In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. hen God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. (Genesis 1:1-2:3 NIV)
Some students in Scotland decided to play a prank at an art show. They bought a pineapple for $1.30. They took the pineapple to the art show and left it on a display stand. Four days later, they went back. Know what they found? The pineapple was enclosed in a glass case at the center of the whole exhibit. People were amazed by it. The artist who made that pineapple had a really special talent. They’re right! “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hand hath made. Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee, ‘How great thou art!’”
But you have to ask, “Why so much surprise at a pineapple?” That shows how far our world has fallen from the truth. Do you know how many words it takes for people today to reject the Bible? Let’s test it. The Bible starts, “In…” We’re good so far! “In the beginning…” Most people can handle that. “In the beginning God created…” “No way! That’s ridiculous!” How many words does it take for people today to reject the Bible? Just 5. “In the beginning God created…” “God created the world? We know that’s not true!” Just go to any state park. Go to any public school.
We’ve moved on from that old-fashioned belief, haven’t we? Look at all the great things we’re accomplishing. God’s got nothing to do with it! We can launch rockets all the way to the moon. Mars is next! Somehow, “How great thou art” has turned into “How great we are!” Except, you look around. Violence. Anger. Pride. Death. Everywhere. How great we are? Who are we kidding? Maybe it’s time to go back to the pineapple…
There are two little words that make all the difference in the world: “God created.” So what did God create first? Remember? Say it out loud… I bet you said, “Light!” That’s not true. Light wasn’t the first thing. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In the darkness, God laid the foundations of the earth and universe. “Now the earth was formless and empty.” The first thing God made on Day 1 was a formless earth. You’ve heard the critics: “How could God possibly make the world so fast in six days?” Really? Fast? God went slow. He took his time. Like a grandma knitting a blanket for her granddaughter. One step at a time. With love and care.
Then God spoke, “Let there be light.” There’s the light! Imagine this: God created light just by saying the word. God’s Word is so powerful! When God speaks, things happen. Critics ask: “Where did the light come from? The sun wasn’t created until Day 4.” Huh. What do you think? The light came from God. He can do it! “God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness…. And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”
What next? “God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse ‘sky.’” God in the Bible always describes nature from the perspective of the earth. He separated the waters down here on the earth from the waters above. He made the blue sky. “There was evening, and there was morning—the second day.” Starting to see a pattern? Let’s review—Day 1: Light. Day 2: Sky. You can remember this!
Then God really went to work. “God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” That sounds like such a simple thing, doesn’t it? Dry land. Except, what would it take to make dry land? Drastic earthquakes. Seas moving. Mountains charging up. Wow! All in moments. But God wasn’t done. “Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’” Plants and trees. All according to their kinds. Remember that phrase: “according to their kinds.” It was all good! So Day 1: Light. Day 2: Sky. Day 3: Land and Plants.
If the dry land shooting up through the seas was a sight to see, imagine Day 4. “And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years…. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.” Simple words. But the sun? Huge! The stars? So many! So far away! Exact orbits and precise days and years. We couldn’t have thought this up! But God did. Space flights prove how great God is!
Now the world was ready. Notice the perfect order of God’s creation? Water. Light. Air and Sky. Land and Plants. Sun. The world was ready for… creatures! “And God said, ‘Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.’ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to their kinds.” Fish and birds, according to their kinds. Remember that phrase? Keep remembering it… Think of the noises. Chirps and squawks and splashes. The joy of the world filling up! Birds and fish on Day 5.
What’s left? Animals. “God said, ‘Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.’” Remember that phrase? “According to its kind.” It’s repeated ten times in Genesis 1. Why? God knew how the lie of evolution would attack his creation. The idea that all kinds of life developed from one living thing. No! Not true! God created every kind. God created every plant and every bird and every fish and every animal according to its kind, “and God saw that it was good.”
But Day 6 wasn’t over yet. It was time for the big reveal. Creation was building to a climax. Know what it was? Us! “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Special words, aren’t they? God saved the very best for last. God created you, male or female, just the way he wanted you to be. You’re not an animal. You’re not a mistake. You’re God’s special creation.
God created! It’s just that we can be even more specific. It’s Holy Trinity Sunday. The day we focus on our one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, who created? Well, the Apostles’ Creed says, “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” That’s true! But there’s more. We’re told that the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. The Spirit! We’re told that Jesus is the Word through whom all things were created (John 1:1-3). So who created? The Trinity. We get a hint of that here in Genesis. “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind’…” Who’s the “us”? Father, Son, and Spirit. The Trinity! Our amazing God. His amazing creation.
So what do we say? “O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the works thy hand hath made. Then sings my soul, my Savior-God, to thee, ‘How great thou art!’” From invisible air to far-away galaxies. From newborn babies to elephants. O God, how great you are!
So why are we so eager to throw all that away? All of human history has been a fight against God as our Creator. In the book of Romans, Paul says, “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised” (Romans 1:25). Human history is the story of us worshipping and serving created things rather than the Creator. Isn’t that true? From Adam and Eve choosing a piece of fruit, to idols like the sun god, to Pride month, human history is a fight against our Creator. Trading the truth for a lie.
You know how evolution has swept the world and denied everything about God. Billions of years, not six days. Animals evolving into different species, not “according to their kinds.” Humans are animals, not some special creation. We reap what we sow. We teach ourselves that we are accidents, and then we wonder why we have no purpose. We teach ourselves that we are animals, and then we wonder why we act like animals. We teach ourselves that there’s no God, and then we wonder why so many people feel so hopeless. We have destroyed the foundation of our world: God’s creation. Should we be surprised when everything starts crumbling down?
A couple of years ago, I saw on the news a picture of a man during a riot. He’s smashing the windows of a police car and screaming obscenities, with burning buildings in the background. Can you picture that? That’s me. In my heart, there is a riot every single day against God. There is a part of me that hates what God says. That refuses to submit to any Creator. That wants to be God! I know that’s you too. Our sinful natures war against God, and our society’s rejection of God’s creation results in all the chaos we’re immersed in. Do you think God’s calling us to repentance? After all God’s perfectly created, what more could he possibly do?
Except he did. He did more. Here’s what God said to his rebellious people in the past: “But now, this is what the LORD says—he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). The God who created us—who knit us together in our mother’s womb—didn’t stop there. “I have redeemed you.” Jesus paid for every one of our sins with his blood. You’re forgiven because of Jesus’ death on the cross. “I have summoned you by name.” Jesus knows your name. You’re not forgotten. You’re not a statistic. “You are mine.” Jesus wraps you up in his arms. Loved. Always.
Because you are no accident. You are no animal. You are not worthless. You are God’s special creation, whom he formed and created and redeemed and loved. “In the beginning God created…” It’s hard to think of more important words in the world. Whether you believe those five words will impact your entire perspective on life. And then add this: “And when I think that God, his Son not sparing, sent him to die, I scarce can take it in. That on the cross my burden gladly bearing he bled and died to take away my sin.” Your Creator is your Savior. The hands that made Jupiter were pierced for me, for you, for everyone in the world. I scarce can take it in!
We’re grasping for hope in our society. Know what we need? More pineapples. God created. You have something in common with every other person in the world. A creation of God. Every heartbeat—by his grace. Let’s keep going back to the beginning. O God, how great thou art!
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