Lesson 2
A SERIES: A World in a Week – Chapters 1 and 2
LESSON 2: Genesis 1.1 “God and Origin”
Lesson Introduction:
Last month we started our study off on Genesis 1, verse 1 and I feel like we have just begun to find out what is in this fertile piece of the Word of God. Therefore, we are going to go a little further in our thinking, study it a little more, and go a little deeper. It may take us a while before we get finished with this first verse so that we can move on to the next because I see so much here we need to investigate. There are so many misconceptions today because there are; I suppose well meaning but misguided people. Let your mind look and think with me and hopefully you will see what I see!
I am not a very flamboyant fancy speaking person. I did not just fall off the cabbage wagon and I have learned a little bit since my High School teachers told me I would never make it in academia. I am glad God is more intelligent than my High School teachers whom I loved. However, we are talking about a subject called COSMOLOGY. Now I did not say COSMETOLOGY. That is where you learn to be a barber, hairdresser, skin care specialist, a nail technician, and things like that. No, I am talking about COSMOLOGY!
(Q) WHAT IN THE WORLD IS COSMOLOGY?
I realize that some have had the opportunity to become more educated than others have. If you had asked me that question at a certain point in my life, I would have been dumbfounded. Therefore, you folks who are so smart just listen to my simple definition. Cosmology is the study of the origin of the universe. It is a scientific discipline. It is a study dealing with how the world began. It is scientific theories concerning the beginnings of things. Now that is not a bad definition for an Eastern North Carolina farm boy!
INTERPRETATION:
When we look at what science has to say about cosmology, we must remember that we are dealing in the realm of science, with a subject that is far beyond the scientific method. The scientific method, as I understand it, begins with simple observations. Those observations are then elevated to the process of conducted experiments. Those experiments then become hypotheses or theories, usually presented as most likely facts. The concluding results of all of those experiments on what they feel are facts are supposed to be the truth, backed up by theoretical evidence. That sounds crazy to me!
However, I would remind you that technically science has nothing to say about how the universe began! There was only one eyewitness when the world came into existence. The Bible says, “In the beginning GOD created the heaven and the earth” therefore GOD is the only eyewitness and that is the only statement we have of how the world came into being! Therefore, when we think in terms of the origins of the universe from a scientific point of view, we must always keep in mind we are taking in the realm of theory. My friends, The Word Has Spoken And It Is So!
What we believe about the origin of the universe ultimately becomes a matter of faith. We believe the Bible by faith, whereas science believes certain things by certain assumptions made in the realm of science. As believers in the Bible and in the Lord Jesus Christ, by faith we believe God created the world. In Hebrews 11:3 it says, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were created." It is a matter of believing by faith.
There are certain theories of cosmology. For many years, the leading theory was the “Steady State” theory. It is the theory that matter was eternal. Everything just remained the same and matter was eternal. Today the most accepted theory is the “Big Bang” theory. The “Big Bang” theory, as I understand it, is the theory that many, many eons ago, at the beginning of time, out of a vacuum, a single particle came forth. Millions and billions of years ago (about 4.6 billion years ago), that single particle which had crushed into it all time, all space and matter, exploded. It set off a series of other explosions and through this series of explosions the universe, as we know it today, came into existence. Then somewhere, in our atmosphere, in a soup of microorganisms, life began. When life began, there was a series of evolutions through natural processes taking place. As we moved through these natural processes, eventually, man came into existence. To this country boy that is a wild story. When growing up my granddaddy could tell me stories as a little boy almost as wild as that and keep me on the edge of my seat listening when my sugar level was racing high after too much candy. Grammy winner, filmmaker, and movie producer Steven Stealburg could not even out do that one!
There are some positives to the theory of the Big Bang. This theory is the recognition that scientists now believe that there was a beginning to the universe. The truth of the matter is, for the scientist and everyone else, according to the Scripture, the world did not begin with a big bang; however, the world is going to end with a big bang. In II Peter 3:10, here is what the Bible says, "The heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." The world did not begin with a big bang, but the world is going to end with a big bang. I am just glad that those of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior will not be in that mayhem.
There is also a problem with the Big Bang theory. The problem is that this theory makes that single particle eternal. In other words, to believe that theory you just have to say that particle was always there. I am not a scientist. I said that to you in the last study. I am a country farm boy, got married and became a dad, turned businessperson, and called to preach at the age of thirty. I went to school and studied Biblical church ministry, expository preaching, and evangelism. I never went to school to become a scientist so if I make some mistakes in the matters of science, you must forgive me and understand that is not my field. Nevertheless, I do have a mind to think and I do have eyes to read. I do have the ability to comprehend and understand. What I am trying to do for myself and for you is to study what science has to say and then look at what the Bible has to say about the origins of things and the theories of men versus the truths of God's Word and make accurate distinctions.
