In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
It is appropriate that the first book of the Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning.” Genesis, which means “origin” or “start”, is not only the beginning of the Bible, but the start of God’s story. His story of redemption. “In the beginning, God.”
Rather than recounting God’s birth or childhood, Genesis tells us that God, the main character of the story, already existed. For when the beginning of all things began, God was already there. This is because God has no beginning. But everything else does. So, when everything else begins, God is there.
Moreover, God is not just there, He is there creating the beginning for everything else. “God created the heavens and the earth.” Although the first chapters of Genesis were not written as a scientific explanation of origins, there are hints of science, even in the first verse.
By saying God created the beginning, it might refer to time. This is what scientists call the measure of change. By saying God created the heavens, it might refer to space. Scientists call this the measure of distance. By saying God created the earth, it might refer to matter. Scientists call this the measure of substance. In other words, the very elements that all things need for existence were created by God, who existed already. Scientists call this the time-space-matter continuum. Isn’t that neat?
All this scientific talk can be tough to understand. The simple truth is this: God was here before everything else was here. And, everything else is here because God made it. If it were not for God, nothing would be here, not even you.
Reflections
- How do we measure time, space, and matter? What tools do we use? What units of measurement do we refer to?
- Do you think it is possible for everything to exist without there first being someone to create it? Why?
- What does this verse teach you about God? How does it help you understand Him and love Him even more today?
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