Introduction

Open your Bibles, please, to the book of Genesis. We have given you what we were pleased to call an introductory study of the book, and we have considered the first verse of the book and what it suggests and implies.

Some of the books of the Old Testament in our English translation take their names not from Hebrew but from the Greek, and this is the case here. The book of Genesis is exactly what its name implies—the book of beginning. The title Genesis is a transliteration of the Greek word for “in the beginning,” taken from the Septuagint version of the Old Testament. It is a phrase with which you need to become familiar, because you will see it consistently in your reading, and we may refer to it from time to time. The Septuagint version of the Bible is the Old Testament translated into Greek by seventy Greek scholars.

Plans for Studying Genesis

We have suggested a number of ways in which you may divide the book of Genesis. For one, you may study the book on the basis of the lives of the men with whom it is concerned. The men primarily concerned number four. There is Adam, there is Abraham, there is Jacob, and there is Joseph. The book of Genesis is an account of the lives of those four men.

We suggested that the book has an outline put there by the Holy Spirit, as does every other book in the Bible. It is always helpful to make an outline of a book, any outline that you may make, but if you find the outline placed there by the Holy Spirit, you will always be correct in your division and interpretation of the book. We pointed out that the natural divisions of the book are built around the phrase, “these are the generations.” Every time you find that phrase, you will know that you are beginning a new portion in the book.

A Perfect Earth Becomes Imperfect

It is important for us to refresh our minds about what is suggested in verse 1:

Genesis 1:

That is a simple statement of God's creation of the heaven and the earth.

Genesis 1:

Because we are in the habit of reading without thinking, we automatically assume that God created the heaven and earth that way. We assume that God created the heaven and the earth without form and void. That seems a foolish thing to do. We might wonder why God would do such a foolish thing—create something without form. Without form means “without any shape,” and void means “absolutely empty.”

We puzzle about why God should create the earth in such a fashion until we search a bit in the Word of God. Then we discover that God did not create the earth without form and void. We find that God created the earth and the heaven perfect, as is revealed in Isaiah 45, as well as in a number of other passages of Scripture. When we realize that God created the earth perfect, and we read in verse 2 that the earth was without form and void, we begin to ask ourselves what could have happened. As we examine the verse more thoroughly, we find that the statement, “The earth was without form and void,” should be translated, “The earth became without form and void.” God created it perfect. It became without form and void.

This suggests to us that something happened to the earth between verses 1 and 2 that caused it to be without form and void. We examined quite a few passages of Scripture, and in the examination we found that God had to curse the earth because of sin. The sin was the attempt of Satan to usurp the throne of God. When God created Satan, He created him a perfect angel, perfect in every way, and He gave him dominion over the newly created earth. Satan enjoyed that dominion, and he did such a good job, and everybody praised him so much that he decided he needed a promotion. There was only one office higher than his, and that was the throne of God. He decided in his own heart that he would ascend to the throne of God. When he made the attempt, it was necessary for God to cast him out of Heaven to the earth. When God did that, the earth became without form and void.

You may think we are taking an awfully big bite when we say things that sound so strange, but we examined a number of passages of Scripture which established those truths without any doubt whatsoever.

Restoring the Marred Earth

If the earth was created perfect, and if the earth became without form and void, we have to come to the conclusion that actually what is being presentd in Genesis 1 is not the creation of the earth. It is the reconstruction of the earth, or the bringing of order out of chaos.

With that thought in mind, I would like to read chapter 1 with you. Then I would like to go over the chapter and point out the outline which the Holy Spirit has placed there, so that you may see that this is not creation, but re-creation (or perhaps more accurately expressed, restoration):

Genesis 1:

The Controlling Hand of God

As we have said, these verses of Scripture represent reconstruction, restoration, or the bringing of order out of chaos. We have suggested that there are several things in a general way that we need to notice, because this passage of Scripture is the tramping ground of the so-called higher critics—those who believe in various theories of evolution, and those who doubt the authenticity of the Word of God.

We remind you that verse 1 begins, “In the beginning God,” and God is still in charge of things. For example, you will notice that God is mentioned again in the last part of verse 2, which is the beginning of our present discussion. If you should take the time to count, you would find that God is mentioned 32 times in this one chapter. The reason I make mention of this is that the earth did not come into its present state by the process of evolution. It did not come into its present state by the attraction of the various molecules of the primeval creation, as Darwin would suggest. God is in complete control.

