The story is told of Harold Fortescue, a budding newspaper reporter, who was sent to cover a local social function. It was his first assignment. He expanded himself and submitted to his editor two dozen pages of typewritten oratory. The editor did not even glance at it, but handed it right back with the words, “Cut it in half.” Crestfallen, Fortescue complied. Again the editor handed it back with the dry comment, “Cut it in half again.” Grumbling under his breath the youthful reporter did as he was told. When he handed in the finished article the editor handed it back once more. “Now reduce it to a single page,” he said. The horrified reporter ventured a protest. His boss cut him off. “Young man,” he said, “you have evidently overlooked the fact that when the Creator of the universe gives His account of Creation He does so in ten words: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”‘
The first chapter of Genesis is one of the most God-centered chapters in the Bible. God is mentioned by name thirty-two times in thirty-one verses. Add to that the use of personal pronouns, and He is mentioned no less than forty-three times.
Thus, on the very first page of Scripture the Holy Spirit brings us into the presence of God and keeps us there. No wonder Satan hates this chapter! No wonder he has brought up his heavy artillery to discredit it in the minds of men. Abandon Genesis 1-as unfactual and unreliable, as mere mythology, as a doctored-up copy of the Babylonian creation epic, as totally unacceptable to modern science-and Satan has won.
If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted when He tells of creation, how can He be trusted when He tells of salvation? If what He says about earth in Genesis 1 can be questioned, then what He says about heaven in Revelation 22 can be questioned. If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted in Genesis 1, how can He be trusted in John 3:16?
Someone has wisely said, “if you can believe one verse in the Bible you can believe it all” that verse is Genesis 1:1. In our day scientific achievements like the Hubble telescope are allowing us to see like never before the awesome grandeur of our universe and reinforce for us the truth of Genesis 1:1 and Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.” (ESV).
