Every Story Has a Beginning… Creation

In the beginning… Creation.

Creation was a stack of miracles

I generally consider myself to be a creative person. I write, paint, draw, etc. But that just means I make something new from stuff I have. I repurpose. I reuse. Like I take words and move them around in interesting ways. Or I use drywall tape to provide a unique texture in a mixed0media art piece.

But only God can make something everything from nothing.

Despite the first 10 words of Genesis being “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” Genesis 1:1 wasn’t the beginning of everything. How do I know? Because of the first 4 words, “In the beginning, GOD…”

God existed before He began His Creation work. He is eternal – without beginning or end. He existed in a plural form: ELOHIM – a Hebrew word that emphasizes His majesty and power – is used 32 times in Genesis chapter 1. It is plural (not singular, meaning only 1; and not dual, meaning 2.) It has to mean 3 or more. And Creation is credited to the Father (Acts 4:24), to the Son (John 1:1-3), and to Holy Spirit (Psalm 104:30).

In fact, God started the Creation with a dark, formless, and empty mass with the Holy Spirit brooding over the waters.

First, God forms

God began with light – even before He created the sun and stars. Since He Himself is light, this isn’t a stretch for my imagination. He also began with separation. Light and darkness. Waters above and waters below. Land and waters. And He formed plant life to cover the lands.

Then, He fills

Once His backdrop was formed, He began to fill it up. On Day 4, God added to the heavens and assigns work to the sun, moon, and stars. Day 5 fills the sky and waters with all manner of birds and fish – which He now BLESSES in addition to calling His work “good.”

We marvel that Jesus’ command for Simon and Drew to cast their nets again almost sank their boat with a crazy number of fish. But Jesus was AT Creation. He was there when Father God spoke and fish became from nothing. So of course He had the power to direct the fish into a net or calm and waves and wind He witnessed being made.

Land animals come on Day 6 as does Man – made in the image of God. Did you get that? We are created by God. We are created in God’s image – with an inner spiritual nature to worship Him. Also we were made to have dominion over Creation (Genesis 1:26, 28). And as Creator, God deserves our worship, praise, and obedience. Obedience is a direct sign of love. (Revelation 4:11)

Finally, we are to be good stewards of His Creation. He left us in charge. We should be mindful of our impact on His world around us.

What it means for me:

I must pay close attention to God’s words. We have His love letter, the Bible. So whenever I read it and see God speaking, I must pay close attention, knowing this is the same voice that spoke Creation into existence. Also, when I sense HIm speaking to me, I cannot afford to ignore Him.
I must see His patterns. First, God forms. Then, He fills. He created each of us and desires to fill us to be used for His glory. He also calls us as His children to separate ourselves from the sinful world.
I must praise. As I experience the beauty of each day, I am compelled to offer a sacrifice of praise for the complexity of Creation, both in part and as a whole – from the silly squirrel outside my window to the Grand Canyon.

As we study these Old Testament miracles, I challenge you to see them and the entire Old Testament in the light of Jesus and His Holy mission.