God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth | Genesis 1:1-3
Brian G. Hedges | April 24, 2016
One of my favorite films is the Terrance Malick directed film called Tree of Life. It’s a very interesting film. I’ll give my caveat; it’s not for everyone. I’ll give my reason why in just a moment. It’s a very interesting film. It’s a very artistic exploration of the themes of nature and grace, of suffering and meaning, of sin and forgiveness, of hope and love. There are biblical allusions throughout the film. It opens with a quotation from the book of Job. It’s filmed with voice-overs, many of which are prayers that are seemingly directed to God. The very title of the film—Tree of Life—derives from the book of Genesis. Now, the film is not for everyone. Here’s my caveat: if you prefer linear storytelling, you’re probably not going to like this film. Or if you like lots of explosions, you’re definitely not going to like this film. This is something like cinematic poetry that is full of thoughtful exploration of philosophical and theological themes. So it’s right up my alley, but maybe not everyone else’s.
But the reason I’ve been thinking about this film this week is that I’ve been reading a book written about it by the theologian Peter Leithart, called Shining Glory. And he opens with a quote from the philosopher Heidegger:
“Heidegger said that the great question of philosophy was, Why is there something rather than nothing? It is a question that expresses and evokes the wonder of Being, the awe that we sometimes feel at the sheer fact of our own existence and the existence of anything. Most of the time…we don’t consider the question of Being, the ontological question. We get so caught up with the specific things and gadgets that surround us, and we are concerned mostly with our immediate needs and the demands of life. We become obsessed with beings rather than with Being. We live in a state of forgetfulness. We are ontological amnesiacs, and we what we have forgotten is the wonder of Being. Sometimes Being breaks in upon us: A stunning sunset, an eagle in the sky or a snake upon a rock, a soul-stretching movement of a Beethoven Quartet, and at those moments the glory of Being breaks into our black-and-white lives in bright colors.” (Peter J. Leithart, Shining Glory: Theological Reflections on Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, p. 39)
Why is there something rather than nothing? That’s a really good question. And the biblical answer to that question is found in the first verses of scripture, Genesis chapter 1. And that’s where I want to direct us this morning, verses 1 through 3.
In case you were wondering, this is the beginning of a new series on the book of Genesis. This is something I’ve thought about preaching on for ten to fifteen years, and here we are. We’re going to begin today a series on just the first few chapters. And the hope is that within the next few years to go through the whole book. But in the next 10 weeks to really focus on just the first three chapters and really dig in.
Let’s read the passage:
Genesis 1:1-3: 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. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Why is there something rather than nothing?
The answer of Scripture, the answer of Genesis is: God. Very simply, God.
Derek Kidner in his commentary on Genesis, says:
"It is no accident that God is the subject of the firs sentence of the Bible, for this word dominates the whole chapter and catches the eye at every point of the page: it is used some 35 times in as many verses of the story. The passage, indeed the Book, is about Him first of all; to read it with any other primary interest…is to misread it." (Kidner, Genesis, Tyndale Old Testament Commentary, 43)
And especially this morning I want us to think about what these first verses tell us about God, who is our reason for being. And I want us to notice three things about God noted in this passage.
We might call them:
I. The reality of God
II. The theater of God
III. The power of God
I. The Reality of God – v. 1a
v. 1a: In the beginning, God…
The first thing to note here is that the existence of God is not argued for, it’s simply assumed. It’s assumed that there’s a great, uncaused Cause who is the creative force behind all that exists. God is the author of creation and all that is. Over 100 years ago now, the great evolutionary philosopher Herbert Spencer, one of Darwin’s earliest and most enthusiastic advocates, outlined five ‘ultimate scientific ideas’: time, force, action, space, and matter.
These are categories that (according to Spencer) comprise everything else, everything that is.
According to John MacArthur, in Genesis 1 you have all of those things right here: “In the beginning’ – that’s time. “God” – that’s force. “Created” – that’s action. “The heavens” – that’s space. “And the earth” – that’s matter. (see MacArthur, The Battle for the Beginning, pp. 40-41)
The passage then is showing that God is the intelligent and powerful creative force behind all else that is. Everything exists because of God. He is the uncaused cause. He is the reason for there being existence at all. He is the great Being that is the creator of all lesser beings.
