January 1, 2023- Genesis 1:1

In this episode, Jori discusses with her listeners the beginning, as we read in the Scripture.

Scripture translation used is the English Standard Version.

Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture References:
Genesis 1:1
Isaiah 55:8-9
Revelation 22:13
John 5:45-47
Psalm 119:160
John 17:17
Genesis 1:2
Colossians 1:15-16
Revelation 4
Job 38:4-13
Psalm 33:6-9
Isaiah 42:5-8
Psalm 8

Email: awordforthisday@gmail.com

Podcast website:  https://awordforthisday.buzzsprout.com

A link to the transcript of this episode is found below. Please note, it is a word for word transcript of the show and will be different than if reading a book. Voice inflections, pace, etc. that are conversational in nature are lost in the transcription. Some words or phrases that may have been repeated within the audio recording may have been removed to make it easier for the reader to understand.

23Jan1AWFTDTranscript.docx

Transcript

January 1, 2023

 Hello and welcome to “A Word for this Day Podcast.” I'm Jori Shaffer, the show's host and creator, and I want to welcome you today. Welcome back. We are in the second year of “A Word for this Day Podcast.”  It is January the first, 2023 and I am so excited that you are here! Thank you to all you regular listeners for coming back for this next season or next year, I should say. 2s Don't run off, stick around just for a little while. I'll tell you, there's not going to be a lot of flash or fluff in this podcast. Okay? We pick a verse daily and we talk about that and see how the Lord would have us to apply it to our lives. And let me just back up. Since this is the beginning of the second year and you may just be searching for a Bible study podcast, I want to give you a background, if you've not listened previously, to tell you how this came about two or three years ago.

 Well, I think it was at the beginning of 2020 or at the end of 2019. I heard a pastor talk about how his family picked a verse for the year. And that verse, the reference of that verse would match the year. So, it may have been, and I'm just pulling this out, it may have been Matthew 20:20. And that's a verse that they focused on for the year. Well, as I was sitting there taking notes, I thought, oh, I wonder if I could find a verse for the day for every day of the year. And so, I had no idea whether or not I could. But in 2020, God took me on that journey to see what I could find and oh, what a wonderful journey it has been! And so, I have notebooks of several verses with a reference to match the date.  For instance, today is going to be Genesis 1:1 because it's January the first. Last year I thought we did John 1:1. 1s And I have notebooks full of these. There are some dates that I could only find one or two verses that I thought would be something that I could do a devotional on. And originally this plan was to do a devotional book and hopefully I will get to that at some point. But I kept looking and searching and was sending these verses to my prayer partners and then in 2022, which was last year, well the end of 2021, I really got this compelling or felt this compelling to go ahead and start a podcast. So, I jumped on about this time last year with God's help, having no idea what to do with the podcast, having never really listened to very many podcasts at all and the Lord just continued to help me. And so, I did a podcast for each day in this last year and reached almost 22,000 downloads. As I looked this morning at the time of this recording, it was somewhere in the high 21,000, almost 21,900 1s over 31 countries across the world and in 568 cities across the world and it's just been a blessing! I give God all the glory for that to see what He's done! 

I'm continuing on and I just would encourage you to share with friends, family, relatives, neighbors, anyone who you think would want to come along this journey with us. Please know that I love to hear from you as well. So, you can find my email in the show notes and hopefully this year I'll have a website which will make it easier for you to communicate but my email is awordforthisday@gmail.com. 1s Also for this year, I'm hoping to be able to add transcription to the podcast show Notes. So, if you're unable to listen, you can still read it. And that will give other people an option who may not be able to listen, or for those who prefer to read instead of listen, or for those who want to read and listen at the same time, or for those who are hearing impaired. This will also allow people, Lord willing, to be able to find this if they're searching on the Internet. 1s I'm excited to see what the Lord will do with this. We'll see how this transcription thing goes. Again, I'm not a professional podcaster. I'm doing this for the glory of God. I'm doing this to encourage you to be in God's Word daily and to help you to realize that you can be in His Word daily. You can spend time with Him, and it makes such a difference. So please don't let this be the only time you think about God's Word today. Please let this be just a jumping off point as you begin this new year with a commitment to draw ever closer to Him and spend more time with Him. Because, friend, it will make all the difference, I promise. 1s 

