Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. Revelation 4:11
Genesis 1
God has never changed. He has been the same God from the start. And in getting to know who God is, what better place is there to begin than the beginning? Let’s dive in to this first book of the Bible and see what we can learn about who God is. Chapter 1, verses 1-2 read,
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.
There was nothing but God before He created the heavens and the earth. It doesn’t say why He created the heavens and the earth just that He did. God was and is perfect and complete. He didn’t need anything. He is All-sufficient. Acts 17:24-27 says it this way,
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us
So why did He create the earth? He created it to give us life! Many people say God was lonely. He was not lonely. God wasn’t in need of companionship. He is one God in three personalities, complete, a community unto Himself. His Spirit was hovering over the face of the deep and Jesus was there too. John 1:1-5 tells us,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 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. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Son of God is not overtly mentioned in Genesis. It was part of God’s plan to keep the mystery of Salvation until the right time. But The Son of God is mentioned; He is the Word of God and the Light. God spoke and His will manifested. Jesus is the Word of God, God’s manifested will. Although the earth had been created it was empty, void, and without form. God had created the heavens and the earth but he was not finished. Verses 3-5 read,
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.
When God created the light (not Jesus but the difference of night and day), He called it good. He had made the first day. Yet He knew He wasn’t finished, the earth still had no form and it was still empty. Verses 6-8 read,
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.
On the second day He gave the earth some form by separating the heavens and the earth with the sky, and by putting the earth into the atmosphere. He was making a place for us, a place we would be able to thrive, live, and breathe. But it wasn’t time for us yet; He was preparing a place for us. Verses 9-10 read,
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.
As God spoke each part of creation into existence through His Word, He pronounced it good. Now the earth was taking form, there was land and oceans and it was good. But it wasn’t ready for us just yet. Verses 11-13 read,
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.
Now there were plants and trees, flora and fauna. If it were me, I would be so eager to finish I would have made humanity right then and said, “Look what I made for you! Isn’t it good? There’s more to come.” But unlike me, God is patient. He wanted everything to be in place for us. Vegetation and food was good but it wasn’t everything He had planned for us, so He kept working. Verses 14-19 read,
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.
God not only created the stars, the sun, and the moon but He made them to be time keepers for us. I never could have thought of that. But He understood our every need, because He had already planned our creation. He made the world an interesting and beautiful place. Time would pass. Seasons and weather would change. And by the sun, moon, and stars men and women would know a day, a month, a season, and a year. We would know how to work the land, when to plant and when to sow. He did this for us before we were made, before the first sin which made working the land necessary. He made this earth for us perfectly, meeting all our needs before they existed. But it wasn’t finished yet. Verses 20-23 read,
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.
God made every kind of bird, every kind of fish, and every kind of sea creature. There was life in the skies, and life in the oceans. But it wasn’t time for us just yet. Verses 24-25 read,
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.
God made the animals, every kind there was, mammals, reptiles, insects, and spiders. He declared it good. Now the earth was ready for its purpose, it was ready for mankind. And though God has spoken everything else into existence and each thing was made after its own kind in its own uniqueness, Man was special. We were formed by God’s hands and given life and a soul by His own breath (Genesis 2:7). We were created in God’s image. Verses 26-31 read,
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.
Consider that for a moment, you were made in the image of God. He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” Everything else God created was proclaimed good, but mankind and the position He gave us was proclaimed very good. Why? Because we were made in His image. To go into the all that means would take an entire series of studies.
But as you come to know God more and you understand His love, beauty, grace, and power, understand that He made you in His image with the potential of all that He is and all the gifts and blessings of His nature. We are completed or perfected when we accept the call of the Father and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and are imbued with His Holy Spirit who makes us into the image of Jesus Christ. Why did God create the world? He created it for us because He is love and love is only love when it is expressed. 1 John 4:7-16 in The Message reads,
7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.
11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!
13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
This world was made for you. You were made in the image of God! And Believer, you are being made the apex of who you can be, the image of Christ. You are being perfected into who you were created to be. So love one another as God loves you. Love because you were created to love and by doing so glorify the Lord God, your maker and your Father.
