Genesis 1:1-25: A Theater for God’s Glory

This morning, we’re beginning a journey working through the book of Genesis passage by passage, and the first passage we come to is Genesis 1:1-25. It says,

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. 14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. 20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 

May God bless the reading of his Word.

Let’s pray: Father, we know it’s your will that we be conformed to the image of your Son, Jesus. And we also know that the way that happens is by your Spirit and through your Word. So, please, Holy Spirit, take this passage and use it to accomplish your purposes within each one of us. Lead us to Christ and conform us to his image. And it’s in his name that we pray, amen. 

There are many situations in which you really have to understand the past in order to make sense of the present. For example…family dynamics. At just about any family reunion, there are going to be certain dynamics that make things…interesting. And these dynamics are very much the result of things that have happened in the past, right? So you better believe there’s a reason why Aunt Susan refuses to say anything nice to or about Aunt Cheryl. And chances are, that reason reaches back several decades. Something happened several decades ago that has everything to do with why Aunt Susan and Aunt Cheryl act the way they do toward each other today. 

In addition, you can also see this not just with families but even with entire nations. Just take Russia and Ukraine as an example. In order to understand the current situation between those two nations, you have to be aware of various events that have taken place over at least the past hundred years or so and probably even further back than that. It’s the same with the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. In order to make any sense of why things are the way they are today between those two groups, you’re going to have to read some history. And that’s the way it is with so many things in this world. You can’t make sense of this world as it is today without understanding certain historical realities. 

And, in fact, this is also true of people personally. Think about all the confusion that exists nowadays about our personal identity—who we are. Of course, you have the more obvious examples like some people being confused about their gender. But even beyond that, from what I’ve observed at least, a lot of people, more than you might think, struggle to find something in which to anchor their personal identity. They’ll try to find their identity in their job or their physical attractiveness or their social media following or their role in the family or in a particular romantic relationship. And if something bad happens to whatever it is that they’re looking to, they’re absolutely crushed—because their whole identity has just been taken away from them. So many identities these days seem to be paper thin. 

And not only are many people in our society in a state of confusion about their identity, they also struggle to find a meaningful sense of purpose in their lives. It seems as though we’re confused not only about who we are but also about why we exist. Of course, people try their best to find a sense of purpose—often in things like political activism or maybe some volunteer work. And those things may be satisfying to a certain degree. But are they significant enough that we’d really want to view them as our singular purpose in life and our entire reason or existence? Probably not. 

So there seems to be massive confusion in our society about both our identity and our purpose—not to mention the confusion that exists about the world in general and why it is the way it is. Yet, thankfully, the key to making sense of all of these things is right under our noses in the pages of the Bible—and especially in the book of Genesis. That’s why I’m so excited about going through this book together. As we study Genesis and go back to the beginning of everything, we’ll learn the foundational truths both about this world and about ourselves that allow us to make sense of all of these things. 

The book of Genesis was written by Moses and is a book of beginnings. That’s what the word “Genesis” literally means. It’s derived from the first three words of the book: “In the beginning.” And our main passage today, Genesis 1:1-25, is about the very beginning—the creation of the world. It says, in verses 1-2, 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 

Now, right here at the outset, think about the significance of the Bible starting in this way. The Bible starts not with us and who we are and what we’re supposed to be doing but rather with God and what he’s doing. From the very beginning, the Bible’s a profoundly God-centered book and leads us to the understanding that this universe revolves not around us but around God. To put it bluntly, it’s not about you…or me. 

We also see in these verses several other important truths about God. First, the fact that he was there before anything else came into existence. Verse 1 states, “In the beginning, God….” That was all there was—simply God, existing as he had always existed from eternity past. As the psalmist says to God in Psalm 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” God didn’t have a beginning—he was the beginning.

And, going back to Genesis, we’re told that “God created the heavens and the earth.” Now, why do you think he did that? Well, let’s first understand that it wasn’t because he was lonely and needed us in order to be happy. The Bible’s clear that God’s totally self-existent and self-sufficient. That means he doesn’t have any need for anything outside of himself. Acts 17:24-25 states that, 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything…. We can also be sure that God wasn’t lonely before creating the world because God exists as a Trinity—and the Persons of the Trinity already enjoyed perfect love and communion with each other prior to creation, as we see clearly implied in John 17:5 and 17:24, in case you wanted to look those verses up later. So God wasn’t lonely and in need of a companion or like some sort of frustrated child who needed a toy to play with. No, he created this world not because of his emptiness but rather out of his fullness. He was so full of joy and life in himself that he created this world as an overflow of that joy and life. Again, he created not because of his emptiness but out of his fullness. 

