By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
God replied to Moses, “I am who I am. Say this to the people of Israel: I am has sent me to you.”
Exodus 3:14
“In the beginning God created the heaven and earth” The opening words to the Bible is the most profound & irrefutable statement that establishes the platform not only for our faith but also for who really rules. The first sentence of the bible declares the sovereignty of God as the Creator of all things. The Hebrew word for "created" is bara, meaning “to shape” or “create,” and is usually associated with divine activity, referring to the act of creating or bringing into tangible existence. It speaks to God's unique ability to bring something into existence out of nothing.
This truth establishes God's authority and control over the entire cosmos. But it also provides insight into the nature of God and answers the question that so many have asked: ‘So, who created God?’ The simple answer is no one. “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." ( Colossians 1:17).
When Moses encountered God at the burning bush in Exodus 3 and asked God what His name was, God said, “I AM THAT I AM.” This is God’s covenant name—Jehovah or Yahweh, translated in the English Bible as Lord God. This name speaks to the fact that God is the self-existent one, standing outside of time and space. He created all things and was not created.
Throughout history, man has sought to disprove what God declares of Himself. He has gone to great lengths to expound on theories and alternative religious teachings to explain the universe and man’s place in it. Yet even science and many scientists agree that the universe had a beginning and that there must be an originator. The Astro Physicist Dr Hugh Ross states that the universe has a Cosmic beginning, which implies a cosmic beginner who is beyond space and time. He discounted philosophers and other religious books before discovering the Bible. He says the bible alone accurately describes the state of the universe, its history, the history of earth and the history of life. He said the bible is the only religious book that defines the universe in terms that makes sense with science chronologically and is the only book that science cannot disprove.
Perhaps man’s struggle is to accept that God is the creator; therefore, the ruler of all requires a response of submission and worship that elevates a Holy God and declares that He is sovereign over all and puts man firmly in his place. Man, who rebelled against God in the garden, has continued to choose self-rule as opposed to God's rule. Man has determined to rule himself, and to do so requires us to distort the truth and to attempt to rewrite God’s story. Well, we just have to look around our world to see how well that is working out.
Those of us who have placed faith in God and in His words are blessed by knowing and serving a Triune God who is self-existent and eternal, stands outside of His creation, yet has drawn near to man; He is a good Father who gives generously to His children. A Father who loves us and whose rule is one of rightness and justice. Who would not want to serve a God like this. He is the ruler of all.
Ask – Why does man struggle to accept the biblical account of creation?
Seek – How does knowing that God is creator and ruler of all impact your faith walk?
Knock – Spend a few moments to reflect on the declaration of God in Exodus 3:14 “I AM THAT I AM.” Write down how many things this reveals to you about God’s character, and then offer a prayer of thanksgiving for His rule in your life.
