true, then the word recreation or restoration would be more fitting in describing what happened in the six days of creation.
DEEPER STUDY
(1:1-2:3) Creation, Overview of; Charts of— God, Creator: the first truth seen in the creation account is a stunning truth: God is; God actually exists, and the universe has come from Him. God (Elohim) is the great Creator of the universe, the Supreme Intelligence and Power of creation. God is the Majestic Person who created the universe. This is the whole point of the creation account: to stress that God is the Sovereign Lord and Creator of the universe.
The universe did not just happen...
· by chance.
· by some random happening.
· by something—some particle or force, some matter or energy, some element or electrical impulse, some atom, proton, neutron, electron, chemical, gas, or something else—appearing out of nothing. As stated earlier, for something to appear out of nothing is against all the laws of nature and science.
The Holy Scripture declares a stunning truth: the universe was created by God, by the Supreme Intelligence and Power of all being, of all that is, has been, or ever will be.
Now glance back to the Scripture and scan the underlined words: note how God is the subject of creation, how the creation account focuses upon God. The Bible unmistakably declares that God is God, that He alone is the only living and true God.
Þ God existed before the universe.
Þ God is the Supreme Intelligence who planned and purposed the universe.
Þ God is the Sovereign Power who created the universe.
Þ God is the only Person who was living, and He and He alone had the power to create the universe.
Immediately, before anything else is discussed, the Bible declares that God is, that He exists. The Bible stresses the undeniable truth that God truly exists, and that He created the universe. The creation account mentions God time and again, a striking number of times. Quickly glance back to the Scripture and note all the underlined words, all the acts of God. Genesis 1 declares that...
· God created four times (Genesis 1:1, 21, 27a, 27b).
· God said ten times (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29).
· God saw seven times (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).
· God called three times (Genesis 1:5, 8, 10).
· God made three times (Genesis 1:7, 16, 25).
· God divided two times (Genesis 1:4, 7).
· God blessed two times (Genesis 1:22, 28).
· God set one time (Genesis 1:17).
· God moved one time (Genesis 1:2).
God is also seen witnessing the fulfillment of His will fourteen times. God saw His creative act...
· “that it was good,” seven times (Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).
· that “it was so,” six times (Genesis 1:7, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30).
· that “there was,” one time (Genesis 1:3).
The Bible declares the truth as forcefully as it can be declared: God is; God exists; God is the great Creator of the universe. God is the Omnipotent (all powerful) and Omniscient (all knowing) Authority behind all creation. God is the Sovereign Lord and Majesty of the universe.
“Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee” (Neh. 9:6).
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
DEEPER STUDY
(1:1-2:3) Creation— God, Word of— God, Nature of: the second truth seen in the creation account is an impressive truth: God created the universe by His Word. Quickly glance at the Scripture, at the first verse of each creative day, and note the underlined words, “God said” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24, 26. Also Genesis 1:11, 28, 29.)
God is so powerful, so absolutely powerful, that He can create by His Word. God simply spoke and things came into being. God’s Word is what God used to create. His Word was the process, the method, the manner, the means, and the way God created. There was nothing existing: no material, no substance, no element, no matter, no energy, no atom, no neutron, no proton, no electron, no gas, no energy. There was only God. God willed the universe, and He did as He willed. He carried out His will by simply speaking, and once He had spoken, it was done and done immediately: the universe was created. Everything was created instantaneously by the power of God’s Word. There was “no variation, neither shadow of turning” from what God willed and spoke (James 1:17). Scripture emphatically declares this phenomenal truth.
“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psalm 33:6).
“For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:9).
“Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created” (Psalm 148:5).
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).
Matthew Henry says:
“O the power of the word of God! He spoke, and it was done, done really, effectually, and for perpetuity...he commanded, and it stood fast: with him it was dictum, factum—a word, and a world” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Vol.1. Old Tappen, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, p.4).
Note a significant point: God did not have to speak in order to create, but He did. God could have just thought the universe into being, but instead He spoke the universe into being. He used His Word to create. The point is unmistakable: God holds His Word in the highest regard possible, counts His Word of the utmost importance.
This is also seen in five other striking facts.
1) The Word of God is what God uses to make man into a new creature. If a man is to be born again—if he is to become spiritually alive to God, a new creature, a new man before God—it has to be by the Word of God. A person has to hear the Word of God and heed it. He has to let God’s Word recreate his spirit and make him into a new creature.
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” (1 Peter 1:23).
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:3-6).
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
“And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephes. 4:24).
2) The Word of God is what God uses to grow and mature man spiritually.
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16).
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:2-3).
3) The Word of God and its proclamation is the very way God has chosen to save people and to accomplish His will upon earth.
“It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching [the Word] to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21).
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thes. 2:13).
“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
4) The Word of God shall endure forever, even longer than the heavens and the earth, the universe itself.
“For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
“The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8).
“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18).
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
“But the word of the Lord endureth for ever” (1 Peter 1:25).
5) The Word of God—the whole counsel of God’s Word—has been given to the world to be preached and taught.