And, more specifically, God’s purpose in creating this world was to reveal and display his glory. We’re told in Psalm 19:1-4: 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world…. And, dear friends, what’s true of the skies is also true of the whole world. It was created to put God on display. 

At the most basic level, this means that we should be able to look at creation and intuitively understand that there has to be a God. Romans 1:19-20 states, 19 For what can be known about God is plain to [people], because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. 

You know, it’s said that the seventeenth-century mathematician and philosopher Sir Isaac Newton, who was a Christian, had a mechanical replica of our solar system. And at the center of this replica was a large golden sphere representing the sun, and revolving around that sphere were smaller spheres attached to the ends of rods of varying lengths. These smaller spheres represented Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and the other planets. And they were all connected by cogs and belts to make them move around the sun in a manner that imitated with amazing precision the movements of these planets within our actual solar system. So, one day, as Newton was studying the model, an unbelieving friend stopped by for a visit. This man marveled at the device and watched with great fascination as Newton made the planets move in their orbits. And the man exclaimed, “My, Newton, what an exquisite thing! Who made it for you?” Without looking up, Newton replied, “Nobody.” “Nobody?” his friend asked. “That’s right!” Newton told him. “I said nobody! All of these balls and cogs and belts and gears just happened to come together, and wonder of wonders, by chance they began revolving in their set orbits and with perfect timing.” I imagine Newton’s friend got the point. 

And if a reasonable person could conclude that a simple mechanical model like that had a maker, how much more should we conclude that the actual universe in all of its stunning immensity and complexity had a Maker as well? 

Yet, God created the world not merely to demonstrate his existence but also to display the many different facets of his glory. And, returning to Genesis 1, that’s what we see celebrated here. Genesis 1 is a profound celebration of the glory of God revealed in creation. To borrow a phrase from the noted theologian John Calvin, God created this world as a theater for the display of his glory. That’s the way Calvin described it and what I believe represents the main idea of Genesis 1. God created this world as a theater for the display of his glory. Just as the purpose of a regular theater is to display something—usually some sort of movie or play or performance—God created this world to put on display just how glorious he is. 

Calvin writes that “[God] has…displayed his perfection in the whole structure of the universe. So he is constantly in our view and we cannot open our eyes without being made to see him. His nature is incomprehensible, far beyond all human thought, but his glory is etched on his creation so brightly, clearly and gloriously, that no one however obtuse and illiterate can plead ignorance as an excuse.”

And, friends, this is the kind of focus that I believe is most appropriate and helpful for us to have as we approach Genesis 1. Of course, I’m sure many of us are aware that there are a lot of different opinions about how best to interpret this chapter from a scientific perspective. If you’re interested in the different theories that are out there, there are plenty of excellent resources I’d be happy to recommend. 

And, in case you’re curious, I personally believe Genesis 1 to be teaching that the earth was created in six literal 24-hour days, but there are other respectable interpreters of Scripture who believe differently. The important thing is that you believe that every word of Genesis 1 is true without any mixture of myth or error. But my purpose this morning isn’t to summarize various interpretive theories or convince you of the theory that I hold but rather to encourage you to view this world as a theater for the display of God’s glory. Genesis 1 is intended not mainly to satisfy our scientific curiosities but rather to inspire our worship. These verses were written to show us that God is glorious.  

I mean, just look at all of the things that are described in this passage that God created. We have gorgeous sunrises and starry nights, vast oceans and lush forests, majestic mountains and striking valleys, beautiful flowers and spectacular waterfalls—not to mention a fascinating array of birds in the air, fish in the sea, animals and insects on the land—so many varieties of so many things. And we also see how God not only brought all of these things into existence but also designed the stunningly complex patterns and systems by which they operate—seasons and ecosystems and gravity and other laws of nature. He created it all to function together in perfect balance and harmony. It’s incredible! Any way you look at it, this world is such a beautiful place! And all of it is meant to lead us to behold God’s glory. Every sight, every sound, every fragrance, every texture, every taste is meant to usher us into a state of awe and wonder at the glory of God. 

