God the Creator – Genesis chapter 1 verse1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1 New International Version – UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Where do we come from?” is one of the most provocative questions anyone can ask. The answer to this question has far-reaching implications for our view of ourselves, of reality and of the world around us.
The opening chapters of Genesis introduce us to God and his character. Here we see the origin of the universe, the origin of man, the origin of sin and origin of the Gospel, so these chapters are the foundation for reading and understanding the whole Bible.
Is Genesis history? Especially are the first three chapters history, and not fairytale? Yes, but history written as something like poetry (and like nothing else in the ancient writings of the world).
In Genesis 1:1 we learn that:-
- God is eternal – “In the beginning” God was there, not bound by time at all.
- God is One, yet calls Himself “us”. The Hebrew word (“Elohim”) used here for God is the plural of the word “Lord”. Here is the first hint of His 3-in-1 nature. .
- God doesn’t need anything or anyone. Why should he care about us? Here is the first hint of His grace; He Who doesn’t need us does love and care for us.
- God is the all-powerful creator. He creates out of nothing. We never really create, we only make out of the things He has already created.