Created from Nonexisting Materials

You will notice in verse 3, “And God said”. That phrase is mentioned eight times in this chapter. That is very important because God spoke much of the order out of chaos. We find in verse 4 the phrase, “God saw”. That is mentioned seven times in this portion of the Word.

Then you will notice the phrase, “God made,” and that is a significant phrase. It is mentioned three times in this chapter. Its importance is found not in the number of times it is used, but by reading the phrase in contrast with the word create in verse 1.

Let us notice the contrast between those two words. Go back to verse 1:

Genesis 1:

We might say that that is our universe. Look at verse 21:

Genesis 1:

May I suggest that the word whales here is an unhappy translation of the original word. It is not a reference to whales as we know them now, but is a reference to great sea monsters, the description of which is found nowhere in the Word of God or out.

Notice verse 27:

Genesis 1:

Notice in these three verses the word create . This word is a translation of the Hebrew word bara, and it has a significant meaning. Generally speaking, it means “the creation of something out of that which did not hitherto exist.” Specifically, it is a word that is reserved for the description of an entirely new creation—something that is entirely new.

Three Spheres of Creation

You find in this chapter that the word is reserved for three spheres of creation—the three spheres to which all other creation is related. Glance back at verse 1:

Genesis 1:

Let me suggest that this represents the world of matter. All matter was created in a new and special way. Look at verse 21:

Genesis 1:

Then look at verse 27:

Genesis 1:

This is the third and last time in the story of creation that this word bara ” is used. This verse speaks of the creation (Notice carefully what I am saying.) of spiritual life. There was no spiritual life until man was created. There was life, but not spiritual life. The fowls of the air, the fish of the sea, the animals of the earth, have no comprehension of God. But when God created man, as we learn in this passage, He created him in His own image, His own likeness. Chapter 2 is not another account of the creation. It gives the details of the account in chapter 1. Chapter 1 is the outline. Chapter 2 is the detailed discussion. In chapter 2, we are told that man is a tripartite being: body, soul, and spirit. The spirit of man is that which is able to comprehend the things of God. Animals have bodies, and animals have souls. We don't have time to elaborate on this, so don't let it concern you too much. They have no spirit that is able to comprehend God, and man has, so this tells of creation of spiritual life.

Created from Pre-existing Material

I said that the phrase, “God made,” is used three times in this passage of Scripture. Look at verse 7:

Genesis 1:

In verse 16:

Genesis 1:

Notice verse 25:

Genesis 1:

The word made , used three times in this chapter, is a translation of the Hebrew word asa, which means “to create out of something that already exists.” It means “to accomplish something.” “It means to bring into visible formation.” “It means to bring out into the open where it can be seen.” If you will keep in mind the difference between these two Hebrew words, you will see why we say that this portion of the Word is the story of re-creation, reconstruction—restoration, if you please—instead of actual creation.

Age of the Earth

One of the reasons we want you to see this is that there is a great problem in the minds of some folk who are not able to accept the Word of God in its ordinary, primary, literal meaning as the inspired Word of Truth. Some have the idea that the earth is just 6,000 years old. That is something that has been taught us for a long, long time. Then somebody comes along and discovers mammals, the very nature of which indicates that they must be more than 6,000 years old. Somebody discovers rock formations which could not have been formed within a 6,000 year period, and we are disturbed about how it could possibly be. We want to remind you that between verse 1, when God created the creation out of nothing, and verse 2, when He began to create out of that which already existed, or when He began to make it appear, or when He began to accomplish, or when He began to give form—between those two verses there is an unlimited period of time, sufficient for the age of anything that has been discovered or ever will be discovered. The Bible remains true.

Length of Creation Days

Someone may ask a very sensible question: Are we to understand that the days used here in the story of re-creation are days of 24 hours, or are they days of limitless periods of time? Let me suggest some things for your consideration in regard to this question.

First of all, let us say that it is not at all unusual for people to think that the days may be more than 24 hours, because the Bible often uses the word day to indicate a period of time longer than 24 hours. In one instance, it even refers to a period of 1,000 years.