And then the identity of this God is important for us to understand. The identity of this God is given to us in the next chapter 2 verse 4. And the identity of this God is the Lord God or Yahweh Elohim. And I want us to just note this for a minute, because it's important for us to remember who the book of Genesis was originally addressed to. Who were the original readers? What was the original audience? And the original audience was the children of Israel after their redemption from Egypt. The events of the Exodus filled their recent memory. These are the ones who had seen God strike the gods of Egypt with a mighty hand. He had delivered them by a mighty, strong, outstretched arm. He had divided the Red Sea, making a path for them. This was the God who provided for them in the wilderness and then gave them his law at Sinai. And conservative theologians have believed for many years that Moses was the primary author of the book of Genesis. I think there are good reasons to believe that. And that God had given this revelation to Moses so that the children of Israel would know that the God who redeemed them, Yahweh Elohim, that God was the God who had created all things. That's important for us to understand.
And when we begin to look at the specifics of the passage, it shows us something about the very nature of this God. And again, this is important for us to understand in the original context. The children of Israel lived in the ancient near east, and the culture was a polytheistic culture. That means that they believed in many gods. They were a pantheistic culture. They divinized the elements of creation. They worshiped the sea, they worshiped the sky, they worshiped the sun and the moon and the skies, they worshiped animals. And into this culture they are given the revelation that there is one God. And this God is the creator of all that is. And so this teaches us several things. I'll list these quickly:
(1) There's one God versus many. This counters polytheism. One God, and that God is Yahweh.
(2) This God is over the creation versus a part of creation.
Tremper Longman, in his book How to Read Genesis, shows how Genesis was written as polemic against the creation accounts of the Ancient Near East, such as the Babylonian document Enuma Elish. The Enuma Elish is the Babylonian creation myth, which was recovered by Austen Henry Layard in 1849 in the ruined Library of Ashurbanipal at Nineveh (Mosul, Iraq), and published by George Smith in 1876. The story describes how the god Marduk became the supreme god in the pantheon of gods by killing the goddess Tiamat and dividing her body into two parts, with one half fashioning the heavens and the other the earth; then executing Qingu, the demon-god, and from his blood mixed with clay, made humanity.
Now, that was the mythology of the time when this revelation was given to the children of Israel. And over and against it it shows that there is a God who created all things. And, as we'll see next week, He didn't make human beings out of the blood of a demon god, but rather he breathed in human beings his very Spirit. He gave them the breath of life, making them in his image. This is showing us that the creation is under the sovereignty of the one God. God is not to be confused with the creation itself. They're not gods, they're created things that exist under his rule and his protection.
(3) And then the final thing we learn here is that this God is involved with creation, not removed from it. And this counters the whole idea of deism. The deists believed that God was something like a divine watchmaker, he made the watch, wound it up, and then let it go by itself and was basically uninvolved from that time forward. But Genesis portrays for us a God who is active and involved with his creation. In other words, he is both a transcendent God, majestic and enthroned above the creation, but He's also imminent. He draws near, he's involved, he superintends, he governs. This is the God whose word brings creation into existence, and as we will see in these opening chapters, he is the God who speaks to these human beings that he's created.
And so the main application point is to just test our own view of God against this picture of God in scripture. Here's a picture of God who's exalted and transcendent and majestic, the creator God. And yet he's also the imminent God. He's not distant and remote; he's the God who is governing the created world. And I think all of us have got to check our own views of God against this view of God.
I was thinking a couple of years ago about the portrait of God you get in movies. It's amazing how religious movies are. We think of movies as being secular, but watch them closely—they’re very religious. They're giving us theologies; there's a script to the cinema. And in the movies, sometimes, we get a portrait of God that's something like the Oh, God movies back in the seventies, with George Burns. This is almost a blasphemous portrait. I think it is a blasphemous portrait, where you have imminence; you have a grandfatherly kind of God, but no majesty, no sovereignty—only indulgent familiarity. On the other hand, you might take Stanley Kubrick's movie 2001: Space Odyssey. And you have the black monolith. And it's kind of this remote, dark, ominous figure. No one really knows what it means. But some people think of God like that. Some people think of George Burns; that's their figure, and some people have a view of God that's just completely removed and uninvolved. And what scripture gives us is neither of those caricatures, but rather a God who's both majestic and wise and sovereign and powerful, and a God who's personal and caring and involved and loving—a God who is also our father. And we've got to test ourselves so that we do not err on either one of those things. The reality of God and the character of this God who is revealed, that's first.
II. The Theater of God – v. 1b-2a
And secondly we need to see what I'm calling here the theater of God. And I'm drawing that language from John Calvin.
John Calvin in his Institutes calls the created world a theater for the glory of God. The “bright” (Introduction, VIII), “dazzling” (1.5.8), “glorious” (1.6.2), “beautiful” (1.14.20), and “magnificent” (2.6.1) theater of God.
