SOLUSI UNIVERSITY

A CHARTERED SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST INSTITUTION

OF HIGHER LEARNING

FACULTY OF THEOLOGY AND CHAPLAINCY

An Assignment Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the course requirements

BIBL 451 HEBREW 1

Sermon outline

WATSON MSIMANGA: #SU200028W

LECTURE: A M NDLOVU

1ST SEMESTER 2021 HARMONIZED

Bereshit Barra Elohim

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void;

and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was hovering upon the face of

the waters

Introduction

‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’, says the Bible (Gen 1:1 niv). This tells

us that the universe did not always exist: it had a beginning. And that is interesting, because in

times past many scientists used to believe that the universe always existed. Some still do; but

most think nowadays that the universe must have had a beginning

The Book of Genesis, is the first Old Testament book of the Bible .It gives an account of the

creation of the world, the early history of humanity, sin and its results, plan of salvation, Israel's

ancestors, and the origins of the Jewish people, it is the book of origins and beginnings,

everything related to creation of humanity, salvation is clearly pictured out in the book of

genesis. The word Genesis comes from the Hebrew word ‘bereshit’ meaning the beginning Its

Hebrew name is the same as its first word, Bereshit ("In the beginning").

It is the earliest history we have of the earth and of God’s relationships to men. As such, it is

foundational to our understanding of many major Bible themes. Many events cited

elsewhere in Scripture are first mentioned and described in detail in the book of Genesis and it

would be very hard to understand the bible without Genesis

Point one

In the beginning
If you want something to boggle ( confuse, perplex ,overwhelm, baffle ) your mind, neither

meditate on the concept of the eternal, that which has neither beginning nor ending. As creatures

of time, you and I can easily focus on the transient things around us; but it's difficult if not

impossible to conceive of that which is eternal. Contemplating the nature and character of the

Triune God who always was, always is, and always will be, and who never changes, is a task that

overwhelms us. "In the beginning God." (from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole

Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All

Rights reserved.)

What does this means?

This means this earth came into existence because of God

In the beginning God – what does this mean

Before anything God was in existence – he existed and was not created when I am talking about

God I am talking about the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit

This suggests that God is a powerful God in this sense

He existed in the beginning

Was not approved, recommended to be God nor voted to be God. The bible affirms that before

the mountains were born he brought forth the earth and the world and he is from everlasting to

everlasting (Psalms 90:2)

God existed in sublime glory. God is eternal; He has neither beginning nor ending. Therefore, He

is totally self-sufficient and needs nothing more than Himself in order to exist or to act. "God has

a voluntary relation to everything He has made,” A.W. Tozer ,says "but He has no necessary
relation to anything outside of Himself." God needs nothing, neither the material universe nor the

human race, and yet He created both. (From the Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament

© 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)

God is God – needs nothing, he is eternal, immortal (1 timothy 6:16)

Omniscient - all-knowing, Omnipotent - all powerful and everywhere, Omnipresent - ever-

present

God is not limited

"Process theology," an old heresy in modern dress, affirms a "limited god" who is in the process

of becoming a "greater" god. But if God is God, as we understand the word, then He is eternal

and needs nothing; and He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and everywhere present. In order to have

a "limited god," you must first redefine the very word "God," because by definition God cannot

be limited.(from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W.

Wiersbe.)

So if you have a limited God then you will have to redefine him .God cannot be defined because

he is not limited. If he can be redefined then he ceases to be God

He never grows – because if so what makes him to grow is powerful than him because it, makes

him greater but remember there is nothing greater than him

He changes not and does not compromise (Malachi 3:6)

He is infinite and knows no limitation in either time or space, he is perfect and cannot improve

and is immutable and he changes not

This is the only God that should be worshipped

Point two

Void and formless

Hebrew words that expresses the whole impression of void and formless are ‫ובהו תהּו‬
ּ (tohû and,

vābohû), words are both substantives, and signify wasteness and emptiness. If we may

distinguish these two words, ‫ בהּו‬bohû refers to the matter, and ‫ תהּו‬tohû refers to the form, and

therefore the phrase linking the two signifies a state of absolute confusion and desolation, an

absence of all that can furnish or people the land.

The similarity of their forms, joined with the harshness of their sound, made them pass almost

into a proverb for everything that was lifeless and desolate (Isaiah 34:11; Jeremiah 4:23). It

expresses here the state of primeval matter immediately after creation, when as yet there was no

cohesion between the separate elements.

When first called into existence, the earth was without form and void this further expresses the

notion of confusion and emptiness, as the same original words are rendered, Isaiah 34:11. It was

without order, beauty, or even use, in its present state, and was surrounded on all sides with thick

darkness, through the gloom of which there was not one ray of light to penetrate not even so

much as to render the darkness visible.

