Meet Your Maker (Genesis 1:1-25)

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Why do we need to study Genesis?

I once walked in on my brother watching a New Girl episode. There was this one character that started doing this goofy monolog, and i remember to this day my brother just dying laughing. Yet, i had no idea why he was laughing. I asked him to explain, and he had mentioned that this joke was set up at the beginning of the episode. I didn't understand the punch line because I hadn't caught the set up - I had missed the beginning of the story.

None of us, if we haven't seen the stroy before, jump in to an episode of TV in the middle. It doesnt make sense to do that - you just miss so much. If we don't see the beginning - we misunderstand the end.

I say this, because so often we jump into stories of the Bible without first understanding the begining of the story. We do this with the New Testament SO much. So many of us, especially if we are newer in our walk with Jesus, or have grown up in a church that primarily preaches form the New Testament, often jump into the new testament without realizing that by doing so we are starting an episode of a grand drama in the 30 minutes in to a 50 minute episode.

The first words in the new testament are in matthew. Itn says - this is the genealogy of Jesus - the son of David, the son of Abraham. If we don't understand our Old testament - we do not understand the impact of that simple sentence. If we don't understand our Hebrew bible - we miss the punch line so to speak of all the fullness of what Jesus is doing.

Why should we study the old testament? because if we skip over the beginning of the story - we will at best, under appreciate the story we are participating in - or at worst, radically misunderstand it.

There is perhaps nowhere where this is more true than Genesis 1-11. Without understanding Genesis 1-11, we are missing so much of the punchline of the story of Scripture. That's what i would propose to you. And I will say this - that without the right tools to think through the stories found in Genesis 1, we wont understand it.

So lets read Gen 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1–2 ESV

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

lets stop there. I think Genesis 1:1 is a summary statement for the text.

What is Genesis 1:1 doing?

(Three Scholarly Views on the Opening Line of Scripture)

1. Independent Clause

“In the beginning, God created…” (Traditional / Ex Nihilo View)

Summary:

Verse 1 = a complete, stand-alone sentence.

Describes God’s initial act of creation out of nothing.

Verse 2 shows the unformed state that follows, and verse 3 begins the ordering.

Support:

Grammar allows berēʾšît (“in the beginning”) as absolute, not dependent.

Fits traditional Jewish & Christian reading (LXX, early church).

Key Scholars: Cassuto • Mathews • Waltke

Main Idea: 👉 Genesis 1:1 is the first act of creation. God made everything before shaping it.

2. Dependent Clause

“When God began to create the heavens and the earth…” (Temporal / Ordering View)

Summary:

Verse 1 = temporal clause, not independent.

Verse 2 describes the world’s condition when God began—formless, dark, watery.

Verse 3 begins the creative ordering (“Then God said…”).

Support:

Berēʾšît is construct form (“in the beginning of”) → naturally dependent.

Matches Hebrew syntax (cf. Hosea 1:2).

Echoes ANE style (“When on high…” in Enuma Elish).

Key Scholars: Speiser • Sarna • Wenham • Westermann

Main Idea: 👉 Genesis 1 starts with God bringing order to an existing chaotic state.

3. Summary / Title Statement

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Heading / Thematic View)

Summary:

Verse 1 = summary or title for the entire section (1:1–2:3).

Verse 2 sets the scene; verses 3–31 unpack how God formed and filled.

Functions like a chapter heading (“Here’s what this is about…”).

Support:

Mirrors Hebrew narrative headings (e.g., Gen 2:4).

Emphasizes theological scope: God as Creator of all.

Key Scholars: Walton • Hamilton • Blocher

Main Idea: Genesis 1:1 is the headline announcing God’s creation of everything; what follows are the details.

Core Truth:

Regardless of syntax —

God alone is eternal, sovereign, and good. Genesis 1 reveals who created and why, not how or when.

Chaos Before Creation (v2)

Genesis 1:2 ESV

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.

"Formless and Void" (תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ)

"Tohu" (תֹהוּ) – often means wasteland, desolation, chaos, or unformed state (Isaiah 45:18, Deuteronomy 32:10).

"Bohu" (בֹהוּ) – appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible but seems to emphasize emptiness, void, or uninhabited state (Jeremiah 4:23).

