Who is the Creator?
Jason Martin
From the Beginning... / Genesis 1:1–2:3
1. When you read Genesis 1, what questions are you usually trying to answer?
a. earth age, dinosaurs, evolution, six days, etc
2. What question is God answering?
a. Who is this God?
3. The Bible is one unified story that reveals who God is, who we are, what went wrong, what God has done to redeem us through Christ, and where all of history is headed.
a. Let’s ask those 5 questions every week
Defining Terms
1. To understand Scripture more clearly and deeply, we want to understand it the way the original audience would have understood it. To that end, I find it valuable to understand certain English words in their original languages. Some of these are;
a. Elohim - A spiritual being. Context determines which one
i. Often used for the God of Israel, but is also used for foreign gods, angels or other heavenly beings, rulers or judges, or even the disembodied dead (1 Samuel 28:13)
b. LORD - YHWH
i. The Personal Covenant Name of the God of Israel (Exodus 3:14-15)
c. Lord - Adonai
i. Master, ruler, one who is in charge. Used for both God and men
d. Spirit - Ruach
i. Spirit, breath, or wind
e. Son - Hebrew: ben / Greek: huios
i. One who bears the nature, image, or character of another. It often describes relationship, representation, inheritance, or authority rather than origin.
Themes
1. When we encounter a theme for the first time in Scripture, pay attention. The first occurrence often lays the foundation for everything that follows.
a. Themes in Genesis related to God
i. Light
ii. Life
iii. Blessing
iv. Rest
v. Separation
vi. Evaluation
b. Related to Man
i. Dominion
ii. Marriage
iii. Image
c. The Fall
i. Sin
ii. Death
d. Redemption
i. Sacrifice
ii. Promise
iii. and more...
Before “In the Beginning...”
1. Who already existed before Genesis 1:1?
a. The Father
b. His Word (Son)
c. His Spirit
John 1:1–3 ESV
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Colossians 1:15–17 ESV
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Hebrews 1:1–3 ESV
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
2. All of Scripture ultimately points to and is fulfilled by Jesus
a. (Luke 24:27, John 5:39)
The King establishes His Kingdom
Consider highlighting, circling, or underlining every action God performs
Read Genesis 1:1-2.
1. Day 1 = Heavens / Earth (space, universe, sometimes called the second heaven) Light / darkness (nothingness, emptiness) = Day / night - Genesis 1:3-5
a. God evaluates every day. God saw that it was good. Nothing is called good until God brings it into order
i. Who gets to decide what is good?
ii. Why is that important before Genesis 3?
1. In Genesis 1, God determines good. By Genesis 3, humanity wants to define good and evil apart from God.
2. Righteousness and wickedness and Who defines them is a huge theme and conflict throughout Scripture
b. God said, God saw, God Separated, God called (named = claimed dominion over)
c. Why separate light from darkness before creating the sun?
i. Before creating the heavenly lights, God first establishes the reality of light itself. This demonstrates that light exists because of God's command, not because of the sun. It also fits the pattern of God bringing order before filling creation.
2. Day 2 = Skies / Chaos waters above and below - Genesis 1:6-8
a. God said, God separated, God made, God named
3. Day 3 = Double blessing = 1. Earth (dry land) / Seas 2. Vegetation, plants, trees - Genesis 1:9-13
a. God said, God separated, God named, God saw
b. God said, God saw
4. Day 4 = Sun, Moon, Stars - Genesis 1:14-19
a. God said, God separated, God gave their purpose, God made, God placed, God saw
i. The day 4 creation populates the day 1 creation - and is for signs and seasons
1. God appointed the greater and lesser lights and stars to govern / rule day and night
5. Day 5 = Sea creatures / Air creatures - Genesis 1:20-23
a. God said, God created, God saw, God blessed,
i. The day 5 creation populates the day 2 creation - and multiplies in it.
6. Day 6 = Double blessing = 1. Livestock & creeping things 2. Mankind Genesis 1:24-31
a. God said, God made, God saw
b. God said, God blessed, God said, God said, God gave, God saw
i. Blessing is a HUGE theme throughout Scripture
1. Why does God bless humanity before giving them responsibility?
a. His Grace comes before His commission
b. Abraham
c. Israel
d. Disciples
e. Church
ii. Why is day 6 very good? Humanity. Why? What makes humanity different from everything else that was created?
