Columbiana County Jail Scripture Commentary 11/28/2025
Columbiana County Jail • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Genesis 1:1-5
Genesis 1:1-5
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
I would like to establish that this is the very first book of the Bible. This is the very first verse in the Bible. With this established, I would like to establish that verse makes two huge claims. The first claim is there was a beginning and the second claim is God created everything.
What does this say to us? What does this mean? Well, it immediately contradicts the view of an eternal or cyclical universe. What is a cyclical universe meaning? A cyclical universe is a cosmological theory suggesting the universe undergoes infinite cycles of expansion and contraction, or “big bangs” and “big crunches”, rather than having a definitive beginning or end. What is an eternal universe? An eternal universe is a cosmological theory that proposes the universe has always existed and will continue to exist forever, without a beginning or end.
This first verse contradicts any religious view which takes the universe to be an accident, the product of many gods, or part of some other process. What does this mean? This first view contradicts pantheism. A religious view where the universe is to be accentuated is called pantheism. This is the belief that the universe itself is divine and can be met with reverence and awe. In pantheism, there is no separate creator; God is identified with the cosmos, and everything is an expression of the divine. Examples of these religious views would be Greek Stoicism and certain aspects of Hindu philosophy.
The religious view where the creation of the universe is attributed to many gods is called polytheism. In polytheistic belief systems, the world comes into being through the actions of a pantheon of gods and goddesses who can be involved in creation in various ways, such as through primal birth, violence, or a demiurge. Examples of polytheistic views can be found in some interpretations of ancient Greek beliefs , some forms of Hinduism ,and Shinto, though many of these traditions are very complex and have different theological layers.
The religious views of creation as part of a larger process vary, but include the idea of an ongoing or cyclical cosmic process rather than a single, final act. Some beliefs, like theistic evolution, see creation as a continuous process guided by God through theories like evolution. These views consider God the primary cause and nature provides the secondary mechanisms. Other cyclical views, like those in Hinduism, describe the universe as undergoing endless cycles of birth, death, and rebirth, with each cycle taking billions of years.
Theistic evolution (God-guided evolution)
Concept - God creates and guides the universe through natural laws and processes, including evolution.
Process - This theory suggests that God is the primary cause and the natural causes are secondary. This way this theory can be compatible with other scientific theories such as the Big Bang theory and their conception of the age of the Earth, although scientific evidence clearly points otherwise. So it sees God as acting through the laws of nature.
Relationship with science - People who support this view science and religious beliefs as noncontradictory and seek to harmonize them.
Hindu cyclical creation
Concept - The universe is an endless, repeating cycle of creation and destruction.
Process - This is often described in the terms of the “days and nights of Brahma” with each day lasting billions of years and ending with a period of dissolution before a new creation begins.
Relationship with science - This view has time scales that align with modern scientific cosmology, suggesting a rhythmically moving cosmos that is both ancient and constantly renewing itself.
Other views
God becomes the universe - Some philosophies, like pantheism and panentheism, purpose that God became the universe entire entirely or in part. In this view, creation is not a singular act but the ongoing existence of the divine.
Zoroastrianism - This religion presents the creation as a process within a cosmic struggle between good and evil that takes place over 12,000 years, with creation occuring in one 3,000 year period during this struggle.
Islam
In Islam, creation is believed to have occured through Allah’s command , which brought the heavens and Earth into existence over “six days”.
Sounds familiar right?
Let us look closer
The beginning - The Quran states that the heavens and the earth were once “joined together” before being split apart, a concept that aligns with the “Big Bang” theory.
The “six days”- The creation was created in six “days”. which is understood as six distinct periods or eons, not literal 24-hour days . The Quran gives examples where a single day is equated to thousands of years.
Process - After the initial separation, Allah created the sky, the earth, and everything in between. This includes the sun, the moon, and the planets and setting himself on his throne to oversee his work.
Life from water - The Quran mentions that Allah made every living thing from water, a concept that is supported by the theory of evolution.
Interesting huh?
How many of you see any of your current beliefs in any of these false teachings?
Christianity
So I want to show the different views in creation in Christianity. I bet you guys never thought I would get this much out of one verse.
Christianity’s view of creation centers on the belief that God is the Creator of the universe, with the interpretation of the creation account varying widely from the book of Genesis. Some Christians hold to a literal six creation, this is of course my view, while others interpret the days as figurative or long periods of time. Most views, however, is that creation reveals God’s order, beauty, and the special role of humanity as caretakers of creation.
Core beliefs
God as Creator - The foundational belief is that a divine being, God, created the universe and everything in it.
Purpose and Order - Creation is seen by many Christians as a deliberate ordering of the cosmos, revealing a God who is orderly and beautiful.
Humanity’s Role - A key aspect is the special creation of mankind, who is given the responsibility to take care of the earth.
God’s relationship with creation - Creation is not just about how things began, but also about the ongoing relationship between God and man.
Interpretation of Genesis
Literal (Young Earth Creationism) - This view holds that the “heavens and the earth” were created in six, 24 hour days, as described in Genesis, and that the Earth is relatively young. Although this view has been proven through countless scientific evidence and archaeological finds, most rely on this perspective on the straightforward reading of the text and emphasizes the use of the Hebrew word for day, “yom”, when associated with a number.
(This is the view I personally believe in and know to be true through countless hours of research and study as well as my faith which led me to those studies)
Figurative (Old Earth Creationism/ Progressive Creationism) - This view accepts the alternate scientific theory of an old earth and universe but maintains that God was directly involved in creating life. The days of creation may be interpreted as long, unspecified periods of time.
