Genesis 1:1-5 Our Forever Wisdom

The Word

Proverbs 3:19-20 (CSB)
The LORD founded the earth by wisdom
and established the heavens by understanding.
By his knowledge the watery depths broke open,
and the clouds dripped with dew.

The Text

Genesis 1:1-5 (CSB) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.

The Support

In the beginning, there was God. God made the heavens and the earth.

But all that God did was by his wisdom. God's wisdom was meant for all of creation for all time.

Let us see how the wisdom of God was there in beginning. And despite our fallen world, we can see where the wisdom of God permeated unscathed throughout all of time.

God

His Wisdom is in the being of the Spirit of God

Jeremiah 10:12-13 cf. 51:15-16 (CSB)
He made the earth by his power,
established the world by his wisdom,
and spread out the heavens by his understanding.
When he thunders,
the waters in the heavens are in turmoil,
and he causes the clouds to rise
from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from his storehouses.

His Wisdom is in His Word

Luke 11:47-51 (CSB) “Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Therefore, you are witnesses that you approve the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their monuments. Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ so that this generation may be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world — from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary.

“Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible.

His Wisdom is in the Church

Ephesians 3:8-13 (CSB) This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.

His Wisdom is in Him as Father

Proverbs 29:15 (CSB) A rod of correction imparts wisdom,
but a youth left to himself
is a disgrace to his mother.

Hebrews 12:3-11 (CSB) For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, so that you won’t grow weary and give up. In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons:

My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly
or lose heart when you are reproved by him,
for the Lord disciplines the one he loves
and punishes every son he receives.

Endure suffering as discipline: God is dealing with you as sons. For what son is there that a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline—which all receive—then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had human fathers discipline us, and we respected them. Shouldn’t we submit even more to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time based on what seemed good to them, but he does it for our benefit, so that we can share his holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Luke 2:52 (CSB) And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.

His Wisdom is in His Son

Isaiah 11:1-5 (CSB) Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
a Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a Spirit of counsel and strength,
a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
His delight will be in the fear of the LORD.
He will not judge
by what he sees with his eyes,
he will not execute justice
by what he hears with his ears,
but he will judge the poor righteously
and execute justice for the oppressed of the land.
He will strike the land
with a scepter from his mouth,
and he will kill the wicked
with a command from his lips.
Righteousness will be a belt around his hips;
faithfulness will be a belt around his waist.

John 1:1-5 (CSB) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

When God created mankind, that wisdom was meant for us to use. Because of the perfect relationship and community we once had, we would truly had untapped access to the wisdom of God. Now, despite our fallen world, his wisdom perseveres but we no longer have access to it freely. For us to know God, we will need God to open our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts in order to see him, hear him, know him, and love him.

The Gospel

Now, because we are born fallen away from God and therefore, infinitely apart from God, God had to do everything in order to bridge the gap between us and him.

Here is the rub: the distance between God and us is infinite. We are finite beings who cannot mathematically, naturally, soulfully, and theologically bridge that gap. In order for us to get to God, something infinitely expansive and powerful will have to be the bridge.

That would be Jesus Christ.

Despite the brokenness of the cosmos, God's wisdom still prevails. Think about this: of all the ways we could save ourselves from destruction, do you think that any of us could have fathom for God to become man only to die as man for the children of God once and for all?

In certain circles within Christianity, they would say that it is enough for God to forgive us of our sin because that is what God does. But when we say that no sacrifice was needed, that makes God little and our sins little in his sight.

God is holy. He is not scared of our sins but he surely does not have to tolerate sin. The fact that he is holy means that he never has to deal with sin nor the effects of sin.

I bet I can get 100% response: raise your hands if you would not like to be affect by sin.

No one does. Yet we are all affected by our own sin and the sins of others. And it hurts. And it sucks. And it grieves us. And it breaks our hearts. It breaks our minds and our emotions.

We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) In order to forgive our sin, there must be the shedding of the blood. Something worthy must lose their life in order to gain life.

In His Wisdom, God foreknew us in our wickedness and sin

Romans 5:6-9 (CSB) For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. How much more then, since we have now been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from wrath.

In His Wisdom, God Shed the Blood of His Son

Hebrews 9:19-28 (CSB) For when every command had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, along with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll itself and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you. In the same way, he sprinkled the tabernacle and all the articles of worship with blood. According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves to be purified with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands (only a model of the true one) but into heaven itself, so that he might now appear in the presence of God for us. He did not do this to offer himself many times, as the high priest enters the sanctuary yearly with the blood of another. Otherwise, he would have had to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared one time, at the end of the ages, for the removal of sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment— so also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

In His Wisdom, God Was Pleased To Punish His Son For Our Sake

Isaiah 53:10-11 (CSB) Yet the LORD was pleased to crush him severely.
When you make him a guilt offering,
he will see his seed, he will prolong his days,
and by his hand, the LORD’s pleasure will be accomplished.
After his anguish,
he will see light and be satisfied.
By his knowledge,
my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will carry their iniquities.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB) He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

In His Wisdom, He Willfully and Joyfully Obeyed Unto Death

Matthew 26:37-42 (CSB) Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He asked Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Again, a second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Philippians 2:5-8 (CSB) Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.

In His Wisdom, the Father Glorifies the Son

Philippians 2:9-11 (CSB)
For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Our Response

Turn to God. Repent. Lay our sin upon Christ His Son. This is the wisdom of God that does not make sense to the world. It doesn't have to make sense to them. It almost doesn't have to make sense to us--we just need to trust and obey the gospel of Christ crucified.

But because His people turn to God and believe, this is what God does:

In His Wisdom, We Are Glorified with the Son

Romans 8:14-17 (CSB) For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Romans 8:28-30 (CSB) We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

That same wisdom that was there from the beginning that we once had. We have to take a hold of it by taking a hold of the Source of all Wisdom. We ask for wisdom from God by asking God for God.

We Call Upon and Desperately Need This Same Exact Wisdom

Proverbs 9:9-10 (CSB) Instruct the wise, and he will be wiser still;
teach the righteous, and he will learn more.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

James 1:5-8 (CSB) Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

James 3:13-18 (CSB) Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.

Now, how do I know that Christ joyfully obeyed God evening unto death on the cross? Because in the 2nd chapter of Acts, Peter preaches this about Christ himself:

Psalms 16:7-11 (CSB)
I will bless the LORD who counsels me—
even at night when my thoughts trouble me.
I always let the LORD guide me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad
and my whole being rejoices;
my body also rests securely.
For you will not abandon me to Sheol;
you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.
You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.