1. Image, Dominion, Relationship, Blessing
2. When an ancient king put a carved image of himself in a distant land, or when we plant our flag somewhere, what does that mean? What did that communicate?
a. “This territory belongs to me”
b. What if you ARE that image?
i. The Image of God is a huge theme in Scripture
ii. Humanity is not God’s image because we look like Him - we are His image because we represent Him
1. Jesus actually is THE Image of God and perfectly reveals the Father
2. If Jesus perfectly Images the Father, what were we created to do?
iii. Mankind is given dominion (rule) over the day 5 and other day 6 creation
1. After God named day - night - sky - earth - sea
a. Adam would name the creatures of the earth and woman as God delegates authority
i. Authority and dominion become major themes in Scripture
7. Day 7 = Rest - Not inactivity or due to a removal of energy - to stop - Genesis 2:1-3
a. This is the climax of the creation week, not an afterthought.
i. Hebrew ‘Sha vat’ ( Sabbath ) = to stop or cease (not to recover from low energy)
1. The is royal language for what a king does once he establishes his kingdom
a. God's rest is not the absence of work; it is the enjoyment of His completed and ordered creation while reigning over it.
b. ‘God’s rest’ is a big theme in Scripture (Psalm 132, Hebrews 4, Revelation 21)
2. The LORD begins Scripture (human history) with order, life, and rest - and ends it the same way.
b. Everyday ends with ‘there was evening and morning, the ______ day until we get to day 7. Why?
i. God’s rest intentionally remains open-ended. Believer’s are invited to enter into His rest in places like Hebrews 4.
8. The goal of creation isn’t just that the world exists - it’s God dwelling with His image-bearers. This is a HUGE theme throughout Scripture
a. Eden > Tabernacle > Temple > Jesus > Church > New Creation
9. God isn’t random. He prepared the places, then He filled them. Just like He’s doing right now. This is the King establishing His Kingdom.
a. God alone defines reality;
i. He evaluates, names, blesses, appoints
ii. He determines light, darkness, day, night, land, sea, good, purpose, identity, authority
1. This is what humanity challenges in Genesis 3.
b. These are royal actions of a King. Genesis presents creation as God's kingdom ordered under His rule, with humanity commissioned to represent Him within it.
c. God’s preparation is a theme we will notice in Scripture
i. before Israel enters Canaan
ii. before Christ comes
iii. before Pentecost
iv. before new creation (now)
1. Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly prepares His people for the work, calling, or blessing He is about to entrust to them.
Closing
1. Notice the sevens already;
a. 7 days of creation
b. God rests on the seventh day which has no end
c. 7 announcements that creation is good
d. 7 Hebrew words in verse 1
e. 7 x 2 Hebrew words in verse 2
f. The description of the seventh day from Genesis 2:1-3 is 3 lines of 7 Hebrew words each
g. “Elohim” is used 7 x 5 times in Genesis 1
h. “Earth” appears 7 x 3 times
i. “Heavens” appears 7 x 3 times
i. In Scripture, seven represents;
1. completeness
2. perfection
3. covenant fulfillment
4. sacred order
5. God’s Presence and rest
6. Sabbath day / year
7. Jubilee year after 7 x 7 years
8. 7 feasts of Israel
9. Revelation shows the 7
a. churches
b. seals
c. trumpets
d. bowls
e. lampstands
f. spirits
g. blessings, etc..
j. Another number of note is “and God said” occurs 10 times - echoing the 10 words (Ten commandments)
2. At this point, God had declared creation to be “very good”.
a. Genesis begins with light overcoming darkness.
b. Order overcoming chaos.
c. Life overcoming emptiness.
d. Blessing before sin.
e. Humanity bearing God's image.
f. God dwelling with His creation.
g. The King resting in His Kingdom.
3. So how did we get from Genesis 2 to the world we live in today?
a. That’s where we begin next week
Questions
1. Who is God?
2. Who are we?
3. What went wrong?
4. What has God done to redeem us through Christ?
5. Where is all of history headed?
Exported from Logos Bible Study, 7:49 AM August 6, 2026.