“In the Beginning, God; pt.2” (Genesis 1:1 - 2:3) | 4/5/20
Genesis 1:1 - 2:3 | 4/5/20 | Will DuVal
Let’s dive in - we’ve got SO much to cover this morning, in our new sermon series on the book of GENESIS, “The Beginning”. Some of you have asked me, “Why Genesis?” Maybe you recognize how many churches are pausing in the middle of their sermon series right now, to pivot and preach on trusting God through difficult times… or how to cope with fear and anxiety… that’s all well and good; but in praying it over, I really feel like what God wants for US right now, as a church, more than ever, is simply to be deeper rooted in His word. And topical sermons can of course be grounded in Scripture too, but there is no substitute for expository preaching; for taking one passage, and MINING it, in DEPTH, for all the gems that lie there within.
And so this morning, we get to do that, AGAIN, in part TWO, of Genesis ch.1. And I told you the reason I barely touched on Creation vs. Evolution was that I think that cheapens the text. So I did a separate “Ask the Pastor” podcast episode on it this past week, but from the PULPIT, to turn Genesis 1 into MERELY a science or history lesson ROBS it of its beauty and power and its PURPOSE. God’s primary AIM here, is to introduce us to… HIMSELF! To GOD! Genesis 1 is all about God - his name, Elohim, is used 35x in the first 34 verses alone! So MY aim, in preaching then, is to introduce YOU, right here in the beginning, to this utterly transcendent, magnificent, mighty, awesome God… but I get ahead of myself; I don’t need to add any other adjectives to our list this morning, because as it stands, we have 20 attributes of God to cover. We examined the first 5 together last week - we saw that God is #1: PRE-EMINENT, v1: “In the beginning, GOD”; he’s the pre-existent first cause of EVERYTHING; it ALL exists from Him and FOR him. He is both the author and AIM of all of creation. Because #2: He is CREATOR, “in the beginning, God CREATED”. His BEING creator sets God apart as uniquely worthy “to receive glory and honor and power and praise” (Rev 4:11). #3 - God is POWERFUL. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That phrase is a Hebrew idiom that simply means God created EVERYTHING. Things seen and UNseen, the 96+% of our universe we haven’t even DISCOVERED yet: the Bible says, God created it ALL, to demonstrate his awesome power. ALL-power. God is omnipotent. And #4 - He’s DYNAMIC. He not only creates things GOOD, but He actually develops them and makes them even BETTER; we see the Spirit of God in v2 “hovering over the face of the waters”, transforming a world that was “without form and void”, full of “darkness”, into a place that is warm and light and conducive for life and habitation. Such that by the end of v31, God calls it “VERY good”. And lastly, we observed that God is #5 - INVOLVED. Our God is NOT the god of Deism, the deadbeat absent Father who created and then lost interest and fled the scene. No, our God gets ACTIVELY involved. Involved enough to create, involved enough to lovingly sustain, even involved enough to step off His throne in Heaven and enter INTO our broken world, marred by the effects of our sin, in order to REDEEM it. To redeem US. Jesus died on the cross to redeem you and me - THAT is how involved our God is, in His creation.
And we concluded last week with 3 Application points: in light of ALL this, #1 - we ought to WORSHIP God. AS preeminent, AS creator, AS powerful… we WORSHIP Him. #2 - We confess our SIN; just how far short WE have fallen of God’s glory and goodness. The lives we have been CREATED FOR, we don’t live. But #3 - We allow this increasing awareness of both GOD’S holiness, and OUR sinfulness, to draw us into deeper love and ADORATION for our savior, Jesus, who would look on poor sinners like us, and say, “I want YOU. YOU, are worth DYING for.”
So this morning, we’re gonna pick up where we left off, with 15 more attributes of God from Genesis 1. And I’ll tell you now, I set out to cover all 15, and once again, God proved just too big and AWESOME for even a TWO-part sermon! So I’m going to give you 10 additional attributes of God today, and then I’m gonna make you tune into some Facebook Live devotionals throughout this next week to catch the remaining 5. Now listen: I know that Facebook is the evil empire. I assume they’re selling all our information to China and Russia. So I get it if you’ve held out this long. But you can sign up with as little as a name and an email, and if for no other reason, it really is a powerful tool to connect us during this time. I encourage you to join our closed group for prayer requests, updates, and devotional encouragement.
