Genesis 1. Creation: God created everything with His words.

1. Gen 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

(The Title of the Whole Creation)

1> In the Beginning:

God alone was when nothing was. Before any human being was, God was.

2> God: Elohim:

mighty, powerful, great, majestic God.

3> Created (Hebrew word; bara)

God makes the world out of nothing.

4> Heavens and earth

From the end of the heavens to the end of the earth and everything in between.

                                God made everything in heavens and earth including us.

                                                God knows us very well because He made us.

5> God is the Creator.

It is God who created the world not us.

We are simply his creatures (created beings).

Our world view should be ‘God-centered’, not ‘I-centered’.

2. Gen 1: 2

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

(The Situation before the Creation)

2-1> There was nothing before the creation except God, the Spirit of God.

1> Formless and empty: There was nothing.

2> Darkness: Nothing was seen at that time.

3> Hovering over the waters.

                                In order to explain the presence of the Spirit of God, which is same as wind in Hebrew.

                                The author purposely mentioned about the waters.

2-2> Different Tense in V1-2 and V3-2:3.

                1> The tense of Gen 1:1 and Gen 1:2  is Past tense. 

                2> The tense of Gen 1:3-2:3 is different from Gen 1:1,2.

Tense change part + Future tense = Past tense

                                When translated, both are past tense, but they are clearly different in Hebrew.

                                (Since I do not know the Hebrew, it is a little difficult for me to explain about it)

                                Therefore, it is reasonable to say that V1, 2 are separated from V3-2:3.

                                                V1 is the title. God made everything.

                                                V2 is the situation. There was nothing except God before the creation.

                                                V3 is the start of the first creation.

2-3> Different views.

                V1 is not the title but first creation work.

                The earth and waters were created first and later God created the light in the first day.  

3. Gen1:3-Gen 2:3 .

3-1> God’s 7 days of Creation.

1 day: God created the light. God divided the light from the darkness.

4day: God created the sun, moon and stars.

2 day: God created the sky. God divided the waters.

5day: God created bird and fish.

3 day: God created dry land and plants.

6day: God created animals and man.

7day: God rested.

3-2>  This reveals the Characters of God.

1> God is God of Light. (V3)

                                God is light. There is no darkness at all. (1 Jn 1:5)

                                God is righteous, just and perfect.

2> God is God of Order. (V4,6,9,14,29)

God put order in the formless, chaotic condition.

                                He will give us order in our life of disorder; in our distorted character

3> God is God of Fullness. (V11,14,15,20,24)              

God fill the empty with the beautiful creatures.

                                He will fill our empty hearts with every spiritual blessing.                          

4> God is God Almighty. (V7,9,11,15,24,30)

His word is powerful. God’s words accomplish whatever God intends.

5> God is God of Diversity. (God of Art) (V11,21,24)

                                God made all different kinds of things accordingly.

God is not uniformly. God is delicate, sensitive and diverse.

6> God is God of Goodness. (V3,10,12,18,21,25,31)

                                God is good. God does not have any evil in Him.

                                Even when we are in pain and agony, we can experience His goodness in Him.

4. Gen1:16.

God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

4-1> The Sun and the moon were worshipped as gods in the ancient near East.

Egypt: Sun god: created the world. Moon god: Tefnut

Mesopotamia: Sun god; shamah, Moon gods: Naana and Sin.    

Canaanite: Sun god: Shemesh (Beth Shemesh; 1 Sam 6:12)

4-2> Moses was saying that the sun and moon are simply creations of the Creator God.

                We must not fear/worship created beings, but God, the Creator.

                We must put our trust in God. 

5. Gen 1:26-27:

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

5-1> Human: the image of God.

1> Humans possess personality:

We are personal and self-conscious creatures.

We have intellect, knowledge, and feeling.

We also have the power of self-determination, a will and freedom to choose.

We are not mere animals driven by instinct or programmed to respond to certain stimuli.

2> Humans possess morality:

We are able to make moral judgments and have a conscience.

We seek righteousness and justice.

We hate unrighteousness and injustice.  

3> Humans possess spirituality:

                        We have capacity to know God.

We have desire to love Him, obey Him, worship Him.   

                        We can have communion/fellowship with God.

5-2> We have the image of God.

We are precious before God’s sight.

We are to be made to reflect the glory of God.

                We are the glory of God.

6. Gen 1:31.

31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

God made us and all things for His Glory.

                Ultimate purpose of God’s creation is for His Glory. (Isa 43:7)

                We should do everything for the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)

                We do not make God more glorious.

                We just simply display His glory so that His glory might be known and praised among people. (Isa 43:20-21)