Genesis 1 Cosmology Study
This study will be based in the KJV. It’s recommended to use the scripture below if you do not have your own KJV Bible and have a pen and paper available to take notes. Feel free to use another translation for comparison when needed. If you feel comfortable taking notes in your Bible you can do so there otherwise a journal is recommended to keep all your subsequent studies in one place.
In preparation, take a few minutes to read through the passage, marking all mentions of the words: earth, waters, firmament, heaven, light and stars. Mark related words as well (ex: seas). Once you’ve done so answer the questions below the passage.
Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.
17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.
19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
What does verse 1 say that God created in the beginning?
In verse 2 what three things are mentioned (hint: the faces of two of them are mentioned)?
How is the earth described in verse 2?
What does God place in the midst of the waters in verse 6?
What purpose does it serve?
Where are some of the waters located and where are the others located according to verse 7?
What name did God give it in verse 8?
What happened to cause dry land to appear and what was that dry land called in verses 9-10?
What was the gathered water called in verse 10?
What did God put in the firmament on the fourth day?
According to verses 14-15, what was their purpose? Make a list.
Look up the definition of signs in this verse. What does it say?
What are the great lights that God made and what was their function in verses 16-18? Make a list.
What else did He make in verse 16?
What area do the fowl fly in according to verse 20?
According to this chapter, how has you current understanding of cosmology differed from what the Bible says?
How does your current understanding of cosmology line up with scripture?
Is there anything you find hard to believe and why?
What would be the ramification or cost of your understanding of cosmology lining up completely with the Word of God?
Spend some time in prayer over what you’ve learned today. Ask the Lord Yah for wisdom, understanding and faith as well as discernment to distinguish truth and let go of any lies you may have previously believed.
As you continue through these studies, you will begin to develop a biblical framework for God’s creation related to cosmology. You may experience cognitive dissonance or other emotions along the way but stick with it. As scripture says, Satan has deceived the whole world (ref. Rev 12:9) but look at this study of Biblical Cosmology as a welcome challenge and opportunity to unlearn the lies and triumph in God’s truth for His glory.