God has never changed. He has been the same God from the start. And in getting to know who God is, what better place is there to begin than the beginning? Let’s dive in to this first book of the Bible and see what we can learn about who God is. Chapter 1, verses 1-2 read,
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.
There was nothing but God before He created the heavens and the earth. It doesn’t say why He created the heavens and the earth just that He did. God was and is perfect and complete. He didn’t need anything. He is All-sufficient. Acts 17:24-27 says it this way,
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us
So why did He create the earth? He created it to give us life! Many people say God was lonely. He was not lonely. God wasn’t in need of companionship. He is one God in three personalities, complete, a community unto Himself. His Spirit was hovering over the face of the deep and Jesus was there too. John 1:1-5 tells us,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 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. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Son of God is not overtly mentioned in Genesis. It was part of God’s plan to keep the mystery of Salvation until the right time. But The Son of God is mentioned; He is the Word of God and the Light. God spoke and His will manifested. Jesus is the Word of God, God’s manifested will. Although the earth had been created it was empty, void, and without form. God had created the heavens and the earth but he was not finished. Verses 3-5 read,
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.
When God created the light (not Jesus but the difference of night and day), He called it good. He had made the first day. Yet He knew He wasn’t finished, the earth still had no form and it was still empty. Verses 6-8 read,
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.
On the second day He gave the earth some form by separating the heavens and the earth with the sky, and by putting the earth into the atmosphere. He was making a place for us, a place we would be able to thrive, live, and breathe. But it wasn’t time for us yet; He was preparing a place for us. Verses 9-10 read,
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.
As God spoke each part of creation into existence through His Word, He pronounced it good. Now the earth was taking form, there was land and oceans and it was good. But it wasn’t ready for us just yet. Verses 11-13 read,
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.
Now there were plants and trees, flora and fauna. If it were me, I would be so eager to finish I would have made humanity right then and said, “Look what I made for you! Isn’t it good? There’s more to come.” But unlike me, God is patient. He wanted everything to be in place for us. Vegetation and food was good but it wasn’t everything He had planned for us, so He kept working. Verses 14-19 read,
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.
God not only created the stars, the sun, and the moon but He made them to be time keepers for us. I never could have thought of that. But He understood our every need, because He had already planned our creation. He made the world an interesting and beautiful place. Time would pass. Seasons and weather would change. And by the sun, moon, and stars men and women would know a day, a month, a season, and a year. We would know how to work the land, when to plant and when to sow. He did this for us before we were made, before the first sin which made working the land necessary. He made this earth for us perfectly, meeting all our needs before they existed. But it wasn’t finished yet. Verses 20-23 read,
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.
God made every kind of bird, every kind of fish, and every kind of sea creature. There was life in the skies, and life in the oceans. But it wasn’t time for us just yet. Verses 24-25 read,
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.
God made the animals, every kind there was, mammals, reptiles, insects, and spiders. He declared it good. Now the earth was ready for its purpose, it was ready for mankind. And though God has spoken everything else into existence and each thing was made after its own kind in its own uniqueness, Man was special. We were formed by God’s hands and given life and a soul by His own breath (Genesis 2:7). We were created in God’s image. Verses 26-31 read,
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.
Consider that for a moment, you were made in the image of God. He said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” Everything else God created was proclaimed good, but mankind and the position He gave us was proclaimed very good. Why? Because we were made in His image. To go into the all that means would take an entire series of studies.
But as you come to know God more and you understand His love, beauty, grace, and power, understand that He made you in His image with the potential of all that He is and all the gifts and blessings of His nature. We are completed or perfected when we accept the call of the Father and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and are imbued with His Holy Spirit who makes us into the image of Jesus Christ. Why did God create the world? He created it for us because He is love and love is only love when it is expressed. 1 John 4:7-16 in The Message reads,
7-10 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.
11-12 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!
13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
This world was made for you. You were made in the image of God! And Believer, you are being made the apex of who you can be, the image of Christ. You are being perfected into who you were created to be. So love one another as God loves you. Love because you were created to love and by doing so glorify the Lord God, your maker and your Father.
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