Ep. 46 | The Starting Point | Genesis

Listen in as Pastor Eddie Blalock shares today’s daily devotional featuring Genesis 1:1. Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Every story has a beginning. And if you don't understand the beginning, you'll likely misunderstand everything that follows. Welcome to Formed by the Word. Currently, we're going back to the very beginning as we look together at the first 11 chapters of Genesis. These chapters explain our world, our struggles, and much about ourselves. We'll see beauty and brokenness, purpose and pride, judgment and grace. We'll watch humanity fall and see that God already had a plan to restore his relationship with us. The Bible doesn't start with a problem, it starts with a perfect God, and that changes everything. So, wherever you're listening, whether you're driving, working out, or just scrolling for something meaningful, lean in, open your heart, because the God who spoke in the beginning is still speaking today.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

We just recently witnessed the historic journey of NASA's Artemis II. It brought back memories of 1969 to me when the Apollo 11 moon landing successfully put a man on the moon. Most people remember the moment, or at least have read about it in history, when Neil Armstrong stepped into the lunar surface and said, that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. But here's what most people don't think about. That moment didn't really start on the moon. It didn't even start when the rocket lifted off. It started years earlier with a decision, a commitment, a commitment to a mission, a clear starting point that shaped everything that followed, even the flight of Artemis II. Once that starting point was set, every calculation mattered, every step had direction, and every sacrifice had a purpose. If they had gotten the starting point wrong, nothing else would have worked. Well, that's exactly what Genesis 1.1 gives us a starting point. It reads, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. This isn't just the beginning of the Bible. It's the starting point for everything. It informs our thinking in so many ways. It impacts how we see the world, how we understand ourselves, how we define our purpose, even meaning, and truth. If you miss the starting point, everything else gets off track. If you get the beginning wrong, you'll misunderstand everything that follows. So that's why I've decided that for the next few months, we'll be walking together through the book of Genesis, at least the first 11 chapters, and then we'll make a decision about whether we put it on pause or move on. It's important, though, that we choose this book. Why? Well, it's the starting point. We should note, as the Bibleproject.com points out, Genesis is not just the Bible starting point, it's the spine or backbone that supports everything that follows, grounding readers in who God is, why the world is as it is, and the hope of restoration. Wow, that's pretty incredible and worthy of our study. Sure it'll be a challenge to move through Genesis just with 10 minute segments, but I believe we can do it. You see, Genesis answers fundamental human questions. Questions like, where did everything come from? Who are we? Why is the world broken? What's God's response to sin? This sets up the overarching biblical meta-narrative, the creation, the fall of man, the plan of redemption, and the restoration of all creation. What an exciting study this is going to be. So let's dig in. We start in the beginning, Genesis 1.1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. So Genesis 1 1 consists of seven words in Hebrew, yet it could take us hours to fully unpack. These seven words serve to provide a summary statement of all creation. That's appropriate since seven is the number of completion throughout the scriptures. Well, the numbers thing is a whole nother study, but I believe it's very, very trustworthy and very important. Back to these words. These seven words provide a foundation for biblical theology, the starting point for understanding God, humanity, and the world. These seven words introduce God as creator, point out that creation was intentional, and time as we know it really did have a beginning. Interestingly, this verse doesn't argue for God's existence. Instead, it just assumes God's existence. It doesn't explain where God came from. It simply declares that He is. And from that foundation, everything else flows. If we get the beginning wrong, we'll misunderstand everything that follows, so let's get it right. Let's unpack the text and then we can maybe put some handles on this opening verse. He starts with in the beginning, Barashit in Hebrew. The first sentence in the Bible is in the beginning, not a beginning, but the beginning. This simple sentence marks the start of time itself. It implies that time is created, not eternal, and that time does not contain God. God contains time. In the beginning it says God. The Hebrew there is Elohim. Elohim is the plural form of God. And though it is plural in form, it's singular in meaning. It refers to majesty and intensity. And though it's plural, it's used with a singular verb, emphasizing one true God. Indeed, the point is that God is supreme and powerful, yet also personal. In the beginning, God created Bara in the Hebrew. Bara is used exclusively for God's activity. It indicates a divine creation, not something that a human made. It's often associated with creation out of nothing. This is not God shaping pre-existing material. This is God as the source of all that exists, creating the material. In the beginning, God created what? The heavens and the earth. Now, mostly a figure of speech here, meaning totality, simply means everything that exists, not just the sky and land, but the entire universe God created. So when we come away from this first verse, understanding that God is the beginning of everything. Before your life started, God was there. Before your challenges showed up, God was there. Before your questions were even formed, God already existed. This is important for us. It's foundational for us. This means you're not random. Your life is not accidental. Your story is not meaningless. Everything begins with a purposeful, powerful, personal God. And here's what that means for us today. If God is the beginning, then he also defines everything that follows. And we shall see that in the days ahead. Your story doesn't start with you, it starts with God. So let's put some practical handles on this very theological and maybe to some philosophical thought. Here we go. Several things. One, I think this reminds us to start your day each day with God. If he is the beginning of everything, shouldn't he be the beginning of your day? Start your day acknowledging God before everything else. Start your day thanking God before everything else. Number two, let God define your identity. Don't let culture or success or failure, don't let those things tell you who you are. Listen to the word of God. Listen to what God says about you and His Word. His Word says he loves you more than you can know. His word says he is with you always. His word says that you are his beloved child and he watches over you. His word says you are bought, reconciled with him through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. You are his creation, but more importantly, you are his child. Third, trust God with your story. If he has authored the beginning, surely he can be trusted with the middle and with the end. Well, it's a good start to Genesis. More to come for sure next time. Let's pray. God, thank you for you being the beginning of everything, including my life. Help me start each day with you today. Lord, help me to come to you day by day, morning by morning, freshly, not with my worries and plans, but with my thanksgivings and praises. Remind me that my story is in your hands and you can be trusted. Amen and amen.

SPEAKER_00 8:38

Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be informed by the Word.