The Word of God – 2

Ge 1:1 ¶ In [the] beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep………

At an unspecified point in eternity past, ‘in beginning’, in Genesis, ‘of old’, in 2 Peter, God created the heavens and the earth, and this creation was perfect. God had done this by His Word – Jn 1:1 In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Between that recorded in Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 something happened that caused the earth to become without form and void and we can know this to be true by going to the Word of God and comparing Scripture with Scripture - Isa 45:18 For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.

The verse here from Isaiah, provides God’s own commentary on Genesis 1:1, and it states categorically that God did not create the earth ‘in vain’. The word that is translated ‘vain’ is the same word translated ‘void’ in Genesis 1:2, the Hebrew word, ‘tohu’.

And so, in Genesis 1:1 we read that God created the heavens and the earth.  Then at the beginning of verse 2 we read that the earth was ‘tohu’.

However, God has said through Isaiah that the earth was not created ‘tohu’.

So, if God did not create the earth, ‘tohu’ and yet it became that way, then clearly something took place that brought this about.

Just as an aside, as we know God’s affinity for numbers, it might interest us to know that the opening verse of Genesis consisting of ten words in English, is a translation of only seven words in the Hebrew. And seven is a number that God uses to show completion of that which is in view, and in this context, we would understand it to be completion in a perfect sense.

These seven Hebrew words are comprised of 28 letters, giving us four sets of seven.

And four is the number of creation with respect to the earth, four seasons, four points of the compass, four elements etc. And again, seven in this context, is the number of perfect completion.

God has underscored that which He has said with a numerical construct that further proves that in beginning when He created the heavens and the earth, this was perfectly done.

And of course, this perfectly formed creation was brought into existence, in beginning, to be ruled over and He created a ‘messianic angel’ and other angels with him to administer this task.

Rulership of the earth in conjunction with the heavens is at the heart of creation, and it can never change - Da 4:26…… the heavens do rule. 

We will continue next time, if the Lord is willing.