Genesis 1:1-2
Categories: Bible Study LessonsThe children of Israel would have first heard of the Lord’s account of the beginnings of the universe and mankind out in the wilderness, perhaps during the two years after meeting with God at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 20) during which time the tabernacle was built and interest was high in the things of God. One could well imagine that there were many questions among the people about their origins after the meeting at Sinai. It could hardly be avoided while there was a visible representation (Exodus 13:21-22; Exodus 40:38) of God among them.
One can hardly imagine a people being in a foreign land for centuries without learning something of the captor nations’ beliefs with regard to gods and origins. One can also imagine that part of the repression of the Israelites was the injection of scandalous lies regarding inferiority into the belief system to boost the prestige of the Egyptians.
The book of Genesis was recorded to correct the false views held by the Israelites and to serve as a compass to orient all those of all generations wishing to know of the one true God.
At Sinai the children of Israel had heard the voice of God himself saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (Exodus 20:2, ESV).” There would have been questions to be answered about this God whose name is Jehovah.
* Is he the god of the mountain?
* Where did he come from?
* If we were not created by the Egyptian gods, where did we come from?
The book of Genesis serves to answer the basic questions of mankind with regard to origin. Questions about God, the universe, man, family, time and much more is answered God’s way. He does not apologize for not answering all of your questions. He simply tells you what you need to know and does not worry that ever-changing modern science contradicts it. He is eternal and modern science is temporal.
Who wrote the book of Genesis?
Moses wrote it, though the book itself never says so. During the time period in which it emerges on the scene Moses was the lone man of God. Its continuity with Exodus is a strong vote for Moses’ authorship as well since Moses wrote Exodus (Mark 7:10; cp. Exodus 20:12; Exodus 17:14; Exodus 24:4; Exodus 34:27). Jesus quoted Genesis (Genesis 2:24) as scripture in Matthew 19:5.
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Genesis 1:1-2
I am sure that if your knowledge was limited to the ancient texts of the Egyptians, Babylonians and all others who had recorded cosmogonies you would think this first statement rather strange. The gods of the ancients were created by gods before them. They begat gods by sexual activity, by dividing themselves or by other strange means. They did not believe in a non-contingent God. Heaven and earth were sometimes represented as gods; one god serving as the sky and another serving as the earth. With one short terse statement all this is wiped away. “In the beginning, God,” that is the God that had met with them at Mt. Sinai, who had given them the law, and had brought them out of the land of Egypt with might works, signs and wonders. This God was not created but was simply there when it all began. “Created the heavens and the earth.” The earth we live on and the sky under which we work and play is a creation of God and are not gods in and of themselves. “The earth was without form and void,” tells us that God’s first creative act left an earth devoid of its present features. “And darkness was over the face of the deep.” The earth was covered with water and was in darkness. “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” In the second verse of the Bible we are introduced to the concept of the Godhead. While there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4) there are three persons. God the Son is also presented in Scripture as having a part in the creative process (John 1:3).