Genesis Chapter 1

Introduction

Intro to Genesis 

The Book of Genesis holds some of the oldest words ever written. Its name comes from the very first word in Hebrew: bereshith, which means “beginning.” The opening line reads, Bereshith bara Elohim—“In the beginning, God created.” The word for God here is Elohim, and that single name carries weight. I’ll explain more about that in a moment. Genesis matters because it shows us everything begins with God Himself.

In ancient times, books often took their titles from the opening words. That’s why in Hebrew this book is called Bereshith—“Beginnings.” Centuries before Christ, Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek and used the word Genesis, which also means “beginnings.” Later, after the resurrection, both Greek and Latin Bibles kept the name. That’s why to this day we still call it Genesis.

For the purpose of this commentary, I’ll treat the creation days as literal days. Later on, I’ll walk through other views of creation that you may want to know about, even if you don’t agree with them.

The Beginning of the Universe

Chapter 1 

V. 1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

In The Beginning  

When children ask who made God, the answer is no one. God has always existed, and will always exist, that is why he is God. The universe however had a beginning.

The Big Bang

The Big Bang Theory has many nuances to it, but the basic scientific concept says that in a moment of time, the physical universe began, and expanded to what we have today. There is an ongoing debate as to whether the Big Bang is compatible with Scripture, and others question the actual age of the universe. Academics debate the age of the earth, as well as the mechanics of how it all took place.

Those who see the Big Bang as compatible with Scripture are as follows:

1. Dr. William Lane Craig – A Christian philosopher and theologian, Craig argues that the Big Bang is consistent with the biblical notion of a beginning to the universe as described in Genesis 1:1, which speaks of God creating the heavens and the earth from nothing. He suggests that the days in Genesis could be interpreted as symbolic or represent long periods of time (the “day-age” theory).
2. Dr. Hugh Ross – An astrophysicist and Christian apologist, Ross supports the idea that the Big Bang aligns with Genesis by claiming that the six “days” of creation are not 24-hour periods but long epochs. His organization, Reasons to Believe, promotes the compatibility of scientific findings and biblical faith.

Those who see the Big Bang as incompatible with Scripture are as follows:

1. Ken Ham – Founder of Answers in Genesis and the Creation Museum, Ham is a prominent advocate of young-earth creationism. He believes that the Earth was created in six literal 24-hour days about 6,000 years ago, based on a literal interpretation of Genesis. He rejects the Big Bang theory, claiming it contradicts the biblical timeline of creation and undermines the authority of Scripture.
2. Dr. Henry Morris – A key figure in the modern creationist movement and co-author of The Genesis Flood, Morris argued that the Big Bang theory is incompatible with Genesis because it is based on evolutionary assumptions and a long timeline. He promoted a young-earth view and a global flood as essential to understanding biblical creation.
3. Dr. John MacArthur – A highly respected pastor and theologian, MacArthur advocates for a literal interpretation of Genesis 1. In his view, attempts to harmonize the Bible with the Big Bang theory undermine the authority of Scripture. He teaches that the Genesis creation account provides a clear, historical narrative that contradicts the Big Bang’s billions-of-years timeline.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

The Second Law of Thermodynamics simply says that energy always flows from hot to cold, never the other way around. Scientists call this entropy, and it always increases.

This law points to a universe that had a beginning. Many would argue it’s the most important of the three laws of thermodynamics, and its truth is impossible to ignore. You see this in your daily life when you set down a hot cup of coffee or tea, it always cools off, and never heats itself back up. Unless something acts on it, things naturally move toward disorder.

Irreducible Complexity

Irreducible complexity is the idea that some systems are made up of several well-matched parts, and every part is necessary for the system to work. If even one part is missing, the whole system breaks down. Michael Behe defines it this way: “A single system composed of several well-matched interacting parts that contribute to the basic function, wherein the removal of any one of the parts causes the system to effectively cease functioning” (Darwin’s Black Box, 39).

Take irreducible complexity seriously—it’s a profound truth. Nature is full of biological systems that defy evolution because they are too complex. These systems could not evolve step by step, because without all the parts in place, the organism would die before it had a chance to adapt.

Behe made this concept famous with his blood clotting example. He devoted an entire chapter to it in Darwin’s Black Box. Blood clotting depends on a mechanism called a cascade. Take out one part of the cascade, and the body can’t stop bleeding. Death comes quickly. Evolution has no good answer for this.