Will you turn, please, to II Peter 3, that we may notice an instance of how the Lord uses the word day for a period longer than 24 hours. Peter is talking about this earth of ours and about the promise of the Lord's return:

II Peter 3:

Let's stop right there and notice what Peter is saying. Peter is saying that just before the coming of the Lord, scoffers will arise who will say, “You people think Jesus is coming? Why, you are silly. Things have gone on from the very beginning of creation without one change. What makes you think there are going to be any interruptions now?” Notice what Peter says in verse 5:

II Peter 3:

That is what we have been studying about in Genesis 1:1 and 2. This does not refer to the Flood.

II Peter 3:

What Peter is saying is that men are ignorant. The earth has not continued since the beginning of creation as it is in this present time. There was a tremendous upheaval at one time, and God had to restore order out of chaos. Just as certainly as God cursed the earth once, He is going to curse it again:

II Peter 3:

Judgment is coming by and by:

II Peter 3:

People read this passage of Scripture and say, “Here the Scripture says that a day is as a thousand years. So you see, the re-creation or restoration actually took a thousand years.” The problem in claiming such a fact is the failure to remember that the word day in the Bible does not always have the same meaning. It may be an ordinary day of 24 hours. It may be a day such as Peter is talking about, of 1,000 years duration. It may be a day of undesignated length. For example, we speak of the Day of Grace in which we are living. The Day of Grace has lasted nearly 2,000 years, and we do not know how much longer it will last. So it behooves us always to know what day is in the mind of the writer when we are considering any certain passage of Scripture.

So we ask ourselves, “What day was in the mind of Moses when he was writing the story of creation?” There are two ways in which we can find the answer. One of them is the simple statement in verse 5:

Genesis 1:

That indicates exactly what it says. There was an evening, and there was a morning. But somebody says, “Even so, that could be speaking about the beginning of the day and the ending of the day. What additional proof is there that these were days of 24 hours?” I have often said that the Holy Spirit is the best commentator on the Word of God. Will you turn with me, please, to Exodus 20, where we have a record of the Ten Commandments, and notice verse 8:

Exodus 20:

There can be absolutely no question that the days mentioned in Exodus 20 are days of 24 hours. For example, nobody would say that the Sabbath day is more than 24 hours. Nobody would say that it is a period of 1,000 years. As an encouragement to the Jews to remember the Sabbath day, the Spirit of God said, “It took six 24-hour days to create the earth, and the Lord rested on the seventh 24-hour day.” This should settle in our thinking beyond all doubt that the creation of the world was not a period of unlimited time. The creation of the world, or restoration of the world, was not a period of 6,000 years. It was a period of six days of 24 hours each. I think that of that there can be no doubt.

Outline of Genesis, Chapter I

I have suggested that every book of the Bible has an outline placed there by the Holy Spirit. I think you will find that every portion—not necessarily every chapter, though sometimes it proves to be a chapter—has an outline. You understand that the original text was not divided into chapters. That was something that was done a long time after the Bible was written. We are grateful for the division of the Bible into chapters and verses. It was a tremendous undertaking, and it is a very helpful thing. It would be very difficult for us to find our way through the Word of God without these chapters and verses. But remember that they were put there by men, and because they were put there by men, sometimes they are not in the right place. For that reason, I suggest that not necessarily chapters of the Bible, but portions, have their outlines. The outline of chapter 1 of the book of Genesis, then, is built around two words which you find in verse 2:

Genesis 1:

Notice these two words form and void . Without form means “formless,” “without any shape.” The earth became a nebulous mass. It had no shape, no distinction at all, after God changed it. The word void means “empty.”

We find that when God created the earth perfect, He created it with a perfect form. When God created the earth, He created it, as we read in the book of Isaiah, to be inhabited. But when the great cataclysmic event occurred, the earth became withoout form and void, a nebulous mass, and the earth became empty.

Genesis 1 is the story of how God gave the earth back its form, and of how He filled it up again. Keep in mind that after this great curse came upon it, it became without form, and it became empty. But in what we commonly refer to as the six days of creation, actually six days of restoration, God gave the earth back its form and filled it up again. Those two words present the outline of chapter 1 of the book of Genesis.

Parallelism in Hebrew Writings

On the first, second, and third days, God did work on the form of the earth. On the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, He did something about filling up the earth. The Hebrews in their writing were famous for their parallelism. It is very prominent in the Psalms. Oftentimes in reading the Psalms, you will find a phrase repeated, or you will find it again with very little variation, and you wonder why that is. That is the Hebrew practice of parallelism. They express a thought, and then they express the thought in a slightly different manner. It looks to me that just as words rhyme in our poetry, they let thoughts rhyme in their writing.

