In the Beginning: Genesis 1’s Cosmic Origin Story

Scriptures for Today: Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Introduction to Genesis 1 Creation Origin

We are opening the very first page of Scripture, the Book of Genesis. Genesis means “beginnings,” and that is exactly what it records: the beginning of the heavens and the earth, the beginning of mankind, the beginning of sin and its consequences, and the beginning of God’s plan of redemption. Genesis is not a myth or a fable—it is the inspired record of how all things came into existence by the power of God.

Genesis is the foundation of the Bible. It explains the origins of everything we know: light and darkness, land and sea, animals and plants, man and woman, marriage and family, nations and languages. If you remove Genesis, the rest of the Bible loses its context. Doctrines like creation, sin, salvation, covenant, faith, and the promises of God all begin here. Genesis is the seedbed of all doctrine, the soil out of which every truth later revealed in Scripture grows. If you misunderstand Genesis, you will misunderstand the rest of the Bible.

The book of Genesis also introduces us to the God of the Bible. We see His power in creation, His justice in judgment, His mercy in redemption, and His faithfulness in covenant. We meet men of faith like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—and we see God’s hand guiding history from the beginning of time. Genesis explains not only where we came from, but also why the world is the way it is, and how God has always been working to bring salvation through His promises.

So when we read Genesis 1:1–2, we are not just looking at the start of the Bible—we are looking at the start of everything. This is the true Genesis 1 Creation Origin.

Outline of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2

Genesis 1 Overview:
1–2. God creates heaven and earth.
3–5. Light divided from darkness.
6–8. Firmament separates waters.
9–13. Dry land and vegetation.
14–19. Sun, moon, stars for seasons and light.
20–23. Fish and birds created, blessed.
24–25. Cattle, beasts, and creeping things.
26–28. Man created in God’s image, given dominion.
29–31. Plants and fruits for food; creation very good.

Genesis 2 Preview:
1–3. God rests on the seventh day.
4–7. Detailed account of man’s creation.
8–14. Garden of Eden planted and described.
15–17. Man placed in the garden with a command.
18–20. Animals named; no helper found for man.
21–25. Woman created from Adam’s rib; marriage instituted.

Focus on Genesis 1:1-2

Genesis 1:1–2 is the foundation of the Bible’s creation story. These verses declare that God is eternal, that He is Creator, and that His Spirit actively brings order out of chaos. This is the true Genesis 1 Creation Origin — the story of how everything began, and the reason your story even exists. If Genesis 1 never happened, you wouldn’t be here right now.

Exposition of Genesis 1:1-2

“In the Beginning”

Genesis 1:1
 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

• In the beginning — this is the beginning of time, space, and matter, but not the beginning of God. He is eternal. This is the beginning of two things right there: 1) the heaven and 2) the earth.
• Before this moment, there was nothing but God Himself.

Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

• The entire Bible teaches that God is the creator of all things.
• Only God is from everlasting to everlasting. Only God can give life and everlasting life.

“God Created”

Genesis 1:1
 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

• God created — to create out of nothing. Only God is the subject of this verb in the Bible. Man can form, shape, or build, but only God creates from nothing.

John 1:1-4
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2 The same was in the beginning with God.  3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.  4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

• We know Jesus Christ was there with God the Father and there with the Holy Spirit “IN THE BEGINING.” All things were made by God. Jesus is God. He is not a creation. He is the Creator. Life comes from Jesus. Life doesn’t come from anyone but God Himself.

“The Heaven and the Earth”

Genesis 1:1
 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

• The heaven and the earth — a figure of speech meaning the whole universe. Time (beginning), space (heaven), and matter (earth) all came into existence by God’s command. Just as day and night means all time and young and old means everyone—heaven and earth means everything that exists.

Genesis 14:19
And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

In other words, in the beginning God created everything. But then we see exactly how God created. We get specific details of His creation.

Key truth from Genesis 1:1 — Genesis begins not with debate but with declaration. The Bible doesn’t argue for God’s existence — it reveals Him as Creator.

Now let’s move to the second verse of the Book of Genesis.

“And the Earth Was Without Form and Void”

Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Without form, and void = unformed and empty. I’ve heard some people try to explain this as being chaos. The Bible doesn’t say it was chaos. It says without form and void.

This does not mean evil; it means it’s awaiting God’s shaping hand. Jeremiah 4:23 uses the same phrase to describe the earth.

Jeremiah 4:23
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

It just doesn’t have everything there yet. More is coming soon.