About God’s Existence 

William Lane Craig grew up in the Mark Twain country of Keokuk, Missouri. As a boy, he often looked at the wide-open sky and wondered, Who made this? He’s not alone in asking that question. In the eighteenth century, the great mathematician and philosopher G.W. Leibniz was asking the same thing. Leibniz, who independently discovered calculus apart from Isaac Newton, developed a logical argument for God’s existence and for the creation of the universe. His reasoning remains airtight.

Leibniz’s Argument

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence.

2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.

3. The universe exists.

4. Therefore, the universe has an explanation of its existence.

5. Therefore, the explanation of the universe’s existence is God.

Note: This argument doesn’t prove the full picture of the Christian God, but it clearly points to the necessity of a Creator.

Leibniz wasn’t the only thinker to reason this way. Dr. William Lane Craig later highlighted similar reasoning in his study of medieval philosophy and gave it a name: the Kalam Cosmological Argument. (Kalam is the Arabic word for “medieval.”)

Craig’s Kalam Cosmological Argument

1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.

2. The universe began to exist.

3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.

Note: The strength of this argument is its simplicity. It begins where the Bible begins — with creation itself.

Summary

Both Leibniz’s argument and Dr. Craig’s Kalam argument lead us back to the same biblical truth declared in Genesis 1:1:

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

The heavens themselves declare God’s glory (Psalm 19:1), and the created world testifies to His eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20). This means God is not part of creation; He exists outside of it and sustains it. God is greater and grander than what He made, and by His very nature, He has always existed. (William Lane Craig, On Guard, 54, 74).

God – Think Elohim

Genesis is about God. In chapter 1, the reference to God is not His covenant name YHWH — the name He chose to be known by forever (Exodus 3:15). Instead, the word used is Elohim. At this stage, God reveals Himself in a more general way, before disclosing His personal name.

The name Elohim appears thirty-five times in Genesis 1. This is intentional. God introduces Himself this way so we can begin to understand His Trinitarian nature. R. Kent Hughes points out that the first three Hebrew words of the Bible, Bereshith bara Elohim, contain both plurality and singularity. The word Elohim is plural, but the verb created (bara) is singular, so the text reads that God (plural) created (singular) (Hughes, Genesis, 18).

Hebrew scholar Robert Alter explains it similarly: Elohim is plural in form but is treated grammatically as singular (Alter, The Hebrew Bible, xl).

Both observations show the same truth: God is one, yet within His nature exists divine plurality. Christians and Jews are monotheists:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4; cf. 1 Corinthians 8:6)

The one true God, living as three persons, is fully active in creation. God the Father initiates creation (Genesis 1:1). God the Spirit is present and active, hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:2). God the Son is also present and active:

“In the beginning was the Word … all things were made through Him.” (John 1:1–3, 10; cf. Colossians 1:15–17)

From the very beginning, the Bible points us toward the fullness of the Trinity.

God Created

Genesis 1:1 is the fountainhead of existence and the foundation of human dignity. From the very first words, Scripture declares that life has meaning because it comes from God.

The Lord is the God of science, yet He chose poetic and personal language to describe His creative work. Instead of giving us detailed scientific formulas, God speaks in relational terms. He invites us to His banqueting table, calling us to enjoy the celebration of His love.

The deepest questions of the human heart find their answer here:

• Who am I?

• Why am I alive?

• What does God have to say to me?

All of them are answered in the opening verse of the Bible:

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

God Created A Finely Tuned Universe

Scholars have long noticed that the universe is perfectly fine-tuned for life. This reality is often called the Anthropic Principle. The only way life is possible on earth is through perfection. Everything had to be just right. Atheism claims such perfection came about by chance through evolution, but Scripture plainly attributes it to God’s handiwork: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

Sean McDowell writes that modern research shows most of the vast universe is uninhabitable, yet our world is uniquely suited for human life. This finely tuned order points directly to the work of a Creator (Sean McDowell and Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, lxvii).

A few examples of this fine-tuning include:

1. Life must exist in the right kind of galaxy. Earth is in a spiral galaxy, the only type suited for life.

2. Life must be in the perfect location within that galaxy. Earth’s position in the Milky Way is precise; even a small shift in any direction would make it uninhabitable.

