The Most Profound Words
The most profound and powerful words of Scripture are those presented in the first four words of the first sentence on the first page in the first book of scripture: "In the beginning God ...."
These four simple yet astonishing words contain endless meaning. When we truly contemplate their implications, they have the power to transform how we read and understand the entire biblical narrative.
Who Is God?
Have you ever paused to ask, "Who is this God?" and "why did He choose to begin His written word this way?" As we explore the context around these opening verses of Genesis, the significance of these questions grows.
Let's set the scene. Imagine Moses, tending sheep on the far side of the desert. This unassuming man is suddenly confronted by a miraculous sight - a bush burned but not consumed by fire. From its branches, God calls out "Moses! Moses!"
Encountering The Great I AM
Thus begins one of the most pivotal conversations in Scripture. When Moses asks the identity of the God speaking, he receives the profound response: "I AM WHO I AM. Tell them I AM has sent you" (Exodus 3:13-14).
The God of Abraham has returned to deliver His people. Moses' encounter sparks a sequence of earth-shattering events leading to Israel's liberation from slavery. God overcomes Pharaoh and humiliates Egypt's 2,000 gods through astounding miracles.
Finally, the rescued Hebrews stand encamped before Mount Sinai, the mountain of the burning bush. God has called Moses up the mountain to receive the tablets of God's instruction and reveal Himself to the nation.
Sinai On Fire
Picture this scene: Thunder and lightning flash around the summit. Smoke billows up as the mountain quakes violently. No longer a burning bush but now a burning mountain; The Lord descends in consuming fire as a shofar blast shatters the air.
On this trembling earth, God etches the Ten Commandments on stone. The covenant is established, and Israel transitions from an enslaved people to the chosen nation through whom redemption will enter the world.
It is here at Sinai that God begins revealing the Torah - His divine instructions that will set Israel apart. This is the constitution for a theocratic nation. This epic work recounts their origin and defines their identity in relationship to Him alone.
Flashback
The opening lines of Genesis transport us to the beginning of beginnings. Before Sinai, before the Exodus, before the first feeble cries of humanity - "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
This is not the historical beginning of Israel's story, but a theatrical flashback to the ultimate inception of all things. God is revealing Himself not merely as the deity who delivered them from Egypt. He is the sole sovereign over the entire cosmos from its birth.
For Israel standing awestruck at Sinai, this revelation reorients their entire reality. The One who thundered from the mountain is the One who spoke light into being, divided the seas, and populated the earth. He alone reigns supreme.
Setting The Story Straight
Through the corrective narrative of Genesis 1, God systematically dethrones the rival deities of surrounding cultures. The pagan gods of Egypt, Canaan, and Mesopotamia are exposed as feckless counterfeits.
Consider how the opening chapter counters other Ancient Near East creation myths:
God effortlessly speaks light, sky, and seas into being. Unlike the Babylonian Enuma Elish where Marduk battles the goddess Tiamat to form the skies and waters.
The sun, moon, and stars come on day four - not the first. This humbles the astral deities central to other mythologies familiar to Israel.
God casually refers to the "greater light" and "lesser light" rather than using names of sun-gods or moon-gods common in the era.
The sea and sea creatures are formed with ease on day five, not depicted as enemies of the chief deity as in Ugaritic myths.
All humans bear God's image, not just kings claiming divine descent as in some Mesopotamian religions, including Egypt, who had enslaved this people for hundreds of years.
Through this literary technique, the Torah thoroughly destroys any notion of other "gods" rivaling YEHOVEH. He alone is Creator. He alone is God.
““For Israel standing awestruck at Sinai, this revelation reorients their entire reality. The One who thundered from the mountain is the One who spoke light into being, divided the seas, and populated the earth.””
Israel's redemption echoes the future cosmic redemption of all creation. God is reestablishing His original design for humankind through this nation. As He forms their identity anew, He also promises that through them redemption will spread to all peoples.
Yet even in these opening verses, there are hints of the loss to come. Light emerges out of darkness, order from chaos, life rising from an empty void. This implies the destructive powers threatening God's intent. Yet He will prevail.
In days of perfection, how quickly paradise unravels. After these verses, we learn how cunning, cruelty, and death devour beauty. But even on page one, the stage is set for restoration.
The ensuing story reveals God as uncompromising in His faithfulness. When His beloved creation rebels, He begins the work of redemption through a covenant people. The wounding loss at Eden drives history forward to the victory at Calvary.
Foreshadowing the Gospel
With the "In the beginning God ..." declaration, Moses lays the groundwork for understanding humanity's fall and God's redemptive response. We cannot properly grasp the gospel apart from Genesis 1.
Paul & Jesus Echo Genesis!
The New Testament writers recognize the importance of Genesis 1 clearly. John opens his account declaring "In the beginning was the Word" (John 1:1). Paul sums up God's eternal plan "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ" (Ephesians 1:10).
Christ Himself refers back to the opening chapters of Torah extensively. In His Sermon on the Mount message, Jesus references the Instruction given at Sinai and calls His followers to surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees who strictly follow that Instruction. He points to Himself as the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets.
Additionally, He quotes from Genesis 1 and 2 when asked about marriage, saying “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female?” (Matthew 19:4-6). On the road to Emmaus, Christ describes Moses and all the Prophets as testifying about Him (Luke 24:27).
Throughout His ministry, Jesus draws connections to the origins of creation recorded in Genesis. He embodies the Word that was from the beginning. The God of the first verse of Scripture is fully revealed through God the Son.
By tying the whole biblical narrative back to "In the beginning God...", we perceive the unified message of Scripture, God Himself. We understand God's intent in creating and redeeming humanity made fully known through Christ.
Connecting Creation to Redemption
Consider for a moment Jesus' resurrection. As the Stone is rolled away, Light floods the tomb and Life springs forth from death. Doesn't this mirror the creation account? "Let there be light ... let the earth bring forth living creatures." Out of darkness and dust comes the glory of the Son.
Heaven and earth intersect as the Creator walks the earth to renew what was lost. The Word that formed the stars and seas takes on flesh to restore all things. The God in Genesis 1 is the God we meet in the Gospels.
A First-Sentence Perspective
This is what I call a First-Sentence Perspective. So next time you open your Bible, reflect on those first four words. Contemplate their connection to God's covenant with Israel. Consider their revelation of the Author of all that exists. Let them reframe how you read the verses that follow.
I invite you to continue with me on a First-Sentence Perspective journey revisiting Scripture through the lens of “In the beginning, God...”. Let these words reopen your eyes to the majesty and meaning running through every page.
Together, may we stand in awe at the power and glory of our Creator. May the God of Genesis 1:1 explode into new dimensions in our imagination. And may the gospel shine ever brighter as we trace its roots back to the beginning.
Let's Talk About It
What aspect of the significance of "In the beginning God..." were most meaningful or eye-opening to you? I'd love to hear your key takeaways from this look at Scripture's opening verse. Please share in the comments at FirstSentencePerspective.com!
I proposed that Genesis is God revealing himself to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. How does this strike you?
This First-Sentence Perspective on Scripture will continue over at FirstSentencePerspective.com. Join us there to rediscover the transformative power of those first four words. Subscribe for free to receive the latest articles unpacking "In the beginning, God..." from Genesis to Revelation. Share this post with others to spread the word, and comment below with your key takeaways from this Genesis 1 reflection. Let's reconnect the full biblical narrative back to its astonishing beginning and perceive God's grand story like never before!
