THE POWER OF "IN THE BEGINNING"
The most important words you may ever read are those found in Scripture's sentence.
"In the beginning...", are found in Genesis 1:1.
Immediately these words build anticipation and create perspective. What will we learn from the beginning? Why is the beginning important for us to know, so important that it must come first?
The answer is, to develop a First-Sentence Perspective for our relationship with God.
To fully grasp the meaning of "In the beginning...", we must understand the context and original audience. When God began to write down His story, He chose these words of all the words he had available to Him. Tell us far more than we usually understand. It is these seven Hebrew words, and the creation narrative that quickly follows, that help us make sense of everything else in life: Where did we come from and what are we meant to be?
THE FOUNDATION
He began by speaking truth to Israel in the desert. It is the lack of belief that these words are, in fact, true that has brought all the chaos that has since ensued. Key verses throughout Scripture build upon this First-Sentence Perspective foundation. Here are some important words from farther along in the Torah and in the rest of scripture whose meanings are best understood considering THE first seven Hebrew words. These words reminded them of their purpose:
God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
These words reminded them that they were not to build a name for themselves but for this God from whom all things came:
They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:4, emphasis mine
These words reminded them of their heritage and why they are now on the road to Canaan:
Go forth from your country, And from your relatives, And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; Genesis 12:1
With our traditional topical and random reading of scripture texts, we often miss the point being made to Israel at that time and which is meant for all of us to know and understand in our time.
for, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” NIV (1 Corinthians 10:26, Psalm 24:1-3)
That's it! Do you get it? Several thousand years after the events of the creation account, virtually all of mankind had lost sight of this First-Sentence Perspective. The result has been devastating. The people God created withdrew from God and mostly tried to build a name for themselves and appropriate for themselves what God created and what only He owned.
That's the story that inundates us in the flood story. That's the story leading up to the Tower of Babel. That's the story that forks when we meet Abram who says "Yes" to God's invitation:
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you;
Genesis 12:1
Abram, soon to be Abraham, chose to forego his own plan and follow God's lead. He understood that it was God's world and not his. The story he was part of meant more if He joined its author than if, as a character, he was to try to plagiarize God's work, putting his own name on it.
You see, that's the struggle Israel was in as they floundered in the desert. Would they join God in His story, or would they try to write their own? That's the struggle of every person ever; before and since - it's your struggle and it's my struggle.
REJOINING GOD'S STORY
Genesis 1:1 sets the record straight by revealing the Truth of the beginning. Now you know why it is so popular to declare there is no such thing as Truth and no such thing as God. To recognize either obligates us to join God's story and embrace His purpose for our existence.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16–17
Now, do you understand why there is so much chaos in the world? In your life? Who is responsible for 'holding it together?' If it's you, me, or anyone else, I would say the results speak for themselves — no one. We have forsaken the truth that everything is from God and for God and the chaos around us proves it.
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36
Paul's statement has implications. If it is true, then God has the right to displace a group of disobedient Canaanite nations full of people authoring their own story and defiling His creation and replace them with a people who are called to reveal God's Story to the same land, to the surrounding nations, to the entire planet.
It makes sense that when Israel later turns aside from God's Story that He has the right to discipline them and remove them from the land, for a time, for the purpose of restoring them into His story. It makes sense that when I act out in my story, in opposition to His Story, and try to co-opt His story for the indulgence of my preferences and desires, that I might encounter chaos. It also makes sense that when turn from plagiarizing His story to aligning with Him in His story that, like Israel, He will embrace me in my return.
JESUS AND GOD'S STORY
We are characters in God's Story. In His Story, He has made a great deal of effort to restore His creation, you, and I, to Himself. He loves His creation. That's where Jesus enters His Story.
You see, Jesus laid down His own story and took up only God's Story.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; ..."John 5:19
“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak." John 12:49
And, just before his crucifixion,
"...yet not My will, but Yours be done." Luke 22:42
Now, we can understand what Jesus was revealing to Nicodemus,
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. "John 3:16
God could have re-created everything following the Fruit Fiasco, but instead, He chose to redeem (to again deem as worthy) what was already His - and that, at great cost to Himself. He did not abandon His Story because of the rebellion of a few (or even a great many) bad characters.
But remember the first sentence of Genesis 1. He created everything. That being true, our redemption isn't about us being freed to author our own story again. Redemption is about God getting what He created and what He paid for. It's about being re-invited to join Him in His Story - eternity's bestseller.
You see, in the end, God gets his creation back.
... then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
1 Corinthians 15:24–25
Did you pay close attention to the last sentence? He (Jesus) must reign until He has put all His (God's) enemies under His feet. To leave God's story and d your own story is to become an enemy of God. Let that apocalyptic statement put fear in you.
Nevertheless, He has done everything to make it possible for you to rejoin Him in His story:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6
REMEMBERING THE FIRST FOUR WORDS
From now on, when you read scripture at any point, remember the first four words of Genesis 1:1, and remember whose Story it is.
I have peeked at the end of the Story. The author of the Book of Life writes this...
“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:3–5
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 22:12–13
THE CLOSING CHAPTER IN GOD'S EPIC
This is not just His Story; it is the only Story, the true Story. As the final pages beckon, let us echo the words with resounding conviction: "Behold, I am coming quickly." The closing chapter is being written, and in embracing the First-Sentence Perspective, we find our place in the grand narrative—God's eternal, faithful, and true Story.
CALL TO ACTION
"Feeling the resonance of Genesis 1:1 in your soul? I know I am. Let's make this journey personal. Share your reflections, your struggles, and your commitments below. Our collective stories create a powerful narrative, echoing the Truth and shaping our paths. Comment below and let's build a community rooted in God's eternal saga. Ready to make your story part of the divine narrative? Click, share, and join the conversation now. #FirstSentencePerspective #ShareYourStory #DivineNarrative"
Let's Talk About It
REFLECT:
How does recognizing the Truth in Genesis 1:1 impact your understanding of your purpose in God's story? Consider the chaos that ensues when this foundational perspective is forsaken and explore ways to align more closely with God's narrative in your daily life.
CONNECT:
In your own journey, have you faced moments where you struggled between joining God's story and attempting to write your own? Reflect on Abram's pivotal choice and its parallels in your life. How can you actively choose to align with God's narrative, embracing His purpose over personal desires?
APPLY:
Consider the concept of redemption as presented in the article. How does understanding that redemption is about God reclaiming what is His, rather than freeing us to author our own story, reshape your perspective on challenges and setbacks? How can you actively participate in God's Story rather than attempting to create your narrative?
Tagged: Genesis, Truth, Gospel, God, Redemption, Abraham