So, our verse for the day, for January the first, 2023 comes from the very first book in the Bible, Genesis, chapter one, verse one. And it reads as follows from the English Standard Version, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”  Oh, I love this. Isn't it good to start in the beginning, at the beginning of a new year? It's just so exciting and I'm just thrilled to be here with you and to jump in here on this New Year’s Day. If you start a new Bible study or a Bible reading plan, many times you'll start in Genesis 1, but everything starts at the beginning. The neat thing to me is though, that God was there before the beginning and we're going to talk about that. And so, I'm just excited, excited for us to jump in now. If you were here with me in this previous year or if you’ve listened for a long time, you know that I think it is wise for us to get background, to kind of get our bearing straight and determine where we are within the Scripture. This helps us get the appropriate context. So, we will look at our author, we'll look at the book that we're in, we'll find out where we are, try to get the appropriate background so that will allow us to understand it and interpret it more all with the help of God's Holy Spirit. Any understanding or interpretation that is given is from Him. And let us not think that it is any of our wisdom, let us give Him the thanks and the praise and the glory if he allows us to understand. Because there are those who can read these same words, hear these same words, and may be blinded to the truth if they have ignored the truth or walked away from the truth or continued to suppress the truth. And we read about that in the Scripture. We can talk about that another day.

 But we are in Genesis. This is, as I mentioned, the first book of the canon of Scripture that we have. It begins what is known as the Pentateuch. There are five books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. And those, as I mentioned, are the first books of the Old Testament. These first five books are also known of as the Law or even the Book of Moses. You'll hear them called those different things, and then our Jewish friends will call this the Torah. And so, this is the very beginning. It tells us about the creation of the world, the creation of mankind. And I love this because we see God's creativity, we see the unfolding of His master plan as far as He will allow us to understand it, because His ways are much higher than our ways. His thoughts are much higher than our thoughts as we read in Isaiah's prophecy. And it's so true. He is the one true living God who has been here from before the beginning. He's the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega as we read in Revelation. But we know that this is the record of how things that we are familiar with began. 1s Now, the title Genesis is translated from the Greek. 1s The Septuagint was a Greek translation of the Hebrew writings. The original Hebrew just called this book “in the beginning.” And I love that. So often we'll see in the first five books of the Bible, the Hebrew title will be the first few words. And so that's just really neat, I think. But this is about the origins. This talks about how things came about. We know that the author is Moses. There's nowhere within Genesis where the authorship is ascribed to Moses. But later, in other parts, especially in Deuteronomy, we'll see that the Lord told Moses to write these things down. And we also see that Jesus ascribes the authorship of the law and these first books to Moses. And we read about that in John's Gospel in John chapter 5. And if Jesus says Moses was the author, then that's all we need, really. But in John chapter 5, at the end, he had been talking to some of the religious leaders and talking to them about how they wouldn't believe him, and they didn't fully believe the law because the law and the prophets were all foretelling about him. And we see here in   John, chapter five, beginning in verse 45, it says, “do not think that I will accuse you to the Father” (This is the Lord Jesus talking) “There is one who accuses you, Moses, on whom you have set your hope for if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” And that's the same for us. I hear and have heard, in my lifetime, about people who claim to be Christians or Christ followers. And they say, “oh, we don't need to worry about what's in the Old Testament. Jesus came. That Old Testament is obsolete and so we don't even need to study it or think about it.” But I would beg to differ. We see the love of God for his people. We see the story of grace and mercy and redemption and forgiveness starting all the way back in Genesis. And we even have a foreshadowing or a little bit of prophecy about Jesus in Genesis, 3:15. And so we see that story of Jesus and the love of God for his creation woven all the way from Genesis to Revelation. But I just wanted to show you that about Jesus confirming who the author was. So, if someone asks you, you'll be able to point and say, well, Jesus said it was so and so we will take his word for it. Or I would encourage you to do that. That's where faith comes in, friends. 1s 

We know that Moses wrote this. We know that God gave him these probably on Mount Sinai, because we know that the events that are in Genesis, even the events that are at the end of Genesis, occurred about three centuries before Moses was born. But God gave him all this information. 2s and he wrote it down. And so, we have that now. And it's such a blessing, such a blessing to go back. But where we are parked today is right at the beginning. Where else do you need to start? Right?

