“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 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 waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”-Genesis 1:1-3
I was reading a review by Warren Berkley of a book entitled How God Interacts with You1. The author under discussion was T.D. Roberts and in his book he listed three facts related to God in the first verse of the Bible. It was the spark for this article. I have only read Roberts’ book as it is quoted by Berkley. The latter writer, I read regularly and commend to you.
Since I am not as accomplished as Berkley or Roberts, I have expanded the source material for this article substantially! Where their observations come from a lone verse, I will need three verses from Genesis chapter one to fill a page.
V1: There was a time in which God existed before the heavens and earth. To create all things, God had to be before all things. God is not subject to time. God is not future or past. As the LORD told Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”-Exodus 3:14.
V2: The earth was in a state of chaos and emptiness. Without God, earth has no meaning, no shape, no light. Yet, God’s presence was there in the darkness. God is Spirit (John 4:24) and in all places at all times. “Where shall I go from your Spirit?…”-Psalm 139:7-12.
V3: God spoke and there was light. God did not need to work in this creative act. His word is the LORD’s will. Speech is just the expression of thought. Our God willed it to be so, and it was so. “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”-Hebrews 11:3.
If you summarize the first three verses of the book of beginnings, you have a perfect portrait of Jesus.
V1: God is eternal and exists before creation. As the Father, so the Son: “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. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”-Colossians 1:16-17.
V2: The LORD God was present in the world by his Spirit. Jesus is with us by his Spirit: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”-Romans 8:9.
V3: Our heavenly Father sent light into this world by his word. Jesus is the Word become flesh: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”-John 1:1. Our Lord is light: “Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”-John 8:12.
If your life is empty and without form. You can turn to the God who brings order when there is confusion. You can know the one true God is with you. You can know God’s gracious will and do it because he spoke and we can hear.
Let’s close with some observations about the nature of God from an apostle of our Savior. Peter is discussing the end of the world. Much like the Genesis account, he notes that God is outside of time, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”-v8. God’s word created the earth in the beginning; “the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God.”-v5. God’s final word will destroy this world, “by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire,”-v7.
We believe God created the heavens and the earth. We believe God keeps his word; “according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwell.”-v13. Let all God’s children praise him!
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