01-01 The Book of Beginnings
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Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:1
There is always a sense of eagerness, anticipation, joy and a thrill to launch into a new study of the Word of God, and as we begin our study of Genesis this morning, there’s a sense of being almost overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility of preaching the 1st book of the Bible. That’s for a couple of reasons:
I haven’t preached thru an OT book in my 25 years of ministry. I’ve led Bible studies of a few books (Daniel, minor prophets) and have preached thru a few choice passages and psalms. While having learned Hebrew in seminary—there is the reality of the finiteness of my mind which loses information (esp when its not being used—do you ever have that problem?).
Here is Gen 1:1 in Hebrew
בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Genesis covers such a wide array of themes that it becomes a mammoth undertaking to adequately address each of these—yet with the help of God’s Spirit, I pray the value of studying Genesis will become quickly apparent & applicable.
This actually is the reason why I’ve chosen to study Gen (I’ve been thinking about it almost as long as we had been studying Eph—for over a year now.)
As we observe the course of our nation/society—it is becoming clear how societal problems are accelerating. As our nation proceeds further from founding principles (Judeo-Christian values), we are witnessing the moral effect of a culture that holds a humanistic/naturalistic worldview.
Naturalism has become the foundational religion of America today. Naturalism views every law and every force operating in the universe as having a natural order rather than moral, spiritual or supernatural. In the natural worldview, there is no room for God. This is where the atheist has risen in promoting his doctrine—actually becoming antitheistic (including agnostic) preferring as his explanation that everything that happens in the universe must only be explained by natural phenomena (God must be expressly rejected)—antithestic.
It is clear why this is preferred: if there is a God who created all things…then man as the direct creation of God is accountable to that Creator. If he is accountable, then he will stand before that God who will judge him. Not wanting to answer to God, the naturalist must deny (aggressively) and maintain his mantra that there is no God and that nothing supernatural exists (except the possibility of extraterrestrials—race of super-intellects that exist in other parts of the universe).
Social problems accelerate where man is no longer accountable to any standard. What’s worse—America is the incubator of ideas, beliefs, philosophies and worldviews, so the world gravitates toward American ideals (even as they become less theistic).
Another reason I’ve chosen Genesis is that it appears that the modern church has lost the stamina to fight for truth. There appears a complacency among evangelicals regarding creation and the result is a great latitude that is given among professing believers to believe whatever they wish to believe about the origin of the universe (it could be a young-earth, old-earth (progressive creationism) or “fully gifted creation” which is another label for theistic evolution). “All we care is that you love Jesus.” And yes, that is what we want—but how you approach Genesis will underscore your fundamental belief in and about the LJC.
Genesis will reveal your worldview. A worldview is the set of beliefs about fundamental aspects of reality that ground and influence what you perceive, think, know and do. your “worldview” (you have one without even consciously thinking it thru)—it explains how you view reality: (Ken Funk—mechanical engineering professor at Oregon State—He is a believer):
• epistemology: beliefs about the nature and sources of knowledge;
• metaphysics: beliefs about the ultimate nature of reality;
• cosmology: beliefs about the origins and nature of the universe, life, and especially Man;
• teleology: beliefs about the meaning and purpose of the universe, its inanimate elements, and its inhabitants;
• theology: beliefs about the existence and nature of God;
• anthropology: beliefs about the nature and purpose of Man in general and, oneself in particular;
• axiology: beliefs about the nature of value, what is good and bad, what is right and wrong.
There are 3 broad worldview “categories” that explain what people think about a variety of subjects:
Naturalism
A Supernatural cause does not exist and laws of nature are operating in the universe. He operates by the mantra: “nobody + nothing = everything”
Pantheism
A doctrine that identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God.
Theism
belief in the existence of a god or gods; specifically : belief in the existence of one God viewed as the creative source of the human race and the world who transcends yet is immanent in the world
How Does One Find His Way To God
Naturalist—There is no God. Man invented God
Pantheist—There are many ways to god. All is god.
Biblical Theist—John 14:6; Acts 4:12
When You Go Outside On A Beautiful Day What Do You See
Naturalist—I see Mother Nature! Look at all the wonders of evolution. It is amazing what has developed over all these billions of years
Pantheist—I see the Force. God everywhere. He is in the rocks, the trees and the birds. We are all divine, and we are one with nature.
