Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning God – The Hebrew word here is b’re’sheet – This is where time and space actually began. Prior to this God existed in eternity. Now God creates time and space and places man in it. Space and time are measurable; God exists apart from this but has and does enter into it for our sakes.
The word for God here is Elohim. “im” in Hebrew is a plural ending, i.e. seraphim, cherubim. The very first reference that we have of God places Him in a plural form. It is this form that is used most to describe God. Names in Scripture, especially those given by God described the character of those who bear them.
We read in Psalm 9:10 “those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” As Believers in the Messiah we understand this problem of plurality to explain the tri-unity of God. This is further demonstrated in the Shema the most important of Jewish expressions of faith from Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
In Hebrew Deuteronomy 6:4 shama’ yisra’el yehovah ‘elohenu yehovah echad. The final word echad is the Hebrew word for one. However this is not a singular one but a plural one. This is the same word that is used to describe the oneness of Adam and Eve, in Genesis 2:24.
“Earth” – This word in the Hebrew is Eretz which means land or ground. “In the beginning” gives us the concept of time. Many wonder the date of creation which some suggest was 10,000 years ago. There are some Christian theories that try to accommodate the evolutionary theories of the earth being billions of years old. The Gap theory is one, the geological age theory is another.
The gap theory is that the earth was the subject of a great cataclysmic disaster between verses 1 and 2. In essence the theory suggests that Satan was cast out of heaven for the sin of pride and presumption, Ezekiel 28 & Isaiah 14 in eternity past. In his anger he set about to destroy God’s creation and subject man to his kingdom in distinction to God’s. This is recorded in the events in Genesis 3.
The Geological age theory is that the world in its present condition evolved from its original creation. That there have been successive ages corresponding to the days of creation. This theory is based on the record of fossils in the various layers of the earth. The flaws of this theory are firstly, it means that death must have come about before sin ever came on the scene, for fossils are evidences of death.
If each day of creation represents an age rather than a 24 hour literal day than how could plant life created on day three survive an age without sun which was created on day four? Moreover how could have the plants been pollinated if the insects were not created until the 6th day? No matter how you try to explain it, the Lord created the earth in six days and He rested on the Seventh day. God is creator who made something, earth, out of nothing.
