A Review of Genesis 1
Before we begin our lessons in the New Testament, let us be certain we remember the words of the first page of the Bible:
The first words tell that God created the heaven and the earth; the next words tell of the earth being without shape and in darkness. God spoke for light to come, and the light was divided from the darkness, making the first day, part dark and part light.
Next we read what seems a special wonder to us: that the skies, or heavens, were set in their place over all the earth; they are called “the firmament”, and are as settled and sure as the earth in its place.
God spoke for the waters to gather together into seas, and the dry land, or earth, showed above the waters. Then the first grass, plants, and trees were made to grow, each kind had its own seed and could grow again.
God set a “great light” in the sky to “rule,” or control, the day; that light, we know was the sun; and a “lesser light,” the moon, to rule the night. These not only divide day and night, but the seasons also for all the earth.
The first birds were given, and the first fish and creatures of the waters, the many kinds, great and small.
Next, at God’s word, the animals came from the earth. The same day God formed the first man, and said he should have rule over the animals. More is told later of the creation of man, that he was formed of the dust of the ground, and that God breathed in him the breath of life.
The man was called Adam, which means “earthy”, or of the earth. God formed the first woman after the man, from a bone taken from the man. She was given to Adam to be his wife, his helper and companion. They were not first children, as all other people since, but a grown man and woman, with intellence from God.
The facts of creation are greater than we can understand, but we can believe and wonder at the power of God: “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen, were not made of things which do appear.” Hebrews 11:33Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:3).
We would suppose the word “God” in the first of the Bible meant one Person, but in the Hebrew scripture, from which our’s was translated, the word for God is plural, meaning more than one: in later scriptures it is told that the Son of God was with the Father, He is called “The Word by whom all things were made.” So the old and new scriptures really agree (John 1:1-31In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1‑3); Col. 1:1616For 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: (Colossians 1:16)). The Holy Spirit is also spoken of in creation. (Gen.1:2,26).
ML 11/08/1942