Is there a God? How was the world formed? How did it come into existence? In Genesis 1:11, it offers insight into these questions and many more. It sets the foundation on how I view the world. Do I believe in a creator or creation? Do my values and morals line up with the word of God? The book of Genesis can offer us much truth and understanding as we go back through history to learn about the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and civilization. “In the beginning there was no earth.
Only a formless mass without shape” (Genesis 1:1a) Moses describes the events of creation to last six days, with God resting on the seventh. Ed Hindson recalls the events as “instantaneously spoken into existence. ” A verbal command given by the powerful Creator turned a world without form into a world of order and beauty. Trees full of delicious fruits, rivers brimming with precious stones, animals as gentle and playful as kittens. As Ed Hindson reminds us “evolution would slowly evolve over millions of years, but what was created was already aged. Adam wasn’t created a boy, he was a man. Trees were already bearing fruit, what the Triune God spoke into existence was already made mature and able to reproduce. God was well pleased with all his creations, “God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, I will make a helper who is just right for him. ” (Genesis 2:18 NLT)
Adam then was put into a deep sleep, out of his rib God created Eve. “So God created human beings in his own image in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27 NLT) God created us in His image. If we look into the characteristics of God we would see He is love, He is holy, pure, and righteous. God intends for our human identity to follow his example. After all, he said, “Let us” make man in our image. Our identity then should be found in Jesus Christ. God created us for a purpose. He wanted to have fellowship with us, to commune with us, to have a loving relationship with us. He gave us a spirit of creativity just like his, the desire to appreciate beautiful things. To love good and hate evil.
Unfortunately along with our human identity we were also given a free will. We were given the opportunity to choose sin over obedience, a wrong over a right, a delicious fruit over dependency on God. The fall brought upon by man changed the way man would be created, no longer in the perfect image of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but in the likeness of our human parent. “When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. ” (Genesis 5:3 NIV) A relationship of marriage was created that day in the Garden of Eden.
A relationship where two would become one, God considered it to be a holy and sacred covenant between Adam and Eve. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ” (Genesis 2:24 KJV) Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have always existed together in love and unity that is how God intended our marriages and human relationships to be. God’s love is so apparent throughout creation and scripture. As you know most relationships have peaks and valleys, why would the first heavenly marriage be any different?
So as the cunning serpent tempts Eve to eat of the tree of good and evil… “The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. ” (Genesis 3:4 NIV) She ate and also gave some to her husband. At once their eyes were opened. God finds them hiding, ashamed of their nakedness. Of course the blame game begins, until it ends with God being at fault for the woman He gave to Adam. Sadly like the majority of all creation, we tend to cast the blame on someone else; no one really wanting to accept responsibility. Instantly they were both evicted from the Garden of Eden.
Never to return, no longer would they walk in the Garden and commune with God. The close love relationship they shared was darkened by disobedience and sin. “The narrative in Genesis 11:1-9 describes the divine intervention among the human family to scatter them across the face of the earth by means of striking at the heart of their unity—their language. “(Russel. T. Fuller,2001) In Genesis 11 we see the whole world spoke one language. No confusion, no cross communication, no need for an interpreter. “At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. (Genesis 11:1 NLT)
The people were united, ready to build a city. Not just any city, a city with a stairway to heaven. They wanted to be renowned for erecting this great tower, and not to be spread out all over the globe. “… they said, Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world. ” (Genesis 11:4 NLT) So the Deity watched his people join together in perfect unity, seeking to obtain security in this city and tower. Dejectedly they hardened their hearts against Jehovah.
So to stop this ungodly construction, the Triune God confused their language; no longer could they understand each other. No longer would they speak in one tongue, they would be divided and scattered across the face of the earth Is there a God? How was the world formed? Genesis 1-11 sheds light to all those unanswered questions one may have. God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit created us in their image. “By the Holy Spirit, the heavens were beautified, life was imparted (Ps 104:29-30; Job 33:4; Gen 2:7), and human intelligence was given. ” (Job 32:8). (Allen P. Russ, 1981) The world was created in order and beauty.
We all have been given an opportunity to commune with God, to have a close, intimate relationship with Him. This love relationship would then teach me how to love my spouse, our children, brothers, sisters and oddly enough my enemies. Sadly we live in a fallen world, were civilization today is still striving to become a Great Nation, once again independent from God. In conclusion, my biblical worldview can only be based on the truths found in the bible. The bible is still revaluate today and can offer me many insights into the natural world, human identity, human relationships, and civilization.