Biblical Theist—Ps 19:1; Rom 1:20—I see the eternal power and divine nature of God manifest in what He has created
How Did Life Happen
Naturalist—It just happened! It crawled up from the primordial ooze and evolved upward over billions of years.
Pantheist—We call it cosmic evolution. This is the mysterious force that has been around from eternity, recycling its power, going from disharmony to harmony.
Biblical Theist—Gen 1
Just Who Is Man
Naturalist—Man is a highly evolved animal.
Pantheist—He is a spiritual being who is a god. He is fundamentally perfect.
Biblical Theist—Gen 1:26; Rom 3:23 He is a creature made in the image of God and precious to Him. He is also a sinner in need of God’s salvation
What Do You Believe Is Responsible For All The Crime We See Today
Naturalist—It is the fault of society. There is so much ignorance and superstition. More education and more money should solve the problems.
Pantheist—Poor choices. You decided the value of life based on your culture. Our society stifles our knowledge of the god within. Our culture ignores human potential.
Biblical Theist—Crime is the result of sinners in rebellion against a holy God
How Do You Understand The Problem Of Racism
Naturalist—It is an evolutionary thing. Some groups have climbed higher in the evolutionary scale than others, while others are basically inferior. We need education and a stronger government to stop the problems that arise.
Pantheist—The group identity is all that is important. It is how we identify with our culture. It is important to connect with your group.
Biblical Theist—We are all descendent from Noah and his sons—we are one family. There is no basis for racial discrimination. All believers are one in Christ Jesus.
How Can Humans Solve Their Problems Today
Naturalist—By scientific technology and advancement. By spending more money.
Pantheist—By transformation of consciousness. Just by love.
Biblical Theist—By salvation; by faith in the finished work of Christ.
Because your worldview is so critical as a believer—we need to begin where God does—going to the book of beginnings.
I. The Title
I. The Title
Genesis is the “Book of Beginnings.” The title “Genesis” is taken from the LXX and is best translated “origin.” In the Heb Bible the title is the first word “Bereshith” (in the beginning).
In this book we find the origin of: Universe, Order & Complexity, Solar System, Atmosphere & Hydrosphere, Reproductive process, Man, Marriage, Evil, Judgment upon evil, Salvation by Grace, Languages, Government, Nations, Religion (true & false), Israel (Chosen).
Its because of these things (why I believe) Martin Luther said “There is nothing more beautiful, nothing more useful than Genesis. Its opening chapters are simple and majestic, dignified yet unaffected, profound yet perfectly clear. Genesis makes a superb introduction to the Bible and puts everything into perspective.” He also believed that the opening verses were “certainly the foundation of the whole of Scripture.”
II. The Author
II. The Author
The book of Genesis does not itself specifically point to the author of the book but earliest Jewish tradition speaks of the the 1st 5 books of the OT (Pentateuch/Torah) being authored by Moses. If that were all we had I think it would be sufficient to hold to the Mosaic authorship of Genesis. The Pentateuch as a unit (unified “book”) does have evidence of Mosaic authorship:
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete,
just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded an iron tool; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.
But thankfully we have much greater support for this in the NT in the Gospels and particularly from the lips of LJC who often spoke of Moses, the book of Moses or the Law of Moses.
“But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus
“But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
“But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
On the Road to Emmaus with those 2 disciples:
Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
Before His ascension to His own disciples:
Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.
But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
The NT affirms that Moses is the author of the 1st 5 books which should give you overwhelming confidence that he indeed is the human author thru whom God made this revelation.
That was widely accepted until the 18th & 19th centuries when liberal theology began creeping into the church with the intent of undermining the authority of God’s Word. In 1753 J. Astruc proposed that Moses didn’t write the Pentateuch but an unnamed redactor took different writings and assimilated them into that “book.” This theory was later built on by J. Wellhausen in the 1860s-70s believing there were at least 4 sources and many commentators have accepted this theory (documentary hypothesis) on the basis that there’s too many dissimilarities b/t the 5 books. The key difference is the name used for God (Elohim, YHWH) and then it was quickly decided that there were several sources of those (priestly) and a deuterist (compiled DT). Abbreviated JEPD, this theory while seemingly innocent and clever actually begins to erode confidence in the infallibility and authority of Scripture. I wholeheartedly reject this theory, believing that Moses wrote under the inspiration of the HS.
