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AND GOD SAID - by Darren Choo
Texts: Gen 1:1-31, John 1:1-5
11 Jan 2009

Introduction
Among all the powerful leaders in the world today, the President of the United States is perhaps considered to be the most powerful of them all. Whatever the man says, it is done. Well … almost always! Take for example when Richard Nixon was the President. It was said that in one particular incident during his first term in office, he had specifically ordered the removal of some ugly buildings which was an eyesore since the WW I era. One would have thought that being the President his order would be carried out immediately. But truth be told, it was only many months later before this particular order was finally executed!

You see, though the President of the United States may arguably be tagged as “The most powerful person in the world”, the fact remains that he is still only human and as human, sometimes his words aren’t always obeyed! But God on the other hand, is entirely a different matter. Our God is no President nor is He any mere human. He is the Almighty God whose Words are authoritative and powerful. Put it simply, when God speaks, something happens – and mind you, it happens immediately!

Today, we embark on a new series in our pulpit teaching that focuses on this authoritative and powerful Word of God. We will base our series on the Book of Genesis because it is a book filled with many stories and incidents that point to these aspects. It is the hope that as we encounter them over the course of time, the Word of God will challenge, change and even transform our lives.

And so as we begin to unpack the very first chapter of Genesis, I will be reflecting and sharing some thoughts on the phrase, And God said … This phrase alone may just contain three words but yet if you notice, it is scattered all over this entire chapter. Ten times to be precise (V3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 28 and 29). The fact that it is strewed all over and repeated frequently informs us that this simple phrase has certain implications. Let me outline two key thoughts that are applicable to our lives.

TWO THOUGHTS ON THE WORDS And God said…
1.  The Word of God Creates (V1-2)
The very first thought that comes to mind upon reflecting on this phrase, And God said …, is that the Word of God is powerful. Such is the power of God’s Word that Scriptures says it is active before time, in the beginning and in creation. Such is the power of God’s Word that when God speaks, something happens … immediately, and in this case, creation takes place.

Genesis 1:1 records that, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In stating this as the very first verse, make no mistake that the Bible clearly affirms that we are not the product of some accident or “Big Bang” theory as some would suggest. What is absolute here is the claim that creation is indeed a decisive act of God and God alone.

The problem however, arises in the next verse which tells us, The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep (V2).
The view held by most is that creation by God was brought into existence out of nothing as suggested in V1. Others on the other hand, will argue that a careful reading into V2 seems to deny this and points to an existing chaos as emphasized in this sentence, without form and void and darkness. A further check with some New Testament passages shows a support for the first view as stated in:

God … calls into existence the things that do not exist.

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Where does this leave us then? Well, whether creation is from nothing or creation is from chaos, we really need not make a choice between them. What we should not lose sight however, is that The Word of God is powerful to create and bring about order. Together with the Spirit of God which hovers over the face of the waters (V2), order emerged out of nothing or chaos, and beauty and fullness out of emptiness.

Put it into our context and we see that we have the assurance that despite of the chaos or emptiness in many of our lives, they can still be claimed by God for His great and grand purposes! In the midst of the chaotic uncertainties that the New Year brings, we can still fully be assured on God’s Word to bring about order, for His Word is indeed powerful! What an encouragement, what a promise for us to hold on to as we enter into 2009!

a)  God’s Word Forms (V3-13)
Now if the first two verses is the declaration that God created the universe, then the rest of the chapter that follows is the detailed explanation of creation in six days. As we dwell deeper into the extent of God’s creative power, we uncover a distinct pattern, that is, God first forms and then He fills. And it is here from these three words - And God said – that we get a glimpse of the authority and power of God’s Word at play. When God spoke, the three spheres consisting of the heavens, the landmasses and the waters were formed in the first days of creation. This account can be found in V3, 6, 9 and 11.
And further in the process of these formations, God yet again confirms the power and authority of His Word to bring about order through the principle of separation.  Reading in V3-5, after God had commanded the light to shine, He then proceeded to separate the light from the darkness. The text also reveals that God separated …

And looking into the future, He would command His people to be and remain separated from the nations around them. The implication set by God in the principle of separation indicates strongly then that our God is a holy God who does not want His own to associate with that which is not of Him. As the Bible tells us, God is light (John 8:12; 1 John 1:5) and His light shines in the darkness (John 1:5). This darkness is associated with Satan, with sin and death, which explains why as God’s people we are to walk in the light (1 John 1:7) and to have no relation at all with the dark (1 John 1:5-10).

