Friday, January 29, 2010

Genesis Chapter 1 Overview

Questions to be Answered:

1. What does a thoughtful, spiritual look at Genesis 1 reveal?
2. What do we learn about God from Genesis 1?
3. How ought we to live our lives in view of Genesis 1?

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1. God is "introduced" as being completely outside of time. The phrase in 1:1 "In the beginning" refers to the beginning of creation. Since God is acting on creation as its Creator at the moment of its beginning, he is set apart from that which is created. It is not, therefore, the beginning for Him. From this we form the doctrine of God's eternal being. God simply always was.

2. From this "introduction" to God in the bible, we are to understand that each and every time God is spoken of in His word, it must be with the perspective that he is the eternal God. He is outside of time and beyond the realm of man.

3. It is from this perspective that we gain our "Theology of Worship." It is simply this... We worship Him because He is greater than us. If I may preach for a moment, in our churches we are lacking a Genesis 1:1 perspective of God. The people are not grasping the concept that worship of God comes from who he is, not from what he has done (or can do) for us. Creation does not ask the creator "why?" Creation simply worships because it knows it was created. Job learned to put his hand over his mouth after God made this idea very clear in Job 38-42. After Job complains about the state of life he is in... Job 38:2-4 "Who is this that darkens my counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding." Let this put to rest our "fair-weather" following. Genesis 1 cries out for us to worship God as the eternal one, who is, was, and will always be greater than ourselves.

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