Genesis 1:1-5: Random thoughts
"1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. "
Who is God? He is, by definition, not human--totally different. He is creator, and we are creation. There is a fundamental difference, and the two can never be the same. We will always be created beings who were brought into existence. God, however, is eternal--and was before this world. Now, that thought always blows my mind. I used to get scared thinking of God just floating around in nothingness. I can't conceive existence without this world I live in. But God is above it, and has always been. This I can't really comprehend. But that is OK--because if I could know all there is about God, then I myself would be a knowledgeable--and thus divine. I must be satisfied with limited knowledge--it is the nature of humanity.
Who is God? According to Genesis, THEY (God) created the heavens and the earth? More than one God? ELOHIM is the term for God here, and it means "gods" literally. What gives? Three possibilities here.
1) There is more than one god mentioned here, or a heavenly counsel that includes angels and other heavenly types;
2) this is a royal "WE." Ancient kings used to refer to themselves as "WE" to indicate both the king and god were making a decision. Some suggest that the plural here indicates a kingly expression for God Almighty.
3) The Trinity may be expressed here by the plural noun. Thus, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in unity decide to create. This is Christian idea that was not in the mind of the Jewish writers, but may well be a part of the Revelation that Jesus brought to light when he came.
So which one is it? Since Judaism and Christianity only hold to one God (monotheism), then option 1 is out. I think the Jews probably understood ELOHIM to be a kingly reference to God Almighty. However, Christian interpretation sees the Trinity. Genesis explicitly shows the Father and the Spirit. Proverbs 8 indicates that "Wisdom" was present as well, showing an Old Testament element to a Christian Trinity. John 1 indicates that this Wisdom was the Word Jesus: "In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God." For me, the Christian interpretation of the Jewish ideas of God, Spirit, and Wisdom makes the most sense.
So, if he created everything in v.1, then why was it dark and void in v. 2? Did something go wrong? The simple answer is "No." Genesis 1:1 is a summary statement for the whole first chapter. 1:2 simply introduces the creative process. There is no need to see two creation stories here. Now, Genesis 2 is a different story. But Genesis 1 is a unified account with an introductory verse followed by the details.
"3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light."
What did God create when he created light? The sun and moon were made on Day 4. So, is this the concept of light? Is it just a physical reference, or did God create good and evil here as well? Note this: the Bible does not say God created darkness. He created light. Yet, the possibility for darkness exists if light is created. It could be simple: God created the foundation for physics and other foundational principles for life, setting the stage for specific creations on earth. It could also be an expression of morality--again a foundational principle for life, but this a spiritual reality matching the physical reality he is preparing to institute. Perhaps he did both. By creating light, he set the foundation for all of creation, physical and spiritual. Perhaps the angels and heaven itself were formed here in preparation for the rest of creation. We are given indications that before he created the earth he made the foundations of the earth. Maybe all this is entailed in light. See further Psalm 102:25, 104:5; Proverbs 3:19, 8:29.
2 Now the earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. "
Who is God? He is, by definition, not human--totally different. He is creator, and we are creation. There is a fundamental difference, and the two can never be the same. We will always be created beings who were brought into existence. God, however, is eternal--and was before this world. Now, that thought always blows my mind. I used to get scared thinking of God just floating around in nothingness. I can't conceive existence without this world I live in. But God is above it, and has always been. This I can't really comprehend. But that is OK--because if I could know all there is about God, then I myself would be a knowledgeable--and thus divine. I must be satisfied with limited knowledge--it is the nature of humanity.
Who is God? According to Genesis, THEY (God) created the heavens and the earth? More than one God? ELOHIM is the term for God here, and it means "gods" literally. What gives? Three possibilities here.
1) There is more than one god mentioned here, or a heavenly counsel that includes angels and other heavenly types;
2) this is a royal "WE." Ancient kings used to refer to themselves as "WE" to indicate both the king and god were making a decision. Some suggest that the plural here indicates a kingly expression for God Almighty.
3) The Trinity may be expressed here by the plural noun. Thus, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in unity decide to create. This is Christian idea that was not in the mind of the Jewish writers, but may well be a part of the Revelation that Jesus brought to light when he came.
So which one is it? Since Judaism and Christianity only hold to one God (monotheism), then option 1 is out. I think the Jews probably understood ELOHIM to be a kingly reference to God Almighty. However, Christian interpretation sees the Trinity. Genesis explicitly shows the Father and the Spirit. Proverbs 8 indicates that "Wisdom" was present as well, showing an Old Testament element to a Christian Trinity. John 1 indicates that this Wisdom was the Word Jesus: "In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God." For me, the Christian interpretation of the Jewish ideas of God, Spirit, and Wisdom makes the most sense.
So, if he created everything in v.1, then why was it dark and void in v. 2? Did something go wrong? The simple answer is "No." Genesis 1:1 is a summary statement for the whole first chapter. 1:2 simply introduces the creative process. There is no need to see two creation stories here. Now, Genesis 2 is a different story. But Genesis 1 is a unified account with an introductory verse followed by the details.
"3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light."
What did God create when he created light? The sun and moon were made on Day 4. So, is this the concept of light? Is it just a physical reference, or did God create good and evil here as well? Note this: the Bible does not say God created darkness. He created light. Yet, the possibility for darkness exists if light is created. It could be simple: God created the foundation for physics and other foundational principles for life, setting the stage for specific creations on earth. It could also be an expression of morality--again a foundational principle for life, but this a spiritual reality matching the physical reality he is preparing to institute. Perhaps he did both. By creating light, he set the foundation for all of creation, physical and spiritual. Perhaps the angels and heaven itself were formed here in preparation for the rest of creation. We are given indications that before he created the earth he made the foundations of the earth. Maybe all this is entailed in light. See further Psalm 102:25, 104:5; Proverbs 3:19, 8:29.
posted by Randy Rogers at
10:25 AM
3 Comments
