Genesis In The Beginning Volume 1, Chapters 1-11

By Practical Christianity Foundation

Genesis: the book of beginnings. The book of Genesis is not only the first book of the Bible detailing the beginnings of Creation and life as we know it, but also serves as the over-arching and pervasive sacred reference for the true understanding of the entire Bible as intended by the Author, God, the Spirit of Truth. Genesis in its entirety, and the first eleven chapters in particular are indispensable for a meaningful understanding of God's living Word.
Genesis chapter one is the majestic and glorious opening of the Bible. Armed with a real understanding of God's revealed identity, His awesome Power, and the nature of His Purpose outlined in Genesis chapters one through eleven, the student of the Bible can confidently follow the Biblical narrative as the account of God's relationship to man unfolds through the records of time and history chronicled in the pages of the Holy Bible.
The Prophets, the Psalmist, the Poets, the Evangelists, and the Apostles were inspired to expound what is revealed in Genesis chapters one through eleven. Flowing out of Genesis, the Biblical narrative tells the account of creation, rebellion, and redemption in the context of God's Holiness, Righteousness, Justice, and Glory. We believe that it is absolutely necessary that the believer must meditate upon the first eleven chapters of Genesis in order to be open and well prepared to learn the Truth about God's Will, Purpose, and Plan concerning creation in general and man in particular.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Practical Christianity Foundation
• Release date: Aug 21, 2020
• ISBN: 9781600980978

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Notes

PREFACE

From the conception of Practical Christianity Foundation (PCF), it has been the goal of the organization to convey the truth in Scripture through verse-by-verse devotional studies such as this one. As part of that goal, we neither prove nor disprove any traditional or alternative interpretations, beliefs, or doctrines but rather look to the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth contained in the Scriptures. Any interpretations relating to ambiguous passages that are not directly and specifically verifiable by other scriptural references are simply presented in what we believe to be the most likely intention of the message based on those things that we are specifically told. In those instances, our conclusions are noted as interpretive, and such analyses should not be understood as doctrinal positions that we are attempting to champion.

This study is divided into sections, usually between six and eight verses, and each section concludes with a Notes/Applicationspassage, which draws practical insights from the related verses that can be applied to contemporary Christian living. The intent is that the reader will complete one section per day, will gain a greater understanding of the verses within that passage, and will daily be challenged toward a deeper commitment to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Our prayer is that this study will impact the lives of all believers, regardless of age, ethnicity, or education.

Each of PCF’s original projects is a collaborative effort of many writers, content editors, grammatical editors, transcribers, researchers, readers, and other contributors, and as such, we present them only as products of Practical Christianity Foundation as a whole. These works are not for the recognition or acclamation of any particular individual but are written simply as a means to uphold and fulfill the greater purpose of our Mission Statement, which is to exalt the holy name of God Almighty by declaring the redemptive message of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the lost global community and equipping the greater Christian community through the communication of the holy Word of God in its entirety through every appropriate means available.

Practical Christianity Foundation

Value Statements

1.   We value the holy name of God the Father and will strive to exalt Him through godly living, committed service, and effective communication. That you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long (Deuteronomy 6:2).

2.   We value the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s holy Son, for a lost world and will strive to communicate His redemptive message to the global community. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation’ (Mark 16:15).

3.   We value the Holy Spirit through Whose regenerating work sinners are redeemed, and the redeemed are convinced of the truth of God’s Holy Word. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8).

4.   We value the Holy Word of God and will strive to communicate it in its entirety. All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

5.   We value spiritual growth in God’s people through the equipping ministry of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and will strive to provide resources for that ministry by the communication of God’s Holy Word, encouraging them to be lovers of the truth. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (2 Peter 3:18).

INTRODUCTION

This first book of the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. It derives its current title, Genesis, from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), and in English means origin. The original Hebrew word is b’reshit (תישארב), simply meaning beginnings. It is God’s law of creation, the institution of the Creator’s terms by which His Creation should function. By His sole determination, the Lord God brought forth the universe as the expression of His own immutable Glory, setting forth the majestic display of the heavens as well as His intimate relationship with man whom He made in His image.

