In the Beginning

Introduction

“Story of God” series to give you an overview of the Bible’s narrative

Matt (testimony), Scott (worship), and Buddy (Gen. 3) next week

What Genesis 1 is not explaining

There may be no passage as contentious as Genesis 1-2

It’s an arguing point for Christians and an obstacle for many non-Christians

Many Christians think Gen. 1 says it’s faith v. science

Genesis 1 was not written as a rebuttal to Charles Darwin

What it is not answering: In what manner did God create the world?

“What did you do this weekend?” brings two very different answers, depending on if the person asking is a friend or a detective. It doesn’t mean you’re lying to one, it just means you have a different aim in the two situations, so the way you describe is different.

What Genesis 1 is explaining

What it is answering: Who is God and what is his creation like?

This doesn’t mean there aren’t right answers about how God created the world (7 days v. millions of years, immediate creation v. evolutionary creationism), or even that those answers aren’t found partly in Genesis 1. But it does mean that’s not the primary focus of Genesis 1.

It does this by contrasting common notions of God in the ANE with the truth.

e.g. light exists before the sun, but Egyptians thought the Sun God created all and was the source of light

Who is God and what is his creation like?

God existed before anything else (v. 1, “In the beginning, God…”)

What caused the cause? God’s creation is good, but the creation is not God (v. 4, “it was good”)

We should take care of creation, but shouldn’t worship it

Other religions: the world is eternal and the gods arise from it

The reason I talk so much about telling people about Jesus is because the eternal destiny of creation is already decided, but not your friend

There is only one God, but he exists in three persons (v. 26, “let us”)

Also, he’s personal (v. 27, “his”)

Everyone is made in the image of God (v. 26, “mankind”)

In ANE cultures, they believed only the king was made in God’s image

Interrupting an atheist

God is in control over the chaos (v. 2, “formless and empty…surface of the deep”)

Verse 2 would have conveyed to people the dangers of the seas

The other cultures believed the gods arose out of the chaos

The chaos still existed and you had to beg the gods to get their attention

Exhortation

God is a god of goodness and he is sovereign over the chaos

Job 38-42

If he were only good or only sovereign, we’d have reason for anxiety

As long as your eyes on fixed on your issues, you’ll give way to fear

But when your eyes are fixed on the sovereign creator, faith takes over

Psalm 29:10-11 — The Lord sits enthroned over the flood…the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Recognizing his power comes before receiving his peace.

Will you trust that God is sovereign in the middle of the chaos?