1. what does Genesis means? The Beginning, in the beginning, when it began.
2. Who wrote the book of Genesis? Moses
3. Who created the Heavens and the earth?
When we read v1, Genesis starts with a statement of faith. We know people rejecting the bible start from the very first sentence because it is a faith statement.
"In the beginning: God. (full stop) - and God created the heavens and the earth"
God is the one that creates this whole universe.
As a christian we believe in trinity, but where does it come from? There is no mention of trinity in the bible, but the concept of trinity is there through out of the bible. (We might study on Trinity, and what is the implication to us on a different occasion) When we look closely on the actual word there - it says "Bereshith(in a beginning) bara (create) Elohim (God in plural form: gods - the singular word is: El)". Now the interesting bit here is the verb bara is a verb to be used in singular manner.
Example in English, the proper grammar should be:
They create something, or He creates something and NOT They creates something.
This sentence in itself doesn't tell us trinity, but we know there is plurality and yet it is one.
4. Which book in the NT has the exact same first three words as Genesis?
Read John 1:1-4.
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 were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:1-5, ESV)
5. Specifically, according to John 1, who is the Word there?
John 1 indicates that The Word (verse 9) has came in flesh, but no one knows Him (verse 10) and rejects the Word (verse 11). So this Word refer to Jesus (Word that became flesh) - try to replace the entire word of "Word" in John 1 with Jesus and see if it makes sense. So we see here that all things (this universe and all that is in it) were made through Jesus (verse 3, verse 10).
6. Who was it created for?
Every creation has a purpose which is defined by its author. Take for example when man creates car, or pen, or anything. Anything that is created must have a purpose. Car has the purpose for transportation, pen for writing, and all of these is defined by the author. If car is used to kill someone - this is not according to the author's plan.
The same with this universe. According to what is written in John 1 and also take another verse from Colosians 1:15-18.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (Colossians 1:15-18, ESV)
From verse 14 and so on, we know that the word "He" here refers to Christ, and we see from this verse that the world is created for Him (Christ) - that includes us: we are created for Him. Application: Do we live for Him? or are we like a car that is used for crashing onto other people (which is not according to the author's plan).
7. What did God (Christ) create initially?
It is not light! Light was created on the first day but not the first creation. From verse 1 there is an explicit clue that is heaven and earth (space), and also the implicit clue that is "in the beginning" (time). God created time and space initially. Before Genesis 1, there is no time, what is there is only God - the eternal - who is there outside time and space. God is higher than time and space, He is not limited to time and space because He is the one that creates them. In the beginning: God - In the beginning: eternity. When there is beginning, it was God who initiated the beginning. The beginning was there to begin His story (which become what we called history).
Application:
Knowing God who is eternal, and God who is the master of time, should make us realise that time is in God’s hand.
When we know that time is in God’s hand, why do have to worry of what’s in the future? why do we have to be hurry in taking some decisions without waiting for God’s answer? This truth has implication not just for our future, but also our past, because even our past is in God’s control: Why do we need to regret of what’s happen in the past? Why do we need to give up our live as what happen to the past? If we believe that everything that happen in time is under God’s control, then we should live with acceptance to what seems “wrong” in our eyes, and also to pursue each and every moment as best as we could because God gives us the time to be used for His glory.
Soli Deo Gloria,
~ Paul
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