Theistic Evolution - The perspective harmonizes evolution with faith, viewing the scientific theory evolution as the method God used to create life. In this view, God is the ultimate cause and sustainer, and the laws of nature were designed by Him.
So in essence, which view do you hold onto? I wanted to show all views from the start so we can discover the truth together. Keep this in mind, history shows that the idea of a “beginning” is so theologically loaded that secular science, which studies the natural world exclusively on observable evidence excluding any religious explanations, resisted it until it became impossible to deny.
So as we move on through this text, I want you to discover what God is saying and the truth. So I will not hide any information that people use to contradict my beliefs, I encourage the disagreements and welcome the opportunity to discover the truth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
In our last verse, we discovered God created everything: “the heaven and the earth”. This verse begins to describe the process of how it was created.
According to this text, the earth was empty and literally in chaos. The Hebrew words used here are “tohu” and “bohu”, which when translated is “without form” and “void”. Now while some Biblical scholars disagree about whether this “without form state” was the state of the earth immediately after the initial creation, or the result of some events between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. Although we have two theories which we can discuss, at this point in the story, the earth is covered with deep waters. A darkness was over the surface, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the water.
Why darkness? Light has been created yet. There can only be darkness at this point. Still, the Holy Spirit is moving in this darkness. God is preparing to speak, to act with great power to bring order and light into this chaos.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
This verse has one amazing fact. This verse records God’s first spoken words in the Bible. These are words of creation. God literally speaks light into existence in the universe. What is the light? What do you think?
As used in this form, in this passage, this is meant to be understood as natural light. Although people clearly debate aspects of Genesis chapter 1 and 2, this is clearly not a metaphor intended for spiritual light or anything else. Why? Before this moment, light did not exist in the physical universe. God intends for us to understand Him as the Creator even of light itself. Without Him, there would only be darkness.
Here is an interesting point, Some people might object to the idea of light existing before the stars or the sun. As an interesting scientific point, though, secular models such as the “Big Bang” theory theorize that light - photons - actually existed before the complex forms of matter. In other words, just as the Bible clearly states that there was a beginning long before secular science admitted to the same, the Bible also said that light existed before the stars, well in advance of secular science coming to the same conclusion.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
This is the first in the creation account where God will pronounce what He has just made as “good”. What does that mean? He made light, and He approved of it. Pointedly, God did not call the darkness good. In Hebrew philosophy, “light” was the ultimate ideal, a symbol of wisdom, goodness, and knowledge. There is powerful symbolism in God’s choice to create light among the darkness of the universe.
Let us take a look at the powerful symbolism of this act by God.
The symbolism of God creating light from darkness represents a transition from chaos to order, a victory of good over evil, and the introduction of spiritual life, understanding, and hope. Light symbolizes God’s presence, truth, and salvation, while darkness represents spiritual death and ignorance. This act establishes a foundation for all subsequent creation and foreshadows the ultimate triumph of God’s truth in the world.
Order and Foundation
Establishing a new beginning - Creating light before the sun, moon, and stars establishes a fundamental order out of a formless , dark, void.
Defining Cycles - It sets the initial rhythm for the universe by creating the separation of day and night, which is essential for the development of life.
Good over evil
“Good” vs. “not good” - In the creation account, God pronounces the light as “good” but not the darkness, signifying light as the ideal and goodness itself.
Spiritual victory - The act prefigures the ultimate victory of good over evil, this culminates in the New Testament with the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is described as “the Light of the world” that the darkness would not overcome.
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Spiritual life and purpose
Source of life and understand - Light is symbolic of life, understanding, hope, and purpose, banishing spiritual darkness from the world.
God’s revelation - It represents God’s divine truth and knowledge, which is meant to be shared with everyone.
Transformation - Just as God’s light illuminates the darkness, believers who were once “darkness” are now called to be “light” in the world, shining God’s truth through their actions.
This verse will begin a pattern repeated for the rest of the passage. In each of the next days of creation, God will speak something into existence, see the effect it has, declare it good, and then the text will declare the number of the day.
Here, God is said to have separated darkness and light. What does this mean? The two would exist in the world separately from each other, with light being the dominant force. To the extent that light appears, darkness will always disappear. Darkness has no defense against light, since “darkness” does not really exist, in and of itself . It is simply the absence of light.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Genesis is a book of firsts. In verse 3, we heard God’s first recorded words in the Bible. We saw God’s first approval as “good”. Now we see in this verse, God name something for the first time.
God called the light Day and the darkness Night. Naming things is a significant act in the book of Genesis, as well as the rest of the Bible. Why is that? Well, naming something in the ancient mindset is to claim ownership of it. Having the right to name something means claiming sovereignty over that thing. We will see that later, God will task Adam to name the animals as part of his human work in ruling and subduing the earth.
So in part, God means to remain Lord over night and day. He created them. He intended for day and night to exist. They are not merely an accidental consequence of the natural world. Another way to explain this would be God is not merely creating and then allowing this creation to spin out of control. What He has created, He still maintains authority over.
Finally, the verse ends with the blueprint used for the description of each of the six days of creation. “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” From very early on, the people of Israel thought of a day as beginning in the evening, at sunset, and continuing until the sun set on the following day.
What do you think? Do you believe that these days that were created by God strictly 24 hours? Do you believe that creation took longer? My answer is simple. I believe these are strict 24 hour days. Why? The words God used tells me it was. Also if God is capable of speaking light into existence, then He is quite capable of creating as much as He would choose in a 24 hour period. The important details are those which God has actually given. He created light and called it good.