3. Life requires the right kind of star. If our sun were too big or too small, too old or too young, life could not exist.

4. Life requires the perfect distance from that star. A minor variation in distance would make life impossible.

5. Life needs cosmic protection from surrounding planets. For example, if Jupiter were not in its exact orbit, earth would be bombarded with destructive asteroids. Together, Jupiter and Saturn absorb or redirect most asteroids and comets, creating stability in our solar system.

6. Life requires the right kind of moon. Earth’s moon has exactly the right size and distance to sustain life.

Astrophysicist Hugh Ross points to even more details of God’s fine-tuned design. Humans would die if the planet’s lightning rate varied, since lightning balances earth’s nitrogen levels. Life would end if the earth’s axis tilted too far, since temperatures would swing to uninhabitable extremes. Even the earth’s crust must remain finely balanced; any change would cause catastrophic volcanic and tectonic activity (Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, 667).

All this precision brings us back to the first words of Scripture: the universe isn’t an accident; it exists because God willed it into being (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:18; Acts 17:24–28).

Heavens and Earth

Scholars have long noticed that the universe is perfectly fine-tuned for life. This reality is often called the Anthropic Principle. The only way life is possible on earth is through perfection. Everything had to be just right. Atheism claims such perfection came about by chance through evolution, but Scripture plainly attributes it to God’s handiwork: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

Sean McDowell points out that modern research shows most of the vast universe is uninhabitable, yet our world is uniquely suited for human life. This finely tuned order points directly to the work of a Creator (Sean McDowell and Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, lxvii).

Consider just a few of the precise conditions required for life:

• Earth is located in a spiral galaxy, the only type suited for life.

• Within that galaxy, earth occupies the perfect location in the Milky Way; even a slight variation would make life impossible.

• Our sun is exactly the right size and age, and earth is the perfect distance from it.

• Jupiter and Saturn provide cosmic protection by absorbing or redirecting most asteroids and comets.

• Earth’s moon is the right size and distance to stabilize life on the planet.

Astrophysicist Hugh Ross highlights further details. Humans would die if the planet’s lightning rate varied, since lightning balances nitrogen levels. Life would end if the earth’s axis tilted too far, producing catastrophic temperature shifts. Even the earth’s crust must remain finely balanced; any change would trigger volcanic and tectonic activity on a scale that would wipe out life (Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, 667).

All this precision brings us back to the first words of Scripture: the universe isn’t an accident; it exists because God willed it into being (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:18; Acts 17:24–28).

This Brings Us To Worship

The opening verses of Scripture are God’s chosen revelation to us. He creates the world as the Lord. John Frame reminds us that when we think of God as Creator, we encounter His holiness, and this moves us to worship (Frame, Doctrine of God, 291).

The God of Scripture is entirely unique, unlike anything else. He is beyond human description, yet in love He chooses to make Himself known so that we may know Him. This is His intimate desire. Frame explains that the Lord first reveals Himself as holy — one before whom we must bow in worship. Many biblical references to creation are liturgical; they present creation as a reason to worship God (Psalm 19:4; 50:6; 89:5; 98:7–9; 148:1–14).

Isaiah 66:1 teaches that God made the heavens and the earth to be His temple, a place where He abides and makes His presence known. The heavens and the earth are an expression of God’s heart, revealing His Lordship. As the covenant-keeping Lord Almighty, He has ownership over His creation. Since He created both the seen and the unseen, He has the right to do as He wills with what belongs to Him.

V.2 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.

Without Form and Void

At this stage, the earth was uninhabitable. Once there was only God — He lived without creation and exists completely independent of it. Now, with creation begun, there is matter, energy, and the laws of physics. These are the tools God Himself designed and now uses to shape the universe.

Genesis 1:2 describes the earth as “without form and void.” This phrase does not imply chaos outside of God’s control, but rather a world not yet ordered or filled. The raw materials were present, and the Spirit of God was preparing to bring beauty, order, and life.

Darkness was over the Face of the Deep

At this point, the universe was still empty. Genesis describes it with the phrase “without form and void,” which in Hebrew is tohu wabohu. This phrase appears only three times in Scripture, always pointing to a state of emptiness.