(Q) Do you believe the Bible over all else as the final authority of all things?
(Q) Do you believe True Science is important to our world and society?
(Q) Can you name some ways the two can go hand in hand and help us live better?
I believe, as a Christian believer, that the Bible is God's accurate and final Word and authority. Not everyone who believes the Bible is a Christian. I have met many people like that. I am convinced and convicted enough to say that I do not believe any person can truly be a Christian and not believe the Bible. I believe the Bible is God's inspired, infallible, inherent Word. When the Bible speaks on any subject, I believe that it is true. I also believe that TRUE science and TRUE Bible teaching do not contradict one another. When one finds out what the Bible really says and when one gets the accurate facts of science, one will discover that the two are NOT in contradiction, but rather they ARE in harmony with one another.
James Tour, a chemistry professor at Rice University said in a conference meeting of young scientists, "If you really study science, it will bring you closer to God." Friends, I want you to know that my purpose in this study in Genesis 1:1 is to find out what the Bible has to say about the beginnings of things. When I read Genesis 1:1, I find a statement, which is remarkable for its scientific accuracy. When I look at this verse of Scripture, I find that at the very beginning God sets forth for us the basic elements of the material, physical universe.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
EXPLANATION:
There are three essential elements in the universe. There is TIME, there is SPACE, and there is MATTER. When you look at Genesis 1:1, you will find all three of these. 1. THERE IS THE EMERGENCE OF TIME – “In the beginning…”
2. THERE IS THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF SPACE – “…God created the heavens…” 3. THERE IS THE EXCELLENCE OF MATTER – “…and the earth.”
Let us think about these three elements from Genesis 1:1 for a few moments.
I. Let us begin by considering THE EMERGENCE OF TIME – “In the beginning…” The Hebrew word from which we get the word “beginning” has to do with “duration.” It does not tell us when time began, it just simply says - time began. We have similar statements in the New Testament. In John 1:1 it says, "In the beginning was the word…" He is talking about the eternal Christ. "…And the word was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." 1st John 1:1 says, "Which was from the beginning." Does that not tell us when time began? It does not tell us how time began. It just sets forth the emergence of time. That lets us know that time is not eternal. Time had a beginning; time will also have an end. In Isaiah 46:9-10 the Bible says, “Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying , My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” God declares the end from the beginning. There was a beginning of time - the emergence of time.
(Q) What would you say is mysterious about time?
(Q) What would be your definition of time?
(Q) If you were in school and told to write a paper and explain time, could you accomplish the assignment?
Here are the words of the theologian, Augustine. "What is time? If no one asks me, I know. But if any person should require me to tell him, I cannot."
(Q) How do you measure time?
(Q) What does time mean to God?
Let us think about mystery concerning time. I looked in my dictionary to find definitions of time. After reading those definitions, I still know very little about time. Time is a mystery. Let me give you some of the mysterious aspects of time. You cannot store time. If you do not use time, it is irretrievably lost. You cannot lend time. If a neighbor comes knocking on your door and says, "I would like to borrow a cup of sugar." You can lend them a cup of sugar. Nevertheless, you cannot lend anyone time.
It is impossible to turned time backward because it only goes forward. Someone said that we human beings are like people sitting on a conveyor belt constantly moving us in a forward direction. When you stop and think about it, time is confining. We cannot get rid of time. Everyone has the same amount of time in each day. Time is a mystery in the sense that each of us has sixty-minute hours and twenty-four hour days. We do not understand everything that is involved in the whole issue of time. However, time is one thing man can never change and it stays the same for everyone.
Let us think about the measurement of time. We do not know how old the universe is. We do not know when time began. The thoughts and theories of science have changed constantly. There was a time when scientists believed that the universe was 14 billion years old. Now, they have brought their thinking down to 4.6 billion years and as they continue experimenting with their theories, their estimation keeps dropping constantly.
Personally, I am a young earth creationist. I personally believe that the earth is not nearly as old as some people would have you believe. I think the more we discover scientifically, the more we will discover that the earth is young, relatively speaking. Nevertheless, clocks measure time. Maybe you have a watch on your arm. You have a clock in your study. You have a clock in your schoolroom. It measures time in seconds and minutes and hours. We also measure time in days and weeks and months and years.
