Genesis 1:1

Genesis 1:1

 

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

 

a. NLT: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

 

b. NIV: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

 

c. Young’s Literal Translation: In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth.  [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

 

d. Amplified Bible: In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

 

e. Septuagint: In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth.

 

f. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: In the beginning of God’s creating the heavens and the earth. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

 

1. “In the beginning…”

 

a. [In the] beginning [Strong: 7225 rêʼshîyth, ray-sheeth'; from the same as H7218; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit):—beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.]

 

1). What is meant by “the beginning” ? God had no beginning. God, the three Persons of the triune Godhead have existed from eternity past.

 

a). Psalm 90:1, 2 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

 

(1) everlasting [5769 * ‘owlam] [Strong: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world, ancient time, long time (of past), (of future), for ever, always, continuous existence, perpetual, everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

 

(2) This verse is speaking about the time before Genesis 1:1, the Scriptures say clearly “before…thou hadst formed the earth…from everlasting to everlasting”, i.e., [as the Hebrew definition relates, from the eternal indefinite past to the eternal indefinite future]…”thou art God.

 

2). We must understand that the plan of redemption is older than the universe. The Scriptures clearly say this in the New Testament. The Greek word for “world” is kosmos.

 

a). 1 Peter 1:19, 20 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

 

b). The Scriptures also describe Jesus in Revelation 13:8 as “…the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”

 

3). This is revealed in the parables Jesus told, profound truths concerning the entire word of God, kingdom of heaven and God, his death and resurrection, the second coming and beyond, are all mentioned in the parables. Eternal truths, Jesus said were kept secret since the foundation of the earth.

 

a). Matthew 13:34, 35 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

13:35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

 

4). What is meant by this wording in these verses is that Jesus “was foreordained before the foundation of the world”, the triune Godhead planned, determined and purposed the 2nd Person of the Godhead would be sacrificed for our redemption not only before the world was ever created, but before the details were planned out. The creation of the universe was planned, discussed, hashed out and determined by the three persons of the Godhead around the redemption of man as the central focus. From the moment this plan or this council was determined, the three persons of the Godhead have been implementing and carrying out this plan and will continue to do so until it is complete. The wonderful thing about this is that in much of it man was included in its implementation. The bottom line in all this is the plan of redemption is older than the earth. This is exactly why the Scriptures use the language it does in Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. It was the beginning of the plan of redemption being carried out.

  

a). Isaiah 46:9, 10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

 

5). Everything in the plan of redemption, containing everything in the Old and New Covenants center around the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. This plan of redemption was “according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will,'' Ephesians 1:11.

 

2. “In the beginning God created…”

 

a. [In the] beginning [Strong: 7225 rêʼshîyth, ray-sheeth'; from the same as H7218; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit):—beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.]

b. God [Strong: 430 ʼĕlôhîym, el-o-heem'; plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:—angels, × exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), × (very) great, judges, × mighty.]

c. created [Strong: 1254 bârâʼ, baw-raw'; a primitive root; (absolutely) to create; (qualified) to cut down (a wood), select, feed (as formative processes):—choose, create (creator), cut down, dispatch, do, make (fat).]

 

1). In Hebrew which reads right to left it is: “In the beginning created God”. In between the Hebrew words for “God” and “the heavens” is two Hebrew letters, which happen to be the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, “aleph” and “tav”.  Strong’s says this: “# 853 OT Hebrew,  'eth ayth, apparent contracted from ''owth' (226) in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English)”. Blue Letter Bible has this note: “sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.” In this first verse of Scripture all the Hebrew words are translated into English except these two Hebrew letters, which happen to be the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Speaking strictly from an alphabetical and literal sense it could be comparable to A-Z or Alpha-Omega. Because it is not translated into English we don’t see this, but if we did translate it into English it would read something like, “In the beginning God created a-z. ..” Because of this, Hebrew tradition teaches that God created the Hebrew alphabet before he created anything else.

 

2). The Wisdom In The Hebrew Alphabet, Rabbi Michael L. Munk, p. 19: “Rabbi Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mezritch, writes: It is known in Kabbalistic literature that the letters of the Aleph-Beis [Hebrew alphabet] were created first of all. Thereafter, by use of the letters, the Holy One, Blessed is He, created all the worlds. This is the hidden meaning of the first phrase in the Torah, “In the beginning God created [The Hebrew letters, aleph-tav]—that is, God’s first act was to create the letters from [aleph to tav]…”

 

3). The Wisdom InThe Hebrew Alphabet, Rabbi Michael L. Munk, p. 34: “In the popular idiom, something that is expressed or analyzed in its entirety is said to be covered…from aleph to tav.”

 

3. [In the beginning God created]  the heaven and the earth.”

 

a. heavens [Strong: 8064 shâmayim, shaw-mah'-yim; dual of an unused singular שָׁמֶה shâmeh; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve):—air, × astrologer, heaven(-s).]

b. and [Strong: 853 ʼêth, ayth; apparent contracted from H226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):—[as such unrepresented in English].]

c. [the] earth [Strong: 776 ʼerets, eh'-rets; from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land):—× common, country, earth, field, ground, land, × nations, way, + wilderness, world.]

1). The beginning of the plan of redemption was the creation of the heavens and the earth.  What we must also realize and remember was that before the earth was ever created by the Almighty, He had already created the angels. The angelic kingdom was created before the earth, because when the earth was created all the angelic kingdom rejoiced before God.

 

a). Job 38:1-7 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

38:2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

38:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

38:4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

38:5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

 

b). Not only that, but it was before the fall of Lucifer or any of the angels, because as the text clearly says, “all” the sons of God shouted for joy. The fall of Lucifer and one third of the angles occurred after the creation of the earth. Included here are a couple of passages in the New Testament speaking of angelic hosts, but these beings no doubt, were created with the rest of the angelic hosts. Their positions of power or ranks are listed in the New Testament.

(1) Ephesians 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

(2) Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

(3) ICR Days of Praise 1/10/2024: The doctrine of creation is foundational to comprehending the whole Bible. One can’t change the beginning narrative—even tamper with the smallest Hebrew letter—without incurring the consequences voiced by our Lord Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17-19). Biblical creation is essential for correctly grasping and understanding the gospel. The true gospel begins in Genesis when God proclaims, “God created the heaven and the earth” and is further expanded with God’s promise to the serpent that He will put “enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). Yahweh speaks in Genesis 1 and then speaks right through Scripture until its climax in Revelation 22:18, when He warns, “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Either you believe the book of Genesis to be historically true or you don’t. If you don’t believe the clarity of Genesis, then you are left with believing deceptive forms of a naturalistic worldview (Colossians 2:8). CCM