Robert Alter notes that tohu by itself means futility or emptiness (Alter, Genesis, 11). R. Kent Hughes explains it similarly, calling the phrase “an expression for a place that is disordered and empty” (Hughes, Genesis, 21).

The other two places where this phrase occurs give us insight into its meaning. Jeremiah 4:23 uses tohu wabohu to describe judgment on Judah, where sin leaves the land empty and ruined. Isaiah 34:11 uses it in the same way, portraying desolation and chaos after God’s judgment on Edom. In both cases, what is left is uninhabitable, stripped of life and order.

Genesis 1:2, however is different. The earth may be unformed, but it is not abandoned. The Spirit of God is present, ready to bring life into dark and empty places.

The Spirit of God was Hovering

The Holy Spirit is present and active at the very moment of creation. Genesis 1:2 tells us the Spirit of God was “hovering” over the waters, ready to bring order and life. Some see a parallel here with Pentecost, where the Spirit again brings creation — this time forming the church as the Spirit’s living work.

It is important to clarify how Scripture speaks of the Spirit. John Frame notes that the Bible consistently presents one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Their deity pervades the whole of Scripture and assures us that salvation is from beginning to end the work of God Himself. God’s oneness also matters for salvation, because if He alone is God, then no one can prevent Him from accomplishing His saving purposes (Frame, Doctrine of God, 621).

The Old and New Testaments consistently show this unity of God’s being and the Spirit’s divine personhood. More than once, a passage that speaks of Yahweh in the Old Testament is applied to the Holy Spirit in the New. For example:

• Jeremiah 31:31–34 is paralleled in Hebrews 10:15–17.

• Psalm 95:7–11 is quoted in Hebrews 3:7–11.

• Isaiah 6:9–10 is cited in Acts 28:25–28.

• Isaiah 64:4 finds its fulfillment in 1 Corinthians 2:9–10.

Know The Hebrew Word Panim (Paw-Neem)

Both the King James and English Standard Versions translate the Hebrew word panim as “face,” and most translations follow the same pattern. In Scripture, God’s face is closely tied to His presence, His love, and His power. To look into someone’s face is to be invited into relationship with them. In the same way, to encounter the face of God is to experience His nearness in a deeply personal way.

It is best to understand God’s face as an expression of Himself, revealed openly in creation. Creation itself is an intimate act, reflecting the desires of God’s heart. Throughout the Bible we see this same truth: God continually pursues His creatures so that He might enjoy fellowship with them in panim.

Adam was created with this kind of fellowship (Genesis 2:7). Even after the fall, the patriarchs experienced God’s presence in unique ways. Scripture often connects God’s face with blessing. The priestly benediction says: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face (panim) shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance (panim) upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24–26). The blessing of God’s face shining is the blessing of His presence, His favor, and His peace.

This promise reaches its ultimate fulfillment at the very end of Scripture. Revelation 22:3–4 tells us that God’s children “will see his face.” What begins in creation—God’s face turned toward His people—ends in eternity with His redeemed children enjoying His presence forever.

The Six Days of Creation

Day 1 – Light

(V. 3 – 5) 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.

Light

(V. 5-8) And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

The Expanse and Separation

Lots of Water

God is Immense

Solomon – God is Immense

When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Temple, a cloud covered it: “For the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD” (1 Kings 8:11). The moment was intense, and there was the risk of misunderstanding both what was happening and who God is.

Solomon turned toward the Lord and spoke to the assembly: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath” (1 Kings 8:23). But Solomon knew something needed to be made clear. The Lord is not like the pagan deities of the nations, who were thought to be contained within their temples. A house had been built for the Lord, yes—but God is greater than any physical space.

Solomon declared, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27). His point was unmistakable: God fills the heavens and the earth, yet He also completely transcends them. The heavens and the earth are the sum total of the space we know in daily life. But no space—not even heaven itself—can contain Him.

Isaiah – God is Immense

Isaiah reminds us that heaven may be God’s throne, but God Himself is greater than the throne He sits on.

“Thus says the LORD:
‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word’” (Isaiah 66:1–2).

God cannot be confined by temples, thrones, or any space in creation. He fills heaven and earth, yet looks with favor on those who are humble, contrite, and obedient to His word.

Day 3 – Land. Sea. Veggies. 

