Genesis 1:1 Commentary
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)
Genesis Chapter 1. – Before Christ, 4004
The foundation of all religion being laid in our relation to God as our Creator, it was fit that that book of divine revelations, which was intended to be the guide, support, and rule of religion in the world, should begin as it doth, with a plain and full account of the creation of the world; in answer to that first inquiry of a good conscience, Where is God my Maker? Job 35:10 concerning which the wisest Heathens erred exceedingly: some asserting the world’s eternity and self-existence; others ascribing it to a fortuitous concourse of atoms; thus the world by wisdom knew not God. The Holy Scripture therefore is revealed to extricate us from this labyrinth of error, and to teach us that this world was, in the beginning of time, created by a Being of infinite wisdom and power, who was himself before all time, and all worlds. The first verse of the Bible gives us a surer and better, a more satisfying and useful knowledge of the origin of the universe, than all the volumes of the philosophers. The lively faith of the humble Christian understands this matter better than the elevated fancy of the greatest genius, Heb 11:3.
We have 3 things in this chapter, 1. A general idea given us of the work of creation, ver. 1-2. 2. A particular account of the several days’ of work. The creation of the light, the first day, ver. 3-5. “Of the firmament, the second day, ver. 6-8. Of the sea, the earth, and its fruits, the third day, ver. 14-19. Of the fish and fowl, the fifth day, ver. 20-23. Of the beasts, ver. 24, 25. Of man, ver. 26-28. And food for both, the sixth day, ver. 29-30. 3. The review and approbation of the whole work, ver. 31.
Verse 1: What dignity of sentiment! What majesty of language, yet withal, what simplicity! Behold, in the very opening of the scriptures, the strong and striking evidence of their divine original.
We have these verses, a short, but expressive history of the creation of all things.
1. The great agent is the Elohim. The name is plural, to lead us to the immediate view of the trinity of persons in the one divine essence. Note, without the light of revelation, we must have for ever remained ignorant of the true God. The Supreme Being of the wise deists is as far removed from the Elohim of the scripture, as the innumerable deities of the blind idolater.
2. The work. Heaven and Earth. The highest archangel is as much the workmanship of God, and as much dependent on him, as the worm, which crawls under our feet. The sun that gilds the firmament, and the clod it shines upon, have one original; how great then He who made all these! What beauty, what order, what scenes of wonder and admiration strike the eye of the attentive beholder! Look, my soul, and read in these fair letters the wisdom, power and glory of thy Maker. Yet these eyes can reach no farther than the clouds: if such the excellence of the outer court, what may we not except within! Yea, how much more than eye hath seen, or human heart conceived!
3. The time. In the beginning. Then time began. God alone is eternal. This is his essential attribute. The difference between Creator and creature is as the measure of time to eternity. The highest created being in this scale, is here lost as the drop of the bucket in the boundless ocean. Let those tremble then at the dire indignity they offer him, who dare degrade into a temporary existence that eternal Son, who, from everlasting to everlasting, is over all, God blessed for ever.
4. The manner. God created. Creation is the bringing into being what had before no existence. This is the prerogative of God alone. The things, which are seen, were not made of the things, which do appear.
Learn hence the object of our worship, the Creator, the Elohim. Three persons, but one only and true God. His right to us is undoubted; all we have, and are, is of his bounty. –Most justly therefore should we yield up ourselves to him, in love and adoration; by whom, and for whom, are all things. Happy that heart that thus is led to answer the end of is creation.
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