 2s Let's just kick off here. It says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And you know what is neat, and I mentioned this a few minutes ago, he was there before the beginning. He had to be there before the beginning because how else would he have been able to create? He is the one true, living, eternal God. He's ever present. He's all powerful. He's all knowing. And it's just hard for us to wrap our minds around that. But that's another one of those things that we just need to go on by faith. Now, you will find, and you probably know this if you've been with me over this last year, but if you're new to the podcast, you will find that I take the scripture very literally. I believe that it is the inerrant word of God. I believe that if it is in here, it is true. And that the sum of all of God's word is truth. Jesus, when he was praying back to the Father, said that. He said, your word is truth. Sanctify them in your truth. And so, I believe that this is true. And so, when we read here that the Lord created the heavens and the earth over a span of six days and rested on the 7th day, I believe that to be true. We are warned throughout Scripture about 1s trying or making sure that we don't try to fit our human wisdom to understand the Lord. His ways, as I mentioned before, are much higher than our ways. His thoughts are much higher than our thoughts. His wisdom is completely different than our wisdom. And so, again, I believe that's where faith comes in. But I want you to see here in the beginning, God, when we look in the original Hebrew, that word for God is Elohim. Elohim is plural. It is not singular. And so, I truly believe that the Trinity was there. I think we can back that up with scripture. I believe it was God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit who were there as one, one true God in three persons. I don't understand all of that, but I do believe that it is true. 1s We see that Jesus talks about how he's one with the Father and he and the Father are one. We see that in the Gospels and then also we see in the Gospel of John 1:1. And remember that the Gospel writer John was one of the original apostles. He walked with the Lord Jesus during his earthly ministry. He talked with the Lord Jesus. He saw him heal. He saw him do miracles. He saw all the things. He saw him after he was crucified. He saw him after he was resurrected. He saw Him ascend back to heaven. And so, he had personal one on one, in person encounters with the Lord Jesus. And he begins his Gospel in this way. He says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him. And without Him was not anything made that was made.” So, when we read, “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”, it truly means that. I truly believe that this is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. And then as we go into the second verse of Genesis, genesis 1:2, it says, “The earth was without form and void and darkness was over the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water.” So, the Spirit was there too, friends. And so, I think we could see that it was the Holy Trinity that was there in creation all together. We see in Colossians, and I think we may have mentioned this even yesterday about the beginning and about creation and how Jesus was there. 1s We see in Colossians 1:15. He, Jesus, “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through Him and for Him.” And so why would I want to talk about that? It's because of that right there: would we want to talk about Jesus, because He is the way, the truth and the life. He was part of the plan from the beginning, from before the beginning. God knew what would happen. He knew that there would need to be a plan of salvation. And even though He had plans to do all the things that He did before Jesus came, He could see from the beginning to the end. And Jesus was there. The Holy Spirit was there. God was there during creation, in the beginning. And why is it important for us to think about this? Why is it important for us to meditate on this? Well, I think there's a lot of reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is if we think about it, to make a way for us to have access to make a way for us to have relationship with heart to make a way for us to live eternally. Even though we can’t earn it, even though there's nothing that we could do to be seen as righteous on our own. 2s If we think about that the Lord went to such lengths. God had a plan and then the Lord Jesus carried it out. He was obedient to that plan so that we could have relationship with Him. And then we think about who we get to have relationship with. The Creator of everything that ever was invisible and visible. The Creator of us, the Creator of the universe, the Creator of all things. He has made a way for us to have relationship with Him and then just the fact that He's done that should make us want to erupt in praise, erupt in worship and thanksgiving. And we see about that in Revelation. 