God’s authoritative Word clearly makes a call for us to be separated, to be set aside for Him. Are we separating ourselves from the world? From temptations and sins? From the things that displeases God?

b)  God’s Word Fills (V14-27)  
Now after forming the three spheres, the pattern of His creative activities ends with God’s Word fillingthe whole earth. Once again we find that same three words (V14, 20, 24 and 26) being mentioned. And God said - This time when God spoke the appropriate forms of life covered and filled the spheres over the next 3 days. Do we realize that our God is good and provides and fill us with all good things?

The Word of God is indeed powerful enough to create and bring about order and beauty out of nothing and chaos. Pause now for a moment and reflect on

2.  The Word of God Communes (V28-31)
A second thought that comes to mind upon reflection on the phrase And God said, is that the Word of God Communes. And it is in the creation of man that we discover evidences of this.

Humans have a special relationship with God. From the very beginning, God desires to commune with mankind and was thus created for the very purpose of communing with Him. Unlike the angels or animals, man was uniquely created to resemble his creator-maker as mentioned in V26-27, Let us make man in our image … so God created man in His own image.

It is in the very image of God then, that we have ears so as to hear Him speak to us and a mouth so as to talk with Him. Not only that, in the image of God, our creator gives each individual personalities – minds to think, emotions to feel and a will to make decisions. But more importantly, note that upon the completion of all creation, God took a special and personal interest in man. Whereas God merely voiced that the rest of His creation was good (V10, 13, 18, 21, 25, 31), God took a step further to instruct and to provide for them.  

Perhaps the clearest of proof that man was created to commune with God is located in the last two verses that state the phrase, And God said. The first is found in V28. Here is God’s very first conversation with His created being.   
And God said (note) to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion … over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

In this verse, God is establishing the need for a continued existence for man (be fruitful and multiply), for the simple reason that man is to commune with Him in generations to come. This continued existence is based solely on God’s providence, as V29 states, And God said, “Behold I have given you every plant yielding seed … every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.”

Here then is a strong indication that man is to be wholly dependent on God alone for sustenance. Our heavenly Father alone knows what is needed for our physical survival, for it is He who created us and is our Provider. But Jesus also reminds us in Matthew 4:4 that man must also depend on God for his spiritual survival.
Man shall not live by bread alone (physical) but also by obeying every Word that comes from the mouth of God (spiritual).

The Matthew passage makes it clear that there must be a constant dependent and reliance on communing with God’s Word. The impetus therefore for us is to daily read, hear, study, meditate, reflect and memorize God’s Word.
In the course of the first half of this year, opportunities will be presented to do just that. We begin the year with the challenge to “Read Through the Bible” in a year or two. Then in February, a 5 weeks course on the study of the Book of Philippians will be conducted. Following which, during the Season of Lent, we will embark on “The WISE Program” – Word Intake for Spiritual Edification, a 40 days listening program to help us commune with the Word of God in our lives.

Conclusion
As we reflected on this entire chapter of Genesis and in particularly the phrase And God said, we established firstly, that the Word of God is powerful and authoritative. What He says, it happens, it is done. God’s Word is powerful to create out of chaos or out of nothing. It is powerful enough to bring order and beauty and it is also powerful enough to form and fill the entire universe.

Secondly, we also established that the Word of God Communes. God desires from the beginning of time to relate and commune with mankind. We are created and form in His own image to experience His presence and have that relationship with Him.

Knowing all this, our responses then should be one of excitement and expectancy. It should challenge us to read, hear, study, meditate, reflect and memorize God’s Word on a consistent basis. As we conclude, let us close as we seek the Lord’s help to achieve this.

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