One of the things we are discovering about time is that time seems to measure differently in different places on the earth. We know that time measured in very low altitudes is a few microseconds per year slower than when you measure time by identical clocks at the National Bureau of Standards in Boulder, Colorado. So time measures differently in various geographical places.
We now know the same thing is true in space. We know that time measures differently on the earth than it does on the edge of the universe. Stephen Hawking, the great physicist, in his book, A Brief History of Time, has a remarkable statement. He stated, "Distant objects in the universe could age billions of years in a single day of your time." Is that not interesting? I think that comes to bear when we try to measure the age of the earth. It is according to where you are when you are attempting to measure time. Are you measuring time on the earth or are you measuring time on the edge of the universe? Maybe that sounds confusing so let me give you an illustration to show you how the measurement of time can differ depending on where you may be.
Here is a man who sends a letter to a friend by Pony Express. He says to that friend, "Six days from now, I'll send you another letter." Then he begins to travel further away from his friend. In fact, he travels six days further away from his friend. Indeed, six days later, he sends the second letter. However, that letter will take twelve days to get to his friend because he has moved six days further away. Time means one thing in one place; it means another thing in another place.
However, confinement to time is never a problem for God because God is outside of time. That is the reason why in 2nd Peter 3:8 the Bible says, "One day is to the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day." God is outside the confines of time. Nevertheless, God speaks to you and to me in terms of time and the meaning of time.
APPLICATION:
The Bible says that God has a message to us about time. In Psalm 31:15 the psalmist declares, "My times are in thy hands." The Bible teaches that you and I have responsibilities in time. God has given us time and He has given us opportunity in time He has given us. If one is a child of God in the time God has given us, we are to make the most of it being used by Him, for the fields are white for harvest. There is ministry of all kinds at all levels that is needed everywhere. It is in time that one is to make a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ - only in time.
(Q) As a Child of God how can you become one used by God in the time He has given you?
(Q) As one who needs to truly receive Jesus, remove all doubts, remove all fears and finally have that peace that passes all understanding are you going to take advantage of the time God has given you before time runs out?
I am amazed sometimes at the prideful religions in which many people embrace as being the most important aspect of their life. There are those who are strictly formal and hold tightly to their man made religious traditions that have nothing to do with the true worship of God. I firmly believe in having and showing respect and reverence in worship. Our God deserves nothing but our highest honor and praise as we come before Him. Nevertheless, with that said, there are no religious people in heaven. The only people in heaven, or who will ever be in heaven are those who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior before the [TIME] God gave them ran out. Religion is man’s attempt to reach God through his vain fleshly efforts. Christianity is God’s attempt to reach man by the conviction of His Holy Spirit in [TIME].
2nd Corinthians 6:2 is an interesting verse of Scripture. It is God's invitation to every lost soul. It is God's invitation to everyone of you in this Bible Study who needs to know Jesus as your personal Savior. Look and listen to what it says as you read it closely and carefully. "(For He saith, I have heard thee in a [TIME] accepted, and in the [DAY] of salvation have I succoured (or called) thee; behold now is the accepted [TIME]; behold, now is the [DAY] of salvation.)"
Do you see what God is saying? If you have never received Jesus Christ as your Savior, it is saying that you have to receive Him in [TIME]. Eternity will be too late. You are confined by [TIME]; but one of these days [TIME] will be over and when your [TIME] is over, what you have done with Jesus Christ is all that really matters.
(Q) What have you done with Jesus in your life?
(Q) Have you received Christ as your Savior in [TIME]?
There was a great preacher of another day and age named Thomas Chalmers. In the earlier days of Chalmers' life, before he became a believer, he was a mathematician. He was attending a gathering of preachers at a conference on one occasion and one of his enemies was there. This man stood up and started reading before the group some statements that Chalmers had written while he was a lost mathematician. After he read the statements, he asked Chalmers "Are those statements true?" Chalmers said, "Yes, those statements were true. They were made when my thoughts were unformed. I was an unsaved mathematician." Then Chalmers said, "But what is mathematics? Mathematics is magnitude under the proportion of magnitude. In those days I had forgotten 2 magnitudes – the shortness of time and the length of eternity."
Dr. Billy Graham said that the most amazing and surprising thing to him in life was the shortness of time. This dear man of God is in his late eighty’s. I am sure, all of us who are old enough to start counting the years, knowing there are not as many ahead as there were behind, thinking back on how it once was; it seems like life has been just a moment, just a flash of time. James 4:14 says to us clearly, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that apppeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” I want to say to every one of you, whether you are young or whether you are old or somewhere in between, time is swiftly passing. You have only one opportunity that you know you are going to have. Yesterday is gone forever and you can never bring that time back. Tomorrow never gets here. It is always today, right NOW. You do not know if you are going to have much time or any time in the future. [NOW] is the accepted time. [TODAY] is the day of salvation.