But in this sermon, rather than waiting til the end to conclude with the takeaway applications - “How do we RESPOND to this text? How do we put it into PRACTICE?” - I wanna try and give us just one practical application suggestion to accompany EACH of these qualities of God as we go.
So would stand with me as you are able, now, for the reading of God’s word, from GENESIS 1:1 - 2:3
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 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. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9 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. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 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. 12 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. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14 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, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 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. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20 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.” 21 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. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24 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. 25 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.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray…
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#6 - God is COMMUNICATIVE.
We hear God do something NEW here in v3: “And God said, “Let there be light”...” HOW does God create? He SPEAKS. Friends: don’t miss this; this is PROFOUND - Amongst a pantheon of other gods in the ancient world, each with its own bizarre Creation story - the Babylonian god Marduk “defeats Tiamat, the primeval mother, and then cuts her body into two halves: the heavens and the earth” - creation by divine dismemberment (britannica.com); Or Zoroastrianism, where Ormazd and Ahriman (the equal and opposite gods of good and evil) create the world as a result of their divine WAR. The Greeks believed a bird laid a golden egg that hatched and became the world. Ancient Hindus, Chinese and the Iroquois ALL believed we live on the back of a giant turtle who swam up from the primordial waters below. Others guessed that our world was the result of divine INTERCOURSE - THAT’s how the gods gave birth to the world… and yet, standing above ALL of the other competing, crazy myths about how we got here, is the God of the Bible, the one TRUE God, Yahweh, who creates by the power OF. HIS. WORD. God SPOKE, and there WAS.
Ps 33: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host… let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be.” (vv6-9)
Heb 11:3 “By faith we understand that the universe was created [HOW??] by the word of God”
2 Pet 3:5 “the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God”
And most significantly of ALL, John ch.1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He [not IT; God’s word is not IMPERSONAL; HE] was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” And this same personal, active, living, breathing word of God who created the entire UNIVERSE out of nothing, would later step out of heaven and INTO His created order, into time and space, as the human person Jesus of Nazareth: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (v14) And friends, if you hear NOTHING else this morning, please hear this next part: “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him… But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (10-12)
So your Application for point #6 is very simple: God has spoken to you. Psalm 19 says creation SHOUTS the glory of God. And then He even became INCARNATE, took on flesh, because God so desired to make Himself known to you. God is communicating with you; have you communicated with HIM? Have you made yourself known to HIM? He knows you already. Like Adam and Eve, after they ate the fruit, your attempts to HIDE yourself, HIDE your sin, from God, are futile. He already knows you for exactly who you are. And YET… He LOVES you, exactly as you are. Have you called out to Him, in confession - Lord, I NEED you; OH I need you! I’m a sinner in desperate need of your grace! - and in FAITH - Jesus, I’m done running the show; I’m putting my trust in YOU. To ALL who do that, who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, he gives the RIGHT to become children of God.
If you’ve already trusted in Christ for YOUR salvation, then I ask you: what does your communication with Him look like with nowadays? They say communication is the key to every healthy relationship; do you recognize that God STILL wants to communicate, STILL desires to reach out to you, through His WORD, Scripture, He reveals things to us as we come before Him in prayer. Christians: may we not OVERLOOK, DISREGARD, under-value the fact, that the almighty God of the universe wants to communicate with us. Let’s get in His word, and get on our knees, today.
#7 - God is GOOD.
