In the Beginning God

Concepts100“In the beginning God….” So says Genesis 1:1 in the first statement in the Bible. The Bible, remember, is God’s revelation of Himself to all of humanity. While examinations of the Hebrew words for beginning and God certainly would uncover numerous worthwhile insights, the phrase as a whole is also worthy of reverent attention and careful consideration.

Many years ago, in a sermon titled “God’s Introduction to God,” Dr. C. Mark Corts, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, observed that this phrase, since it comes first in the Bible, represents the first window through which humanity has an opportunity to look to find out about God. Pay close attention, for this is the first thing God says about Himself! What can we learn about God from this phrase? Actually, a very great deal! Let’s first consider some of the ideas it refutes, then some it affirms. (In addition to certain insights in Mark Corts’ sermon, some of the observations of James Montgomery Boice are reflected below. See J. M. Boice, Genesis: An Expositional Commentary, vol. 1, [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982], 24-30.)

Some refutations and some of the implications that flow from them:

  • God’s introduction of Himself in these four English words refutes atheism.
  • It refutes materialism.
  • The phrase refutes polytheism.
  • It stands in clear opposition to humanism. Flowing from this, it also stands in opposition to relativism.
  • It refutes pantheism, or the belief that God is, or is a part of, nature. While Christians should certainly be good stewards of the environment, we also must object to environmentalism as a religion. Not everyone who calls himself or herself an environmentalist is a modern-day pantheist, but some are; environmentalism is a religion to many, whether they realize it or not.

Some affirmations and some of the implications that flow from them:

  • God’s introduction to Himself in these four English words (two words, by the way, in Hebrew) indicates that God is eternal.
  • The phrase affirms God’s authority and supremacy.
  • It affirms God’s self-existence. In other words, God depends on no one else and nothing else for His existence. He needs no defenders, helpers, or advocates. Instead, we depend on Him for our existence. We need Him!
  • God is not subject to being influenced by outside factors; rather, He influences them. We need not worry that God will change; we can trust Him.
  • These words affirm God as the ultimate source of all that is. Of course, this does not mean that God is the source or originator of evil in any direct sense. At any time, God can obliterate evil, totally eliminating it. Yet, if He were to do so, you and I also would be destroyed.

Not only does this brief analysis underscore the importance of the Bible’s first words, it also highlights the importance of all the words that follow. Let us hear and heed all God says!

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