Genesis 1:1 — In the Beginning | In His Image Bible Study

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Genesis Chapter 1- In His Image


In His Image - Genesis Bible Study

Back to the Beginning - Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse

Genesis Chapter 1 - In the Beginning

Genesis Chapter 1 takes us to the beginning of God's revealed account of creation. Before the generations of mankind, before the nations, before Abraham, Israel, the Law, or the prophets, Scripture opens by declaring God as Creator
In this chapter, we will slow down and examine the creation account carefully, paying attention to what the text actually says, the order of creation, God's spoken commands, the repeated expressions throughout the chapter, and mankind's creation in the image and likeness of God.

 Genesis 1:1 (KJV)
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." 

Observation 

The Bible begins with God. Genesis does not begin by attempting to prove that God exists; it begins with the declaration of what God did: "In the beginning God created."

The opening verse immediately establishes three foundational truths: there was a beginning, God existed at the beginning, and the heaven and the earth owe their existence to His creative act.

In the Beginning

The phrase "In the beginning" marks the beginning of the created order. It does not describe the beginning of God. Scripture presents God as already existing when creation begins.

Before there was an earth, before there were heavens as part of the created order, before mankind, and before the measurement of days described in this chapter, God is.

God

The Hebrew word translated “God” in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim (אֱלֹהִים). Genesis introduces God not first by explaining who He is, but by revealing what He does: He creates.
God is not presented as part of creation. He is distinguished from everything He creates. The heavens and the earth are created; God is the Creator.

Created

The Hebrew verb translated “created” is bara (בָּרָא). In Genesis 1:1, God is the subject of this creative action. The verse attributes the existence of the heaven and the earth directly to Him.
Genesis therefore begins by establishing God's absolute priority over creation: creation has a beginning; the Creator does not begin with it.

Cross-References

John 1:1–3 (KJV)

“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.”

 John takes us back to the language of Genesis—“In the beginning”—and reveals that the Word was already there. Creation came into existence through Him; He was not part of what was created.

Hebrews 11:3 (KJV)

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God...”

 

Psalm 33:6, 9 (KJV)

“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made...”

“For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

 Genesis 1:1 introduces a truth that unfolds throughout Scripture: God creates by His Word. As Genesis 1 continues, we repeatedly encounter the expression, “And God said.”


Interpretation Questions

  • What does Genesis 1:1 reveal about God before anything is said about creation?
  • Why is it significant that Scripture begins with God rather than with mankind?
  • What distinction does Genesis 1:1 establish between the Creator and creation?
  • How do John 1:1–3 and Genesis 1:1 complement one another?
  • What do Psalm 33:6, 9 and Hebrews 11:3 teach us about the relationship between God's Word and creation?

Personal Application

Genesis 1:1 establishes the proper starting point for understanding our lives: God comes first. We are not the center of the biblical story. We belong to the God who created the heaven and the earth.

Ask yourself:
  • Does my understanding of life begin with God or with myself?
  • Do I recognize God's authority as Creator over every area of my life?
  • If creation responded to the Word of God, how seriously do I regard what God has spoken in Scripture?



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