(V.9-13) And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. V.10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

Earth

Purposeful

Day 4 – Sun and Moon Appear

(V. 14-19) And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

Lots of Controversy

This may be the most debated section in the whole chapter. Much of the controversy centers on how light could instantly streak across the universe.

One view says the sun and moon were created on Day 1, but their light was not visible until now—and that delay was by design. Until the Flood, the earth was likely enclosed in a water vapor canopy that may have extended all the way to the edge of earth’s orbit. This could have made earth appear to have rings around it. Such a canopy would have created a greenhouse effect, producing consistent weather and ideal conditions for growth. Longevity and health would have been the norm for all living things.

Astronomers rightly look for clues in the universe about its past. But the purpose of Genesis is not to satisfy astronomy—it is to declare what Scripture says plainly: A being of unimaginable power exists, capable of willing the universe into existence. Such a God is more than able, by supernatural power beyond the laws of physics, to do instantly what would otherwise take eons.

Think of it this way: God placed light streaking across the universe in the same way an artist takes a brush and with a single stroke lays a streak of color across the canvas.

The Sun and Moon as Religion

Moses wrote these words to Israelites in the wilderness whose ongoing struggle was idolatry. Egypt was still in them. Many ancient cultures worshiped the sun as a god or goddess.

The Egyptians worshiped Ra, the falcon-headed sun god. Pharaoh was believed to be the “son of Ra.” A sun disk was often worn as a crown or headdress, and Ra was said to bring out the sun each day in a solar boat. They even credited Ra with creating matter itself, as if all creation came from the sun.

Moses teaches the exact opposite. The sun and moon are not gods, nor do they create matter. They are creations of the one true God. This is part of the reason Yahweh so powerfully demonstrated His supremacy over Egypt’s false gods during the Exodus.

Day 5 – Creatures

(V. 20 – 23) And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

Soul Means Life

Anything that has life has a soul, but not all souls are the same. The soul of an animal is different from the soul of a human, and both differ from the soulful life that exists in plants.

Notice how direct God is with the animal kingdom. He speaks to them and commands them personally: live, be alive, and multiply. Animals have souls in the sense of life, but not eternal souls in the sense of salvation. Scripture gives no clear promise that our pets will be in heaven. It’s possible that animals may exist there, but it is unlikely they are the same dogs or cats we raised here.

Humans are different. We are created with eternal souls. Theologians call this substance dualism: the soul can dwell in a temporal body and later move into an eternal one. This is why in heaven we will instantly recognize our loved ones, even though they will live in glorious, perfected bodies far beyond what they had on earth.

Dragons?

The Hebrew word often translated as “sea creature” can also be understood as “dragon.” Exactly what this means is uncertain, but the context suggests a creature of immense size and strength. Some connect this with the idea of a sea monster or dragon; others wonder if it could even refer to a dinosaur. Scripture does not give every detail, but it does affirm that such creatures were part of God’s creation.

Day 6 – The Reason Anything Exists

v. 24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.

v. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

v. 26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

v. 27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

v.30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.

v.31  And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Day 6 – Brings Forth

In the beginning, God created matter, and from that matter He made the earth. That created material became part of the tools God used to fill His newly formed world. On Day 6, the rest of the animal kingdom was made from the material already present on earth. The phrase “Let the earth bring forth” is a vivid example of God filling creation from what He had already shaped. This is also why both animals and humans return to the earth after death—their bodies were perfectly suited for it, made from it, and ultimately decompose back into it.

In Genesis 1, the phrase “And it was so” appears six times, always tied to God’s filling work. In Hebrew, the phrase is naya (naw-yaw), which carries the sense of becoming or existing. The word so is ken (kane), emphasizing that what God brought into existence was right. Together, these words highlight that God’s work in creation was not only powerful but also good and purposeful.

Humans

Here we come to the deepest waters: Why did God make people?

First, we must understand that God never created humanity out of need or deficit. He is the only whole being in the universe, complete and holy in Himself. Unlike us, God never suffers the breakdowns or dysfunctions that plague human life. The only moment of isolation He ever experienced was at the cross, when the Father and the Son were purposely cut off from one another for the sake of our salvation (John 19:30). That act was sacrificial and intentional.