Life that has not been rooted in God is bohu, tohu void and formless, has no direction has no

beginning and has no ending it is just useless .it consist of confusion and emptiness and is

without order, beauty and taste. It is always and will always be surrounded by darkness

In like manner the work of grace in the soul is to form a new creation: and in a graceless soul,

one that is not born again, for there is disorder, confusion, and every evil work in a life that has
not been visited by the grace of God it is empty of all good, for it is without God; it is dark, it is

darkness itself: this is our condition by nature, till God’s grace locate, work and change us.

When we consider the earth without form and void, this suggest that; it is like the valley full of

dead and dry bones. Can these live? Can this confused mass of matter be formed into a beautiful

world? Ezekiel 37:15 Yes, if a spirit of life from God enter into it.

Of interest to note is the fact that God was not yet finished yes it was void, yes it was formless,

but God was not yet finished. God’s work in the soul is to create a new life that is of use, that has

no confusion or darkness therefore it is of paramount importance to submit to the authority of

God so that one will be recreated and be made after the similitude of God through Christ by

faith.

It is only through Christ that a new creation is made, therefore learn hence, That God is not only

the author of all being, but the fountain of life and spring of motion. Dead matter would be

forever dead if he does not quicken it. And this makes it trustworthy to us that God should raise

the dead. That power which brought such a world as this out of confusion, emptiness, and

darkness, at the beginning of time, can, at the end of time, bring our vile bodies out of the grave,

though it is a land of darkness as darkness itself, and without any order, and can make them

glorious bodies.

Point 3

Spirit of God moving

Having alluded to the fact that God begins or creates from nothing, in a state that is dark and that

consists of wasteness, emptiness, uselessness and a state of confusion, God Creates something.
What is important to note is that in that dark state the spirit of God was moving. this alone

suggest that even in nothingness god’s presence is always there and further illustrates that even if

one’s life is in chaos , God’s spirit hovers over to assist .

Who is the spirit of God?

This has been variously and strangely understood. Some think a violent wind is meant, because

(Ruwach) often signifies "wind," as well as "spirit," as pneuma does in Greek; and the term

"God" is connected with it merely, as they think, to express the superlative degree. Others

understand by it an elementary fire. Others, the sun, penetrating and drying up the earth with his

rays. Others, the angels, who were supposed to have been employed as agents in creation.

Others, a certain occult principle, termed the anima mundi or "soul of the world." Others, a

magnetic attraction, by which all things were caused to gravitate to a common center. But it is

sufficiently evident from the use of the word in other places, that the Holy Spirit of God is

intended, which our blessed Lord represents under the notion of wind, John 3:8; and which, as a

mighty rushing wind on the day of Pentecost, filled the house where the disciples were sitting,

Acts 2:2, which was immediately followed by their speaking with other tongues, because they

were filled with the Holy Spirit, verse. These scriptures sufficiently ascertain the sense in which

the word is used by Moses. (Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright ©

1996, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft.)

Verse 2 talks about the Holy Spirit and remember Genesis 1:1-2 includes the father, the son and

the Holy Spirit. Holy has always been active in creation and recreation. When darkness was

hovering upon the face of the waters, he was involved. Even in the darkest moments of one’s life

he is involved and willing to work out transformation so that darkness can be turned into light.
As long as he is allowed to come in and work out life will change from bohu tohu to light and

salvation will be possible for many

The nations that surrounded the people of Israel had ancient traditions that "explained" the origin

of the universe and humankind. These myths involved monsters that battled in deep oceans and

gods who fought battles to bring the universe into being. But the simple account in Genesis

presents us with one God who alone created all things and is still in control of His creation. Had

the Jewish people paid close attention to what Moses wrote, they would never have worshiped

the idols of their pagan neighbors.

Throughout the whole time of existence he is always available and will always be available so

that change can take place. His availability works a change that sets direction. Therefore humans

are called to worship God initially this means that it’s a unity of three co-eternal persons the

father , the son and the Holy spirit who are one in purpose they serve to create and recreate .

As one continues to submit to the authority of God life get direction and the Holy Spirit keeps on

working a change in one’s life and as a result salvation is possible. Therefore I call upon

humanity to submit to God of Genesis the creator of the universe, the eternal God, one who was

and who is to come. Submit to God the creator of the universe and your life will be worth a

living. God bless you.

References

 Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2005, 2006

by Biblesoft

 The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe

 John Skinner, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Genesis, ICC (Edinburgh: T. &

T.Clark, 1951), 79-81, esp. p. 80

 E.G WHITE (1917) Patriarchs and Prophets Mountain View: CA Press Publishing

Association

 G. H. Livingston, "Sons of God" in The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible,

pp. 493

 Harris, R. Laird (ed.). Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody

Press, 1980

 Leupold, H. C. Exposition of Genesis. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1942

 Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, PC Study Bible Formatted Electronic

Database Copyright © 2006 by Biblesoft

 The Mission Study Bible with E.G White Comments (2009-2014) 6200 Oklahoma

Academy USA MISSION PUBLISHING