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James Philip Daily Readings

Reading 1 of book 01genesis

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Genesis 1:1

?¹In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
(ESV).

"In the beginning God . . ." There is a solemn majesty in these opening words that makes us want to fall down and worship, They are so sublime and confront us with mystery so profound that it were almost an impertinence to comment upon them. In this, they bear witness surely, at the outset of the Holy Scriptures, to the need for an attitude of humble reverence on our part as we approach them. They remind us that we are but man, and that the place whereon we stand is holy ground.

They also provide a key to the proper understanding of the book as a whole, in that they indicate that its purpose is religious and not scientific. It was not written primarily to reveal the secrets of Creation, but to make known the plan of redemption and it should not be consulted as if it were a scientific treatise. We should read these opening chapters not to see whether what they say about creation tallies with the statements made by geologists and biologists, but as a word from the Lord; and, as such, it will be not so much something to satisfy our intellectual curiosity, as something to meet our spiritual hunger and need, This does not, of course, mean that the questions that face us in relation to science and religion are not important, but there are more important questions, and it is these that the Scriptures concern themselves with, as we shall see. (We suggest that the whole chapter be read through in its entirety, before particular points are noted.)

Introduction to this Book
Genesis is so called because it is a book of beginnings, the beginning, as has been said, "of everything we, know, except God; the beginning of the universe, of man, of life, of death, of sin, of families, of the Sabbath, of the covenants, of nations, of languages, of cities, of culture, and even of redemption itself. It has been named, very beautifully and aptly, "a day-break book", for it is the book of the dawn, and there is a sense in which it is the seed-plot of the whole Bible. It is essential to grasp its significance if we are to have a true and adequate understanding of the Bible as a whole, and especially of the meaning of the New Testament. Its authorship is traditionally ascribed to Moses, and, notwithstanding the claims of modern criticism, we proceed on the assumption that this is so.

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About the readings
The first volumes were scanned in from printed form and adapted for electronic distribution by the late David Stay. Many thanks go to James and William Philip for making these available. We aim to continue adding to this resource until the whole Bible is completed. Please contact us with details of any transcription errors.