Together, the phrase conveys a world that is unshaped and unfilled, not yet ordered or suitable for life. It does not mean that the earth was created in a chaotic or evil state, but rather that God had not yet structured and populated it.

Genesis 1:2 ESV

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.

💬 Observation:

What do you notice about what already exists before God speaks?

What two things are not said to be created here?

Why might the author mention darkness and the deep before any light or land appears?

What was the

How do these images make you feel—peaceful or unsettling? Why?

🌊 The Primordial Waters and the Darkness:

“Darkness” (ḥōshek) and “the deep” (tehom) are not described as being created by God in this verse; they simply are. The author wants us to feel the weight of a world unlit and unbounded.

In the ancient world, both darkness and sea symbolized forces of chaos—realities that resist order and life. The Babylonian Enuma Elish spoke of the goddess Tiamat (same linguistic root as tehom), whom Marduk had to slay to make the heavens. Genesis reverses that story: no battle, no rival gods. God reigns without contest; His Spirit hovers calmly over what others feared.

Throughout Scripture, these two elements—darkness and sea—become shorthand for spiritual and cosmic opposition to God’s purposes:In each, God’s rule over the waters represents His victory over disorder, evil, and death.

The Flood. Genesis 1 is the story of God separating the waters to clear a space for his creation to grow and flourish. Just a few chapters later, however, humanity has made such a wreck of God’s creation that he is going to start over. What is his chosen agent of destruction? The sea of chaos. The flood narrative is told as a reversal of what God accomplished in creation in Genesis 1. The “the fountains of the great deep (tehom) burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.” (Genesis 7:11). The “great deep” is the same deep the Spirit was hovering over in Genesis 1:2. Now it has returned to act as an instrument of God’s judgment.

The Crossing of the Red Sea. In Exodus 14, God made the sea into dry land for the Israelites by separating it (as he also separated it in Genesis 1), but the sea becomes death for the Egyptians when they try to follow and it closes around them. Exodus 15 retells the story in poetic form and the Egyptians are depicted as being “covered by the deep (tehom)” into which they “sank like a stone” (Exodus 15:5).

The Psalms and the Prophets. The Psalms return to the idea of the sea of chaos again and again, most often to express God’s power over it. Psalm 77 is a good example: “When the waters saw you, O God/when the waters saw you/they were afraid/indeed, the deep (tehom) trembled.”

Jesus walking on the waters. In Matthew 14, Jesus walks out to the disciples as they sail across the sea of Galilee. Matthew highlights that the “wind and the waves are against them” and that, when the disciples see Jesus, they think he is a ghost. This should be ringing bells with Genesis 1:2. In both, you have an unruly, chaotic sea with God positioned on top of it. When Jesus calms the wind and waves, they are in awe and worship him. Why does Matthew highlight the fact that they worship him as God when he calms the water? It is because every good Jew, shaped as they would have been by Genesis 1, knew that God controls the waters and that the one who controls the waters is God. They worshipped him because they caught a glimpse of the fact that this wasn’t just Jesus of Nazareth, itenerant preacher, before them, but the one who spoke all of creation into existence and stilled the first primeval sea with his word.

Psalm 74:12–17 ESV

Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth. You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You split open springs and brooks; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun. You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth; you have made summer and winter.

Psalm 89:9–11 ESV

You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.

Isaiah 27:1 ESV

In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

Isaiah 51:9–10 ESV

Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?

Job 26:12–13 ESV

By his power he stilled the sea; by his understanding he shattered Rahab. By his wind the heavens were made fair; his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

The Spirit of God hovering (merachefet) evokes a mother bird guarding her nest. The image is gentle yet powerful—God present over chaos, not fleeing from it.

The narrative trajectory of Scripture moves from Genesis 1:2 (dark waters) to Revelation 21–22, where those elements are absent:

Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.”

Revelation 22:5 “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

Creation begins with darkness and sea; new creation ends with neither. God’s story moves from chaos to communion, from night to everlasting light.

💬 Application:

Where do you see “dark waters” or “formless places” in your life right now—areas that feel out of control or spiritually heavy? How might God’s Spirit be hovering there, quietly preparing to bring light and order rather than retreating from the chaos?

