GENESIS 1: Creation

The word “Genesis” means: beginning.

In Hebrew, the book of Genesis is known as “B’resheet”, which literally means: “In the beginning”. The title comes from the first few words of the book:

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

The general theme of the book is: the origin of humanity, and the origin of the people of God, Israel.

It is not a coincidence that the Bible begins this way. It is not only about starting from the beginning, but about knowing where we come from, which gives us identity. If we know where we come from… we will know who we are.  If we know who we are… we will know the path we must take.

THE CREATION

The Bible clearly tells us that the existence of man, and everything there is on Earth and the Universe, is not a product of an accident or a result of chance. We were created by God, and we were made with a purpose.

The first chapter in the book of Genesis describes the process of creation:

Day 1: The Light (1:1-5)

Day 2: Separation of the Waters from the Waters (1:6-8)

Day 3: Dry Land and Vegetation (1:9-13)

Day 4: The Lights (1:14-19)

Day 5: Animals: sea creatures and winged birds (1:20-23)

Day 6: The Human Being and animals of the earth (1:24-31)

THE LIGHT

The first thing God did on Earth was to bring light, since it was without form and void and in darkness.

(Genesis 1:3-4) And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

This light (heb. Ohr) was not coming from the sun or the moon. These were not created until the fourth day. So, what was this “LIGHT”? John clearly explains it:

(John 1:1-5) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

We know that the “WORD” is Jesus (heb. Yeshua). He has been since the beginning, and he participated in creation, because He is God. Life came from Jesus, and his life brings a light that shines even more than the lights in the sky. He is the light of life.

(John 8:12) Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

(Colossians 1:15-18) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

(2 Corinthians 4:6) For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

(see also Hebrews 1:1-2)

This same light will be the one shining in the New Jerusalem, in the new world, just as it is written at the end of the book of Revelation.

(Revelation 22:3-5) No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

The light in the first day is the spiritual light that gives spiritual life, and separates us from darkness and evil.

THE SEASONS FROM THE BEGINNING

The Bible points out from the beginning that God made the lights of the heavens, not only to shine, but also to be for signs and for seasons.

(Genesis 1:14-15) And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so.

The lights help us differentiate between day and night, between the different seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter), and they also are a sign for the seasons of the biblical calendar.

The word translated as “seasons” in the previous verse (1:14), is the Hebrew word “Moedim”, which literally means: appointed times. This is the same word that is used in Leviticus 23 in reference to the appointed feasts of the Lord.

In the biblical calendar, the months are determined by the moon. Each month begins at the precise moment the moon becomes visible again (crescent), after being “hidden” (new) for a few days. This is what is called “Rosh Chodesh” in Hebrew (literally: head of the month) and it happens every 29 to 30 days, depending on the rotation of the moon. If we want to be connected with God’s times we must be aware of the moon cycles to know when each biblical month begins. Once we know when each month begins, we will know when each biblical festival begins.  The biblical festivals are determined by the biblical calendar, not by the Gregorian calendar.

Another important fact we learn from God’s times in Genesis is about the beginning of the biblical day. Today, we are used to having the day begin at 12am, or in other words, at midnight. However, the biblical day begins at sundown (approximately at 6pm). This is the way God determined it from the beginning.

(Genesis 1:5) God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

The same principle is described in the following days of creation: Genesis 1:8, 13, 19, 23, 31. The day begins in the evening (that is, at sundown, when it gets dark), and it is followed by the morning (the day, when there is light).