The opening words of Genesis present a clear message, but at the same time raise some questions that need explanation.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And the earth was a formless and desolate emptiness, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters (Genesis 1.1-2).
The Clear Message
If we assume that Moses is the author of the first five books of the Old Testament, then he was writing after God’s people had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. During that time, they had plenty of opportunities to be marinated in the worldview of their culture.
The creation story is a way to remove them from the Egyptian culture and put them in proper alignment with God’s character and his purpose for the world.
The predominant worldview of the day was that the world and human beings came into existence as a result of a war among the gods.
One god’s victory over another produced the earth and the heavens, and humans were made to serve the gods so they could rest and enjoy their leisure.
The creation story that Moses penned is much different from the one of the nations that surrounded God’s people. God, the One who revealed Himself in the Exodus, created the heavens and the earth.
When the Hebrew people learned that the One who had formed them as a nation was also the Creator, it changed the way they viewed the world. No longer did they need to fear or serve the gods of the nations.
When people today truly embrace the belief that God is the Creator and can be known and personally related to, it transforms their perspective on the world.
The false gods of this earth no longer need to be feared or served. We can confidently sing the refrain of the old hymn.
Many things about tomorrow,
I don’t seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.
Questions
The source I am using for my study on Genesis is a commentary by Victor Hamilton. I agree with Dr. Hamilton that the best understanding of Genesis 1.1-2 is a preamble to what will follow.
When I lived in New Orleans in the early 1970s, there was a doughnut shop called the Dirty Doughnut Shop. There, they would make doughnuts in front of hungry patrons. Often, they would plop a big blob of dough behind the counter and then cut it out to make individual doughnuts.
These two verses are like God setting before us the whole scheme of creation and then taking individual parts out over the next several verses.
Hamilton doesn’t have the only opinion on this passage. Some see a “Gap Theory” between verses 1 and 2.
The Gap Theory suggests that God initially created everything in verse one. However, something catastrophic occurred between verses one and two, resulting in chaos on Earth. Verse three, according to this theory, represents God’s act of recreating and restoring order.
Another theory proposes the presence of pre-existing chaos or matter. According to this view, God shaped and organized this pre-existing material into what we now recognize as the heavens and the earth.
Hamilton’s perspective—that these verses serve as a preamble to what follows—is consistent with patterns found throughout the Old Testament. Often, an introductory verse or two sets the stage for a more detailed discussion in the subsequent passage.
Whether you embrace one of these views or hold a different perspective, the central truth remains: there is one God who created the heavens, the earth, and everything within them. We have the privilege of knowing Him, relating to Him, and allowing Him to guide our lives.
Think About It!
Can you imagine spending your entire life knowing only slavery, as generations of your family before you had in Egypt? Then, through a miraculous act of God, you are set free and become part of a nation in a covenant relationship with Him.
You discover from Moses that the very One who delivered you from slavery is also the Creator of the heavens and the earth. That fact would surely fill you with faith for the future.
Just as the Israelites were set free, we too have been liberated—from slavery to sin—by the Creator God. He sent His Son into the world to die on the cross and rise from the dead so that we might walk in newness of life.
This Creator-God has given us the gift of being able to live in a friendship relationship with Him.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 