Lesson 5 December 21, 2003

Review Summary 1:1

1. Right off the bat one of the important observations here is that this verse does not argue for God's existence, it assumes it.

2. It simply asserts that the existence of the universe is contingent on God's existence.

3. At a point in eternity past God created, from nothing, the complete universe.

4. This creation was instantaneous.

5. It was perfect, ready for habitation. Isa 45:18

6. Believe that it was created for angelic beings since they are the next in the sequence of creation.

7. Angels being finite created beings, material beings, although invisible to us now they need to have a habitat.

8. It is by means of faith in the revealed Word - doctrine that are able to know, understand that God created the universe. Heb 11:3

1:2a Formless and void

Have three circumstantial clauses to describe the state that existed at this point.

First statement The earth was formless and void,

2 important words

formless WhTo desolation, formlessness, even used of the destruction of a city

void WhBo emptiness, waste, no inhabitants [only used with tohu]

- 3 times they are used together, Gen. 1:2; Isa. 34:11; Jer 4:23

Second statement and darkness was over the surface of the deep,

- here the use of darkness is related to the result of judgement - total physical darkness

Where was this darkness? Over the surface of the deep

1:2a And the earth became formless/desolation and void (no inhabitants) and total darkness was over the surface of the deep water;