The history of creation begins to unfold, revealing the origins of the universe, the creation of the earth, the creation of man, the origin of civilization, the origin of agriculture, the origin of languages, and the origin of nations. It speaks of the development of machinery, music, and poetry. It tells of man’s sin against the Lord, casting the entire creation headlong into a massive spiritual curse. But the first promise of redemption from sin is also revealed. It is the story of God’s plan and purpose for His creation. It sets the stage for the rest of the Bible. It reveals the person and nature of the Creator, the worth and dignity of man who is created in His image, the tragedy and consequences of sin, man’s subsequent separation from God, and God’s promise of salvation and redemption. In the darkness of human misery, there is hope. No matter how dark things seem to be, God has a plan. No matter how desperate the circumstances of nations, God is still in control and orders their destinies. No matter how unhappy you are, no matter how lost you feel, God still offers you His salvation. The story of Genesis—indeed, the story of the entire Bible—is one of restoration, reconciliation, and redemption. It begins with God revealed as our Creator, and ends with God as our Redeemer.

There are many more firsts in this book of beginnings. God tells of the first marriage; the first child; and, sadly, the first murder and the first drunkenness; the first cities, the first buildings, and the first building material. God also initiated the first sacrifice. He sacrificed innocent animals to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve after they sinned. The innocent were sacrificed to cover the sin of the guilty. Blood was shed, and this act initiated by the Creator became the first act of a sacrificial system that was ultimately fulfilled by the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary.

Moses wrote Genesis about three hundred years after the last recorded account in the book had actually taken place. The Hebrew people had lived in the land of Egypt for four hundred years as slaves to the Egyptian Pharaoh (Genesis 15:13). Moses was born eighty years before the Lord used him to lead His people out of their slavery. This was not a research project on Moses’ part but rather the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16–17). This writing may well have occurred during the time he spent with God on Mt. Sinai as he was leading the children of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land.

Only in the Genesis account of creation do we find the words, In the beginning God created. Only in these words do we find an adequate first cause to explain the enormity, complexity, and unity of the universe. God is the sole source of the created universe. Nothing else initiated or directed this event. The power of His spoken word brought time and substance into existence out of nothing. It might be more accurate to say that the Lord brought time and substance into existence as an expression of His own Glory.

The Bible begins with Genesis, displaying the glory of the eternal God, and ends with the divinely appointed destiny of man through the sacrifice of the redeeming Savior, Jesus Christ. Only God is eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, most holy, and most loving. For God, creation was effortless, and He perfectly controls His creation in which His signature is clearly evident.

Acknowledging the matchless sovereignty of this creating, redeeming God is fundamental to a person’s growth in faith. It does not determine one’s salvation, but it certainly deepens the believer’s confidence in the salvation that has been given through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world. When people fail to grasp the enormity of God’s overarching power in creation, it is easy for them to deny and reject the salvation that is offered to rebellious sinners. Nevertheless, God was so concerned for the welfare of those He created in His image that He gave His only Son to pay the penalty for man’s sin.

After God spoke the earth and universe into being, He made man, breathing into his nostrils the breath of life. He placed Adam in a garden, bountiful and beautiful beyond imagination. The Lord made woman from one of Adam’s ribs. God gave him stewardship over His creation. He gave them permission to eat of every tree in the garden, except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. With freedom of choice, Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the One Who had made them, and immediately the world was plunged into the darkness of sin.

The rest of Genesis tells the tragic consequences of this disobedience and God’s orchestration of events that would eventually lead to the only sacrifice that could atone for man’s rebellion and reconcile him to the One Who had created him.

Man was doomed to pay the consequences of his sin and continued his downward spiral into a morass of depravity so deep that God destroyed every human from the face of the earth, saving only Noah’s family. After repopulating the earth, mankind developed a deep desire to reach the heavens, constructing a monument to their greatness. The Lord God again intervened and confused their language so they could no longer communicate with each other. From that time forward, the family of man was divided into separated peoples, moving to different regions of the earth.

God called Abraham to follow and obey Him, citing only that Abraham’s family was the least of these infant nations (Deuteronomy 7:6–7). Somehow, Abraham broke the normal routine of human behavior and obeyed God, leaving his home and traveling down to a region east of the Mediterranean Sea. There, Abraham’s family continued to increase both in size and in wealth. However, Abraham and his wife, Sarah, had no children, and it appeared that Abraham’s legacy would die with him. Nevertheless, the Lord blessed them in their old age, providing a son based on God’s promise to them and not by any effort on Abraham’s part.

So Sarah gave birth to Isaac, and Isaac in turn married Rebecca, who gave birth to Jacob. Jacob became the father of twelve sons, who became the fathers of the twelve tribes that eventually made up the nation of Israel. In God’s plan, ten of the sons were jealous of one brother by the name of Joseph. They sold him to a caravan passing through their land and Joseph became a slave in Egypt. Over the next few years, a famine drove Jacob and his family to Egypt, where Joseph had become second in command to Pharaoh. As administrator of Egypt’s affairs, Joseph had accumulated and stored huge quantities of grain that enabled him to feed all of Egypt and the world, thereby rescuing his family. Even though they did not recognize their brother, their brother recognized them. In an emotional scene of God-given forgiveness, Joseph tells his brothers,¹⁹... ‘Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? ²⁰As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today’ (Genesis 50:19–20).