In other words, the world is the theater, the arena. It's the stage on which God shows forth his majesty. And you have it right here in verse 1. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
The verb 'created' (bara in Hebrew), is used over and again in scripture of the creative work of God, and it’s only used of God. Never does a human being create. Humans make things, they form things, they fashion things, but only God creates things. God is the creator God, and he created the heavens and the earth. That's a poetic expression that takes two opposites and combines them together to cover the whole range of everything that exists. So, when we speak of the day and night, we're talking about all time. And when we're talking about the man and beast, we're talking about all creatures. And when the author says God created the heavens and the earth, he means all things; he means the universe. God created all things that exist, and it's created as a theater for his glory.
Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
And this shows us how the created world testifies to the majesty and the glory of God—to the reality of God. And in scripture this is seen as the basis for human accountability. I'll just reference without reading all of it Romans 1:20-22, where Paul says that the invisible attributes of God, his eternal power and his divine nature, are clearly perceived through the creation. And it's because human beings have neglected that, they've exchanged that reality, the glory of God, for created things. They've worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator. And therefore they are accountable to God and judgment rests upon them. So the creation, it is the theater of God.
But then you come to verse two. And in verse two this theater is enshrouded and engulfed in darkness. Look at the beginning of verse 2: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.”
Those are kind of mysterious words. It has an ominous sound to it. This language is used in very specific ways in scripture. There's poetic ring to the words in Hebrew, the earth was without form and void: 'tohu wabohu.' Those two words rhyming. The first is tohu – without form – it carries the idea of formlessness, a trackless waste (Deut 32:10), that which has utter emptiness (Job 26:7) or chaos (Isa 24:10). And then this word bohu, which especially means emptiness, is translated as void.
Now there are two ways to read this: Perhaps verse 2 describes the sequence of creation. That God created matter and then began to form this matter, and shaped it as he began the creative work described in verse 3, filling it and subduing and bringing it into order. That's a possible explanation, and there are good reasons to think that may be that true.
But there's also good reason to think that maybe something else is going on here. The second view is that God created a world and then in some mysterious way that is not disclosed here, but other passages of scripture hint at it, that a portion of the angelic realm fell and plunged this world into darkness and chaos. And the main reason for thinking that is that the phrase here “without form and void” (tohu wa bohu) is used only two other times in Scripture, (Jer. 4:23; Isa. 34:11) both describing judgment of God on the creation. It signifies something like de-creation or un-creation. It's the forces of chaos at work. And so perhaps something like that is in view here.
Then you have language like "darkness over the face of the deep." Now what does darkness in scripture signify? Light is a metaphor, a picture for that which is true and good and beautiful. Darkness is often a picture for that which is evil and ominous and threatening. Darkness is often also a symbol of God's judgment. For example, we see that in the plagues of Egypt.
Put all this together, and it seems this is describing how God brings order to chaos and light to darkness.
I've found helpful a passage by Allen Ross:
“This passage reveals the activity of God in redemption. At the beginning there was darkness over the deep, and there was waste and void, but at the end there was a marvelous creation at rest, blessed, and sanctified by God. This creation narrative traces how God transformed the chaos into the cosmos, turned darkness into light, and altered that which was unprofitable to that which was good, holy, and worth blessing. This direction of the passage parallels the direction of the message of the Pentateuch as a whole, in which God redeems Israel from the darkness and chaos of Egypt and leads them on toward blessing and rest. The pattern of God’s redemptive work thus first begins to unfold at creation.” (Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis)
For example, in the plagues of Egypt, do you remember when darkness fell on the land and it was this utter and complete darkness, where the Egyptians couldn't see their hands in front of their faces? What was this? It was the Judgment of God. De-creation was happening in their land. So when you put all this together, it seems to be giving us a picture of the circumstances in which God begins his creative work which were recorded in verse 3 and then following in the chapter, there's kind of a summary statement.
In other words, this is showing us that our God is the God who brings order into chaos, who brings light into darkness. The God who brings life where there's only death and judgment. Right here you have a hint of the glorious gospel that becomes so clear with the revelation of Christ.
So first we see the reality of God, secondly the theater of God, and finally the power of God.
III. The Power of God – v. 2b-3
And you see this in the second half of first two and then in verse 3. Verse 2 tells us that "The spirit of God was hovering over the waters, and God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light."
And here we see two remarkable expressions of the power of God.
