Welcome back to our study. In Part 1, we stood back and took in the wide-angle view of creation, seeing Genesis through the eyes of Jesus. We looked at some of the mechanisms God may have used, as well as the fallacy of saying that faith and science are incompatible. This time, the camera zooms in, the pace slows down, and we see God kneeling in the dirt, breathing life into Adam, and taking delight in His creation. This isn’t a distant, hands-off deity or a cosmic landlord checking in from afar; this is the same Jesus who would later walk the roads of Galilee, already showing us that from the very beginning, God’s plan was not just to create a world, but to walk with the people He made.
We will see that Genesis is more than a record of how the world came into being. It reveals who stands behind creation and His desire to have a relationship with it! So while we occupy this miniscule speck of time between eternity past and eternity future, we see that God has meticulously set the stage for us long before human beings ever got here.
Before the Beginning
Scripture presents Jesus as the eternal Son who has neither beginning nor end. , His existence did not start in Bethlehem. He stands outside of time. As these Scriptures show:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made (John 1:1-3)
I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was (John 17:4-5).
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love (Ephesians 1:3-4.
It is staggering to think of something or someone having always existed. Yet it is even more staggering to believe that something randomly came from nothing. The philosophical concept of the Prime Mover identifies an eternal, uncaused, necessary source of all existence, but leaves that source impersonal and abstract. The Bible goes further by revealing that this eternal cause is Jesus Christ, who did not begin to exist but has always existed with the Father and as God. What philosophy infers by reason, Scripture discloses by revelation: the One who explains why anything exists at all is not merely a force or principle, but the living, personal Word through whom all things were made and by whom all things continue to exist.
“In the Beginning…”
In the Beginning God Created (Genesis 1:1)
These opening words of the Bible could be an entire series of sermons by themselves.
The degree to which you grasp this truth will shape every area of your life.
The Hebrew verb translated created in Genesis 1:1 is bārāʾ, a term used exclusively of God that emphasizes His unique authority as the initiator of all that exists. While bārāʾ is often associated with creation out of nothing (ex nihilo), its primary focus is not on material mechanics but on divine action, God calling into existence realities that did not previously exist in their appointed form or function. By contrast, the verb ʿāśâ (“made”) commonly describes the forming, shaping, or arranging of what God has already brought into being. Think of it this way: a furniture factory might “make beds,” but that is not the same as “making your bed” when you wake up in the morning.
This distinction helps explain how Genesis can affirm God as Creator without directly competing with scientific inquiry. Bārāʾ points to God as the ultimate source of all existence, answering the question of origin and purpose, while ʿāśâ describes the ordering and forming of creation, leaving room for structure, process, and development within the created world.
Also notice that the name for God in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim, a plural noun. While this doesn’t fully define the Trinity, it hints at the relational nature of God. Scripture later clarifies that all three Persons of the Godhead were active in creation:
- The Father initiates creation.
- The Son, according to John 1:3, is the agent through whom all things were made.
- The Holy Spirit hovers over the waters, bringing order and life (Genesis 1:2).
Formless, Empty, and Hovering
The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. (Genesis 1:2)
This image is deeply personal. The Spirit of God is hovering, like a mother bird over her nest. Creation is not cold or mechanical. Rather, it is attentive, purposeful, and relational.
Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)
This may not necessarily describe the creation of light itself. The text could be highlighting God bringing order to chaos, separating darkness so light could function in creation.
God names the light “day” and the darkness “night,” defining and ordering reality. The Hebrew words here may carry deeper meaning.
Evening marks the close of what is incomplete, while morning reveals what God has finished. Though evening (ʿerev) and morning (bōqer) are ordinary markers of time, Genesis uses this rhythm to teach a deeper truth: when God speaks, what is unfinished moves toward completion, and what lacks form is brought into purposeful order. Whether these “days” refer to literal twenty-four-hour periods or to longer, God-ordained spans of time, the theological message remains the same. Each creative work moves from obscurity to clarity, showing that God’s word does not merely measure time—it gives time its meaning.
Day Two and Beyond: God Continues to Order the Chaos
Then God said, ‘Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.’ (Genesis 1:6)
Some suggest that before the Flood, the Earth was covered by a vapor canopy, a layer of water vapor surrounding the planet. Genesis describes “the waters above the expanse” (Genesis 1:7) and the “windows of heaven” opening at the Flood (Genesis 7:11), which they see as references to this canopy. They propose that this canopy created a global greenhouse effect with much richer oxygen. This contributed to a more stable, life-sustaining environment, which may help explain the exceptionally long lifespans recorded in Genesis. While this cannot be proven conclusively, it is worth considering. Creation continues:
- Day Three: Land and seas are separated; vegetation begins to grow.
- Day Four: Sun, moon, and stars mark time and seasons.
- Day Five: Birds and sea creatures fill the sky and waters.
- Day Six: Animals and humans are created
Creation unfolds with rhythm, intentionality, and purpose, not randomness.
Humanity: Created in God’s Image
Now we reach the climax. The pinnacle of creation is not stars or seas, but people:
Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness.’ (Genesis 1:26)
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis
2:7)
This is where I must part ways with advocates of theistic evolution. No matter what adaptations may have occurred among other species, human beings are different. Humans are not merely advanced apes. Rather, we are relational, spiritual beings, made to reflect the nature of God. That is an awesome privilege that no other creature shares.
This passage also introduces another name for God: Yahweh (Jehovah). Elohim emphasizes God’s sovereignty and creative power, while Yahweh emphasizes relationship and covenant. Just as I am “Dad” to my children but “James” to others, God reveals Himself differently depending on the intimacy of the relationship.
Christ, Creation, and You
From the very first verse, Genesis points us to Jesus Christ, the Creator who brings order, meaning, and life. Creation is not random, chaos is not final, and humanity is designed for relationships, with God and with one another.Understanding Jesus as present from the very beginning reshapes how we see the world, our lives, and our purpose. When we look at creation, we see more than the universe; we see the hand of Christ, moving with intention, love, and wisdom.
From the very beginning, Jesus Christ, the eternal Word,has been at work, bringing order, purpose, and life to creation. Humanity is made in His image and called into relationship with Him Today, that same Creator calls you to trust Him, receive forgiveness, and walk in new life, so that His hand of love and purpose may be seen in your life as it is in all creation. If you have not yet begun your relationship with Him, why not today?
Keep It Real
James
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