Lesson 4 December 17, 2003

Genesis 1:1

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

tyviarEB. derived from rosh varo (head) means first, beginning, even best

- It marks a definite point of time in E-P; it was before time began, time as we know it began in 1:5 on day 1.

Many take it as relative and even translate this first phrase as When God began creating the heavens and the earth. Which clearly does not speak of a definite act of creation.

Is there a resolution to this issue?

Order of Beginnings

God Universe Fall of Angels Man

1. Jn 1:1-2 This is a definite beginning which antedates Gen 1:1; takes us to eternity past

2. Gen. 1:1 Original Creation of Universe - the Cosmos

3. John 8:44 Fall of Satan He was a murderer from the beginning, ie. his fall

4. Man Matthew 19:4 Takes us to the beginning Gen 1:26,27 (planning); ch2 for details

1:1 In the beginning God created

~yhi_l{a/ plural - often said to be a plural of majesty,

The important thing here is the focus, its on God, and if you recall this is the term that means the powerful one, the strong one.

created arB bara' a definite act /not relative;

speaks of creating something new, fresh, and complete; also to create without using pre-existing material; ex-nihilo This is noted in Heb. 11:3

The material elements do not pre-exist God, or His creative acts, nothing pre-exists God.

God does not derive His existence in any way from His creation.

The what that God created here is the heavens and the earth.

- this is a usual term to describe in Hebrew the entire universe.

Summary 1:1

1. Right off the bat one of the important observations here is that this verse does not argue for God's existence, it assumes it.

2. It simply asserts that the existence of the universe is contingent on God's existence.

3. At a point in eternity past God created, from nothing, the complete universe.

4. This creation was instantaneous.