V4: “And God saw that the light was good.” And we hear that again, and again, and again… verse 10: “it was good”; v12: “it was good”; v18: “it was good”; v21… v25… v31: “VERY good”. Why? Because God ONLY creates good. The Bible is very clear on this:
1 Tim 4:4 “everything created by God is good”
1 Jn 1:5 “"God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all"”
So even when we hear in Isaiah 45:7 - “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity” - or we OBSERVE it, with our own 2 eyes all around us; make no mistake: GOD is the one allowing this coronavirus to wreak havoc in our world. He could stop it at ANY moment. But He doesn’t; why? Because it’s GOOD for us. Do you believe that? That Ephesians 1:11: God “works all things according to the counsel of his good will” - so if He’s allowing it, it MUST be for our ultimate GOOD?
Here’s a practical Application point: I encourage you to spend some time today in prayerful reflection on what GOOD God is bringing out of this current “crisis” in our world, in YOUR world, YOUR life. Listen, we ALL know the “calamitous” side of things: death, sickness, unemployment, financial collapse, social isolation, boredom - but we Christians have got to be a people who change the narrative. So after you’ve reflected for YOURSELF, then let’s turn and reflect God’s goodness to our WORLD, in our conversations. When you’re walking in your neighborhood later this afternoon, and your neighbor, from a distance, gives you a grim frown and asks how you’re holding up, try asking him, “How have YOU seen God’s goodness through all this?” See where THAT takes your conversation!
Brothers and sisters, God is good. All the time. And ALL the time. God is good. Amen?
#8 - God is ORDERLY
Vv4-5: “And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.” Later, He creates the plants and animals “each according to its own kind”. God is METHODICAL; he creates in an organized, orderly fashion.
1 Cor 14:33 “God is not a God of confusion”
So for OUR application, I wanna suggest that maybe this stay at home order is an opportunity for YOU to get YOUR proverbial house in order. How many of us have realized only recently just how far OFF our priorities had become, little by little, over time. Youth sports had become more important than family meals. Getting ahead at the office had become more important than playing with your kids. We’re ALL realizing how much we under-valued and under-prioritized real-life, in-person relationships. I would just encourage you today, to make a LIST, literally write it down: these are my priorities. This is what’s most important to me in life, in order; and even when I’m not FORCED to spend my time in these ways, this is where I want to give my time and attention.
Similarly, #9 - God is PURPOSEFUL.
In vv6-10: On Days 2 and 3, God separates the atmospheric waters from the terrestrial waters; the formation of the SKY and the SEAS, resp. Then in v9, he gathers together the dry land. It’s all emphasizing God’s PURPOSEFULNESS in Creation. His intentionality.
God doesn’t make MISTAKES. Psalm 18:30 says, “God’s way is perfect”
So I’ll just encourage you by way of application, to revisit your list from point #8 - and ask yourself: “What will I do to be PURPOSEFUL / INTENTIONAL, about keeping my priorities in order?” We’ve gotta recognize that if we don’t make a sustained effort, the law of entropy says we’ll slip right back into our old habits. What are you going to do to protect yourself FROM yourself. There WILL be a new normal post-Covid19 - life will NEVER be the same again, when all this is said and done; you realize that, right? This is a chance for you to hit the personal reset button: what will your new normal look like? And how will you ensure you keep your priorities straight?
#10 - God is LIFE-GIVER.
V11: “And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation”
Luke 20:38 “he is not God of the dead, but of the living”
Jesus declares, “I am the resurrection and the life! Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (Jn 11:25); because John 5:21 “I will give them LIFE”
Once again, MOST importantly, if you have not yet received SPIRITUAL life, you’ve been born physically but not yet RE-born spiritually, that’s the only practical takeaway you need here: Repent and believe!
But for those of us who have: do you realize that you have ALSO been given the power to give LIFE to others?