Genesis 1:1 sets forth The Emergence of TIME - "In the beginning God..."
II. In Genesis 1:1 the second element that is mentioned in this verse is THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF SPACE – “…created the heaven…”
INTERPRETATION:
“In the beginning God created the HEAVEN and the earth.”
The King James states it or translates it in the singular – “heaven.” However, from my research of word studies and comparing it to other translations and commentaries I have found that in the Hebrew it is in the plural. I know that has been a lot of concern for some people so I wanted to cover that and get it behind us. "In the beginning God created the HEAVENS.” In that word “Heavens,” you have the extravagance of space. The word “Heavens” does not have reference to earth’s atmosphere, but it has reference to what we call outer space.
EXPLANATION:
Think about the extravagance of the heavens. It seems as if when God got ready to create this universe, He just splurged when it came to the whole matter of outer space.
Think about the extent of outer space. We do not even know how to measure outer space. When astronomers look at outer space, they have no way to understand or accurately determine the vastness of outer space. We talk about space in various categories. We talk in terms of interstellar space. We talk about the stars. They tell us that the nearest star to us is 25 billion miles away. We talk in terms of interplanetary space. Venus, the nearest planet to us, is 25 million miles away. They also talk in terms of intergalactic space. That is the space between the galaxies. There is no way to measure the space distances between galaxies.
Think about the content of space. Space is composed of radiation, particles of matter or atoms. Think about the atom as an example or just a small particle of an atom. We have never really seen an atom, but we believe they are there. They tell us you can find a billion, trillion atoms in one teaspoon of water. Yet they believe that every atom is a microscopic universe in and of itself. Who made that atom? Where did that atom come from? How did that atom get its complexity? Outer space is vast but its content is so detailed and minute. I wonder if that just happened to exist.
Astronomers are now telling us that the universe is dying. This universe is going to be no more. Our observations with the Hubble Space Telescope tell us that the universe is dying. When they see stars dying, it lets them know that the universe is also dying. In connection with that, I read a statement by an astronomer named Dr. Howard Bond who was commenting on the fact that the universe is dying and here is what he said. "We have another six billion years to get out of town before that happens." When I read that, it nearly scared me to death at first. However, the astronomers are just a little behind on their conclusions.
The Bible tells us that the heavens are dying. Jesus put it this way. "Heaven and earth shall pass away." 2nd Peter 3:10 says, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise. And the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." One of these days, the heavens are going to roll back like a scroll. One of these days, the earth is going to disintegrate. The universe and outer space is going to disappear. That should be a scary scenario for a person who has never received Jesus as their personal Savior. However, for those who have been Born Again look at 2nd Peter 3:13, "Nevertheless, we according to his promise, look for new heavens and anew earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."
(Q) Do you worry about the signs of the times pointing to the soon coming of the end of the age? If you do – WHY?
(Q) If you are a Christian, do you really know what the Bible says it all really means for you? – or do you need to do a little more study to find out? – or is your faith in what God promises a little weak?
(Q) If you are not a Christian or not sure you are a Christian, could your concern mean that you need to talk to your pastor and get a few things settled so you can find peace and rest for your soul?
(Q) What the Bible says is going to happen! Are you going to be ready?
APPLICATION:
Think about the intent or the purpose of space. When you look at space beyond its ecological purposes and beyond its universal purposes, what does God intend to do with the heavens? In Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God." That means, that when you go out tonight and see the stars begin to come out and smile at you God is declaring His glory to you so give Him praise. In the morning when you get ready to go to work or school and the sun begins to come up, you look at God's heavens, or you look at the blueness of the sky, God is declaring his glory to you so give Him praise. When you look out your window and God is drenching the dry earth with the water needed, even though it may be spoiling your outing for the day, God is declaring his glory to you so give Him praise. God is revealing Himself to you in the heavens. The two truths about God everyone can know when he or she looks at the heavens are these: (1) it is the truth that GOD EXISTS! (2) It is the truth that GOD IS A GOD OF ETERNAL POWER!
REVIEW:
I. In Genesis 1:1, the first element that is mentioned in this verse is
THE EMERGENCE OF TIME – "In the beginning God..."
II. In Genesis 1:1, the second element that is mentioned in this verse is
THE EXTRAVAGANCE OF SPACE – “…created the heaven…”
III. In Genesis 1:1, the third element that is mentioned in this verse is
THE EXCELLENCE OF MATTER – “…and the earth.”
