Scripture begins with this sober statement. But although simple, this statement is comprehensive. There is one God and He is the Maker of all. It literally says that this was “in beginning”. Not God’s beginning, because God has no beginning, He is not subject to time. God was and all things were made (John 1:3). God himself is the beginning and origin of everything. In (a) beginning God spoke and it came to pass (Ps.33:9).
all in Himself
God will one day be all in all (1 Cor.15:28). Now God is all in Christ, for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9). Before Genesis 1:1, God was all in Himself, but apart from Him there was nothing, until He created the heavens and the earth. Everything has its origin in God, everything is the work of His hands. This truth is the starting point and we find it as a refrain throughout the Bible (including Ps.33:6, 136:5, John 1:10; Col.1:16 Heb.11:3).
Acts 17
24 The God who makes the world and everything in it (…)
theos
God created everything, this world and everything in it, nothing is excepted. The Greek concept Theos, which is rendered God in our translations, means Placer. God orders all things and gives everything a place.
Relatively speaking, there are many “gods,” Paul also says (1 Cor.8:5). People and powers that are placed above others and in that sense are “determiners”. But in the absolute sense there is only one God (1 Cor.8:6) and in Acts 17:24 it also says: the God. He is unique and above all and therefore everything is subordinate to Him.
also Creator of evil
In the religious world God is not recognized as God, the Creator and Placer of everything (Eph.3:9). One cannot digest that God is also the Creator of evil. He also made the serpent (Gen.3:1). When it comes to Satan, Scripture teaches that he has been sinning from the beginning (1 John 3:8). He was made that way. People try to explain this away by making Satan “a fallen angel,” but that is just a distraction. Because even if this were the case, you would always end up with God. Because who made him so that he could “fall”?
Isaiah 45
5 I am YAHWEH, and there is none else; besides Me there is no God (…).
6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the setting thereof, that there is none besides me; I am YAHWEH, and there is none other.
7 Creator of light and Creator of darkness, Author of well-being and Creator of evil; I, YAHWEH, do all these things.
His plan
God uses evil (Job 2:10), sin (Rom.5:20), and disobedience (Rom.11:32) for His purpose and plan. He is the beginning of everything, but everything also has its destination in Him. The way from beginning to end is completely in His hands. We often do not understand why God does things the way He does them, but we know Him as a good and loving God, who determines it that way and we can trust that what our Father does is good. We know His end goal and that is the reconciliation of the universe (Col.1:20). Everything we experience as evil, He makes work together for good (Rom.8:28).
Is that why people in the religious world distrust God so much? People do not know His wonderful purpose and have made God a monster of devilish proportions, who will torment and torture the majority of His creatures indefinitely in hell. With such a “god” evil is indeed not in good hands.
Joseph
Joseph knew and testified to the truth that God is the Placer of all things (Gen.45:8; 50:20). He walked a path of humiliation to ultimately be exalted and become the savior of the house of Jacob (Gen.45:7) and the whole world. The new name Joseph received, Shaphenath-Paneach (Gen.41:45), means: Savior of the world. Joseph is a beautiful type of Christ, who died and went a way of suffering and death for His people Israel and became the Savior of the world (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14).
Romans 11
32 For God shuts all up together in restraint, that He might have mercy on all.
33 O the depth of the riches and of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!
34 For who knew the mind of the Lord? Or: who became his advisor?
35 Or, who gives to Him first, and it will be repaid to him?
36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things: To Him be the glory forever and ever! Amen!