The Maker's Mark

God Creates

Genesis 1:1–5 (NIV)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 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.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary Prologue (1:1, 2)

The meaning of created (bārā’; cf. 21, 27; 2:3, 4) is best determined from the Old Testament as a whole (including this chapter), where we find that its subject is invariably God, its product may be either things (e.g. Isa. 40:26) or situations (Isa. 45:7, 8, RSV), its companion verbs are chiefly ‘to make’ and ‘to form’ (Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7), and its precise sense varies with its context, which may emphasize either the initial moment of bringing into existence (Isa. 48:3, 7: ‘suddenly’, ‘now’) or the patient work of bringing something to perfection (Gen. 2:1–4; cf. Isa. 65:18). In this opening statement it is possible either to see the whole span of the word, so that verse 1 summarizes the whole passage, or (as I prefer) to take it as stating the beginning of the process.

This matter of creation entailed at the beginning encapsulates the fullness and sufficiency of the One who called all things into existence for His creation is brought forth out of nothing. Without the context of surroundings, intent or even the smallest of building blocks, the Lord calls forth into being the function of every cell, every ray, every molecule and atom. The Lord brought fourth into being out of nothing something that held with it both substance and potential. His beginning brought forth a progression that already assumed an end.

God Instills Himself

Genesis 1:6–13 (NIV)

And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

God puts on display His power and dominion over all things, including time. He is bound by no boundaries or limits. We see this in His orchestration of creation. Days do not limit or contain the wonder of His work. Time serves as the means by which His story is told and communicated in order and thought.

Every aspect of His creation is marked by His attributes. Unique characteristics communicated to His creation through itself.

God Instills Meaning

Genesis 1:14–19 (NIV)

And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. 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. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.