Bible Study - Questions (5) - How Did We Get Here and Why? - Genesis 1:1-27 - February 16, 2014

Bible Study – Questions (5) – How Did We Get Here and Why? – February 16, 2014

This is lesson five (5) in our series entitled “Questions People Ask.”

Our scripture is Genesis 1:1-27.

The Universe is here because GOD spoke.

The scientific community has their idea of how it all came into being and the Bible reveals GOD’S truth. If you read chapter one of Genesis and think about each step you will see that what GOD created on day one was necessary to support what HE did on day two. What HE created on day two was necessary to support what HE did on day three and so forth.

The number one truth is that we are here! GOD made us with the freedom to rationalize and choose. Yes, I believe science plays an important role because we live in a physical universe of which GOD is sovereign.

GOD Spoke the Universe into Existence.

Let’s read Genesis 1:1-27:

The Creation

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

Step one, GOD created something from nothing. HE created substance from nothing by speaking. The big bang was GOD’S voice, just kidding.

 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

This is ground zero. The earth was formless, empty, dark and watery. Notice that the Spirit of GOD was hovering over the surface of the waters. When an engineer or scientist builds something so intricate that once he or she launches it, they will check and double check every detail to make certain all systems are ready. This is the idea behind the word “hovering.” GOD was checking it out to make certain all was in place for this special place we call earth. Once HE was sure, HE said in verse 3 ---

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

It is interesting that the Hebrew word used for “light” here is different from the Hebrew word used for “light” used in verses 14-18. They have the same Hebrew root word:

Hebrew Word:‏ אוֹר‎ ('owr) – used in verses 3 and 4.

Hebrew Word: ‏מְאוֹרָה‎ - Transliteration: m ^eʾôwrâh

Phonetic Pronunciation: meh-o-raw' – used in verses 14-18.

4 God saw that the light (('owr) was good,

To me there was a pause after GOD created light in verses 3 and 4, which I think was the sun but possibly of different size and intensity than the sun we know and observe today.

If you think of a watery, muddy mass being exposed to one side of the light, what would happen? It would dry out the section exposed to the light. I believe there was no rotation at this point. Do I know that for certain, NO! But let’s follow the process. But if you look at a flat map of the world, you can observe that it seems you can place pieces of the continents together like a puzzle back into its original mass.  We see in the next portion of scripture (4b):

n and God separated the light from the darkness.

In my opinion that was when GOD created the rotation of the earth, giving earth exposure to both light and darkness. The centrifugal (to force things out) and centripetal (to hold things in) were shaping the watery, muddy mass of earth and established balance as earth rotated. If GOD can speak things into existence, why did HE use physics? In HIS wisdom, HE used the law of physics which apply to physical materials. 

 5 God called the light “day,” and He called the darkness “night.” Evening came and then morning: the first day.

GOD defined time for us. GOD is eternal and timeless. Humans need time because they are not eternal and the laws that apply to the physical universe are necessary for sustaining life. They were put into effect because of the foreknowledge of GOD. That is, GOD knew how mankind would choose but that foreknowledge did not predispose mankind to make the choice it did. Thus mankind would be in a fallen state after disobeying GOD.

Keep in mind Ephesians 1:4:

 4 For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love

I contend that GOD had every person ever to be conceived in HIS mind before HE created earth. Therefore, not to follow through with HIS plan to form human life would have terminated the existence of all humans.

6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse between the waters, separating water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above the expanse. And it was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” Evening came and then morning: the second day.

The second day established defined order which continues under the command of GOD.

9 Then God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land “earth,” and He called the gathering of the water “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.” And it was so. 12 The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 Evening came and then morning: the third day.

We know that hydroponic farming produces vegetation and products. Vegetation also helps to stabilize dry ground. The cycle of reproduction was set into motion. Plants and trees produce seed bearing fruit. The seeds in turn produce additional plants and trees. Vegetation and animal life need the right light.  

14 Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years. 15 They will be lights in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth.” And it was so. 16 God made the two great lights—the greater light to have dominion over the day and the lesser light to have dominion over the night—as well as the stars. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the sky to provide light on the earth, 18 to dominate the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 Evening came and then morning: the fourth day.

As mentioned earlier, I think the light here is the same light as stated in verses 3-4 but at this point in creation, GOD resized the sun to accommodate life upon earth. Do I know for sure? No, but one day we will all know. [But ponder this – When HE resized the sun portions of it were scattered and it formed other galaxies.]

Now back to the sun, moon and stars. Vegetation was flourishing upon earth but animal life had not been created.