The Book of Genesis ends with Joseph’s death, concluding the remarkable narrative of God’s sovereign direction over the affairs of man. The glory of God in creation is not diminished by the tragic story of man’s rebellion. Rather His glory bursts brightly on the scene of man’s debauchery. He did not abandon mankind to his own destruction, but immediately set about His plan to save a people for Himself. The biblical narrative unfolds and ultimately unveils the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, Who left His throne in glory to enter His creation, suffered the rejection of His own people, for only one unbelievable reason: to save those whom He had chosen before the foundation of the world.

The Book of Genesis powerfully and beautifully expresses the glory of God, the Creator. Carefully embedded in this narrative are the warnings that place the fear of God in the hearts even of those whom He saves. But the telling of redemption gives hope in the midst of the declarations of God’s judgment. That judgment, though clearly pronounced, also promises a Savior. The author is telling his readers, The heavens declare the glory of God. Keep your eye fixed on Him Who is your salvation. He rules from heaven, declaring both justice and salvation. He alone is your sure foundation in a world that is otherwise passing away. He will lead you safely home where you will dwell in His presence forevermore.

Understanding the narrative of Genesis is foundational. We should diligently apply ourselves to the comprehension of what God has revealed. At the same time, we should quietly accept those aspects of the nature of God, His creation, and His redemption, which God has not revealed. That is a mystery, which lies wholly within the counsel of the eternal God. The creation that God spoke into existence and the order that He established is the only point of eternal reference that answers all questions and issues that man can raise and the guiding principles by which he should live in companionship with his Creator. The Word of God tells the human race everything needed to understand Who He is, the plight of every sinner, and the salvation He offers for the forgiveness of sin. It never tells us everything about the nature of God or explicitly provides details about the formation of His creation. To pursue debate, controversy, and unresolvable scientific speculation is a futile endeavor.

Unfortunately, man has become consumed with his own importance. He has made himself his own god. In that pursuit, he does not see his need for God. The Scripture warns of the futility of this misguided endeavor: We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

The Bible-versus-science debate has, most regrettably, sidetracked readers of Genesis 1. Instead of reading the chapter as a triumphant affirmation of the power and wisdom of God and the wonder of his creation, we have been too often bogged down in attempting to squeeze Scripture into the mold of the latest scientific hypothesis or distorting scientific facts to fit a particular interpretation. When allowed to speak for itself, Genesis 1 looks beyond such minutiae. Its proclamation of the God of grace and power who undergirds the world and gives it purpose justifies the scientific approach to nature. Genesis 1, by further affirming the unique status of man, his place in the divine program, and God’s care for him, gives a hope to mankind that atheistic philosophies can never legitimately supply.¹

Nevertheless, it is vitally important that we correctly understand the beginnings told in Genesis so we may fully grasp the truth of the entire biblical narrative, celebrating God’s sovereign plan that reconciles His fallen creation to its intended destiny. His plan brings us once again to a time when we will walk with Him through His garden in the cool of the day.

The scope of this commentary prohibits a lengthy discourse on how and why God created the heavens and the earth. For us, it is enough that God said it. The best minds of theological and scientific research fail at some point to adequately explain the beginning of the world as we know it. Our intent is to stay faithful to the text and to stay away from discussions that the human mind cannot satisfactorily resolve. It is simply enough to say, And God said!

O WORSHIP THE KING

O worship the King

all-glorious above,

O gratefully sing

His power and His love;

our shield and Defender,

the Ancient of days,

pavilioned in splendor

and girded with praise.

O tell of His might,

O sing of His grace,

whose robe is the light,

whose canopy space.

His chariots of wrath

the deep thunderclouds form,

and dark is His path

on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store

Of wonders untold,

Almighty, Your power

has founded of old;

has established it fast

by a changeless decree,

and round it has cast

like a mantle, the sea.

Frail children of dust,

and feeble as frail,

in You do we trust,

nor find You to fail.

Your mercies how tender,

how firm to the end,

our Maker, Defender,

Redeemer, and Friend!

~ Sir Robert Grant (1833)

Genesis 15:13

¹³Then the LORD said to Abram, "Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Deuteronomy 7:6-7

⁶"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. ⁷It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples…

1.Wenham GJ. Word Biblical Commentary, Genesis 1–15, vol. 1. Dallas: Word, Inc., 1998: 40.