Prov 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”
Prov 12:18 “rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”
So let’s make this REAL practical: I want you to turn to someone you’re with right now in quarantine… some of y’all may be driving each other insane, you’ve been on each other’s last nerves here lately, cuz now you can’t escape each other! Maybe the quarantine is forcing some of us to deal with marital or parenting issues that we’d just been trying to stay busy to ignore. I want you to try this: avail yourself, right now, of God’s GIFT to you, of the life-giving power that your words can have in someone else’s heart. Would you just pay a simple compliment to someone you’re there with. Might feel awkward; some of us may unconsciously go WEEKS at a time between explicitly speaking a word of kindness to our spouse, our kids, our roommates - you can blame ME for the awkwardness; the pastor made me do it. But I want you to literally pause the video, and compliment your neighbor. If you’re quarantined alone, shoot a quick text message to someone who could use a word of encouragement from you. Tell them what you love about them. Why you appreciate them so much. Do that now.
#11 - God is CARING.
V17 we hear: “And God set them [the sun and the moon] in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”. God ensures the necessary conditions not only for LIFE, but for life to the FULLEST, for us; John 10:10 - Jesus says that’s why he came!
We hear in verses 22 and 28: “God BLESSED them”... the animals, then people...
Because 1 Peter 5:7 “God cares for you”. God cares for us.
So some practical application here: allow yourself to BE cared for, by God, today, friend. I’m not talking about SELF-care. That’s what the world is selling you right now. That’s not good enough; you need GOD-care. Maybe it means taking some time to yourself, with God today. Get out on a walk. Maybe it means spending some extra time in worship, listen to even MORE sermons; if you’re gonna BINGE watch anything, let it be worship videos from your favorite Christian artists. Whatever works best for you, make sure that you are taking time to ALLOW yourself to be cared for by your good, Heavenly Father today.
#12 - God is CREATIVE.
Vv20-21, 25: “And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth… So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves…” Have you ever seen an axolotl. I know I can’t encourage you to go today, but assuming it’s still alive when the quarantine is lifted, go to the Science Center and check out the axolotl. Go to the new Aquarium downtown and check out the sea dragons. Go to the Zoo and check out the Okapi. And TELL me our God isn’t creative. Try and tell me he doesn’t have a sense of humor. Sometimes we’ve got this vision of God up in heaven as the fun police, all stern and serious all the time; you think he wasn’t laughing when he created the duck-billed platypus! Not a chance.
Here’s one you CAN do at home: watch “The Riot and the Dance” (it’s basically like a Christian version of “Planet Earth”, which is also worth re-watching) but “The Riot and the Dance” is on Vidangel right now for free! Watch and be AMAZED by God’s creativity. WORSHIP Him for it!
#13 - God is TRINITARIAN
In v26: “Then God said, “Let us...”
Wait a minute. God’s name here - “Elohim” - is singular. All of the verbs that have been used up to this point, last week I mentioned “bara” - Hebrew for create; it’s ALWAYS used in the singular case in ch.1 - He CREATES. But now out of NOWHERE, here in v.26, we hear God clearly use the first person PLURAL pronoun: “let US”. Who’s he talking about? Who’s he talking WITH?
Various possibilities have been offered: maybe the angels? Or perhaps this is evidence that the oldest Israelites weren’t monotheistic after all; they were HENOtheists who believed in MANY gods, but pledged themselves to only worship one, and Yahweh is talking things over with the lesser gods in the pantheon here.
But WE know. Christians know. We have, right here in the very opening chapter of the Bible, a hint, MORE than a hint, at one of the most mysterious, and yet most profound and important aspects of ALL of God’s nature: He is Trinitarian. Three in one. One God, Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is both Singular - Deut 6:4, “the Lord is ONE” - AND plural - “Let US make man in OUR image”.
So you want an activity for practical application? Figure THAT out. Do some theology; STUDY theology, from folks smarter than you. Use your extra time at home to diligently research and set your mind to fully GRASP what it means to call God 3-in-1. Now here’s the thing: you WON’T. Cuz you CAN’T. This is one of those Isaiah 55:8 - “God’s ways are higher than our ways” things. You’ll never grasp it. But I can promise you this: you’ll be better off for TRYING to. So many Christians get scared of theology because EITHER they think they’re not smart enough, OR they worry they’ll ask a question they won’t find an answer for, so it’s safer to stay in the shallows. OR they’re just LAZY. Let’s be honest, that’s MOST of us. Listen: you do not honor God by being LAZY, insecure, OR ignorant. NONE of those things bring him glory. God wants to be KNOWN. He commands us in Ps 27:8 “Seek my face”. May WE respond, like David, in Ps 119:10 - “With my whole heart I seek you”. And not just our hearts, but our heads too. I’ll give you one more tangible way to do that: Thad mentioned in the announcements that we’re launching a new 10-week Bible class the Sunday after Easter entitled “Christian Foundations”. 10 weeks of the most central theological doctrines of our faith. That class is gonna be essential instruction for new believers, and excellent review for seasoned believers. Don’t miss it.
