“The key to the entire Bible hangs right by the front door: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
We will never begin to exhaust the truths in this verse as we bring our teacup minds to dip into this great ocean of truth. But you need to understand at least part of it—and you must believe all of it because it is so foundational. You will never really comprehend anything else in the Bible unless you understand what this verse reveals about the God of creation.
The fact of God is not argued here, and the nature and being of God are not explained. He’s just presented. No philosophy about it, no argument, no apology for it. Simply, “In the beginning God….”
The Bible writers never tried to explain God’s existence, and neither should you. There are no proofs for God. Don’t let that shock you. God doesn’t need any proof. Sometimes an atheist will swagger up to a believer and say, “Prove there is a God.” That never threatens me. I just smile and say, “Prove there is no God.”
You see, God does not reside in the realm of proof. To try to prove God by looking through physical, material things would be like tearing apart a piano trying to find the “Hallelujah Chorus.” You don’t prove God, and you don’t disprove God. You believe in God. And if a man doesn’t believe in God, it’s because he has chosen not to believe in God.
He is the God of all creation; therefore, He is the God of all power. “Created” in Hebrew is bara. It speaks of something only God can do, making something out of nothing. As we look at God’s creation, how amazed we ought to be. Our bodies are made up of 300 billion cells, each one more complicated than New York City. The known universe is more than 10 billion light-years across. The complexity and vastness overwhelm us, yet God spoke, and it was so. He made it all out of nothing.
Now, when I said there are no proofs for God, I didn’t mean there’s no evidence for God. Do you understand the difference between proof and evidence? If you see a watch, then you reason there must be a watchmaker, right? What about the atomic clock of the universe? Do you think that just happened? As we look around, we see evidence everywhere that He is a God of might, miracle, and power.
He had reasons for creating the heavens and the earth, and we don’t have to guess what they are. God created all things for His pleasure (Revelation 4:11), for His praise (Romans 11:36), and for His people (Psalm 84:11). So the trees lift their leafy arms and say, “Praise God.” Mighty oceans heave with their billows and say, “Praise God.” You, my dear friend, were made to praise Him as well. God created all good things for our enjoyment.
God is a Spirit, yet He also has the characteristics of personhood: intelligence, emotion, and will. He’s not some impersonal being or force. This verse literally says, “In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” Elohim is a compound Hebrew word. El speaks of God’s strength and unlimited power. The last part of the word means to keep a promise or covenant. Put them together and you have “the God in Whom nothing is impossible and Who always keeps His word.” Isn’t that great?
This personal God has chosen to reveal Himself, giving every one of us an innate awareness of Himself (Romans 1:19, 20). Jesus Christ came to reveal the Father to us (John 1:14). God is a “faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19). He didn’t make this world, fling it out into space, and turn His back on it. He made it. He will look after it.
This powerful, personal, purposeful God made you for a purpose. He’s going to watch over and take care of you. Aren’t you glad the very first verse of the Bible introduces us to a God like that?
