OceanSide church of Christ

 Previous Return to list of Genesis Next 

GOD:  THE POWERFUL CREATOR

Genesis 1

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   This morning begins our chapter-by-chapter study of the book of Genesis.

 

B.    Genesis 1 is:

1.     One of the most read books of the Bible.

2.     One of the most familiar chapters of the Bible.

3.     One of the most simple, yet sublime, chapters of the Bible.

4.     One of the most controversial chapters of the Bible.

 

C.   We want you to do four things to each chapter of Genesis as we study it.

1.     Title the chapter

2.     Find a key verse within the chapter

3.     Outline the chapter

4.     Look for the relevant lessons within the chapter

 

I.           THE TITLE OF GENESIS ONE

 

A.   The title can come from within the chapter.

1.     The Jews chose the opening words for their title:  “In the beginning.”

2.     One might entitle the chapter:  “And God Said…”  This phrase is found ten times in the chapter.

3.     Another phrase that could title the chapter is:  “Behold, It Was Very Good” (Gen. 1:31).

 

B.    We can originate a title within our own mind.

1.     The Six Days of Creation

2.     The Creation Week

3.     From Nothing to Man in Six Days

 

C.   My title:  God:  The Powerful Creator

1.     This title shifts the focus from the creation to the Creator.

2.     The name “God” is found 32 times in Chapter One.  It is the key word.

3.     God’s power is demonstrated in this chapter.

a.     All He had to do was to speak the word and things were created.  And God said…

b.    He created a great variety of things in this week.

c.    He created everything in six, 24-hour days.

 

II.         THE KEY VERSE OF GENESIS ONE

 

A.   The key verse summarizes everything within the chapter.

 

B.    Genesis 1:1

 

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

C.   Some might chose Genesis 1:31 as the key verse.

 

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.  And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 

III.       AN OUTLINE OF GENESIS ONE

 

A.   An outline looks for the major breaks within the chapter.  Some type of “change” is seen that causes us to make a new section.

 

B.    Outline:

 

i.               DAY ONE:  Light (Gen. 1:1-5)

ii.              DAY TWO:  Firmament (Gen. 1:6-8)

iii.            DAY THREE:  Plants (Gen. 1:9-13)

iv.            DAY FOUR:  Luminaries (Gen. 1:14-19)

v.              DAY FIVE:  Fish and Fowl (Gen. 1:20-23)

vi.            DAY SIX:  Animals and Man (Gen. 1:24-31)

 

IV.        LESSONS LEARNED FROM GENESIS ONE

 

A.   The lessons of the chapter are the things that we learn that can be applied to our lives.

1.     The lessons can be general in nature.  These lessons are taught by the overall events of the chapter.

2.     The lessons can be very specific, being found in a verse, a statement, or a single word.

 

B.    Lessons from Genesis 1:

1.     God created the heavens and the earth.  They did not evolve.

2.     God created everything in six, 24-hour days.  The world is not the result of billions of years of evolution

3.     The things God creates are good, yea, they are very good (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31).

4.     God’s word is powerful.  He speaks and things are brought into existence from nothing (Gen. 1:3).

 

And God said, Let there be light:  and there was light.

 

5.     God appears to be more than one person due to the pronouns “us” and “our” that are used of Him (Gen. 1:26-27).

 

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…

 

6.     Man is different from the animals.

a.     He has been made in the “image” and “likeness” of God (Gen. 1:27).

 

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

 

b.    God has given man dominion over the animal kingdom (Gen. 1:26, 28).

 

C.   Lessons are found in other ways as we study the text.

1.     We learn things from the questions that we have about the text.

a.     Is there a difference between the words “created” (Gen. 1:1) and “made” (Gen. 1:7)?

b.    What was the light that was created on Day 1 (Gen. 1:3)?

c.    What does it mean for man to be made in the “image” and “likeness” of God (Gen. 1:26-27)?

2.     We can learn lessons as we define words found in the text (Ex., God, Gen. 1:1).

a.     The Hebrew word for “God” is “Elohim.”

b.    Elohim is a plural noun.

c.    This is a hint of the plurality of persons in the Godhead.

3.     We can learn lessons as we study the commentators who have written on this chapter.

a.     In Genesis 1:2, you will learn about the Gap Theory.

b.    In Genesis 1:7, you will learn about the Canopy Theory.

c.    In Genesis 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25, you will learn about the phrase, “after his kind.”

d.    Let’s go back to Genesis 1:1.  In this verse we see the five scientific principles.

1)     Time:  in the beginning

2)     Force:  God

3)     Energy:  created

4)     Space:  heaven

5)     Earth:  matter

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   The depths and riches of God’s Word cannot ever be completely mined by the mind of man.

 

B.    We can rest assured that all of our lives we will have plenty to learn from the amazing Word of the living God.