Unlocking Genesis 1: The Powerful Truth Behind God’s First Words

We all know the story, right? In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. It’s often one of the first Bible stories we learn as kids in church—followed by the familiar rhythm of what God did on each of those seven days.

Care to sit in the nook with me as I share what I’ve learned?

Even the title of the book—Genesis—tells us more than we might think. Genesis means beginning. It’s the beginning of life, death, sin, grace, a nation, a promise… the list goes on.

Right from the very first verse, we’re introduced to God. At first glance, it might seem like a singular being, but when we dig into the Hebrew, we discover something deeper. The word used for God here is Elohim—a grammatically plural word. This doesn’t mean there are multiple gods. Instead, it hints at something beautiful: the Trinity is present from the very start. The Holy Spirit is hovering over the waters, and as John tells us, In the beginning was the Word… Jesus was there too.

By verse 3, God begins creating something out of nothing. One commentary I read shared a detail that completely shifted my perspective: on Day 1, God says, “Let there be light,” and there is light—day and night begin. But the sun, moon, and stars aren’t created until Day 4. Ever notice that? I hadn’t either.

So where did that Day 1 light come from?

It came from God Himself.

What a powerful picture of our own lives. Without God, we’re walking in darkness. But with Him, His light shines through us—before anything else is even formed.

Here’s how the days unfold:

• Day 1 – Light and darkness.
• Day 2 – Sky separated from sea.
• Day 3 – Dry ground emerges from the sea, followed by all the vegetation. And then—for the first time—God says it is good. Notice He only calls it good once the earth is made habitable.
• Day 4 – The sun, moon, and stars. It was good.
• Day 5 – Birds and fish. It was good.
• Day 6 – Land animals. It was good. Then God creates man, blesses him, and looks at everything He made and says it was very good.

That very good? It wasn’t just because He created it—it was because everything was still in its perfect form. No sin. No death. No decay. Everything worked in harmony, just as the perfect Creator designed it to.

There’s still so much more packed into Genesis 1 than I’ve shared here. I encourage you to sit in the quiet of the nook, open your Bible, and see what God wants to show you about the beginning.