Understanding Genesis Chapter 1 Verse 1

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (HCSB)

This opening verse of the Bible, seven words in the Hebrew, establishes seven key truths upon which the rest of the Bible is based.

First, God exists. The essential first step in pleasing God is recognizing His existence (Heb 11: 6).

Second, God existed before there was a universe and will exist after the universe perishes (Heb 1: 10-12).

Third, God is the main character in the Bible. He is the subject of the first verb in the Bible (in fact, He is the subject of more verbs than any other character) and performs a wider variety of activities than any other being in the Bible.

Fourth, as Creator God has done what no human being could ever do; in its active form the Hebrew verb bara', meaning “to create,” never has a human subject. Thus, bara' signifies a work that is uniquely God's.

Fifth, God is mysterious; though the Hebrew word for God is plural, the verb form of which “God” is the subject is singular. This is perhaps a subtle allusion to God's Trinitarian nature: He is three divine persons in one divine essence.

Sixth, God is the Creator of heaven and earth. He doesn't just modify pre-existing matter but calls matter into being out of nothing (Ps 33: 6,9; Heb 11: 3).

Seventh, God is not dependent on the universe, but the universe is totally dependent on God (Heb 1: 3).


Bible Study Notes Taken from HCSB Study Bible