#14 - God is RELATIONAL.
This goes hand-in-hand with God’s being communicative, AND His being Trinitarian, but it’s SO important, it bears repeating here:
In v26 God says: “Let us make man[h] in our image, after our likeness.” We’ll talk more next week about what it means that we’re made in the image of God; but for now, let’s notice how significant it is, that God DOES shift to using plural pronouns here. God is inherently relational. It is an essential part of His very nature. So you and I would do well to recognize the same about ourselves, we who have been created IN his image and likeness. How many of us introverts, who for YEARS have been telling people, “I could live alone in a cabin in the woods and be perfectly happy,” have had to walk some of that back these past few weeks. Like, we’ve realized: “WOAH! Maybe I’m NOT as introverted as I thought. Maybe I DO need relationships.” Yeah, you do. Like it or not, it’s in your DNA - God’s relational, and He made you in His image, for relationship with others. First and foremost, with Him. But with others too. You’ve been hard-wired for it. Sure, you may still need your alone time, you may still need to refill your tank alone from time to time. But you really need PEOPLE too.
So application: pick up the phone today and reconnect with someone you haven’t talked to in a while. You’re thinking, “Pastor, I’ve been PLENTY relational; I’ve been stuck in this house with my family for weeks now;” I know, but you’re TIRED of them now; take advantage of the extra quarantine time to rekindle your relationship with someone ELSE. A friend or extended family member you haven’t connected with in months… years. You’ll be glad you did.
Lastly, for this morning: #15 - God is EMPOWERING
God says in v26: “And let them [man] have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.””
Now of ALL the attributes of God, this one might be the most shocking. That He would TRUST us. Did you hear what I just read? God just gave US, humans, the keys to the sports car. This brand new, BEAUTIFUL, “very good” world that He just got done creating; he just turned it over to a bunch of reckless, irresponsible, impulsive teenage sinners like you and me, Adam and Eve. Why? Doesn’t He realize we’re gonna WRECK it? Of COURSE He does. He’s omniscient. He knows we’re not even gonna make it 2 chapters before we eat the fruit and wreck it. So why does He DO it?
Because for whatever reason, in His perfect Sovereignty… and His LOVE, God WANTS to include sinners like you and me in His Kingdom reign over all the universe. In His MERCY, he chooses screw-ups like us, to be His vice-regents, and rule on His behalf here on earth. What are the last words Jesus uttered before ascending back into Heaven? The words just BEFORE the Great Commission that we recite together each week as our Benediction?
“Jesus said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...” (Mt 28:18-19) Did you catch what he just said? God gave HIM all authority, and then he immediately turns around and SHARES that authority, ALL authority - Matthew 16:19, “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” - He gives to US! He sends us out in HIS NAME. With HIS POWER. His HOLY SPIRIT. To be His hands and feet in the world, to make disciples on His behalf.
So our final Application point, brothers and sisters is: let’s DO it. Jesus has empowered us to pay it forward to OTHERS. To reach the lost with the good news of Jesus. To invite our friends to online Easter. To reach out to folks who are hurting right now and DON’T have the hope of Jesus to fall back on, and check in with them, pray for them, use this unique window of time as an opportunity for MINISTRY. The world needs the hope and LOVE of Jesus now more than ever, and He’s EMPOWERED us to share it; we’ve got the very POWER of the Holy Spirit flowing through our veins.
Will we share it with them? Share HIM with them?
Let’s PRAY…