Bottom line, the fact is that we are alive upon earth. Earth is our self-sustaining space station rotating at 25,000 miles per hour with its own atmosphere and environment orbiting the exact light source, the sun. A few degrees change in the intensity and distance of the sun in reference to our space station (earth) would mean disaster. Earth has the exact mixture of gases in the atmosphere to sustain life and temperatures and seasons to produce food. Yet, many say there is NO GOD. It just all came about by random probability.

A friend of mine, years ago, was hosting a group of communist who did not believe in GOD and they asked him “How can you people in America believe in GOD.” His reply was excellent. He asked them, “If you had all the parts of a fine Swiss watch and placed them into a bag and shook them in the bag, would they ever come together as a fine Swiss watch?” They said, “No!” He said, “Then how can you conclude that the universe, earth, life and all that we can see came together by random probability?”  GOD tells us to look around and you will see HIS handiwork which reaches out to you with a language of love. It speaks but has no voice. GOD’S ultimate love for each of us is when GOD allowed HIS only Son, JESUS, to come to earth, to live as a human and give HIS life so that all who place their faith in HIM will have eternal life.

The fifth day begins.

20 Then God said, “Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” 21 So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 So God blessed them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” 23 Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.

Animal life began in the water and then the birds. We can only imagine life upon earth during this time period. GOD had not formed man at this point in time but HE had put the things in motion for mankind’s use.

The sixth day begins.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that crawl, and the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 So God made the wildlife of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and creatures that crawl on the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Earth was functioning such that human life could be sustained.

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

Who is “Us”? It is GOD: The Father, The Son (JESUS) and The Holy Spirit. The Apostle John confirmed that JESUS was present and actually created the world – John 1:1-5:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

What does “in Our image, according to Our likeness” mean? Here is where I differ with a number of Bible teachers. The prophet Moses wanted to see GOD’S glory – Exodus 33:18-23:

18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see Your glory.” 19 He said, “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name • Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But He answered, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.” 21 The Lord said, “Here is a place near Me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when My glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take My hand away, and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen.”

In the Garden of Eden, as recorded in Genesis 3:8-9:

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

We need to add Exodus 3:13-14:

13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?” 14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” Some translations have “I AM WHO I AM and I will be WHO I will be.”

GOD is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. HE is sovereign and exercises absolute authority over all creation and circumstances. At times HE intervenes into circumstances and there are times HE chooses not. We get angry with HIM when things do not go the way we want them.

What are these verses telling us? GOD has a face, hands, legs, voice, eyes, feeling and the list goes on. GOD is also Spirit. Keep in mind that GOD said “I AM WHO I AM!”

GOD Created People in HIS Own Image.

Let’s continue reading Genesis 1:27:

 27 So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

As any loving Father, HE created humankind in “HIS own image.”

Let’s read Genesis 2:7 and 20-25 for more insight into the formation of male and female:

7 Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.

20 The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the sky, and to every wild animal; but for the man no helper was found as his complement. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. 22 Then the Lord God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 And the man said: This one, at last, is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called “woman,” for she was taken from man. 24 This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. 25 Both the man and his wife were naked, yet felt no shame.

This gives us another look at GOD forming male and female. Does a male have one less rib than the female? No! GOD took a body part from the male and made the female. It was an intimate, personal moment. GOD made male and female in an intimate, personal relationship with GOD as eternal beings with the freedom to choose.

Why didn’t GOD just take some dusk from the ground and form the female? When woman sinned, man could have stated that GOD made her different. So GOD took a body part from the male to make the female. HE took a body part from man’s side to indicate HIS purpose for woman was to come along side the male as his helpmate. They are co-equals.

28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” 29 God also said, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This food will be for you, 30 for all the wildlife of the earth, for every bird of the sky, and for every creature that crawls on the earth—everything having the breath of life in it. I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.

Later in Genesis, we read that the couple lost their eternal relationship with GOD at the instant they sinned. This sin condemned them and all of their off-spring to physical and eternal death but GOD had a plan to redeem them from eternal death, if they choose. The shed blood of a sacrificial animal was a place holder for those who were to be fully redeemed by the shed blood of JESUS when HE gave HIS life to pay in the full the penalty for sin. They were looking forward to the cross and we are looking back to the cross. Faith is CHRIST our redeemer means “salvation.”

The term “salvation” is to be saved from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death. Baptism of a Christian symbolizes the Christian’s death and burial of his or her old life and being resurrected to walk in his or her new life in CHRIST. Dear Father, open the eyes of all who read this to behold truth. YOU have wonderfully made us. Thank You for life but most of all thank You for eternal life through our LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. Blessings!!!