Apologetics 4 – The assumption of God

The aim of this devotional study is to consider some of the fundamental truths in the first verses of Genesis.

Scripture

Genesis 1:1-8

1  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

2  The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4  And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6  And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”  7  And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8  And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day…

Observation and reflection

1. Reflect on the well-known first verse in the Bible and record what you learn about God, the Bible, and creation phrase-by-phrase:
   1. “In the beginning”
   2. “God created”
   3. “the heavens and the earth”
2. Consider the repeated phrase “and there was evening and there was morning, the [first/ second / third… ] day” (verses 5, 8, …) In which ways do these verses communicate that these were six consecutive days of creation?

Personal reflection

In your personal reflections also consider Hebrews 11:1 and 3 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen… By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”

1. Respond to the statement “the first four words of the Bible form the foundation for my faith.”  In which ways does it form the foundation of your faith?
2. Consider the statement “the opening words of the Bible assumes the existence of God rather than seeking to prove it.”
   1. Can you “prove” the existence of God?
   2. Why is this essential?
   3. How does it correlate with the rest of Biblical Scripture?
3. Whether God created everything in six literal days or not, what difference does it make
   1. To your view of God?
   2. To your view of the Bible?
   3. To your faith in general?

Prayer

Look at everything you see (and let it remind you of everything you cannot see), and praise God for his power and wisdom in creation.  Affirm what you know to be true about God in Creation, then bring all your questions to Him in prayer, asking Him for revelation and peace.