Genesis 1

Genesis 1

1:1 Do you believe this? If "God created the heavens and the earth," how does evolution fit in? As can be seen in the coming verses, this is just the beginning. God's creative work is not only in the simple "being," but also in the development of everything that comes out of that being. If you claim to believe the Bible, then you must start with the Bible. Evolution (as the origin of species) is a matter of faith, just as this is, but we have a book that was written by the Spirit of God. By starting with the Bible, we see that God is the author of Creation, God is the author of all life, and God is the author of all history. The choice to believe in God creating is not a difficult one.

1:2 I've always wondered what the Earth looked like at Creation. I can imagine it as just a globe of water with no dry land and covered in darkness, but it's hard to think about.

1:4 Notice that the sun and moon are not yet created (that happens on day 4). So where does the light come from? In Revelation, we are told that the new Jerusalem will be lit by God's presence alone, but that can't be the case here since God was present before the light was created. Science tells us that light is simply electromagnetic radiation, so maybe that's all this is. God flooded the empty universe with radiation. Interesting thought.

1:5 Some have pointed to the word "day" and given it other meanings to fit in evolution. Why is it so hard to just believe that God is capable of doing these things miraculously?

1:7 I saw a picture of this once where the sky was a canopy of water and there was dry land and lakes and such below, based on this passage (and the one following). It could also be the atmosphere that was made of water vapor and other chemicals, since the "sky" is what is being created here. It doesn't really matter though because I believe God could have done it either way.

1:12 This provides evidence that plant life was the first life to be created. Science tells us this too, but for different reasons.

1:19 Note that the plants were created BEFORE the sun and moon. This is fun to think about because plants need sunlight. Two things come to mind: 1. It was only one day! A plant can live a day in darkness, don't worry. 2. Even if they couldn't live for a day in darkness, remember that God already saturated the place with light! All they needed was a renewable source of that light, which they got the very next day.

1:22 Now we have animals. Yes, if God can create the Earth and the sun and the stars and the whole universe, He can also create all animal life in a day. Again, if you believe one thing, believing the rest shouldn't be that hard.

1:26 Ah, this is one thing that changed my outlook on Christology. God said "our" image! Who could He be talking to? Angels? From the way angels are described throughout the Bible (Isaiah 6 comes to mind), they don't look like we were created in their image. So who else could God be talking about/with? Only a proper view of the Trinity explains this. God is referring to Himself, as the triune God - Father/Son/Spirit, three in one. Jesus Christ was with God from the beginning, and "through Him all things were made." (John 1)

1:27 Again, this addresses the previous point. We are made in God's image. He didn't say "God and angels" or "God and the rest of the heavenly host" or anything like that. Just God.

1:27 How can we be made in God's image, and be different male and female? Jesus addresses this in Matthew 19:4, using this passage to define marriage. You see, this image-bearing element is spiritual in nature! While our spirits are made in God's image, our physical makeup takes the form of male and female genders. But, when we unite in marriage, "the two become one flesh." How awesome is that! Now, I am married, and it is amazing how true this is. Before my wife and I were married, we were two very different people, though we shared mutual interests. Since we've been married, I can't believe how we have been able to mesh through good times and bad. I don't even think of her as a separate person, but rather as a different appendage of myself. She'd probably laugh if she heard me call her an appendage, but I'm an appendage of her as well. We are truly one flesh. For those who aren't married, do not fret! You have the spiritual image-bearing gift and it is your responsibility to recognize and nurture the gifts God has given you. Pursue Christ and remember that gender is merely physical.

1:28 Man was given authority over Creation. I wonder what that authority could look like today if things hadn't been corrupted by sin...

1:30 All creatures were vegetarian when they were created. This is important when we come to the Fall, since sin introduced much pain in the world, death and sickness and predatory instinct all.