“In the beginning, God” . . . and what follows are unique, authoritative, and profound words and their exclusive meanings. Here is the context.
”In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.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. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day” (Genesis 1:1-5).
The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep; then God actually spoke these words that brought the universe into existence; “Let there be light, and there was light.” So God did what only God could do, and that was to create the earth out of nothing. God spoke and matter came into being.
The Bible says: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God” (Hebrews 11:3). Dr Charles Stanley wrote: “The Lord spoke the words that brought the heavens and earth into being; before that nothing other than God existed. Only He can create something out of nothing. Think about all that occurred that first day—how he set the entire universe into motion by His power . . . And through creation, He shows us who He is and what He can do” (The Charles F Stanley Life Principles Bible pg. 2 Thomas Nelson Publishers).
“The fact of creation as set forth here in Hebrews 11:3 is unimpeachable. It has never been improved on and never will” (William MacDonald, Believers Bible Commentary pg. 2195 Thomas Nelson Publishers).
Several other biblical texts support the fact that God created the world. For instance, Colossians 1:16 states: “For by Him 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.”
In his commentary on this verse, William MacDonald writes: “Verse 16 states conclusively that the Lord Jesus is not a creature, but the very Creator. In this verse we learn that all things — the whole universe of things — were created not only by Him but through Him and for Him” (Believer’s Bible Commentary pg. 1994, Thomas Nelson Publishers).
The biblical account of creation sets forth the greatness and self-existence of God Almighty who is the God of heaven, the God of the Scriptures, and the Christian’s God.
Interestingly, God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14). This means that God is self-existent, self-sufficient, and unchanging. And His nature is beyond all human comprehension.
Dr Stanley got it absolutely right when he said this about God (quoted earlier), “Through creation, He shows us who He is and what He can do.”
The Bible records many attributes of God. Among these are God’s omnipotence, God’s omniscience, and God’s omnipresence.
Omnipotence means “God has unlimited and great power.” Omniscience means “God sees and knows everything.” Omnipresence means “the presence of God is everywhere at the same time.”
God is also immutable, that is, He has never and will never change His being, His will, His mind, His nature, His plans, or His purposes. And He declares this of Himself: “For I the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6). God remains true and faithful to His Word and to all who put their faith and trust in Him.
And neither does the word of God change. “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Also, the Lord Jesus said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).God surely keeps His word and fulfills all His promises.
The eternality of God means that He is above and beyond time and space here upon earth where human city exists. The hymn-writer said it absolutely right when he wrote: “Change and decay in all around I see. O Thou who changest not, abide with me” (Henry Lyte, 1793-1847).