Wayne Grudem writes: “God did not need to create man, yet created us for his own glory” (Systematic Theology, 440). He explains further: “God did not create us because he was lonely or because he needed fellowship with other persons—God did not need us for any reason” (Systematic Theology, 440).

A Glorious Reason

The Westminster Confession says: “Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God and fully to enjoy him forever.” John Piper shortens and sharpens the statement: “The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever.”

Here is my version: Man’s true purpose is to glorify God by enjoying him greatly, and eternally.

I don’t claim to have written a theological statement grander than the Westminster Confession, or more enduring than John Piper’s work. But what I have written works for me—and I pray it blesses you.

The true purpose of humanity is to glorify God by enjoying Him greatly and eternally. God had deep, sacred, eternal desires in mind when He created us. He seeks His own glory, but unlike us, He is not corrupted by that pursuit. When God seeks His glory, He robs no one of theirs. Humanity is different: when we seek our own glory, we quickly fall into pride and sin. God’s desire is that we bring Him glory by enjoying Him greatly.

Irenaeus said it beautifully: “The glory of God is man fully alive.”

Created For Joy

Scripture declares that the promise of a relationship with God is joy in His presence—even in life’s darkest hours.

Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

King David proclaimed:
“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Again David prayed:
“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD…” (Psalm 27:4).

The sons of Asaph led worship with these words:
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psalm 84:1–2).

The Prophet Isaiah declared: “So shall God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5).

And the Prophet Zephaniah announced:
“The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zephaniah 3:17–18).

Each of these promises finds its fulfillment in the New Covenant (see also Romans 5:1–2; Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16–17; James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6, 8).

Let Us

Here we find the first Trinitarian statement in Scripture—and it comes surprisingly early. God is clearly speaking to Himself and within Himself. We have already seen the Holy Spirit at work in creation (Genesis 1:2). Later, Scripture reveals the work of the Savior in the same way (see John 1:1–3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:15–18; Hebrews 1:1–3; Revelation 4:11).

Yahweh is God’s personal name, the name of a person, and Moses knew this. Yet here, God leads him to write Elohim—a word that carries a plural sense. This is not a fully developed doctrine of the Trinity, but it is an invitation. In the very first chapter of the Bible, we see hints of God’s triune nature: one God, known in Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Image and Likeness

This moment in Genesis is fascinating. The book records literal history, yet here God poetically describes for the first time what He has done. That is why in a literal translation of Scripture you will see verse 27 set apart from the rest of the text. Such artistry carries the aroma of worship—God being worshiped for creating something as glorious as man.

R. Kent Hughes observes: “Verse 27 is the first poetry in the Bible, consisting of three lines, each with four stresses and three repetitions of the verb bara (created). This is the high point toward which God’s creativity from the opening verse is directed” (Genesis, 36).

By this point God had created the entire animal kingdom, but He was not finished. The capstone of His creative desire is found here—in the Hebrew words image and likeness.

The beauty of God’s image and likeness continues to shine through the darkness of sin. After the flood, Noah declared murder illegal, grounding his rationale in the sacred nature of humanity: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Genesis 9:6).

James, the half-brother of Jesus and an apostle, appeals to this same truth when warning about the tongue: “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God” (James 3:9). Hughes adds, “The image of God still persists in sinful men and women, though marred… Nevertheless, the image of God that we all bear is wondrous and holds eternal potential” (Genesis, 37).

Becoming Like Jesus

Scripture teaches that through salvation and discipleship, we are being transformed into true image bearers of God.

“Put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10).

The promise of transformation toward Christlikeness is constant in the Christian life: “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Sin made us like Adam, but Jesus makes us into His image: “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:49).

Wayne Grudem notes: “In Jesus we see human likeness to God as it was intended to be, and it should cause us to rejoice” (Systematic Theology, 445).

Jesus Himself is the image of God: “The light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4); and “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).

Paul writes that we are “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). And John adds this great promise: “When he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2).

What Does It Mean?

Wayne Grudem explains: “Out of all the creatures God made, only one creature, man, is said to be made ‘in the image of God.’ What does that mean? We may use the following definition: The fact that man is in the image of God means that man is like God and represents God” (Systematic Theology, 442).