And getting a bit more specific, there are several facets of God’s glory that I think are especially noteworthy here in Genesis 1. Notice first the power of God. On each day of creation, God spoke, and things happened. He literally spoke this entire universe into existence. You know, when we speak, that’s not the case, is it? Those of you who have young kids are probably especially aware of that. You can say something to them very clearly and directly, and it’s like they didn’t even hear you. You know, if you ask them to finish their homework and then take out the trash, they’ll somehow get the idea that you asked them to finish half of their homework and then go outside and ride their bike. So, I don’t know about you, but not much usually happens when I speak—especially at home and if I don’t repeat myself. I mean, even Alexa misunderstands what I’m trying to say half the time. 

But not so with God. When he speaks here in Genesis 1, things happen. That’s how powerful he is—powerful enough to speak this universe into existence. By the way, that’s good for us to remember when we’re going through tumultuous seasons in our lives. Sometimes, in the midst of those seasons, we might find ourselves wondering, “Can God really handle this? Can he really make good on his promises in the midst of this chaotic mess?” And the answer is, of course he can! He spoke the universe into existence! There’s nothing he can’t do. 

In addition, not only do we see the power of God in Genesis 1, we also see the wisdom of God. A few moments ago, I mentioned the incredible patterns and systems and processes according to which this world operates. Isn’t it amazing how all of those things work together so flawlessly—in perfect harmony and balance? And keep in mind that God didn’t even have to fix or troubleshoot anything. Whenever we create something new, there are always at least some initial problems, right? Even the smartest inventors and engineers have to work out the bugs in whatever new things they make. Like, do you know how many would-be airplane inventors crashed their airplane models and died in those crashes before Orville and Wilbur Wright designed the first working airplane? There were several. And even the Wright brothers designed numerous flawed models before finally managing to design one that worked. But not so with God. He didn’t have to fix any flaws or work out any bugs or troubleshoot any issues. He just created the universe, and the whole thing immediately worked perfectly—because of his infinite wisdom. 

And finally, as we look at Genesis 1, we’re reminded of the goodness of God. Think about how good God’s been to us in the things he’s created. Listen to what a theologian named A. W. Pink writes, lightly edited for easier reading: “The more closely the creature is studied, the more the goodness of its Creator becomes apparent. Take the highest of God’s earthly creatures, humans…Everything about the structure of our bodies attests to the goodness of our Maker. How suited are our hands to perform their allotted work! How good of the Lord to appoint sleep to refresh the wearied body! How benevolent his provision to give to the eyes eyelids and eyebrows for their protection! And so we might continue indefinitely.” 

Pink continues, “Nor is the goodness of the Creator confined to humans; it is demonstrated toward all of his creatures….Whole volumes could be written, and have been written, to amplify this fact. Whether it be the birds of the air, the animals of the forest, or the fish in the sea, abundant provision has been made to supply their every need. In addition, the goodness of God is also seen in the variety of natural pleasures which he has provided for his creatures. God might have been pleased to satisfy our hunger without the food being pleasing to our palates—yet how his goodness appears in the varied flavors which he has given to meats, vegetables, and fruits! God has not only given us senses, but also that which gratifies them; and this too reveals his goodness…Our physical lives could have been sustained without beautiful flowers to regale our eyes with their colors, and our nostrils with their sweet perfumes. We might have walked the fields without our ears being saluted by the music of the birds. From where, then, did this loveliness, this charm, so freely diffused over the face of the earth come from? From the goodness of the Lord.”

So understand that God didn’t have to give us any of these things. He could have made this world the most plain and drab place you could imagine. He could have easily made it so that eating, for example, was just as much of a chore for us as clipping our toenails—without any taste or enjoyment. Yet, he didn’t make things to be that way. He created all of these things Pink mentions that work so well and that give us such enjoyment—and he did so because of his goodness. 

So those are three aspects of God’s glory we see in Genesis 1—his power, wisdom, and goodness. Yet, as we think about God creating this universe as a theater for the display his glory, I believe we can confidently say that he did it chiefly to display one aspect of his glory in particular—what Ephesians 1 calls “the glory of his grace.” God created this universe chiefly to display the glory of his grace. 

Now, initially, there was no need for God’s grace—because everything was in a state of goodness and wholeness and harmony. Six times in our main passage, we read that God created such-and-such and “saw that it was good.” There was no such thing as evil or suffering or dysfunction of any kind. However, soon enough, as we’re going to see in a few weeks in Genesis 3, people rebelled against God. We call that “the Fall.” Humanity fell into sin. And, as a result, the entire created order fell into a state of brokenness and dysfunction. Suffering, disease, death, natural disasters, genetic mutations, relational animosity, and everything else bad you can imagine all entered this world as a result of our rebellion against God.

