The Heavens declare . . .

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

Genesis 1:1

These words are not poetry. They are not metaphorical. They’re not symbolism. They are ten of the very most important words ever written because they launch the most extraordinary love story ever written.

In 1968, the astronauts in Apollo 8 orbited the moon at ± 20,000 miles per hour and looked back to Earth. Remember, these are the first humans to travel to the moon. It’s Christmas Eve, and they are on a live broadcast for the world to see and hear. One of them, Bill Anders, looks at the camera and says, “We are now approaching lunar sunrise, and for all the people back on Earth, the crew of Apollo 8 has a message that we would like to send to you.”

He said, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The three of them went on to read through Verse 10. No doubt, these men were overwhelmed with what they saw. They are more than 235,000 miles away, gazing back at the planet we call home. From where they were, they saw this small blue ball covered intermittently with patches of what looked like white puffs of cotton.

This third rock from the sun they were staring at is tilted at just the right angle from the sun to provide what we call seasons—winter, spring, summer, and fall. It is just the proper distance from the sun to keep us from catching on fire and burning up or being frozen solid. The atmosphere around the Earth provides just the right protection against solar radiation, most meteorites, and the vacuum of space. They see all of that and are overcome with the reality that, in the beginning, God created it all. And He created it wonderfully and perfectly and well-ordered. 

Verse 1 sets the stage for the opening section of the book. Arguably, it sets the tone for the whole Bible. The focus is God. The subject is God. The love story is between God and humankind. Nearly every paragraph of Chapter One opens up with, “And God said . . .” Therefore, the Bible is not a proof text that God exists. It assumes the reality of God’s existence from the very beginning. And He is the God who spoke everything into existence.

In Psalm 19, David wrote,

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.

                                                             Psalm 19:1-2

David tells us that by merely walking outside and looking up and around, we find a proclamation of God’s creative power. It all screams of His work in the beginning. Well, what do we do with the truth claim that in the beginning God created? This reality ought to stir us to bring praise and honor and glory to the One who breathed it all into existence.

Lord, I praise You today for Your creative hand . . . for the impeccable order of the heavens and earth. I am so thankful that You snapped Your finger, and we have an environment tailor-made for us. Your handiwork overwhelms me. In the creative name of Jesus, Amen.