The Powerful and Personal God

Genesis 1:1 and 50:19-20

God is writing his story in you. He is an amazing God, and he is writing an amazing story. Whatever you are going through today is preparing you for tomorrow. He never wastes our experiences and circumstances.

Today we start a journey through seven books of the Bible that I believe will show us how God is writing our story and help us engage with God at a deeper, more personal level. This year we will study together the books of Genesis, Job, Isaiah, John, Romans, Revelation, and selected psalms.

I want this study to be as interactive as possible. So, at the end of each day’s teaching there’s an opportunity for you to ask questions, and we have a team who will respond in a timely manner. I’ll also host periodic Zoom calls to discuss each book.

This study is designed to meet you in your season of life. Each day is in written, audio, and video format. You can sit down with a cup of coffee, your Bible, and a journal or you can listen to the teaching on your way to work or even during your workout. One mom told me that she listened to the devotionals with her children around the breakfast table. The main objective is this—let’s engage in God’s Word together.

We kickoff our study with Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament.

There are two theological threads that run through Genesis. The first thread is the Person and power of God. The second thread reveals how this all-powerful God interacts with humanity. Today let’s consider two passages that explain these themes. Genesis 1:1 will introduce us to the Person and power of God.  Genesis 50:19-20 confirms how God works in our lives in real time.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

The first three words of Genesis, “in the beginning,” are a translation of the Hebrew word that is pronounced beh-reh-sheet. In the Hebrew Bible, beh-reh-sheet is the name of the first book. We use the name that comes from the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. The Greek word for “in the beginning” is genesis.

The first three words, “in the beginning,” establish time as we know it.  And notice that “in the beginning,” God already existed. From the first inception of Scripture, we learn that God is eternal. There was never a time when he was not. There will never be a time when he is not. Moses, the writer of Genesis, wrote in a psalm, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:2).  From everlasting to everlasting you are God—those words well explain the eternality of God.

The Hebrew word translated “God” in Genesis 1:1 is Elohim. El is the name for God in the singular. Elohim is the plural form that supercharges the name.  Elohim is called a “plural of intensity” or a “plural of majesty.”  Elohim, used over 2,500 times in the Bible, describes God as the all-powerful Sovereign over all things. His absolute power is demonstrated in his action. Elohim created the heavens and the earth.

The Hebrew word translated “created” is bara. It is used six times in the creation account and is exclusively used to describe God’s action. Only God is the Creator. Apart from him, nothing has been made.  As we work our way through Genesis 1, we’ll see that God created from nothing—ex nihilo. He spoke the world into being! He said, “’Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3).  Such is his indescribable power.

So, in the very first verse of the Bible we learn that God is eternal, all-powerful, and his divine power is proven by his creative acts. And here’s the amazing thing—the Creator of the heavens and earth desires a personal relationship with you! God desires to directly work in your life.

Throughout the book of Genesis, we will follow the lives of men and women who experienced great blessings and deep disappointments. They struggled in their marriages and had challenges with their children. They grieved the loss of loved ones. Sometimes they became impatient with God and took matters into their own hands. They blamed God and others for their shortcomings and bad decisions. They were familiar with anxiety, sleepless nights, temptations, and failures. And they knew God—his love, grace, forgiveness, and restoration.

Let’s fast forward to the final chapter of Genesis to see how God uses all the circumstances and events of life to write our stories. The last fourteen chapters of this book focus on a man named Joseph. We’ll cover his story in more detail later, but for now here’s a quick overview. Joseph was his father’s favorite son and, as you can imagine, that partiality did not sit well with Joseph’s brothers. One day they decided they couldn’t tolerate it any longer. The brothers planned to kill Joseph but at the last minute sold him into slavery instead. Joseph was bound by slave-traders and taken to Egypt where he was purchased by an Egyptian ruler. He quickly gained the ruler’s favor and was put in charge of his entire household…until one fateful day when he was unjustly accused of sexual harassment by Potiphar’s wife who had tried her best to seduce him.  One moment Joseph was overseeing the ruler’s household; the next moment he was sitting in prison!

Joseph was incarcerated for at least three years, probably longer. Finally, God directed his release and allowed him to gain favor with the Pharaoh. Joseph was moved from prison to the palace and placed in charge of Egypt’s food supply. During a severe famine, Joseph was able to provide for Egypt and for his family who had sold him into slavery. There is so much more to this story to consider, but for now I want you to see how Joseph responded to his brothers, the ones, remember, who had betrayed him.

Genesis 50:19-20
But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today”.

God used all the ups and downs, blessings and disappointments, mistreatment and false accusations to write Joseph’s story. He does the same for us. He never wastes our time. Whatever is happening today in your life is preparing you for tomorrow. You can trust God to write your story.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Genesis 1:1—As you read and re-read this verse, reflect on the Person of God.

• God is eternal, self-existent. He has no limits.
• God is all-powerful. He delivers on all his promises.
• Old Testament scholar Allen Ross notes, “The point of this verse, then, is that God is absolutely sovereign over all matter. Such sovereignty demands allegiance, for to acknowledge the Creator naturally leads to submission to him” (Ross, Creation and Blessing, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1998, 106).

Read Genesis 50:19-20—As you read this verse, reflect on God’s work in your life.

• Thank him for working in all things—even what others meant for evil—to write his amazing story in your life.

Prayer and Application

How is God working in your life right now, and how can you trust him to use every part of your story for his purpose?

Have Questions?
We’d love to help! If you have any questions about today’s reading or teaching, please feel free to ask. Our team is here to assist as you explore God’s Word. Simply submit your question below, and we’ll get back to you soon.