And not only was our rebellion against God incredibly consequential, it was also incredibly heinous. Think back to all of the ways in which God demonstrated his goodness toward us in the created order—the features of our bodies that are so perfectly suited to their purposes, the abundant physical provision God’s supplied for our every need, and even the delicious tastes, the captivating smells, the exquisite sights, and the melodious sounds—all as an expression of the stunning goodness of God. 

Yet, these very blessings are precisely what make the shamefulness and heinousness of our rebellion all the more striking. These blessings, instead of leading us to burst forth with praise to God, have actually led us to become inflated with pride and, in that pride, to rebel against God. We’ve essentially taken the gifts God’s given us in his goodness and weaponized those very gifts against him. It’s appalling! Our utter ingratitude is absolutely appalling! It’d be like you giving someone a lavish gift—like maybe a new car or something—and them taking that car and deliberately driving it right into your house and trying to run you over in your own living room while shouting curses at you and your family. And, of course, our ingratitude and rebellion toward God are actually even more shameful and heinous than that. 

Yet, all of this was actually according to God’s plan—because, again, remember that God’s chief goal in the creation of this world is to display the glory of what? The glory of his grace. 

And so, the rest of the Bible, after the Fall in Genesis 3, is about God graciously redeeming and restoring his fallen creation. And his plan for that centers on one Person—a Person named Jesus. The Bible teaches us that Jesus isn’t any ordinary person but is actually one of the three Persons of the Triune God. In fact, Jesus was directly involved in the events of Genesis 1 that we’ve been discussing this morning. We read in John 1:3, regarding Jesus, that “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” In addition, Colossians 1:16 declares, “For by him [Jesus] 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.”

Yet, not only was Jesus responsible for creating the world, he’s also responsible for redeeming the world. Though he existed from all eternity as God, Jesus became a human being. He entered our broken world—so that he could save us. And the way Jesus accomplished that was by living a perfectly sinless life in our place, dying on the cross in our place and to pay for our sin, and then rising from the dead three days later in order to defeat sin and death. As a result, Jesus now stands ready to save everyone who will turn away from their sinful rebellion and put their trust in him for rescue. 

And if you haven’t done that yet, that’s the most important decision you could ever make. Everything else pales in comparison to that decision. So, you stand at a crossroads. Will you continue your shameful and heinous rebellion against God, or will you receive the mercy God offers you in his Son Jesus? I beg you, don’t go another day or even another moment without receiving God’s mercy by trusting in Jesus to rescue you from your sin. 

In addition, the Bible tells us that Jesus is on a mission to redeem not only his fallen people but also his fallen world. One day, Jesus will restore God’s creation back to its original goodness—and, indeed, to a state that’s even better than its original goodness, because there will no longer be any possibility for it to become fallen ever again. We get a glimpse of this future in Romans 8:19-21: 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 

And then we read a more extended description about the future of creation in Revelation 21-22. Just to read a brief portion of that, Revelation 21:1-5 states, 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” 

So this universe that was created in Genesis 1 and that was thrown into utter dysfunction in Genesis 3 will one day be restored to its original goodness, as we see recorded in Romans 8 and Revelation 21-22. 

So, where does all of this leave us? Well, as I mentioned, if you’re not yet a Christian, the most important thing for you is to put your trust in Jesus to rescue you from your sins. Yet, for those of us who have already done that, let me exhort you to align yourself with God’s purpose for all of creation. God created this world as a theater for the display of his glory. So be a part of that, and live every aspect of your life for the glory of God. 

You know, I already told you that the language of this world as a theater comes from John Calvin. But Calvin actually goes beyond that in his analogy. This world as a theater is only part of the quote. Let me read for you the rest of it. Calvin writes, “The whole world is a theatre for the display of the divine goodness, wisdom, justice, and power, but the Church is the orchestra, as it were—the most conspicuous part of it.” Now, “the Church” here refers not to any sort of institution but rather simply to Christians—the redeemed people of God. So, within the larger theater of this world, the redeemed people of God are the orchestra—the very centerpiece of it all. God has purposed to display his glory—and specifically the glory of his grace—more visibly in us than in anyone or anything else in this entire universe. 

So are you living with that as the central purpose and ambition of your life? Is that the vision you have for your life? Listen: there’s no middle ground. You’re either living for God’s glory as your central and all-consuming ambition, or you’re not really living for God at all.