“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
This morning we are launching a new sermon series titled “The Unnamed Church”. We will spend the remainder of this year studying through Genesis chapters 1-11 and a few selected passages from Job. These chapters cover the first era of Biblical history, spanning from the creation of the heavens and earth to the calling of Abraham.
Although the “church” did not actually exist prior to Pentecost, I have intentionally chosen to use the word “church” in the title of this series in order to emphasize the continuity between the people of God in the Old Testament and those in the New. I’ve described God’s people during this earliest time period as “Unnamed” because there was no specific, designated people group which was called to represent God. There was no nation of Israel (most of the Old Testament) or Christian church (most of the New Testament) as of yet.
In today’s sermon, we are going to briefly touch on the opening 2 verses of the Bible. In my opinion, these are the most profound and expansive opening statements of any book that has ever been written. We will barely scratch the surface of all that has been written or said about these verses, but hopefully our discussion will be beneficial. It is imperative that we as believers have a solid understanding of the first few chapters of the Bible, as it lays the foundation for everything that follows.
I. THE PREEXISTENCE OF GOD
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” - Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word… all things came into being through Him.” - John 1:1,3
The Bible teaches that God is eternal, without beginning or end (Psalm 90:2). He has always been and always will be. We as human beings live within the dimension of time, but God exists outside of and is the Creator of time, space, and matter. Whenever the Bible uses words or phrases referring to time, such as “in the beginning”, they are for our benefit and understanding. To God, a day is like 1,000 years and 1,000 years is like a day. God is timeless and was already present “in the beginning”. We refer to this as the preexistence of God.
It is important to remember that God is not a single Person. He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - 3 distinctly divine Persons, yet 1 God without division of nature, essence, or being. Therefore, when we consider the preexistent nature of God we must include all 3 Persons. Jesus didn’t come into being in a manger at Bethlehem. The Holy Spirit didn’t come into being in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Rather, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all existed prior to creation and all 3 actively contributed to it (Colossians 1:16).
II. CREATED FROM NOTHING
The Bible states that “God created the heavens and the earth.” In this verse, the word used for “heavens” refers to the sky, atmosphere, and outer space. In other words, God created the physical universe and everything in it. This verse is not talking about spiritual Heaven, where Jesus currently sits at the right hand of the Father. If and when Heaven itself was created, and Hell for that matter, its creation is not discussed in the Bible. Nor is the creation of angels, though that must have happened at some point. The content of Genesis chapter 1 details the creation of the natural world and universe.
It stands to reason, therefore, that “in the beginning” refers to the beginning of humanity’s story. The Bible was written by God, through human authors, to human readers. Its intention is to provide specific and sufficient revelation of God to mankind so that we might know Him in a personal, saving way. The Bible is not concerned with other things that God may have created or done. Is there life on other planets? Maybe. If there is, God created it, too.
Theologians believe that God created the heavens and earth out of nothing. “Ex nihilo” is the Latin phrase used to describe this doctrine. The Bible teaches that God simply spoke the physical universe into existence (Psalm 33:6,9; Hebrews 11:3). All of time, space, and matter came into being through the utterance of His all-powerful voice.
III. YOUNG OR OLD
For thousands of years, secular scientists argued that the universe itself was eternal and outright dismissed the Biblical story of creation as fiction. However, modern science has conclusively proven that all matter, and therefore the universe itself (which is composed of matter), had a definite and simultaneous beginning. This discovery affirms the Biblical narrative and has led contemporary secular scientists to propose new theories to explain the origin of the universe. The Big Bang Theory proposes that the universe came into being 13.8 billion years ago through an instantaneous explosion and expansion of matter. If this theory is true, who or what caused the Big Bang? Perhaps God did. The Big Bang Theory does not disprove the Biblical account of creation, though it suggests the earth is very old.
To reconcile the belief that the earth is billions of years old with the story of creation, some believers have proposed that there is a “gap” between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The Gap Theory states that God created the heavens and earth, that they existed for billions of years, and that something happened causing them to become “void and without form”. Proponents of this theory argue that the creation described in Genesis 1:3 and following is actually a recreation of the universe after it had been ruined during the”gap”, likely by the fall of Satan. This theory provides room for the creation of Lucifer and the angels, the dinosaurs, and so forth.