(1) First of all, the Breath of God. This phrase, “the spirit of God,” is ruach Elohim. It is the word for breath or wind so this is the wind of God. And it's also used for an eagle hovering over its nest. And there's a picture here of the creative energy and power of God resting over the primordial chaos of darkness and then bringing it into order—bringing life into it.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit is a term for God's outgoing energy, his creative and sustaining, outgoing energy. We read in Exodus 31 how the Spirit of God filled Bezalel and gave him skill and craftsmanship in the crafting of the Tabernacle. In the book of Judges, the Spirit of God rushes upon unlikely heroes, turning them into champions who will deliver God's people from their enemies. And in Ezekiel chapter 37, the prophet Ezekiel is given a vision of a valley—the valley is full of dry bones. Ezekiel is told to prophesy and call for the four winds to come. And the winds come, and they bring life to the bones. And then we come to the New Testament, when Jesus is baptized, and the Spirit of God in the shape of a dove descends upon Jesus, the head of new creation. In Acts chapter 2, where the infant church is gathered, and a mighty rushing wind descends on the day of Pentecost.
The Spirit of God, in other words, in scripture, is a creative life-giving, life-saving expression of God's power. And more than that, we know from New Testament revelation that the Spirit of God is a distinct personality, one with God in power and being, and God in essence, and yet a distinct personality—one of the three in the Triune Godhead. He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God created by his word. Hebrews 11:3 summarizes it perfectly: ‘By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what was seen was not made out of things that were visible.’ Psalm 33 combines ideas: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth.”
And can we read this without thinking of the Apostle John's opening? “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was nothing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5)
The word of God—the logos of God—is none other than Jesus Christ, the Word who was made flesh and dwelt among us so that we have seen his glory. (John 1:14)
So you put all this together and tease out the implications and see that God works by his word and by his Spirit. He created the universe in this way, and he continues to work today.
Here we see here the seeds of Trinitarianism. No Hebrew would have read this and thought that. They were monotheists, they wouldn't have thought this at all. But I think Augustine was right that the Old Testament is a dimly lit room that was fully furnished. The doctrine is there, but it's only in the light of New Testament revelation that we can see all that is there.
So we can see here the Spirit of God and the Word of God, the Triune God, at work in these first three verses of the Bible.
And then we see here this pattern, a pattern that's worked throughout the whole narrative of scripture—that brings order to chaos and light to darkness. In other words, he establishes in the world the kingdom of God.
Herman Bavinck said: “The essence of the Christian religion consists in this, that the creation of the Father, devastated by sin, is restored in the death of the Son of God, and re-created by the Holy Spirit into a kingdom of God.” (Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics)
So then, having seen these three things, how do we apply this to our lives? The reality of God, the theater of God, and the power of God.
Conclusion
I want to close with 3 concluding applications. The first is rather obvious and yet something we need reminding of it.
(1) Be in awe of God the Creator
Why is there something rather than nothing? God. Go out into the country sometime and look up into the sky and think of all the stars and all the planets and ask yourself, “Where does it come from? Why do I see this? Why is it here?” Ponder the reality of being and of existence, and then stand in awe of God.
Psalm 33:8-9:
Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
Rev. 4:11: “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.”
(2) Praise God the Redeemer.
And I just want to draw a line here from Genesis 1 all the way to the New Testament. And one of the many ways the New Testament describes the creative work of redemption is by using the language of creation to talk about new creation, and using that very imagery of Genesis to describe what now happens to us as we become members of New Creation. The key verse here is:
2 Corinthians 4:6: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Charles Wesley got it so right:
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray (that’s the power of new creation!)
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free
I rose, went forth, and followed thee…
It's New Creation. It's the God who created the universe now creating you anew, renewing you, restoring you, bringing light to your dark soul. Bringing order to the chaos of your heart, bringing light to the darkness of sin. The God of creation does this in new creation through his Word, Jesus Christ, and through his Holy Spirit. So praise the God of redemption, the God of new creation.
And then thirdly,
(3) Trust God, the Good and Sovereign Ruler
Now this hasn't been the focus of our study this morning, but, if God is sovereign creator of all things as scripture declares he is, and if this God is also, as we read in Colossians, the God who sustains all things and who upholds all things—if he's both the creator God and the sustaining God who preserves creation—then he is sovereign and rules and reigns over the affairs of men, including my life and yours. And so one of the greatest comforts given to us is that this God, the creator God and ruling God, is also a Father, a God we can trust. I just want to close with this great description of the providence of God. From the Heidelberg Catechism, question 7:
Q. What do you understand by the providence of God?
A. God's providence is His almighty and ever-present power, whereby, as with His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures, and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, indeed, all things, come, not by chance, but by His fatherly hand.
Listen brothers and sisters, the God who made the stars has his eye on you. The God Who has loved you with an everlasting love, who has sent his Son be a substitute, a representative, to die your death, to bring you to new life in the power of his Spirit—that God is watching you today and right now, so that whatever you're facing, whatever has befallen you, whatever uncertain things are in the future you can know there is a good God, the creator God, the redeeming God who cares for you.
Brian G. Hedges
