The theme scripture in this session was Genesis 1:1 "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
Jen is answering the metaphysical question this week "why are we here?"
Fundamental Question
Right from the get-go, Moses addresses a fundamental question his audience had in that day about which god to serve.
Think about their experience of Pagan worship. They were a dualistic culture. Then they headed out of Egypt to Canaan where there were hundreds of gods worshiped, a polythestic culture.
It's into this mindset, Jen says, and in this waiting period, that Moses opens this book with "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." He was speaking directly to where they had come from and where they were going. It was written to give roots and shoots to this particular people and for us as well.
There is One God
This is the first root that Moses lays down. The first of the 10 commandents says "you shall have no other gods before me." This points back to Genesis 1:1. Why are we to have no other gods before Him? The answer is because there are no other gods.
Moses is making a foundational statement of truth.
This scripture from Gensis 1:1 focuses on God Himself and not on creation. As we all know, the Bible is a book about God from beginning to end. The Bible speaks first about who He is so we can understand who we are, Jen says.
In essence, Moses is saying "this is a book about God." It's about God:
- Speaking
- Acting
- Doing
Jen's paraphrase of this verse is this: "At the beginning of time and history, Elohim made everything you and I can perceive." He also made everything we're not capable of perceiving as well.
Not Bound By Time
The first thing this verse wants us to understand is that God is not bound by time. He is eternal.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 says this: "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
Thinking about Creativity
He's the source of all life and matter. He creates something out of nothing. If our God is the source of all life and matter, then there is something we need to take away from this:
- Value
- Ownership
- Stewardship
Value. Why is it that we have value? The answer is because of who made us, our origin.
Ownership. We must understand also that because He made everything, it all belongs to Him. People and creation came from God and belongs to God.
Stewardship. If anyone should care about stewarding creation, it is the people of God.
Holds All Knowledge
Also, if God made it all, it makes sense that He holds all knowledge. Why should this matter to you? Why should this be something we meditate on? Because we, wondering what is going to happen tomorrow, need to realize that God is already there in our tomorrow. He holds all knowledge of past, present and future. He is not bound by time.
God Knows
Don't you think God knows your circumstances and exactly what to do? He not just knows it all, but holds all the power to do exactly what He said He will do - to bring all things together for our good.
Our problem is that we like to take on this characteristic of God. Jen says this: "we have our own little universes we are orbiting in, and we are more than happy to make ourselves the one who controls everything that happens in them." Note: we cannot bend God to our will.
Take Away
If at one time, only God existed, then everything that we can perceive is not needful to Him for His existence: God needs nothing. He is self-sufficient.
He creates all of these things but needs none of these things.
Why Did God Create?
You may ask yourself this question. He created to declare His glory. All creation speaks of the glory of God. The creation account is not primarily concerned with the "how" but is concerned with the "who."
Why Are We Here?
Why do I have these 70-80 years? What is my purpose?
If God created to declare His glory, then your sole purpose in life is to be a megaphone for the glory of God, Jen states.
Our Joyful Obligation
First and foremost, our joyful obligation is to know that God created you and me and that He is our origin. Jen states that "knowing where you came from makes all the difference in seeing where you need to go."
Our lives are to be given to the declaration of God's glory.
The closing scripture she gave was in Isaiah 40:21-28. Please read this on your own. It's an amazing conclusion to session 2.
Review by Sharon Garner
Next: Session 3 Six Days & a Rest