From Chaos to Order (Gen 1:1-25)

The "formless and void" state highlights a key theological theme: ✅ God brings order out of disorder – The creation process in Genesis 1 follows a clear pattern:

Days 1-3: God gives form (light/dark, sky/sea, land/vegetation).

Genesis 1:1–13 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 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. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God 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. And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

What are some things you see in this passage? What stands out? Whats repeated?

(command, report, assessment, dominion, time)

V3 – “and God said “be light” and light be-ed” God speaks and something happens. When humans create something, we have to have materials right? We need materials, and energy to morph, and change and to create. Yet God creates simply out of nothing.

This is what's known as the “creation ex nihilo” – or creation out of nothing. God does not need anything to create, and he is the only who can create something from nothing.

v4- a phrase that will be repeated several times throughout Genesis 1 “it was good” and it is a very important repetition. It is important for us to understand that when we were created, we were created good. That all of creation, everything created by God, is “very good”. 

Days 4-6: God fills the emptiness (sun/moon/stars, birds/fish, land animals/humans).

Genesis 1:14–25 ESV

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

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I want to switch gears hear for a second.

What is the number one question we often bring in to Genesis 1? how old is the earth etc. Its interesting, the genesis account does not care about that question at all because:

Genesis 1 is more of a theological exhortation, than it is a cosmological explanation.

What do i mean by that?

when we look at Genesis 1 - it doesn't give us answers to the questions we often bring to it (ie the age of the earth, and how it all was made). It doesnt care to answer that.

So what is it doing?

I would submit to you that Genesis is trying to teach you theology not cosmology. and specifically, its trying to combat competing worldviews of the day.

I will say this - one of the main reasons we as Christians often take the more scientific questions to the text is because we are wrestling against the worldview of Naturalism - that nothing is spiritual, everything has an explanation ect.

So its not that these questions about cosmology aren't important - but they arent what the text cares to focus on.

Why do you think Genesis 1 might not care to combat the worldview of naturalism?

ORIGINAL AUDIENCE - the original audience of for Genesis was the Israelites who had come out of Egypt. and what are some things we know about the Egyptian worldview? Were they heavily imposing naturalism? NO. None of the nations in the Ancient Near East would have been saying “I don't think God was involved in any of this” - they are were saying, my gods did all of this.

Other ANE creation myths:

The Enuma Elish (Babylonian Creation Epic) – c. 1700–1600 BC

This Mesopotamian myth describes creation as a result of a violent battle among the gods. The god Marduk defeats the chaos goddess Tiamat and uses her split body to form the heavens and the earth. Humans are created from the blood of Kingu (another defeated god) to be slaves for the gods.

The Egyptian Creation Myths (Various Versions) – c. 2000–1500 BC

Different versions exist, but one common theme is that the primordial waters (Nun) existed before creation, and the god Atum (or Ptah or Ra, depending on the version) emerges from the waters and speaks or wills creation into existence. Creation is often seen as cyclical, tied to the rising and setting of the sun, and the gods maintain order against the forces of chaos.

Egyptian Pantheon worships the creation over the creator

If we look at the egyptian pantheon, they have gods for everything - they worship the sun, the moon, they worship the river, they worship the cattle.

What we see in the egyptian culture and religious system is the human tendency to worship the creation over the creator.

Today - we may not worship the stars or the sun. But, what are some ways that we also worship the creation instead of the creator?

How Genesis 1 Confronts and Refutes These Narratives

The Genesis 1 account, given by divine revelation through Moses, directly challenges the false theologies of these surrounding myths:

What are some things that the Creation Narrative in Genesis claims?

The Sovereignty and control of God

Unlike the Enuma Elish or Egyptian myths, Genesis 1 presents one eternal, all-powerful God (YHWH), who speaks creation into existence effortlessly.

There is no battle, no struggle, and no pantheon of gods fighting for power—only God’s supreme authority over all things.

Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” → This contrasts with the Enuma Elish, where creation results from a cosmic war among deities.

Creation is Ordered and Good, Not Chaotic and Evil

In ANE myths, creation is often an act of violence or an attempt to hold chaos at bay. In Genesis, however, creation is intentional, structured, and declared “good” (Genesis 1:31).

The sea (often representing chaos in ANE thought) is not a deity but simply part of God’s creation (Genesis 1:2, 9-10).