“And Darkness Was Upon the Face of the Deep”

Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

Darkness upon the face of the deep — the deep waters covered the earth in its unshaped state. Darkness was present, but God had not yet said, “Let there be light.” And remember that God is light, but we don’t see His light as we see the sun here on this earth. If so, we would die from His glory.

Isaiah 45:18
For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:18 reminds us: “He created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited.” What begins as empty, God fills. What begins in darkness, God illuminates. He formed creation for us to live. The earth, obviously, was created for us by God. We inhabit or live here on this earth. The Bible is true.

Key truth in Genesis 1:2 – God often begins His work in places of emptiness and darkness, shaping them into beauty and life. He did that for each of us. We were empty and dark because of sin, but God brought us back to life and beauty. Only God can do this—not us. That’s why a works based salvation is so foolish.

“And the Spirit of God Moved Upon the Face of the Waters”

Genesis 1:2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

• The Spirit of God — the third person of the Trinity is present from the second verse of Scripture. Creation is a work of the Father, Son, and Spirit together. He is God. He is everlasting. He’s there, ON HIS OWN, at every moment throughout eternity.
• Moved — to hover, to brood, to flutter, like a mother bird over her young.

Psalm 104:30
Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

• The Spirit is not passive; He is preparing, energizing, and bringing life out of nothing.
• Just as He moved in creation, the Spirit moves in new creation when a sinner is born again.

John 3:5-6
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Key truth: From the very beginning, the Spirit of God brings life, order, and power wherever He moves.

Doctrinal Truths in Genesis 1 Creation Origin

1. God’s Eternity and Self-Existence (Psalm 90:2). He doesn’t need us to exist. False preachers will say that God needs us. He doesn’t AT ALL.

2. Creation by God’s Word — “The worlds were framed by the word of God.” (Hebrews 11:3). Make sure you hear this again: “BY THE WORD OF GOD.” Everything was created by His Word.

3. The Spirit’s Active Presence in Creation (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104:30). We see the Holy Spirit of God right at the beginning of the Bible.

4. From Formless and Empty to Formed and Filled — God’s six days take what was without form and void and make it ordered and inhabited (cf. Isaiah 45:18). God ordered things from the beginning, and you can still see that order today.

Practical Applications for Genesis 1:1–2

1. Begin Every Beginning with God — Every season has a Genesis or a beginning; start with God or you start wrong. Everything you do in your life should have God at its beginning. When you eat, think of God. When you work, think of God. When you drive, think of God. Glorify Him no matter what’s happening in your life.
2. When Life Feels “Without Form, and Void” — Trust the Lord to shape and fill what seems empty or unfinished. If He formed the earth that was without form, He can surely do the same for you. This earth was empty. Now take a look at it. God did that.
3. Depend on the Spirit’s Nearness — The same Spirit who “moved” then indwells believers now (Romans 8:11). If you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is with you. He’s close. The Spirit of God moved upon the darkness. For the darkness that we do have, the Holy Spirit can move upon that and fix that darkness for us.
4. Stand on God’s Word — If His Word brought the world into being, it can direct your steps daily. Understand the pure power in the Word of God. That’s why we’re studying the Bible as we do. It’s powerful. It’s important. God magnifies His word above His own name.

Warnings and Encouragements From Genesis 1 Creation Origin

Warnings from Genesis 1:1-2

• To deny the Creator is to reject His authority. “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Psalm 14:1). There are many fools out there today that deny God and mock the Bible. They deny Him and reject His authority. But they will bow down to Him one day, and I can’t wait to see it.
• To replace Scripture with speculation is to remain in darkness. Light follows the Word (Genesis 1:3). We must know that the Scriptures are the complete and utter truth. We don’t need to speculate or guess. How it is written is how it happened. A big bang didn’t occur. God spoke and created.

Encouragements from Genesis 1:1-2

• You are not accidental. The Creator says you are fearfully and wonderfully made  (Psalm 139:14). God saw His creation and said it “was very good.” You’re here for a reason. This church helps you to fulfill the purpose God has for you.
• The Spirit is not distant. He was “moving” way back then and He indwells believers now (Romans 8:11). He continues to move in us. He will finish the work within us.

The Gospel Connection in Genesis 1:1–2

Genesis begins with creation, but John 1 reveals the Creator as the Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The same Jesus who made all things stepped into His creation to redeem it. Where sin brought death and ruin, Christ brings life and renewal. “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5)

Conclusion: The Power of Genesis 1 Creation Origin

From the first verse, God takes center stage. He creates, He speaks, His Spirit moves, and He finishes what He begins.

One-Sentence Takeaway: If God can bring the universe out of nothing, He can bring order, light, and life out of your darkness too. Let’s pray.