Others who advocate for an “old earth” argue that the beginning chapters of Genesis are meant to be read figuratively or poetically, not literally. They believe that the earth has existed for millions of years, allowing ample time for many different ages, accounting for the dinosaurs and such. The “old earth theory” allows for the slow evolution of animals and other living things.
On the other hand, some believe that the creation story should be read literally, that God created the heavens and earth in 6 literal days, and that based on a strict reading of Genesis the heavens and earth are only about 6,000-10,000 years old. This is known as the “young earth theory”. Young earth proponents believe that the geological formations and patterns were created as a result of the great flood and that God created the earth with fossils and such already in it, giving it the appearance of being much older than it actually is. I contend that the Bible should always be read literally unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise, and there is none in this case. Therefore, I personally agree with the “young earth theory”.
IV. WATER, DARKNESS, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
“The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” - Genesis 1:2
When God originally created the earth (or recreated the earth according to the Gap Theory), it did not appear as it does now. Originally the earth was covered with water and shrouded in darkness. In other words, God did not immediately create the earth in its final form. He fashioned it progressively over time, as described in the remainder of the chapter.
Notice that God created water (and perhaps the land below it) before the 1st day of creation. Water is an essential element needed to sustain life. Waters made up both the heavens and the earth, something we’ll discuss in more depth in an upcoming sermon. Also notice that the Spirit of God, that is the Holy Spirit, was present and hovering over the waters.
CONCLUSION
There are countless questions that can be asked about the creation of the heavens and earth. The Bible doesn’t answer many of these questions, leaving plenty of room for speculation. Without explicit details, many different theories have emerged over the years. Similar to the book of Revelation, there are several plausible explanations and opinions about the origin of the universe. We can debate the age of the earth, the exact manner of its creation, and so forth. The main, indisputable point is this… the almighty, eternal, preexistent God created the natural universe out of nothing. He is wholly responsible for its existence. He fashioned it and He sustains it. In the Last Days, He will restore it to its original glory with the advent of “the new heavens and earth” (Revelation 21; Isaiah 55-56).
Next week we will talk about the 1st day of creation, when God began to tailor the rudimentary heavens and earth into a viable form that would be suitable for human life.
This morning we are launching a new sermon series titled “The Unnamed Church”. We will spend the remainder of this year studying through Genesis chapters 1-11 and a few selected passages from Job. These chapters cover the first era of Biblical history, spanning from the creation of the heavens and earth to the calling of Abraham.
Although the “church” did not actually exist prior to Pentecost, I have intentionally chosen to use the word “church” in the title of this series in order to emphasize the continuity between the people of God in the Old Testament and those in the New. I’ve described God’s people during this earliest time period as “Unnamed” because there was no specific, designated people group which was called to represent God. There was no nation of Israel (most of the Old Testament) or Christian church (most of the New Testament) as of yet.
In today’s sermon, we are going to briefly touch on the opening 2 verses of the Bible. In my opinion, these are the most profound and expansive opening statements of any book that has ever been written. We will barely scratch the surface of all that has been written or said about these verses, but hopefully our discussion will be beneficial. It is imperative that we as believers have a solid understanding of the first few chapters of the Bible, as it lays the foundation for everything that follows.
I. THE PREEXISTENCE OF GOD
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” - Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word… all things came into being through Him.” - John 1:1,3
The Bible teaches that God is eternal, without beginning or end (Psalm 90:2). He has always been and always will be. We as human beings live within the dimension of time, but God exists outside of and is the Creator of time, space, and matter. Whenever the Bible uses words or phrases referring to time, such as “in the beginning”, they are for our benefit and understanding. To God, a day is like 1,000 years and 1,000 years is like a day. God is timeless and was already present “in the beginning”. We refer to this as the preexistence of God.
It is important to remember that God is not a single Person. He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - 3 distinctly divine Persons, yet 1 God without division of nature, essence, or being. Therefore, when we consider the preexistent nature of God we must include all 3 Persons. Jesus didn’t come into being in a manger at Bethlehem. The Holy Spirit didn’t come into being in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. Rather, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit all existed prior to creation and all 3 actively contributed to it (Colossians 1:16).
