God as Creator

KEY VERSE: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” —Genesis 1:1

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:1-15

THERE EXIST TODAY two principal views concerning the origin of life upon earth. One is, that a very primitive form of life happened by ‘chance’ and randomly evolved into the many higher forms. The other concept, supported by the Bible, teaches that a supreme, intelligent Creator designed life as we know it, and then brought it into existence.

The specific ‘beginning’ mentioned in the Key Verse describes the preparation of Planet Earth to support material life. It tells us that at the time of this ‘beginning’ God already existed. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for us to imagine anyone or anything not having a beginning. But the Creator of the universe is described in just that way; the Scriptures say of God that he existed “from everlasting to everlasting.” (Ps. 90:2) This unique fact about God was recognized by the Prophet Isaiah when he made reference to “the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth.”—Isa. 40:12-28.

Everything else—both spirit and material—had a beginning. As the great First Cause, God created the heaven and the earth. Jesus, in his pre-human existence, participated in these Creative works. We read: “Unto the Son he [God] saith, … Thou, Lord [Jesus], in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.”—Heb. 1:8-10; Ps. 102:25

Again the Apostle Paul mentions Jesus’ part in Creation, saying: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 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.”—Col. 1:15-17

Genesis 1:2 states that “the earth was.” It had already been created, but at that point in time, was without form, and was void of life. Chapter One of Genesis describes how God prepared this lifeless planet to be a home for living creatures, principally man. Each of the six epoch days enumerated was a lengthy period of time designed for accomplishing a step in this process. Before its accomplishment, the ‘day’ was likened to darkness, or night. After its accomplishment, it is described as light, or morning. So we read, “The evening and the morning were the first day” … (Gen. 1:5), “the second day,” etc.

The work of the third epoch day concerned altering the composition of Earth’s atmosphere, enabling it to support various life forms, making it possible for the sun and moon to be seen, and eventually to influence Earth’s days and nights and seasons. The first life to appear was plant life. “God said, Let the earth bring forth … the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” (Gen. 1:11,12) Then followed aquatic life, and birds. Finally, at the close of the six epoch days, all terrestrial life had been created, from the simplest to the most complex in form, each with the capability of perpetuating its species. God pronounced it, “Very good.”

Viewing God’s Creative work in its intricate, almost endless variety, yet orderly detail, we wonder how anyone can ascribe such results to billions of unplanned, random happenings! The mathematical laws of probability make this explanation highly unlikely. On the other hand, the constancy and fixedness we observe in our living world bespeaks the Creative genius of Almighty God in accomplishing his previously designed purpose.

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