Gen.1:1, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”
This first sentence, in the first verse, of the first chapter, of the first book, of inspired Scripture is wonderful. It reveals that there was a point of beginning in all that we know in our physical, visible world. “The beginning” was not an extremely long drawn-out period of billions of years but a point in time called “the beginning.” What happened “In the beginning”? God created. The act of creation was at the “beginning” of world history. God created at “the beginning” not as He went along over a process of billions of years.
Each day of creation was a day: “And the evening and the morning were the first day” (1:5). It was a twenty-four hour day. In order that we may not be confused by the time span of creation it is made quite clear in the written text that a day is defined as having an evening and morning—not two mornings or a thousand mornings; just one. Anyone who says creation was a process of time beyond several days are departing from the written text of the Scriptures. Many mock the idea of a young earth and of six thousand years of human history. But look at written language and secular recorded history. They cannot go back further than 3000 BC. Look at archaeology and the first civilisation of man. They cannot go back beyond 3000 BC. This fits perfectly with the written Scriptures but leaves a thousand questions for evolutionists to figure out.
But let’s concentrate on one simple, but profound and timeless statement in this verse, “God Created.” That could not be clearer. Creation was not the result of natural causes. Creation was not the natural consequences of God allowing it to happen. No it says “God created” and it means that “God created.” It was a personal act by a personal God. Not second causes but God personally creating all things that were created. In 2:7 we read “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” This was an act of God. He literally breathed into Adam’s nostrils. In the next verse it says “And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden;” God actually planted it. How much clearer could it possibly be?
The work of creation was performed by God alone. No creature (created being) had any part in it. When we are told that “God created” that one statement excludes angels, cerebrums, seraphim’s and man. Creation is the exclusive act of God. Only God can create. Lucifer never created anything out of nothing; he could only mess with, corrupt, tempt and deceive what God had already created. Lucifer was certainly the greatest of created angels yet he was excluded from the act of creation. He was the covering cherub but not a creator.
Creation is the sole act of the God of the Bible. The word for “God” used in this first verse is Elohim. It is used 32 times in this first chapter. Elohim is the one and only Creator of all things. This was the first name of God revealed to man. Elohim is a plural noun. In chapter 2:4 it says that the “LORD God made the earth and the heavens.” Added to Elohim in this verse is “LORD.” In Hebrew it is Jehovah. It is used 11 times in the second chapter of Genesis in connection with Elohim. So we see clearly that the sole Creator of heaven, earth and man is Jehovah Elohim. There is no other God but Him. Any created being who would claim to be the Creator at “the beginning” would be a liar. God alone created.
Christ the Creator
As we turn to the New Testament the Creator of Genesis 1 and 2 is revealed in all His fullness and glory. When we turn to John chapter 1 we find that John expounds on this wonderful truth: “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.” We see here that the one called “the Word of God” was not only the Creator but He was indeed God. We are told that the “Word” was with God while at the very same time being God. The Word is distinctly referred to as a person and we are told that without Him nothing at all was made.
Who is this “Word” who is both God and the only Creator? He is revealed in verse 14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” This Word, this Creator, this God, was “made flesh.” He dwelt in the world which He had created but the world did not realise who He was (v10). In this same chapter He is called the light of the world (v7-8), the only begotten of the Father (v14), Jesus Christ (v17), the Lord (v23), the Lamb of God (v29), the baptizer in the Holy Ghost (v33), the Son of God (v34), Rabbi (v38) and the Messiah (v41). This Creator of Genesis 1and 2 is of course the Lord Jesus Christ who was “made flesh.”
The mystery of godliness revealed and opened in the New Testament is that: “God was manifest in the flesh” (I Tim.3:16). God, the Creator of the heavens, the earth, and of Adam, was manifest or revealed in human flesh and walked amongst men for 33 years. This is confirmed in Matthew chapter 1 as the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (1:23; Isa.7:14). Christ veiled His eternal divinity in human flesh. Christ was totally God yet totally man. Perfect God; perfect Man.
In Hebrews chapter 1 the same
truth is proclaimed. “God…Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son…by
whom also he made the worlds;” It is God’s Son who made the worlds. We are also
told in this chapter that this same Son is “the express image of his person”,
who upholds or holds together all things by the word of His power, and who
purged our sins, and then was seated at the right hand of the Father (v3). Lest
there should be a shadow of doubt in your mind concerning the divinity of Jesus
Christ please take good note of verse 6 “…let all the angels of God worship
him”, and verse 8, “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever
and ever:”, and verse 10, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the
foundation of the earth;” Christ is worshipped by Angels, called God, called
Lord, and acknowledged as the Creator.
Another wonderful chapter that reveals Christ the Creator is Colossians chapter 1. It is in Christ that we have redemption through His blood even the forgiveness of sins (v14), “Who is the image of the invisible God” (v15), and note the next two verses “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (16-17). All of creation was created by Him and for Him. The Christ of Calvary is the Christ of creation. The hands which were stretched forth in the beginning to create all things were later stretched forth by fallen humanity and nailed to a cross.
Christ worshipped as God
We have already seen that the very angels of God worship the Christ of Calvary. Of course we know that the whole Bible relates that only God is to be worshipped. At His birth we read that wise men came from the east with gifts and when “they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him” (Lk.2:12). Nowhere is Mary worshipped in the New Testament; no never. Peter refused worship from other men who fell at his feet (Acts 10:25-26) as did the angels in Heaven when John fell down before them to worship (Rev.19:10; 22:8-9). The exhortation of the angel was “worship God.” But Christ is worshipped many times throughout the New Testament.
The man with a legion (6000) of demons “ran and worshipped him” (Mk.5:6). It was the demons that made the man run to Christ in order that they might acknowledge and worship their Creator. A leper worshipped Him as he sought healing (Mt.8:2). A certain leader worshipped Him as he sought Christ to raise up his dead daughter (9:18). After He healed the lame man “he worshipped him” (Jn.9:38). After walking on the water with Peter “they that were in the ship came and worshipped him” (Mt.14:33). A woman of Canaan seeking for deliverance for her daughter came and worshipped Him (Mt.15:25). The mother of Zebedee's children came “worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him” (Mt.20:20). After His resurrection Christ came and met the eleven disciples: “they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him” (Mt.28:9, 17).
Worship is due to God alone. And Christ as God manifest in the flesh, the creator of all things, was worshipped by all those who followed Him. His divinity is not only manifest in His creation of all things, and in His incarnation in flesh, but also in the miracle of the new creation, when He takes lost sinners, gives them a new heart, new spirit and a new start with sins forgiven. Our Christ, our Creator, our God, sees every need of the new creation, has all power, hears every prayer, and is moved with compassion when we call in faith upon His name. Praise His wonderful name. Our God is both the creator and the Christ of Calvary.