Exposition of Genesis (1)
The reason Genesis Chapter 1 is difficult to understand is:
1) People are not yet ready to accept it.
2) People do not understand the scope (breadth) of God's decree.
In other words, it is because they do not know the entire process of creation, its beginning and its completion.
It is easier to understand Chapter 1 through common sense, but there are too many obstacles; looking at it spiritually, there are too many unresolved parts.
However, depending on one's level of spiritual maturity, Genesis Chapter 1 begins to vaguely come to mind and become understandable.
Looking at the New Testament reveals the extent of Genesis Chapter 1.
In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of the "people sat in darkness" (Matthew 4:16) and calls them the "light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).
Genesis begins in this way as well.
Light shines in the darkness, and then the Word works.
This is the work of creation.
And after the children of God appear, rest comes (the seventh day).
In the very last book of Revelation, the completed form of the Kingdom of God is revealed.
It is the completion of Genesis Chapter 1. If you understand Genesis Chapter 1, you understand the entire Bible.
If you hold Genesis Chapter 1 and Revelation Chapter 22 together, the entire works of God's creation and salvation is contained within them.
A panorama of God's creation unfolds like a perfect folding screen painting.
The Old Testament is the state described in Genesis 1:2.
“The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep...”
The New Testament is Genesis 1:3 and following.
Finally, light appears in the darkness.
In the Gospel of John, Christ appears first as light (John 1:4).
In fact, while the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are gospels concerning Jesus Christ, they are still in the realm of the Old Testament. The Gospel of John is the message delivered after Jesus Christ rose again, ascended to heaven, and sent another Counselor—the Spirit of truth.
The New Testament, or the New Covenant, begins in earnest with the Gospel of John.
Before that, everything consists of prophetic words.
Therefore, to understand Genesis, you must receive revelation and know the Gospel of John.
You must quickly understand Genesis and reach the seventh day.
There, you will rest from your work and taste true rest.
To gain help, study Matthew, John, and Romans to understand the work of individual salvation in the New Testament, and study Hebrews to understand the stages of God's completion.
In the Old Testament, study Genesis, 2 Samuel (the historical book), Psalms, and Isaiah.
Genesis encompasses the entire Bible.
Therefore, try to view Genesis through a prophetic light.
Look forward and look back with a revelatory perspective.
You must study Genesis from this perspective.
Anthony Hoekema spoke of "perspective and chronology," and the proper way to view the Bible is to examine the origin of Genesis through the fulfillment of the New Testament and to see the end of creation work from the perspective of that Genesis origin.
The reason many Old Testament scholars stop at Jesus after successfully following the fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant is that, one must first understand the New Testament (New Covenant) with revelation and undersand the Old Testament to see the fulfillment of the New Testament at a glance from the perspective of the Old Testament, their limitation lies in the fact that they merely follow the literal text of the Old Testament and end up stumbling at the cross, unable to advance any further.
In other words, proper Old Testament research will only be possible when one understands the New Testament, looks at the Old Testament, and gazes upon the fulfillment of Revelation 22 from that very point.
If you view the creations appearing in Genesis solely through the lens of reason or common sense, they simply cannot be understood.
It is crucial to understand the fact that God records in the Bible what He is certain to accomplish.
That is why the Bible is called a covenant. Did He not even swear an oath?
God does not say, "I have done" what He has done, but rather says, "I will do."
However, since God has no tense, everything is recorded in the present tense.
Therefore, when reading the Bible, it is important to bear in mind that God's word is entirely factual.
This is precisely the faith of revelation illuminated by the Holy Spirit.
If God has spoken, it has already happened.
It is simply that due to a time lag, some things have already happened while others have not yet.
Nevertheless, humans always tend to believe based only on the results.
So Jesus also tells us not to try to believe by seeing, but to believe by hearing.
A common characteristic of those who have received blessings in the Bible is that they believe God's word has been fulfilled after hearing it.
It is not believing based on what has appeared (signs), but a faith that believes God's word and makes it a fact (Hebrews 11:1).
What is faith?
It is believing that the word is indeed "fact."
When God's word comes as an answer, one makes it a fact and ceases to doubt.
Such people are listed in Hebrews 11, the hall of fame for those who lived by faith.However, people let God’s word slip away like water leaking through a sieve, and instead only seek to hear the word God gives them whenever they pray.
In fact, it is overwhelming just to accept all that God's word is being fulfilled.
Because they cannot believe this fact, they become impatient, constantly saying, "Pray, pray."
Then why does he tell us to pray the Lord’s Prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer is the work that God will accomplish for us.
It is because if we do not pray this prayer, we are excluded from that prayer.
If God’s word does not come to me, nothing is accomplished for me.
So, isn’t saying "Amen" at the end of a prayer meant to mean "I agree. I accept"?
The Lord’s Prayer is not a necessity we need.
In other words, it is not a prayer at our level.
It belongs to God’s level.
Therefore, in fact, no other prayer is necessary.
In prayer, only God’s word is important; my words are not important.
There is nothing more important in the Bible than reading God's word, knowing how it has been fulfilled, and believing how it will be fulfilled in the future.
Even if I am excluded from those words, I must believe them as they are. I must acknowledge them as they are.
In Matthew chapter 4, Jesus quoted the Word of God.
However, Satan fits the Word of God to fit himself.
If a person takes the Word of God and tailors it to fit themselves and reality, that is a satanic element.
You must simply acknowledge that the Word of God is being fulfilled.
The fulfillment of that Word is precisely my salvation.
Even if the fulfillment does not seem to be happening to me, acknowledge that the Word of God is still in progress.
Never try to force the Word of God to fit yourself.
Like in Psalm 1, be drawn to the side of the Word, be absorbed, and become a blessed person.
The Word of God is certainly fulfilled exactly as He has ordained.
For example, "At this time next year there shall be a son" (Genesis 17:21, 18:10).
To Abraham and Sarah, it was realistically absurd and ridiculous, but they accepted it as it was.
This is what a blessing is.
Regardless of whether we feel happy, good, sad, or dislike, God's word is fulfilled exactly as it is written.
Therefore, Abraham confesses before the Lord, "Even though I am like dust and ashes..." (Genesis 18:27).
Written by Pastor. Yohan Kim
Translated by Missionary Sookyung Chung
COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION
TO GOD BE THE GLORY