The One and Only

Why Study Genesis 1-11?

I. It Answers Many of Life’s Greatest Questions

Who am I?

Why am I here?

Where did I come from?

Where am I going?

Why are there so many problems in the world?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why do good things happen to bad people?

How did the earth really get here?

How many genders are there?

Where did all these animals come from?

Why are there so many different skin colors?

Why are there so many different languages?

How does God deal with sin?

Did dinosaurs really exist?

Is there any hope?!

II. It Establishes the Foundation of Our Faith

A. The Bible can be summed up in four words: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration

If we can believe at the beginning what God is doing, then we can also believe at the end what God will bring together and everything in between.

B. In Genesis 1-11:

We will grow our understanding of our doctrine of God

Who is God?

What is God doing?

How does God relate to His creation?

How does God relate to His people?

Does God really punish sin?

Why does God punish sin?

We will grow our understanding of humanity

How do we relate to God?

Why do we behave the way we do?

What is our purpose?

We will grow our understanding of angels, demons, and the spiritual realm

There is a real, created, spiritual being named satan

Who is he?

What does he want?

III. It Puts Everything into Perspective

A. Before we even get out of verse 1, and certainly chapter 1, you will be left with this incredible realization:

God is unfathomably big, and I am incredibly small

B. By the time we reach the end of chapter 3, you will see:

God is perfectly holy, righteous, and just, and I am sinful, broken, and in need of a Savior.

IV. It is Scriptural and Completely Trustworthy

A. Genesis is not story. Genesis is not fable. Genesis is not myth. Every word in this book, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is the Word of God and is 100% true.

God’s Word is eternal

Isaiah 40:8 NASB95

8 The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

In other words, everything about this life will fade away, but God word will always be, and it will be right and it will be true.

God’s Word is Divinely inspired

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NKJV)

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible is 66 books, written by approximately 40 authors, over a course of about 1500 years. Yet, every single word comes directly from the mouth of God.

God’s Word is infallible

2 Peter 1:20–21 (NASB95)

20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The Bible was not written on the whims of fallible human beings, but by the Divine inspiration of an eternal, unchanging God.

Because of this, God’s Word is inerrant

John 17:17 (NASB95)

17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

James 1:17 says God never changes nor casts a shifting shadow. Hebrews 13:8 says God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In other words, if there is one error in this book, there might as well be 100 errors and it didn’t come from the God of Truth.

Therefore, God’s Word is authoritative

Matthew 7:28–29 (NLT)

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

Do we see anywhere else in Scripture that affirms Genesis is literal history?

A. It turns out many authors affirm the historicity of Genesis. Let me give you some examples:

Paul affirms a literal Adam:

1 Corinthians 15:21–22 (NASB95)

21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Romans 5:12–14 (NASB95)

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13 for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

In Genesis, God tells Adam, “Eat of any tree you want accept that one. If you eat that one, you’re gonna die.” Paul says, “Adam’s dead.”

The real man, really sinned and really died, and because he died we needed a second Adam, Jesus Christ, to make us alive.

Paul affirms a literal Eve:

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NASB95)

3 But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

The writer of Hebrews affirms a literal Enoch, Abraham, and Sarah:

Hebrews 11:5 (NASB95)

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death …

Hebrews 11:7 (NASB95)

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household …

Hebrews 11:8 (NASB95)

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance …

Hebrews 11:11 (NASB95)

11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive …

Paul affirms the biblical understanding of marriage:

Ephesians 5:31 NASB95

31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

Luke documents Paul’s affirmation that God created the heavens and that all peoples are descended from one man:

Acts 17:23–26 (NASB95)

23 “For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,

B. What about Jesus though? Did He ever affirm the historical acts written in this book?

In Luke 11:51, Jesus says Able was the first prophet

In Mark 10:5-8, Jesus affirms two genders and the biblical design of marriage from the beginning

In Luke 24:27, after Jesus was raised from the dead, He appears to His disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Luke 24:27 (NASB95)

27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Where does Jesus go to show the Scriptures testify about Him? He begins with Moses. What did Moses write? The first five books of the Bible. So Jesus takes His disciples all the way back to Genesis to explain how they testify about Him.