He continues: “When God says, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’ (Gen. 1:26), the meaning is that God plans to make a creature similar to himself. Both the Hebrew word for ‘image’ (tselem) and the Hebrew word for ‘likeness’ (demut) refer to something similar but not identical to the thing it represents or is an image of. The word ‘image’ can also be used of something that represents something else” (Systematic Theology, 442).

It is best, then, to focus on the meaning of these words as the original readers would have understood them. For them, image and likeness simply meant that humanity is like God and represents Him. Much of the modern debate about the image of God comes from searching for a narrower or overly specific meaning. When Scripture says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26), the point is straightforward: humanity was created to be like God and to represent Him (Grudem, 443).

And God Said To Them

Humans can hear God’s voice because He gave us that ability as part of being made in His image and likeness. The animal kingdom does not speak to God, nor do they hear from Him in the same way.

We were created for prayer. Our hearts are bent Godward, with desires for communion and conversation with Him. And this is not one-sided—God delights in it. He loves to speak with His people.

Rule and Subdue

The Hebrew word rada (raw-daw) is most often translated “dominion,” as in the King James Bible, the ESV, and most other literal translations. Dominion means to rule—as a king (small “k”) or as a divinely appointed regent. No other creature is made in God’s image and likeness, and no other creature represents God on earth, not even angels. Humanity alone is called to carry God’s rule into creation. As R. Kent Hughes notes: “God views his image bearers as royal figures, his viceregents over creation” (Genesis, 37).

The word rule is paired with another Hebrew word, kabas (kaw-bash), which literally means “to subdue” or “to use force.” Everywhere else in Scripture kabas carries that same strong meaning. When rada and kabas are put together, the phrase suggests “fierce mastery.”

Why would God use such language here? There is much debate. Some see it as a clue toward life after the fall, when creation would resist mankind’s care. Others see in it a command to subdue spiritual opposition—demonic powers and principalities. Either way, the point is clear: humanity was created to exercise real authority on God’s behalf.

Created Male and Female

Scripture states the obvious: there are only two genders, male and female. This is not only a biological reality but also a spiritual one.

Gender is not determined by feelings, upbringing, education, or social pressures. Psychological disposition does not define gender—God’s created order does. The human body is designed by God, and the parts fit together perfectly. God Himself calls this design glorious.

How Genetics Work

For our purposes, I will use the terms sex and gender interchangeably. Trigger warning: I describe human anatomy using biological terms.

First: Sex is not assigned at birth—it is determined at conception. When the male sperm fertilizes the female egg, sex is established in that moment. From then on, every cell in the body carries the coding for either male or female. To “transition” genetically would require changing every cell in the body, which is impossible because of how DNA works. Simply put, it is biologically impossible to change one’s sex.

Second: Male and female are defined by their sexual anatomy, broadly known as gametes. Males possess male body parts such as penis, scrotum, and testes. Females possess female body parts such as vagina, uterus, and ovaries. While external parts can be surgically altered or manipulated in what is commonly called a sex change, the person remains male or female as determined at conception. Hormone treatments or psychological training cannot change the DNA in their cells.

Third: Human DNA stores the genetic codes for building every part of the body, including sexual organs. This is another reason biological sex cannot be changed. DNA contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, and only one of those pairs determines sex. They are designated X or Y. A male is XY; a female is XX. No one is ever YY.

The Lord God Almighty designed these systems for both pleasure and reproduction. Two males cannot reproduce, nor can two females. This is obvious and self-evident. Males and females do not contain enough genetic information in themselves for conception—they need each other. And this complementary design is what brings God glory.

(Source: Answers Research Journal, “The Biological Case for Two Genders”)

(Source: https://answersresearchjournal.org/biology/biological-case-for-two-genders/)

Very Good

The Hebrew word for good is tob, used 565 times in the Old Testament. It means good, excellent, and pleasant. The word very is mod (meh-ode), meaning exceedingly. When God made man, He looked at His handiwork and proclaimed: “It is exceedingly good!”

It seems fitting to end this chapter with worship. Creation leads us to the Creator, and the only proper response is praise.

For me, Chris Tomlin’s song Indescribable captures this moment beautifully. The lyrics celebrate God’s majesty in creation and remind us that the One who placed the stars in the sky knows them all by name—and He knows us as well.

Reference: Chris Tomlin, “Indescribable,” from the album Arriving (2004).

Indescribable – Chris Tomlin

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation’s revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

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