III. The Date
III. The Date
The question invariably rises as to when Moses wrote these 5 books. The most likely is following the Exodus (1434-33)—what else do you do when you’re wandering in the wilderness for 40 years? He had plenty of time—and it was of great importance for the nation of Israel to have the beginning record of God’s revelation to mankind.
IV. The Outline
IV. The Outline
It’s good to have an idea of what Genesis covers and we’ll take considerable time over the next months and years (???) to discover all that is in the 1st book of the Bible. So let me give you a very simple outline that we can begin working with ad adding to as we plow thru the chapters and verses.
The book divides nicely into 2 parts: (Events and People)
Gen 1-11 there are 4 events (creation, fall, flood, babel)
Gen 12-50 there are 4 people (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jospeh)
Obviously there are more events and people but these are primary in the book and following Moses’ narrative of the beginning of humanity and then the nation of Israel.
Let me take you now to the 1st verse:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Derek Kidner writes:
Genesis: An Introduction and Commentary Prologue (1:1, 2)
It is no accident that God is the subject of the first sentence of the Bible, for this word dominates the whole chapter and catches the eye at every point of the page: it is used some thirty-five times in as many verses of the story.
It is here that Moses is making a very clear, simple, unambiguous affirmation about God and the relationship of all creation to Him. Moses does not try to prove God’s existence, doesn’t provide scientific evidence or philosophic reasoning. It is a simple propositional truth: In the beginning… There is nothing to prove or disprove. It is a statement that can be accepted or rejected.
Now, as we approach the study of Genesis I’m going to do so with a couple of presuppositions—and these are critically important...
1. God Is
1. God Is
That’s it! The Bible begins with the assertion that God exists and that He existed before the beginning of all things outside of Himself. Now, you may wonder why this important to acknowledge and accept. The answer has eternal consequence b/c belief in God is necessary to be properly related to Him.
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Those who reject the existence of God are referred to by Scripture as “fools” and “the wicked”.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good.
The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
2. God Reveals Himself in the Bible
2. God Reveals Himself in the Bible
If we are to know this God who exists, it must be because God has given testimony concerning His existence in the only reliable proof consisting of statements He has made about Himself in His inspired Word.
In other words, what you understand about God cannot come from below…that is, from human reasoning—b/c human reasoning is finite, severely limited, and from what we will encounter in Gen 3—thoroughly corrupted by the presence of indwelling sin and therefore the human reasoning cannot be accurate or reliable in its understanding about God. The proof of God’s existence must come from His own testimony about Himself and that is properly what the Bible is—God’s self-disclosure, His self-revelation.
Let me close with 3 words (by way of application) as we consider Gen 1:1
Honor
(this comes to us from John Chrysostom—early church father, archbishop of Constantinople in the 4th C.; he was considered the “doctor of the church”; a prolific writer and known as one of the greatest Xn expositors giving homilies/sermons on Genesis & Mt, Jn, Rom, Gal, Cor, Eph, Tim, Tit.) (Note: it can be helpful and refreshing to hear from the grave so to speak)
“Let us accept what is said with much gratitude, not overstepping the proper limit nor busying ourselves with matters beyond us. That is the besetting weakness of enemies of the truth, wishing as they do to assign every matter to their own reasoning and lacking the realization that it is beyond the capacity of human nature to plumb God’s creation.”
Take what Moses writes and with joy in your heart, allow it to motivate the response of thankful worship to God for not only creating, but for revealing to us what we can know about His creative wisdom and acts. Moses would later write:
Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Humility
Studying Genesis takes us immediately into the realm of seeing things too wonderful for us to fully grasp.
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
Hunger
Hunger to know this God, to know more about Him, to know about His purposes, plans, provision for your salvation...
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
This is the God of our worship, the God to whom we give thanks, the God from whom all things owe their existence; the God —this is His testimony:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.