In Luke 17, when Jesus is discussing the second coming, He says it will be just as it was in the days of Noah, affirming Genesis’ account of a literal man named Noah, a literal ark, and a literal flood.

In John 8, Jesus tells the religious leaders He is God, in the flesh, standing right before them:

John 8:56–58 NASB95

56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

In John 5, Jesus spells it out plainly.

John 5:39–40 NASB95

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

In other words, Jesus says, “These Scriptures that you cling to so desperately? They reveal and testify about and concern Me! I’m the main character. I’m the God of the Universe and it’s through Me alone that you can have life.

C. You can choose not to believe Genesis, but understand that Jesus said that the very revelation of who He is, the Lord and Savior of all, begins in this book. Genesis 1:1 is God’s introduction. It’s His walk out song.

So, How Does God Introduce Himself?

I. As the Eternally, Self-Existing God Living Outside of Space and Time

A. The first four words of Scripture are in the beginning God. He always was, always is, and always will be.

Genesis 1:1 is perhaps the most important verse in all of Scripture. Why? Because if it is true, then everything else we read in Scripture is at least possible.

Genesis 1 is not a matter of interpretation. It is a matter of believing the authority of God’s Word. And anyone I have met who believes something else other than what God’s Word says has allowed something else to become the authority in their life.

When it comes to Genesis, and the creation of the world, you fall into one of two categories:

Either Something was always there

Or something came from nothing

Reading the Bible literally, we find that Something was always there: God

And God’s first act of creation is to create the heavens and the earth. For you artists out there, God is creating the largest canvas ever known.

The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second

One light year is 5.86 trillion miles

The Milky Way Galaxy, your subdivision of the universe, is 200,000 light years across

The nearest galaxy to us is 176,000 light years away

And scientists have no idea how many galaxies exist in the universe or how big the universe is

Isaiah 40:12 NLT

12 Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?

II. By His Name, Elohim: The Strong, Mighty, Powerful God

A. God introduces Himself as the strongest, mightiest, most powerful Being ever.

God, who exists outside of space and time, steps into space and time and begins His creative work.

And at each step of creation, each of the six days of creation which we will go through, you will see that Elohim is personally involved with every process.

B. Elohim is also in the plural

You can’t tell this from the English text, but in the Hebrew it is a plural noun. In other words Christian, the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, existed before creation and was involved in every aspect of creation.

Genesis 1:1 (NASB95)

1 In the beginning God …

Genesis 1:2 (NASB95)

2 … and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

John 1:1–3 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:14 (NASB95)

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us …

III. Through the Awesomeness of His Creative Act

A. This is using the ‘word’ awesome in its truest sense.

Just the fact that God has always existed should blow your mind. But God went farther than that and created a giant canvas on which He paints the universe. Next week you’re going to see that in six, literal days God created every aspect of creation, culminating in the prize of His work: you and me. And every day that God created something new, He looked at it and said, that is good.

Well, Ethan I don’t know if I believe in the whole six days thing. That seems pretty outrageous. And you are absolutely right! It is outrageous, and it requires a lot of faith. But Scripture tells me I need faith to believe something like this:

Hebrews 11:3 NLT

3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

Now, next week we’ll walk through all six days of creation, and I’ll explain where people get other theories and give you biblical evidence which affirms a literal six day creation.

B. Here’s your assignment for this week though:

Go home, read Genesis 1, and answer these questions just by reading through Scripture:

Who created the universe?

How did He do it?

Do I believe it?

IV. As the One and Only Worthy of All Your Praise

Romans 1:20 NASB95

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Psalm 148 NLT

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! 2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! 3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! 4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! 5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being. 6 He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, 8 fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, 9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, 11 kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, 12 young men and young women, old men and children. 13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! 14 He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones— the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!