In the Beginning (Genesis 1:1-2:3)

 In the Beginning

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Sunday, September 13, 2026 — Land O’ Lakes Bible Church

Introduction 

This morning we begin a new series as we begin our study through the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis. So, if you will, please go ahead and grab your copy of the Bible or that Red Bible there in your seats and open with me to Genesis 1:1. That will be found on page #1 in the Red Bible.

From now until right after Thanksgiving, it is our aim to make our way through Genesis 11 and briefly touch on Genesis 12. Then for the following 3 or so falls, we will aim to return to Genesis until we complete the book.

Of course, in Genesis there are many familiar stories. Stories especially familiar for you who have spent any amount of time in the church. For there are the accounts of creation and the fall. There is the story of Noah and his ark through the flood. There is that of the tower being built into the sky there in Babel. There are the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.

But this familiarity with certain stories can often cause us to miss the main thrust of what the book of Genesis, this story of beginnings is here in our Bibles for. Namely, it is written for us to understand how everything begins in this world by the hand of God and then to understand both how God’s creation went from being very good to being under the curse of death. But not only this, we it begins to set up the theme that runs through the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22, God’s glorious Story of Redemption. 

Genesis, which means in the beginning, is the start and foundation for understanding the rest of the Bible, including that of the gospel. It will then hopefully strengthen our foundation of the gospel and our awe of what God has done through Christ to restore a sinful people to himself. Or, maybe, if you are not yet a believer, the book of Genesis will help establish a foundation for you to understand the gospel and come to the place of saving faith.

As for the origin of Genesis, we hold that the book of Genesis, along with Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy were all written by Moses. This is noted in various places throughout these five books that Moses is the author here. These five books make up what is known as the Torah, the law of God.

The Torah is thought to have reached its full completion sometime around 1,600-1,500 B.C. This being before the days of King David as the kings of Israel were to make their own copy of the Torah[1], of these first five books of the Bible.

This means, that Genesis was recorded several centuries after the patriarchs of Israel that we are introduced to here in Genesis. And yet, Moses here records these records here as they were passed down through oral tradition along with the aid of the Holy Spirit as part of God’s revelation of himself to humanity. He records them for the benefit of those he was leading out of Egypt towards the Promised Land and for ours today.

As for the structure of Genesis, there are two clear divisions in the ordering of Genesis. There is the first part covering the primeval history regarding the very good creation and the entering of sin and its spread into that creation in Genesis 1-11. Then in Genesis 12-50, we see God’s zeroing in on one family line, the Patriarchs, to bring about his purposes of redemption, not just to Israel, but to the nations, so that the earth may be filled with his glory!

However, despite this clear division, we see a redundant theme throughout Genesis, יְהוָ֥ה is the creating God who sovereignly rules over everything and that he is unrivaled by any other. From his work in creation, to his work of redemption, time and again, we see that יְהוָ֥ה is at work to fulfill his purposes and for the advance of his glory through his creation.

Let us then read Genesis 1:1-2:3.

Main Point: By the word of His power, Yahweh creates the heavens and the earth and all that fills them from nothing. Therefore, as those made in his image, we are to rest in and obey our Creator. 

And so, because we have two characters here in Genesis 1, that of God and Man, these will be our two points this morning. (1) God and (2) Man.

I. God

Of the two characters here in this passage, we are first introduced to God. Not just to any God, but he whose name is יְהוָה. That is, I am who I am. And while the Bible teaches us about the creation of man and the spread of man throughout the earth and follows the history of a particular people, they are not the main character, יְהוָהis. For the Bible is about יְהוָה’s story of redemption of a people for himself.

And so, here in Genesis 1:1-2:3 here, we learn four truths about who יְהוָה is.

A. The Eternal Nature of YHWH (Gen 1:1-2)

First, we learn about the eternal nature of יְהוָה.  Genesis 1:1… Before the beginning, before the heavens and the earth was created, there was יְהוָה. He is one who is without beginning or ending, he is the eternal God!

He was there when creation was without form and a void was there. Genesis 2:2…

All that we see in creation, the sky, the waters, the earth, the trees and vegetation, the creatures of both the sea and the land, and us as man were not there in the beginning. There was no form, an empty void and darkness where we read that the Spirit of God was hovering over. All of this painting the picture that יְהוָה was about to act but had not yet acted.

These two verses are to show us the eternal nature of God that all things have come about from him and through him. That יְהוָהis unlike the pagan gods of the nations. These gods that were carved out and made by man. That he is before the supposed gods of the Egypt in which Moses’ first audience had just left and that he was before supposed gods of the land of Canaan in which they were heading.