So you will find, and we will point this out to you as we go through, that what happened on the first day and what happened on the fourth day are parallel in different spheres. One is related to form, and one is related to filling up the earth. What happened on the second day and what happened on the fifth day are parallel. This may not seem of any great importance to you, and frankly, I don't know that it is. I don't know that you will remember it very long after we have discussed it, but it should do this one thing. It should establish in all our hearts a definite assurance of the authenticity of the Word of God, and of the accuracy of the Genesis account of creation.

Restoration and Organization of Earth's Lights

Let us notice what we are talking about. Will you look at verse 3:

Genesis 1:

Will you notice back in verse 2:

Genesis 1:

Here was a nebulous mass of darkness, and that was all. It was shrouded in darkness, and God had to do something about it. So what did He do? He said, “Let there be light.” This is not an indication that God created light. This is an indication that God dismissed the darkness and brought the earth into form once again. But what about the light of the earth? Look at verse 14:

Genesis 1:

So you see, on the first day, He dismissed the darkness. On the fourth day, He put the sun and the moon and the stars in the firmament. On the first day, He gave the earth some form. On the fourth day, He filled the firmament of the heaven with light.

Reorganization and Repopulation of Sea and Air

Will you look at verse 6:

Genesis 1:

Notice verse 2:

Genesis 1:

The earth was enveloped in water and shrouded in darkness. On the first day, God dispelled the darkness and made the light appear, and gave some semblance of form to the earth. On the second day, the matter of importance was that the waters were needed, but not in the places where they were. So what did God do? God created the firmament. What is the firmament?

Actually, the Hebrew word that is translated “firmament” means “expand.” Before they understood what the Word of God actually said, and before science discerned what the Word of God had already declared, the ancients used to speak of the earth as being covered by a great dome. That was a pretty good description of it, because it expands. That is the meaning of the word. God created a great expanse that separated the waters above and below. If you follow me, you can see how He made the air and the water, giving some semblance of form to the earth.

If you will look at verse 20, you will see the parallel of that. What happened on the fifth day?

Genesis 1:

You see what He was doing? On the second day, He was bringing form to the earth. On the fifth day, He was filling the air with fowl and the waters with sea creatures. God was bringing order out of chaos, working first with the form mass of the earth, and then working to fill that form mass.

Reorganization and Repopulation of the Land

Look at verse 9:

Genesis 1:

You see how God was bringing order out of chaos, putting the waters where they belonged and putting the land where it belonged, giving form to the earth. He said:

Genesis 1:

On the third day of restoration God brought order out of chaos by creating land that could bring forth fruit.

Look with me at verse 24:

Genesis 1:

And in verse 31:

Genesis 1:

So on the sixth day, God created that which would occupy the earth.

Restoration Following A Definite Pattern

One of the reasons I have wanted you to notice this parallelism is to dispel forever from your minds any idea that there could possibly be any suggestion of evolution in the Genesis story of creation. It is an utter impossibility. Rather, there is a thought not of evolution but of preparation. For example, God prepared the earth before He ever created man and put him on it. God prepared the seas before He ever put any fish in them. Everything is not evolution but preparation, showing a definite design, a definite pattern, that could not possibly have occurred except through the intelligence of God behind it. All of it is climaxed in verse 26:

Genesis 1:

In the Image of God

Man did not go through a process of evolution in which, by sheer force of strength, he learned to stand on two legs. Man was created in the very beginning in the image and the likeness of God. What does it mean to be created in the image and likeness of God? We do not have time now to go into this in detail. Let me say that the word translated “image” in this passage of Scripture simply means “shadow” or “outline,” and the word translated “likeness” means “resemblance.” Whatever these two words mean, this much we know: God created man in His own outline, and God created man so there would be some resemblance to God about him. Remember that. Certainly none of the prehistoric monsters about which you read in your history books, to indicate the type of man that lived at one time upon the earth, could possibly be a kind of man that would be in the outline of God and resemble God. Some of you may be thinking, “Is this image and likeness physical, or in the spirit?” We will have to reserve our discussion of that for the next lesson.

www.livingbiblestudies.org