GENESIS

Genesis 1:1-5

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1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

The Bible opens with a bold declaration of God’s action when He created the heavens and the earth. The opening states simply but profoundly, In the beginning God created.

The very idea that there was a beginning implies that there was a moment when the earth and heavens came into existence. Before that moment, time and matter did not exist. Some outside force had to act in order for history to begin. Thus, Genesis states that, In the beginning, God created. The preexistent eternal God spoke, and the universe sprang into existence. By the power of His spoken word, God brought everything into being.

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:3)

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90:2)

This means that the material world is not eternal. It is not self-creating. It is not self-perpetuating. It has no power to mold or change its primary characteristics. The best science in the world can only speculate on how the universe came into existence. However, all theories, whether scientific or philosophical, fall far short of answering the quest for substantive, definitive answers. The quest itself demonstrates that the human race troubles itself, because it does not want to believe in a moral, eternal Being Who holds man accountable for his thoughts and actions.

The writer of the New Testament letter of Hebrews quoted Psalm 102:25: And, ‘You, LORD, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands’ (Hebrews 1:10).

John’s Gospel opens with this prologue: 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 (John 1:1–3).

God created the heavens and the earth without any preexistent material. Only God has the capacity to create something. Theologians call this creatio ex nihilo, that is creation out of nothing.¹ as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist (Romans 4:17). Perhaps it would be better to understand that God created the universe out of His own creative sovereignty. God Himself was the only Entity that was present before the world was created. God simply spoke creation into being. Creation was an act of the Creator’s sovereign determination, not subject to human innovation or speculation. Because God is the initiator of creation, nothing could prevent what God had ordained by the power of His spoken word.

1:2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

The earth was without form and void. This Hebrew phrase Tōhû wābōhû conveys the sense of characterizing the earth as uninhabitable and inhospitable to human life.² The earth at first was covered with water and shrouded in darkness for the Lord had not yet created light. The sun, moon, and stars were not created until the fourth day. Darkness was not and is not inherently evil. Darkness cannot hide or limit God. ...even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you (Psalm 139:12). Humanly speaking, we might think that this stage of earth’s creation was rather primitive. However, the author of Genesis is simply informing the reader of this stage of earth’s development. Whatever we may visualize, the earth was constituted exactly the way God intended. It was created in such a way that it supported everything God did in the following days.

Despite the condition of the earth at this time, Isaiah understood that God had a purpose in creating the earth, bringing shape and substance to this formless mass, and making a place for those He would eventually make in His image.

For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): I am the LORD, and there is no other." (Isaiah 45:18)

The formlessness of the earth and the desolate emptiness were simply the initial conditions of earth’s creation. The Spirit of God hovered over the face of the deep, expressing God’s sovereign authority over His creation. The language of the verse reflects the presence of the fullness of the Godhead hovering over the face of the deep. This verse portrays the Holy Spirit as an integral part of God’s presence, acting creatively as He hovers over the waters. It is painfully obvious that human language has great difficulty when it attempts to fully explain the essence of the eternal God, Who brought everything into being simply by the power of His word.

No matter how we attempt to interpret how God created the heavens and the water-covered mass of the earth, it is essential that we understand that God, the eternal and infinite One, is the sole Author of this aspect of His creation. As the Psalmist wrote:

⁶By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. ⁸Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! ⁹For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. (Psalm 33:6–9)

1:3 And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.

This is the first instance in all of Scripture where the narrator indicates that God spoke. That does not mean that God did not speak before this time. Rather, this verse leads most commentators to conclude that the power of God’s spoken word brought the entire universe into being. In fact, Calvin argues that the Word of God was present from a time before the beginning of Creation. The Gospel of John testifies that nothing was created without the Word, Who was with God from the beginning and, indeed, is God (John 1:1–3).

It is very difficult to say what this light is. It is not the light of the sun, moon, or stars, because God created those celestial bodies on the fourth day. It probably is not light as we think of light, that is, a measurable source of energy in the spectrum visible to the human eye. Rather, it is likely the energy that animates all creation. It comes forth from God and gives life. It is essential to the existence of all matter and energy. It is the stuff that energizes the sun, moon, and stars that God creates on the fourth day. It energizes all plant and animal life. It is the light that gives life to everyone who comes into this world (John 1:4–5).

1:4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.

God looked at the light and saw that it was good. Light was brought into existence by the spoken word of God, Who is perfect, so that the