יְהוָהis truly distinct from all others as the eternal God who all creation comes through.

B. The Powerful Word of YHWH (Gen 1:3-31)

That brings us to the second truth about יְהוָה, he creates through his powerful word. In Genesis 1:3-31, we learn about the creation of the first six days of the heavens and the earth. And within each of these days there is repeated phrases, There is that of “And God said, let there be…and there was.”. There is the repeating phrase of “and God saw that it was good.” And then there is the repetition of the phrase “that there was evening and there was morning.” These phrases are part of each of these six days.

But here is something lying underneath the first of these phrases, let there be and there was. For the Hebrew word for let there be is: יְהִ֣י. And the Hebrew word for there was, is: וַֽיְהִי. The two crashing together then is similar to that of the name of God, יְהוָה. I am who I am is the God who creates through speaking! He says let there be and there is.

Further, consider even the ordering of creation. In Genesis 1:2, we saw that the earth was without form. Then in days 1-3 of creation, we see God giving form to his creation. For in day 1, we have him giving form to the empty darkness by the creating of light. In day 2, he gives form by forming a separation, between the waters. Then in day 3, form is given with the separation of waters and the creation of land.

Then, that which was given form on days 1-3, but void or empty, is filled on days 4-6 of creation. For the light and that which was separated as the heavens is filled with that of the sun and the moon and the stars on Day 4. That which was created on Day 2 with the seas is then filled on Day 5 with all the sea creatures, from the great sea creatures to the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. And finally on Day 6, we see God fill the land created on Day 3 with that of every living creature of the land. From the beasts to the livestock to the creeping things to mankind themselves.

God, by the power of his word, brings shape to the formless and fills the void with his creation. And all of it is good!

Of course, there is some debate as to the timing of these days. Are they long periods of time, is there a time gap between each day? Or is it a day as we know it around 24 hours?

Many of these arguments come from those trying to allow for some scientific explanation for the dating of the earth with that of an older earth, along with trying to make sense of other things that are not spoken of here in this recounting of creation.

However, most biblical scholars hold to these being more literal days. And the reason for this, as you look at each of the first six days, there was evening and there was morning. This marking throughout the Bible times of literal days around the setting of the sun and the rising of the sun. And so, to use the same phrases here, while never any explanation of anything different would be odd and surprising.

Not to mention, even these Christian scientists in dating an older earth fail to consider the power of God here at creation. That he is unlike any other. He is not limited to the ways of his creation as we know it now. He does not start with seedlings and pressurizing rocks through long periods of time. He creates his creation with a word, and it is there from nothing. This is further shown in Genesis 2 with man being placed in the garden and he and all the animals having plants for food. It was all mature and ready for them to eat.

The powerful word of יְהוָה speaks and brings his creation into complete existence according to the purposes of יְהוָהand for his glory! This account of creation is important for those Moses is leading. For he is leading the people out from the land of Egypt and into the land of Canaan. Both of these nations were filled with their various idols. For these idols were the worshiping of God’s creation rather than the creator themselves.

Therefore, many of these so-called gods of the nations would be that of sun gods, gods of the sea and the great sea creatures in it. Other gods would be that of the gods of fertility, of love, of the wind.

This then could become a temptation for those coming out of Egypt from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to give themselves to these gods along the way, especially as that is what they were so familiar in seeing. For when the rains failed to come, their hearts might be tempted to turn to the idols of the nations and the false gods of the rain. Or that of the false god of the harvest when hunger and famine arose. Or that of the false god of fertility when a wife was infertile.

However, by giving this account of creation, of how יְהוָהformed that which was formless and filled that which was previously void, it is a statement that crushes the ideas of these idols, of these false gods. For it is no longer the various gods who rule the various parts of creation, it is declared that יְהוָה has not only created all of these things, but that he also rules over them as their creator by his all-powerful word!

The days of creation are a theological declaration that there is no God, but יְהוָ֥ה. He alone is God, and there is no other! Therefore, he and he alone rules over creation as its Supreme ruler! He is unrivaled by any other.

And this is important for us! Saints, consider how many times your own heart has felt as things are out of control in the universe around us? Whether it is the angst of anxiety of what is to come or even off the tip of your tongue you have said as much that things are out of control?

This theological truth is then for you. God’s good order has been established in his creation, and he is ruling over every aspect of life in this world. And though the goodness of all creation has now been tainted by sin, this Sovereign God is at work to restore everything back to this original goodness of Genesis 1 again.

Behold the God who has created the heavens and the earth and all within them! He who by a word brought shape to that which was formless and filled that which was void. This is the God in whose world we live in! Let us marvel at Him!

