They say a picture paints a thousand words. Well sometimes just a few words paints a thousand pictures. Words are powerful. And sometimes a few words are the strongest. Such is the case when one opens the Bible and reads the very first verse. It is so familiar to even the unbelievers. In the modern English language it is only 10 words.
Genesis 1: 1
In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.
There are so many lessons to be found in these 10 words. I would like to consider just two today. I am a person with a scientific and mathematics background. I really appreciate a good proof. As a result I am fascinated by the apologetics found in the Bible. Those texts within the Bible that serve as proofs of its authenticity serve to build our faith. The Bible is not a science book but it is a book of science. Consider the following.
Herbert Spencer was a scientist who lived in the 1800s. He was an early advocate of the theory of evolution. Because of this it is interesting to take his teachings and use the first 10 words of Scripture to illustrate GOD’S wisdom.
Herbert Spencer proclaimed that everything in the universe could be placed into 5 categories. He said everything that exists falls into time, force, energy, space, or matter. Now this is very interesting. But the real interest is to consider Spencer’s contribution to science in the 1800s was noted by GOD in the very first verse of scripture.
Please note our verse under consideration. In the beginning (time) GOD (Force) created (energy) the heavens (space) and the earth (matter).
The Bible opens with the first verse giving us the information Spencer thought he was relaying to the world thousands of years later. I can only marvel at the information that is yet hidden from us.
In the second place, there is information in the first verse to tell us of the Trinity of the Godhead. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And again GOD relays this information in the beginning of inspiration to the careful student.
In our verse under consideration, GOD in the Hebrew is Eloihim. The word Eloihim can be plural or singular. So how does that tell us anything? Consider that the verb created is from the Hebrew word bara. The word bara is singular. This is important because this singular verb would require a plural subject. Thus the first verse of the Bible proclaims that GOD is plural. It teaches us about the Trinity of the Godhead.
Other verses to note are verse 26, let us make man. John 1:1 states Christ was in the beginning with the Creator (see also John 1:14). Other verses of interest are Mark 10:6 and Isaiah 45:18.
What a rich study the Bible provides beginning with Genesis 1:1 and going through Revelation 22:21. Your faith will be strengthened if you study the word with an open mind.