Ep. 1. Genesis 1 | God the Creator
EPISODE 1
GOD THE CREATOR:
Genesis One is a beautiful chapter, but we Christians might wonder why the Bible doesn't start with the story of Jesus. Why aren't the first pages of our journey the records of John or the story of the crucifixion? The answer is more than just one of history and tradition. In this first chapter of the Scripture, we meet God, the Creator. This is not just a story told by feeble-minded followers, not just an analogy to help someone grasp impossible thoughts on creation. This is the story of God, unfolding for us over 1189 chapters and about 31,200 verses. Unless we accept God as the creator, how can we ever be expected to accept him as merciful, loving, just, righteous, or holy? If God is not the creator, why would we expect him to be able to save humankind, the pinnacle of creation? So we meet God as creator, and we believe it, and in so doing, we come to the place where we acknowledge him as the source and standard of all truth. We are not the creator; therefore, we can not be the standard for what we hold as true.
So God created the heavens, earth, and seas. He filled them for his glory. He created humanity in his image and commanded them to "fill the earth." It is doubtful this command was about population alone. Indeed, he had in mind his image carried throughout all of creation. As the creator, he can also be considered trustworthy as king and savior.
Creation is broken down into six days, with days four through six filling days one through three. On day one, God created light; on day four, he filled it with the sun, moon, and stars. On day two, he made the sky and the waters above and below were separated from one another. Day five fills these spaces with the birds and fish. Day three sees the creation of the seas, land masses, and plants. God filled them up on day six with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air.
The word we translate to "God" in this chapter is Elohim. I was raised thinking it was a/the name of God. It is undoubtedly used to denote the true and living God of heaven, but it has a broader purpose in the scripture than that. Granted, Elohim is used over 2500 times in the OT, most of those for YHWH, but the term itself is also used to speak of "gods" and "divine beings." In Psalm 82: 1, you find that Elohim (God) is in the midst of all the Elohim (divine ones or gods), and he holds judgment over them. We can't think of Elohim as the name of God but rather as a term that recognizes his place in the realm of the divine. Clearly, the Bible elevates God as Elohim above all the other Elohim (think spirits, angels, cherubim, and the like).
In Jonah, we find a wayward prophet running from the call of God on his life. He has fled to the sea on a ship bound far away from Nineveh. But God found him there and cast a storm upon the sea, filling the crew with fear. They ask Jonah where he came from and what his job might be. In 1:9, he answers, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." This answer is enough to send them into a panic. They knew the fruitlessness of fighting the creator.
In Job, after the weary and worn man finally charged God with fault, God shook the heavens and answered Job with a voice like thunder. God does not defend his righteousness or justice; instead, God asks Job over one hundred questions about creation. "How old is the earth, Job, or where do you keep the lightning; how do you feed the lions; do you have storehouses of hail; do you water the dry earth; have you wrestled the leviathan"? Job would have to answer every question with a resounding "No." Job is not the creator. God is. Job does not have the right to charge the creator with injustice. Job was in the wrong. After meeting God, Job repents "in dust and ashes." God corrects Job's false view of justice by showing himself as the creator.
In Acts, as Paul preaches to the pagan idol worshippers, he begins his sermon, "What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man." His introduction to the truth of salvation begins by acknowledging that God is the creator.
The gospel attributed to John begins with the powerful words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him, not anything was made that was made." You will notice the same words that begin our Bible are found here in the beginning of John. This powerful book on the person and work of our Lord and Savior begins by introducing him as the creator. It is clear the book of John borrowed from Genesis and establishes Jesus as the creator. This is a sentiment shared by Paul in Colossians 1:15-20. John is noticeably different from the other three gospels, which were geared more toward a Jewish audience. The others start with Jesus' genealogy in Matthew 1 and Luke 3 and a quote concerning the coming Messiah in Mark 1.
Lastly, for your consideration, I recommend Matthew 8, where, upon calming a severe storm, the disciples of Jesus marvel at his power over creation and wonder aloud, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?"
In each of these examples, it is the truth of God as the creator that shapes the subsequent theology or belief. Suppose we do not acknowledge God as the creator. In that case, it will only be a matter of time before we deny his authority, lordship, holiness, and, ultimately, his ability to save.
(Additional reading: Jonah 1; Job 38-42; Acts 17:22-34; John 1:1-14; Matthew 8:23-27)