C. The Triune Nature of YHWH (Gen 1:26)

The third truth we learn here is that of the Triune nature of יְהוָה. Look with me there at Genesis 1:26, “let us make man in our image.”

Here we see part of God’s mystery that has been hidden through the ages. For even as Moses, led by the Holy Spirit to write Genesis and the other books of the Torah, we see God leaving clues of this mystery of his Triune nature here at the very beginning.

What is this Triune nature? That the Lord our God is the only living and true God. That his subsistence is in and of Himself. That he is infinite in being and perfection. And in this divine and infinite Being, there are three persons: that of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is fully God, yet the three are one. The three have always existed together and work together to bring about creation and redemption.

But where this understanding of the Triune nature of יְהוָה is important here in the context of creation is to show that the Triune God did not need creation to be complete. There was completion within the Triune God. For the Triune God has always existed together, having fellowship together and did not need creation to be fulfilled.

And yet, our Triune God creates not out of need, but the overflow of his glory. And in this creation, the three work together to accomplish this purpose.

We saw this as we went through Colossians this summer, that the Son was present with the Father and the Spirit in this work of creation. And it is this us that and our image that man is being created in.

D. The Holy Sabbath of YHWH (Gen 2:1-3)

The fourth truth revealed to us here about יְהוָה is that of his Holy Sabbath. Look there at Genesis 2:1-3…

Genesis 2:1declares that all of God’s work of creation is completed, finished. This completion is then repeated at the start of Genesis 2:2, putting an emphasis on this completion, before revealing to us that God rested on the seventh day of creation, after all had been done.

Is this rest that of rest needed when tired? By no means! God does not need rest because he has grown weary. He needs not rest as a mere catching up on relaxing after the busyness of creation. Kenneth Matthew puts this well in his commentary on Genesis in by putting God’s rest like this:

“God’s sabbath is not aversion to labor but the celebrative cessation of a completed work, whereby he expresses his mastery over time by sanctifying it.”[2]

This is then why the Sabbath is blessed and made holy above all other days. The seventh day was a declaration of God’s mastery of all creation. It is even declaring an eschatological statement in the way it differs from the other days. For where days 1-6 it is mentioned there is evening and there was morning, that is not the case here on the seventh day. This is then hinting at God’s rest is meant to be eternal, a rest that is found in him alone!

A rest in his sovereign and good provision. A rest in his upholding and sustaining. A rest in his rule as the one and only King of the Universe as its creator!

O beloved, behold our God, the creator of the heavens and the earth and the one true King over it all! That brings us to point #2.

II. Man (Gen 1:26-31)

We now turn back to Genesis 1:26-31 in God’s creation of us as mankind.

We have already looked at the plural nature of the phrases: us and our, here in verses 26-27. Let us now come back to these verses and consider how and for what purpose mankind was created for. 

We learn from these verses that we as mankind have been created in the image of and after the likeness of our Triune God.

To be created in the image and likeness of God is to be created in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. We see this from two New Testament passages.

Colossians 3:10 (ESV)

10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Ephesians 4:24 (ESV)

24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We were created to reflect God’s character and exercise dominion over his very good creation. A dominion, a rule, over all that God had created and filled his now formed creation with. It was our role as mankind to exercise our dominion over this creation and to subdue it. That is, bring it under our rule.

Likewise, we were created by our Triune God as those who are male and female.

Saints, friends, this is an important point in our day as we live in a society that has thrown out gender, declaring that it is one’s choice. But I submit to you, that long before these gender debates began, our Sovereign God made us male and female with the biology to distinguish us precisely how he made us. Giving boy parts to those who God created as male and female parts to those he created as female.

And this design being for his purpose of male and female coming together, as we will see next week in Genesis 2 as a one flesh union and multiplying and filling the earth with other image bearers of our God!

Mankind was created for this purpose, as those who were made male and female, to become one flesh, and to procreate, to multiply and fill the earth with other image bearers who delight in our God as our good and gracious king!

Long before that of Matthew 28:16-20 comes this commission to multiply and fill the earth with other worshipers of our God! This is one of the duties given to us by God in our very creation, in our very existence. We are created to enjoy him and to multiply and fill the earth with others who enjoy our God.

Of course, that means the need for procreation. Procreation being the joining of husband and wife as one flesh and reproducing by having children.

But the call here is not merely to have children, it is to have children and teach them to rest in and obey יְהוָה. Teaching them that they were created and therefore belong to יְהוָה. That in belonging to Him, they are to obey his commands and to walk under his rule as King!

