Here we are in the book of beginnings; the book that has been passed down the generations since the days of Moses, the one chosen by God to write His most holy Word. In this first chapter, God reveals amazing things about His character, about who He is.
I don’t believe we can realize the depth of what God shows us about Himself without looking at the Hebrew translations of some of the words used in this first chapter.
“In the beginning God:” In the Hebrew, God is Elohim, meaning plural, more than one—God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. How amazing that we see the Trinity in the very first sentence of the Bible.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Created in the Hebrew is bara ex nihilio, which means “created out of nothing.” God is the only one who ever took absolute nothing and made it something. From this verse in God’s Word we see that the first something that God created was time.
We next see the creation of space and matter. God created the universe and the very components that make it exist. Components that in themselves represent the essence of who He is, the blessed Trinity. If one component was missing, the universe would not exist—each component unique yet equally needed, all three working together to form the one universe.
In chapter one of Genesis, we are introduced to action verbs that give us insight into God. We read, “And the Spirit of God was moving.” The word moving in Hebrew is rachaph; it means to flutter, shake, move. The Spirit energized the earth, bringing it to life. The phrase “then God said” is often repeated in Genesis. The word “said” in Hebrew is “amar”, it means to command.; God commanded and it was. God always speaks with authority.
In verse four we read, “God saw.” The word saw in Hebrew is ra’ah. When God “ra’ah” His creation, it meant He approved, enjoyed, and joyfully looked upon it. Genesis 1:4 declares that “God separated.” Separated in Hebrew is badal; it means to divide, to distinguish, to utterly sever.
Then we see that “God called,” which in Hebrew is qara. It means He named with authority, He proclaimed and called out to, and He properly addressed His creation by name. When we read “God made,” in Hebrew it is “God asah” and means that He fashioned, He formed, and He finished.
In verse seventeen, “God placed,” or Elohim nathan,which tells us God appointed, ordained, occupied. He appointed the occupancy of the lights in the sky exactly where He ordained them.
One of the last action verbs in chapter one is “God blessed.” Blessed in Hebrew is barak. It means to praise, to salute, to adore. Have you ever considered the thought that God looked over all His creation, which included man, which includes you, and he adored it?
When we look at Genesis chapter one in light of the Hebrew translations of our English words, we can see intricate details that have oftentimes been overlooked, details that expound upon the character of our Creator. Our God did not flippantly throw the world together. He created with power and authority, with care and precision, and with great joy and adoration. My precious one, spend today resting in the realization that your Elohim addresses you by name and He adores you.
Oh Father,
I praise you, for you are the beginning of all. You created out of nothing.
You spoke, and the earth formed.
You commanded, and the light obeyed. You control time, space, and matter. You shape and form the very dust of the earth, every star in the sky. You alone put the sun in its place, and by your word, it shines.
Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”
Psalm 147:4 says, “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.”
You uphold all things by the word of your power (Hebrews 1:3).
My Jesus, you are Creator of all things (John 1:3), and all things were created through you and for you (Colossians 1:16).
You are the center of the universe, the beginning and the end.
Worthy are you, my Jesus, the Lamb, standing as if slain (Revelation 5:6).
Slain for my redemption, to pay my debt, to reconcile me to you, my Father God. Slain to make me holy, to be my righteousness, to bring me life. Slain to bring me back to where God said it was good.
Oh thank you, my Elohim! You are all this and more, and yet still you adore me. Oh may your Holy Spirit fill me, teach me, guide me, and create in me a clean and pure heart. May you, my Father, be able to joyfully look upon me.
My Jesus, it’s in your name I pray,
Amen