“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness [that is, for all of life]” (2 Tim. 3:16).
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
“The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations” (Psalm 33:11).
DEEPER STUDY
(1:1-2:3) Creation— God, Intelligence of— God, Nature of: the third truth seen in the creation account is a profound truth: God is the Supreme Intelligence of the universe. To speak and to create requires intelligence. A person has to be able to think in order to form words and to make things. “God said”; He spoke; and “God created,” “made,” “divided,” and “set” the universe and the things of the universe in place. The very fact that He spoke and made things shows that He is intelligent. How intelligent is God? Note exactly what Scripture says: “God said, ‘Let there be light’: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).
God is so intelligent that He can do this: God can think thoughts within His mind; He can think of light and He can think the thought through and plan for light. He can plan all the minute details that are necessary to create light and to bring light into existence.
How intelligent is God? The day by day account of creation tells us exactly how intelligent God is.
Þ God thought of light and planned all the details for the creation of light.
“And God said, ‘Let there be light’: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).
Þ God thought of the firmament or atmosphere surrounding the earth, and He planned all the details for the creation of the atmosphere.
“And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament [atmosphere]’...and it was so” (Genesis 1:6-7).
Þ God thought of dry land, and He planned all the details for the creation of dry land.
“And God said...‘let the dry land appear’: and it was so” (Genesis 1:9).
Þ God thought of vegetation, and He planned all the details for the creation of vegetation.
“And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb [plant] yielding seed, and the fruit tree’...and it was so” (Genesis 1:11).
Þ God thought of the heavenly bodies—the sun and the moon and the stars—and He planned all the details for the creation of the heavenly bodies.
“And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven’...and it was so” (Genesis 1:14-15).
Þ God thought of sea and water creatures and of birds, and He planned all the details for the creation of sea and water creatures and of birds.
“And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth’...and God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:20-21).
Þ God thought of earth animals and of man, and He planned all the details for the creation of earth animals and of man.
“And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle [livestock, domestic animals], and creeping thing, and [wild] beast of the earth after his kind’: and it was so” (Genesis 1:24).
“And God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’...so God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them” (Genesis 1:26-27).
Now, how intelligent is God? He is the Supreme Intelligence of the universe. When “God said”—when He spoke the universe and life into existence—His Word revealed that He is the Supreme Intelligence of the universe. The universe—all the heavenly bodies and life itself—exists only because God Himself, the Supreme Intelligence of the universe, thought and planned and spoke the universe into being.
This means a most wonderful thing: God has supreme knowledge. Nothing escapes His attention. God knows all about us: all about our hurt, pain, suffering, loneliness, and emptiness—all the trials and temptations, all the problems and difficulties that roll in upon us and threaten to engulf us. God knows all, and He can work out the plans to deliver us. God knows—knows exactly—how to deliver us. He knows how to create better things and a better way for us to live and experience the fulness of life. God knows how to create whatever is needed to meet our needs.
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
“He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him” (Daniel 2:22).
“Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?” (Job 31:4).
“For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings” (Job 34:21).
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:3-5).
“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:9-10).
“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:13-16).
“For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” (1 John 3:20).
DEEPER STUDY
(1:1-2:3) Creation— Days of Creation— God, Nature: the fourth truth seen in the creation account is a most wonderful truth: God is a God of goodness and grace and a God of order. This is seen in God’s purpose for creating man and in the seven days of creation, in their sequence and order.
Note these two significant facts:
1. God is a God of goodness and grace. The summit of God’s creation is man. God wanted to shower His goodness and grace upon a creature who would freely choose to love and fellowship with Him. God wanted a creature who could know and experience all the wonders of God’s goodness and grace, a creature upon whom God could pour all His glory and blessings. It is true that God created the universe for His own benefit; Scripture definitely teaches this. But it is also true that God created the universe for man’s benefit. Scripture also teaches this. All of God’s creation, the whole universe, was created for God’s benefit, yes, but it was also created for man’s benefit. God wants man to experience all the splendor and facets of His eternal glory throughout the whole universe (Ephes. 2:7).
2. God is a God of order. Before God could create man, He had to create a place for man and make provision for man. He had to create the heavens and earth and everything else that would be needed to sustain man’s life. This is the reason the things created followed a natural sequence. Each day of creation was based upon what was created the day before. Each creative act was necessary before the next creative act could take place. God followed an orderly procedure in creation; He met the needs of man in an orderly fashion. Day by day He created exactly what was needed.
The point is this: God always acts in an orderly fashion, never disorderly. God is a God of order. God has inter-connected and inter-related everything in creation. Everything created on the six days of creation was essential to man’s life. Man could not survive on earth if any of the creative acts had been omitted or if some catastrophe destroyed what was created on any of the days. All of creation is inter-connected and inter-related; everything is needed to sustain life upon earth. Therefore, God’s creative acts, day by day, followed an orderly pattern. Each day’s creation built upon what was created the day before. Creation followed a natural sequence: each day met some great need of man. The following chart will show this.