That was true of the first couple, and it is true now! The goal is not merely to have lots of children, though important, but to have children and raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the יְהוָה. Teaching them to fear Him and to walk in his ways rather than the ways of the world.

It is to be multiplying as we seek to make disciples both of our children and others by telling them of who our God is as the Creator and Ruler of everything! Teaching them to obey Him and rest in Him as we declare His goodness!

Consider the goodness of God in creation. Look there at Genesis 1:29-31…

All that God created was very good. And in that creation, he provided for us all that we need. He provided us with the provision of food and care and need. In this very good beginning, we were not lacking.

In fact, not only were we not lacking, but we were also instructed in God’s good provision to to continue to rest in him. Look again at Genesis 2:1-3…

In the seventh day of creation, not only are we taught the completion of God’s work, but from this comes the realization that the seventh day is made holy. In the giving of the law, this is why in the fourth commandment we are taught to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy.

Mankind was instructed from the beginning to have a day of Sabbath rest. A Sabbath rest that was not given to us merely for a day of leisure and catching up on rest. Though these are good and needed for us in our finite nature, these are not the purpose of the Holy Sabbath.

The Holy Sabbath is meant to teach us to remain dependent upon the Lord. To depend upon him for his oversight, for his care, for his provision. 

In the very good beginning, that would mean the first man, Adam, and the first woman, Eve, would work and gather these provisions of the food that יְהוָ֥ה had provided for them. But they were to regularly rest in his continued provision. They would rest that he would remain sovereignly ruling over this creation and that it was not dependent upon them as his creation.

But if that was true then when all was good, how much more is it of necessity now for us on this side of the fall of man the entering of sin?

We are to be a people who continue to honor the Sabbath and keep it holy as those who remain dependent upon the Lord to sustain the universe, to uphold it with the power of his right hand, and to bring about all our provisions, including that of providing the means of the redemption we need!

Beloved saints and friends, this means that none of these things are dependent upon you. They are dependent upon the creator of the heavens and the earth and the sustainer of that creation, יְהוָ֥הhimself.

As a means of application then, that means for me then as a pastor, I am to labor, to toil to shepherd this church so that I may hopefully present this body, this people as those mature in Christ. But the energy, the outcome cannot be dependent upon me. It must come from the good hand of our God, יְהוָ֥ה.

That means for you as parents, you must labor and be diligent to raise your children in the nurture and admonition of יְהוָ֥ה. But you must ultimately rest in His goodness to provide for that.

As those working in the workforce, you too must rest in יְהוָ֥הto accomplish his purposes. Work hard, be diligent and good workers, but the sustaining of the world isn’t up to you. Rest in יְהוָ֥ה.

But above all, the very means of our redemption is not left to us. The Sabbath teaches us to rest in God’s work, both of creation and redemption. This is the reason for us as Christians, that we no longer celebrate the Holy Sabbath on the seventh day of the week, but the first. For in making this change, we celebrate this Holy Sabbath of rest on the day that Christ rose victorious from the grave, conquering that of sin and death following his sacrifice for us on the cross.

We come; we gather to worship in God’s good provision for us under the blood of the lamb which was slain for us so that we may have life in him! Life in his work and not our own.

If you are a Christian, I pray that this is the rest that you have in Jesus! A rest that all that is needed and necessary to bring about your salvation has already been accomplished by our God in the person and work of Christ Jesus, the Son of God himself!

There is nothing left for you to do to earn it. Instead, learn to rest in God’s good provision, and let your hearts swell with love and devotion towards our God in all his goodness in this great work! A work of his powerful word. For just as he spoke all into existence, it is through the power of the Word that we are made new again in Jesus!

But if you are not a Christian, friend let me invite you to this rest! For at present in your rejection of God and his Son Jesus, I’m willing to bet you feel weary from trying to make sense of this world. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many places you search, you keep finding yourself unable to answer the questions. Friend, behold the God who created it all who alone makes sense of this world in which we live. A God who is good and worthy of your devotion. For he created you and he alone has made a way to restore all that is presently broken. So, will you not come to Jesus and live? Come to Jesus who powerfully makes us new in him!

Come and rest in Him who created the heavens and the earth. Come and rest in the God who brings shape to that which was formless and fills that which was empty. Come and rest in the God who has made all things good, because he himself is good! Come and rest in him continuously as we await the day in which his Sabbaths will never end.             

Let’s pray!

[1] See Deuteronomy 17:18; Ps 1:2

[2]Kenneth A. Matthews. Genesis 1-11:26 Vol.1A: The New American Commentary. (China, B&H Publishing Group, 1996) 179.