INTERPRETATION:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
“Earth” in the Hebrew in a word that is a reference to “matter.”
(Q) What are the chances that one single cell could be brought into existence by accident?
Think how complex matter is. They tell us that the possibility of one single cell or one part of matter, coming into existence accidentally is only one in ten with 60 zeroes after it. I will tell you how impossible that would be. Let us just suppose that you get a monkey. You put that monkey in front of a simplified keypad. Let that monkey start pecking on those keys. Put before that monkey, Psalms 23 that as you know starts off with “The Lord is my shepherd.” What are the mathematical probabilities of that monkey typing accidentally the first word, “The”? In terms of mathematical probabilities, they say that in 34.7 hours that monkey might type “The.” What are the probabilities of that monkey accidentally printing the entire 23rd Psalm? They say it is 9.2 hours times 1,010 years. That is an example of the complexity of matter – matter coming into existence accidentally.
Sir Frederick Hoyle, the astronomer said, "To say that the matter of this universe coming into existence accidentally is about the same probability as a whirl wind or hurricane whirling through a junk yard and accidentally producing a fully functioning Boeing 747. That's the mathematical probabilities. Yet, people want to tell me that this earth came into existence accidentally. What is behind that? Why is it that people do not want to believe that God created this earth? In addition, why do they not want to believe that God created this universe? I will tell you why. The purpose is to do away with the Creator. In doing away with the Creator, you do away with human responsibility. It means you can live just any way you want to live. Nevertheless, the Bible says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
EXPLANATION:
Think about how temporal matter is. Our earth’s make up is of soil, of rocks, of minerals, of fire, of gravity, and other elements. Every part of matter is involved to every other particle equally. Yet, we know that matter itself is going down. The second law of thermodynamics teaches that all matter is in the process, unattended of going from organization to disorganization. All matter is running down. Hebrews 1:10-12 says, "And thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail."
In other words, everything is running down. They tell us that the earth is literally wobbling on its axis like a top that is beginning to spin down. That is the law of entropy (a fancy word which means the measure of the disorder of any system). You buy a brand new car. You are so proud of that car. You shine that car. You fix that car up. One day you go out there and you find a piece of rust on that car. The next thing you know those tires are getting a little bit slick. Soon you find yourself having to put that car into the shop. If you hold onto that car enough years it will collapse on the highway, and you will have to take it to the junkyard. Everything is running down.
If you do not believe everything is running down, you take your kid off to college and you set up their room. You have everything in place. You have it spic and span and clean. Go back a month from now and see what has happened to that room. Everything is winding down.
(Q) Why did God create the earth?
(Q) What is the purpose of the existence of the earth?
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
(Q) What is the meaning of that?
APPLICTION:
When you look at this Genesis 1:1, you see that God is getting ready for something. You see that God is setting up the universe for something. There is also, what we call the anthropic principle. That is a fancy word that means that the world, the earth, the universe was brought into existence for the purpose of human habitation. You look at everything about the universe and you will discover that it is fine - tuned for human habitation. They even tell me that the mass density of the universe is especially so designed that humans can live here. They tell me the very number of the stars, which are beyond the ability of man to even count, is designed for human habitation. Concerning the very rotation of the earth – if the earth rotated faster man could not live. If it rotated, slower man could not live. Concerning the very distance of the earth from the sun – if it were closer man would fry. If it were further away from the sun man would freeze. Everything – the ecosystem – everything about earth – all of it is so designed for human habitation.
P. Davies, a non-Christian physicist, said in his book, The Mind of God. "I can't believe that our existence in the universe is a mere quirk of fate, an accident of history, an accidental blip in the great cosmic drama. We are truly meant to be here."
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." He created it for you. The root of the Hebrew word, “earth,” really means “love.” It is as if God says, "I have created this earth and everything about it because I love you. I have a purpose and a plan for you.”
I want you to remember these two verses of Scripture and jot them down in your Bible somewhere. Psalm 8:3 "When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers." Then in Psalm 77:15, "Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people."
Here you see the difference between creation and salvation.
In Psalm 8:3 "When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers” it talks about God's work of creation. He says that when God created the universe, it was the work of His fingers. God was just doing a little knitting.
However, when God got ready to save you and redeem you, the psalmist says in Psalm 77:15, "Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people." It took a miracle for God to create “the heavens.” However, the miracle of all miracles is when He saves our eternal soul.
Go To Lesson 3 - "The God Who Created Everything - Or - Chance"