II. CREATED FROM NOTHING
The Bible states that “God created the heavens and the earth.” In this verse, the word used for “heavens” refers to the sky, atmosphere, and outer space. In other words, God created the physical universe and everything in it. This verse is not talking about spiritual Heaven, where Jesus currently sits at the right hand of the Father. If and when Heaven itself was created, and Hell for that matter, its creation is not discussed in the Bible. Nor is the creation of angels, though that must have happened at some point. The content of Genesis chapter 1 details the creation of the natural world and universe.
It stands to reason, therefore, that “in the beginning” refers to the beginning of humanity’s story. The Bible was written by God, through human authors, to human readers. Its intention is to provide specific and sufficient revelation of God to mankind so that we might know Him in a personal, saving way. The Bible is not concerned with other things that God may have created or done. Is there life on other planets? Maybe. If there is, God created it, too.
Theologians believe that God created the heavens and earth out of nothing. “Ex nihilo” is the Latin phrase used to describe this doctrine. The Bible teaches that God simply spoke the physical universe into existence (Psalm 33:6,9; Hebrews 11:3). All of time, space, and matter came into being through the utterance of His all-powerful voice.
III. YOUNG OR OLD
For thousands of years, secular scientists argued that the universe itself was eternal and outright dismissed the Biblical story of creation as fiction. However, modern science has conclusively proven that all matter, and therefore the universe itself (which is composed of matter), had a definite and simultaneous beginning. This discovery affirms the Biblical narrative and has led contemporary secular scientists to propose new theories to explain the origin of the universe. The Big Bang Theory proposes that the universe came into being 13.8 billion years ago through an instantaneous explosion and expansion of matter. If this theory is true, who or what caused the Big Bang? Perhaps God did. The Big Bang Theory does not disprove the Biblical account of creation, though it suggests the earth is very old.
To reconcile the belief that the earth is billions of years old with the story of creation, some believers have proposed that there is a “gap” between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. The Gap Theory states that God created the heavens and earth, that they existed for billions of years, and that something happened causing them to become “void and without form”. Proponents of this theory argue that the creation described in Genesis 1:3 and following is actually a recreation of the universe after it had been ruined during the”gap”, likely by the fall of Satan. This theory provides room for the creation of Lucifer and the angels, the dinosaurs, and so forth.
Others who advocate for an “old earth” argue that the beginning chapters of Genesis are meant to be read figuratively or poetically, not literally. They believe that the earth has existed for millions of years, allowing ample time for many different ages, accounting for the dinosaurs and such. The “old earth theory” allows for the slow evolution of animals and other living things.
On the other hand, some believe that the creation story should be read literally, that God created the heavens and earth in 6 literal days, and that based on a strict reading of Genesis the heavens and earth are only about 6,000-10,000 years old. This is known as the “young earth theory”. Young earth proponents believe that the geological formations and patterns were created as a result of the great flood and that God created the earth with fossils and such already in it, giving it the appearance of being much older than it actually is. I contend that the Bible should always be read literally unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise, and there is none in this case. Therefore, I personally agree with the “young earth theory”.
IV. WATER, DARKNESS, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
“The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” - Genesis 1:2
When God originally created the earth (or recreated the earth according to the Gap Theory), it did not appear as it does now. Originally the earth was covered with water and shrouded in darkness. In other words, God did not immediately create the earth in its final form. He fashioned it progressively over time, as described in the remainder of the chapter.
Notice that God created water (and perhaps the land below it) before the 1st day of creation. Water is an essential element needed to sustain life. Waters made up both the heavens and the earth, something we’ll discuss in more depth in an upcoming sermon. Also notice that the Spirit of God, that is the Holy Spirit, was present and hovering over the waters.
CONCLUSION
There are countless questions that can be asked about the creation of the heavens and earth. The Bible doesn’t answer many of these questions, leaving plenty of room for speculation. Without explicit details, many different theories have emerged over the years. Similar to the book of Revelation, there are several plausible explanations and opinions about the origin of the universe. We can debate the age of the earth, the exact manner of its creation, and so forth. The main, indisputable point is this… the almighty, eternal, preexistent God created the natural universe out of nothing. He is wholly responsible for its existence. He fashioned it and He sustains it. In the Last Days, He will restore it to its original glory with the advent of “the new heavens and earth” (Revelation 21; Isaiah 55-56).
Next week we will talk about the 1st day of creation, when God began to tailor the rudimentary heavens and earth into a viable form that would be suitable for human life.