We see when John the gospel writer was allowed to have a vision of the throne room of heaven and the Lord told him to write the things down that he would see. He was allowed to be in this throne room. And he says after this in chapter four of Revelation, “after this I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said come up here and I will show you what must take place after this. And at once I was in the spirit. And behold a throne stood in heaven with one seated on the throne. And he who sat there had the appearance of Jasper and Carnelian. And around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald. Around the throne were 24 elders and seated on the throne were 24 elders clothed in white garments with golden crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder. And before the throne were burning seven torches of fire which are the seven spirits of God. And before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass like crystal. And around the throne, on each side of the throne are four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. The first living creature like a lion the second living creature like an ox the third living creature with the face of a man and the fourth living creature like an eagle in flight. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings are full of eyes all around and within and day and night they never cease to say holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever. The 24 elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before or the throne, saying, worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” The reason it's important for us to think about this and meditate on this, I think this first day of the year is God deserves our worship and praise. He deserves the glory. If that's what's happening in heaven and someday, we're going and get to be a part of this, let us do this now! He is so worthy of all the glory and honor and praise. 

In chapter five of Revelation, they talk about the one who's seated at the right hand of God, which is Jesus, and he is likewise worthy. He was so worthy because He's the one who was slain for you and for me. And so as we start this beginning of the year, in the beginning, thinking about what God did in creating the heavens and the earth and then creating a plan of salvation, making a way for us to have access to Him, to have a relationship to Him, to be seen as children of His, to be joint heirs with Jesus, of all the spiritual blessings that we read about and many more that we probably won't ever understand until we get there, I just want to encourage you on this first day of the year to stop and thank Him and praise Him and tell him how worthy he is, to thank Him for what he's done, to thank Him for loving you so because he deserves it. Friends. He deserves all the glory and honor and praise. 

I want to remind you that one of the primary purposes that I have for this podcast is to give God the glory, to encourage you to spend time with Him, to encourage you to know Him more. He wants us to know Him more. And I just want to close out today's episode with some more descriptions throughout Scripture of what he has done and the fact that He is our Creator and that He was there in the beginning. We read even in Revelation, he's the beginning, he's the Alpha, the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. And may this time that you spend thinking about these other scriptures that describe just the awesomeness of our Creator God, caused you to love Him more, to worship Him more, and to thank Him more.

I want to read some of these passages, some of these in the Lord's words. And I love this because we see that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” We’ve talked about how He deserves all our glory, all the glory, all our worship, all our honor that given to Him, all of the praise. And I want you to hear what He told what he told to Job when He was having an encounter with Job at the end of the book of Job. In chapter 38, beginning in verse four, he says, “where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding, who determined its measurements? Surely you know. Or who stretched the line upon it, on what were its basis sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy, or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors and said, thus far shall you come and no farther and here shall your proud waves be stayed. Have you commended the morning since your days begin and cause the dawn to know its place, that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?” And he goes on and on. But I think he would say the same to us. Let us not take this for granted friends. Think about just the gravity and the awesomeness of what he's done.

 Then look here in Psalm chapter 33, beginning in verse six, it says, “by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breadth of his mouth all their host. He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap, he puts the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spoke, and it came to be; He commanded and it stood firm.” That is our God. That is the same God who wants a relationship with you and with me. And we have that opportunity through the Lord Jesus Christ. And then I want you to hear this in Isaiah 42, beginning in verse five, “Thus says God the Lord,” (I love it any time in Scripture where it says, ‘thus says the Lord’, or ‘And the Lord said’, 1s I think we should pay very close attention to that anytime we could think about His words, His word, anything that came directly from Him to another person. But it says, “Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk in it. I am the Lord. I have called you in righteousness. I will take you by the hand and keep you. I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison, those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord that is my name. My glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass and new things I now declare before they spring forth I tell you of them.” I love that! That is our God. That is the One we worship. And He deserves all our glory and honor and praise.

Friends, I encourage you to think about these things today. Think about what He has done. Give Him all the praise and all the honor and all the glory that you can today. And the more that you thank Him, the more that you praise Him, the more you give Him the glory, the more He increases your faith. And may He be glorified in all that we do and all that we say. And I'll close with this. “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him and the Son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen and also the beast of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. Blessings to you, friends. Until next time.