All Humanity Has Dignity, Not a Slave Role

The Enuma Elish teaches that humans were created from the blood of a slain god to be slaves of the gods.

In contrast, Genesis 1:26-27 declares that humans are made in God’s image, with dignity, purpose, and authority over creation—not as slaves but as rulers under God.

God is Transcendent, Not Bound by Nature

In Egyptian and Mesopotamian myths, the gods emerge from creation or depend on it (e.g., Atum arising from the waters).

Genesis teaches that God existed before creation and is distinct from it (Genesis 1:1). He is not part of the cosmos—He creates and rules over it.

The Sun, Moon, and Stars Are Not Deities

Many ANE religions worshiped celestial bodies as gods.

Genesis 1:16 deliberately avoids naming them (calling them merely “the greater and lesser lights”) to show that they are not divine but merely created objects under God’s command.

Genesis 1 was not just an account of origins, but also a theological polemic against the idolatry and false worldviews of Israel’s neighbors. It established monotheism, divine sovereignty, human dignity, and creation’s inherent goodness, setting the stage for Israel’s covenant relationship with the one true God.

What Genesis 1 is primarily trying to address is not cosmology, or the exact nature of the beginning of the world - but rather it is targeted at your idolatry.

- Closing Reflection Questions

What are you worshiping other than God? What are you giving more attention, praise, or time to than you are God?

What are the “gods” of our culture today—things people look to for meaning, security, and fulfillment?

Do you ever find yourself caring more about approval from people (social media, grades, achievements) than approval from God? Why is that?

How might you be able to reorder your life to make God your ultimate object of worship?

[If extra time] Ordering Life with Wisdom

We’ve seen that Genesis 1 isn’t just a story of creation — it’s a story of order. God doesn’t just make things; He arranges them rightly. And as His image-bearers, wisdom for us means learning to order our own lives with that same intentionality — structuring our time, priorities, and energy so that what matters most comes first.”

Form → Fill: Build Structure Before Activity

Text link: God forms light, sky, and land before He fills them. (Days 1–3 vs. Days 4–6)

Teaching point: Fruitfulness always follows formation. Chaos isn’t creative — it’s wasteful.

Practical example:

If you want to grow spiritually, don’t start by adding more — form structure first (consistent time, place, and plan for prayer or Scripture).

If you’re struggling to manage your week, don’t just “do more.” Create a framework — time blocks for focus, relational time, and rest.

Separate → Structure: Create Boundaries

Text link: God separates light from darkness, waters from land.

Teaching point: Boundaries make flourishing possible — both in creation and in our lives.

Practical examples:

Technology: Set a “digital sunset” — no phone after 9 p.m.

Relationships: It’s okay to say no to some social things to say yes to what’s vital.

Work: Don’t blend everything into one blob — define work time, ministry time, and recovery time.

“Godly order means not everything that’s good belongs everywhere in your life.”

Greater → Lesser Lights: Priority over Proximity

Text link: God makes the greater and lesser lights — He arranges them by importance, not nearness.

Teaching point: Wisdom means orienting life around priority, not proximity. The urgent, loud, and convenient things will always try to eclipse the meaningful ones.

Practical examples:

Checking your phone first thing in the morning is proximity; starting in Scripture or prayer is priority.

Talking with people who sharpen your faith before those who just entertain you.

Structuring your calendar around your calling — for example, scheduling discipleship or rest first, then letting lesser things fill in.

“Disorder often happens when we let what’s nearest become what’s dearest.”

God Saw That It Was Good: Evaluate and Celebrate

Text link: God steps back after each day’s work and names it “good.”

Teaching point: Reflection is part of creation’s rhythm. Wise people don’t just do — they discern.

Practical examples:

Weekly review (Sunday night or Friday morning): What this week reflected God’s purpose? What drifted?

Celebrate progress — even partial progress — rather than chasing constant productivity.

Journaling or short prayer of gratitude for the “good” moments of the week.

“Reflection is where wisdom grows — activity without reflection breeds chaos.”

Conclusion / Takeaway

God doesn’t just create — He orders. Wisdom is imitating that same rhythm: forming structure, setting boundaries, and prioritizing what’s most important. The goal isn’t busyness; it’s becoming fruitful in the right things.”