The first Hebrew words in Genesis mean "in the beginning." In English, the first book of the Bible is about "beginnings." Its original recipients were the earliest Jewish people. Its objective was to provide them answers to several basic questions. These answers gave these people a sense of identity and connected them with God.
What were the questions this book of "beginnings" answered for those Jewish people? Question one: how did this world "begin"? Question two: how did evil "begin" exerting influence in God's creation? Question three: how did the people of Israel "begin"? Question four: how did the people of Israel "begin" living in Egypt?
As this book of "beginnings" addressed each question, it emphasized this fundamental truth: God is the origin of the world, the origin of life, and the origin of Israel. Obviously, Genesis was vital to Israel. Genesis is also vital to Christians. God Who "began" this world and "began" Israel sent Jesus Christ through Israel to recreate all of us. Every person on earth can "begin" again because God Who created humanity can recreate us. We who rejected God's sovereignty can become people who honor God's sovereignty.
God originally created from total disorder. God through creation brought order and life from chaos. God took utter confusion and disorder and produced orderliness and life. The confusion and disorder of chaos is the opposite of orderliness and life. What God brought into being was the opposite of what was.
For order and life to exist, chaos had to cease to exist. A biblical question: why did chaos not defy God when He brought order and life into existence? A biblical answer: chaos did not resist God because He is sovereign. God rules!
One of the greatest events [creation] to occur is declared briefly, simply, and without much commentary. What would take us volumes to chronicle, Genesis declared in one chapter composed of only thirty-one verses, and most of those verses are quite brief.
God considered the formless void covered with darkness. He ordered light to appear and to be separated from the darkness. The darkness did not defy God. God is sovereign.
God separated the waters into two parts. The expanse that occurred between the waters was the heavens. The waters did not defy God in the separation and the formation of the expanse. God is sovereign.
God ordered dry land to appear. It was separated from the waters below the heavens. The dry land was called earth, and the waters below were called seas. Neither the waters nor the dry land defied God. It happened because God is sovereign.
God ordered the earth to be filled with vegetation. It happened. Nothing defied God. God is sovereign.
God ordered the heavens to be filled with "lights." Among them was sun and moon, the source of light for the earth. It happened. These light sources produced signs, seasons, and measurements for time. Nothing defied God. God is sovereign.
God ordered the seas and the skies to be filled with living creatures. It happened. Nothing defied God. God is sovereign.
God ordered the earth filled with living creatures. Among them were to be humans made in God's image and likeness. Humans were to exercise dominion over God's creation. It happened. Nothing defied God. God is sovereign.
God's evaluation of what He made: "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31).
God used chaos to bring order and life into existence. Chaos gave way to order and life by God's order and design. In the process, nothing defied God. Why? God is sovereign. God rules. God has the right to rule. God is supreme.
Chaos was not good. The formless void covered with darkness was not good. What God created was good. In God's Own assessment, it was "very good." The sovereign God from the beginning took a formless void covered in darkness that was not good and created something good.
Light is compatible with God. Darkness is compatible with evil. Order is compatible with God. Disorder is compatible with evil. Life is compatible with God. Lifelessness is compatible with evil. God took things not compatible with Him [darkness, disorder, and lifelessness] and created things compatible with Him [light, order, and life]. How could God do that? Why would darkness, disorder, and lifelessness yield to Him? God is sovereign. He rules. He is supreme.
The first concept of the Bible is God's sovereignty. Nothing is superior to God. Nothing is equal to God. Nothing can rightfully rival God. Nothing can rightfully defy God.
The sovereign God is the God of good. He is the source of life and order. He is constructive, not destructive. Not only is He good, but He rejoices in producing good. Recognizing His sovereignty is a good thing that results in good things happening. The final result of yielding to God's sovereignty is "very good."
Question: Humanity is the "crowning touch" of a "very good" creation. Why do humans commonly conclude that yielding to God's sovereignty is bad, not good?
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 1