View from the Mt Holyoke Summit House, September 13th, 2025

Where did the universe come from? What is its purpose? How does our view of creation impact society? In this lesson we seek to understand how God created the universe, His relationship to it, and the purpose for which it was made.

All Things Were Made Through Him

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

God created the universe out of nothing; nothing but God existed before the universe was created.

Genesis 1:3 “Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”

God spoke all of creation into existence, except for humans. He fashioned us uniquely from the dust of the earth, gave us his breath, and we are the only ones made in His own image. This means that in our ability to rule, to reason, or to have relationships with others and God, we reflect Him. We are God’s representatives on earth. This was God’s design, and He declared it to be very good.

Scientific theories that do not see God as the Creator fail to give us the dignity that is given by the Biblical account. We are intelligently designed by God, and so you and I, are bearers of God’s image, made in His likeness. We are not highly developed animals or the descendants of apes. 

The Distinct but Dependent Creation

God is distinct from creation. He is totally independent of it. He existed before it did. He lives outside the created universe (yet His spirit lives within the elect). We can use two words to describe two places; the place where God has existed from all of eternity, and the other where all created things exist. These we call the temporal and the eternal. The temporal is where we are, along with everything else in creation. The eternal is where God is. This means that God is outside of time, as the scriptures say in 2 Peter 3:8, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.”

Now we’ll look at God’s relationship to creation.

1 Kings 19:11-13 “So he said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire the sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here Elijah?” 

What does this passage reveal to us about God and creation? As we just learned, God is outside of the temporal realm, the created realm. This means that we do not find God in creation, rather creation points us back to God. A book can tell us things about the author – does he think simply or intricately?  A painting tells us a little bit about the painter – is he patient and detailed, or impulsive and sloppy? A piece of music can reveal things about the composer – is he often cheerful or melancholy? Similarly, creation reveals to us things about God. 

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

Q: Based on this passage, what can we learn about God from creation? We learn about His eternal power and His divine nature. We learn about His otherness.

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” 

Now let’s flip the script for a moment. Let us consider the opposite of this truth, that God is not found in creation. What is the result of believing that He is in fact, one with and indwelling all created things? Compare the Native American societies with those of the European settlers. The Natives believed that spirits or deities indwelt the trees, rocks, rivers, animals, sun, moon, and stars. What do you think the result of this was? A society that lacked technological advancement. If I thought that God lived in a tree, I might be hesitant to cut that tree down for firewood. Perhaps, they held a misplaced reverence or even fear of nature and creation. In contrast, the Christian view is one of dominion, productivity (or fruitfulness), and stewardship. Practically, this looks like a society that is building, growing, and making new discoveries.

Genesis 1:18 “God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Q: What are some ways people today are fruitful (productive) or exercise rulership over creation? Authors,  tradesmen, managers, farmers, parents, students, teachers, etc. 

With that being said, God does not want us to exploit creation to the point of destroying it, we are stewards. For example, we should not cut down all the rainforests.

We’ve learned that God is not found in created things, but that these things point back to God. But does this mean that God is totally removed and distant from what He made? Is He the watchmaker, who winds up the watch enough to set the gears in motion but places it in a drawer, never to be opened? No. He is distinct from creation, but His relationship with it, and with us, is one of fellowship and involvement. 

Job 12:10 “In whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?”

Acts 17:24-28 “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His children.’”

God is not so removed from us that he cannot or will not be intimately involved in our lives and in our struggles. He is near. 

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Creation’s Purpose

Deep question : Why was creation made? What is its purpose?

Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.” 

Isaiah 43:7 “Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” 

All creation was made to give glory to God. His role as our creator makes Him worthy of our praise and glory. 

Jeremiah 10:12 “It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding stretched out the heavens.”

God created the universe to show His greatness, to demonstrate His excellence, and to delight in His work. As we take delight in creative activities, and the activities of others, we are giving glory to God by imitating the delight that He takes in His creation. 

Q:What are some ways that you will glorify God today? Work, enjoyment of a hobby, fellowship with friends and family, reading and learning, hearing God’s word, eating a good meal, taking a nap, etc. 

These are all good things, as God had declared from the beginning, that when He looked over everything that He made, it was “very good.” (Genesis 1:31)