I. WHO IS GOD?

1. God the Creator

Read Genesis 1:1 - 2:4

Genesis is the first of five books written by Moses. It begins with the story of creation. It is significant that when we are introduced to God in the Bible (God’s revelation of himself), we meet him first as Creator.

1. Who was there in the beginning? (1:1)

2. What was the first thing that God brought about? (1:3)

3. What means did God use to make this happen? Compare this with all his other creative acts (1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24)

In this we see an important point. God created with a word. This reveals a crucial distinction between the creator and the creature. As his creatures, made in his image, we have the ability to make things - but we use raw materials (we need clay to make a pot); we are totally dependent on that which he has already done. As creator, he is totally independent - he can make things out of nothing at a word.

4. What was God’s opinion of what he had created? (1:4,10,12,18,21,25,31)

5. What did God do on the seventh day? (2:1-4)

6. We are discovering with modern technology how vast the universe is. But notice how little space is given to the creation of the stars (1:16).

Praise the God who is so great that something so huge is such a small thing to him!

7. What is the climax of God’s creative handiwork? (1:26-31)
In the light of this passage, how man should understand his place in relation to the rest of creation (what we now call "nature")?

8. The fact of creation is described here in the opening chapters of the Bible. Then it is assumed throughout the rest of the Bible. Whenever the theme recurs, it has practical implications for the way we are supposed to relate to God. For example, read Psalm 8 and Romans 9:20,21. What do they tell us about how to relate to a Creator God?

Spend some time praying to God - praising him as the great and wonderful God that the majesty of creation reveals him to be, and acknowledging your total dependence as a creature before the creator.