Creation is in perfect submission to its creator.
"Then God said..." - Did God need to speak to creation to create it? Why couldn't he have simply thought creation into existence? There are two reasons why this exact expression is used here:
- Anthropomorphic - The phrase is figurative language used to describe something God is doing on a human level. The greatest scientists and thinkers in the world would not be able to comprehend the proceses involved with God creating the world out of nothing. Is 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are My ways your ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." Nevertheless, God has given us some means to unserstand Him by describing His incomprehensible acts with language we can understand.
- Theological - This means the expression "God said" is teaching us something about who God is. Think about it this way:
In this illustration, God, represented by the circle, is acting through his words to create. Now, consider this verse, speaking about Jesus Christ: Col 1:16 "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him." (Italics mine)
So Paul understood it this way:
Therefore, it could be said: "Jesus is God's Word." John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."So the bible specifically says God speaks creation into existence because His words are actually Christ creating the world.
Now here is Jesus in the third verse of the bible. To recap:
- God (the Father) - Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God..."
- Holy Spirit - Genesis 1:2 "And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
- Jesus - Genesis 1:3 "Then God said..."
There, in the first three verses of the bible, is the Triune God!
Wow, Jesus in the third verse of the Bible? Awesome!
ReplyDeleteDid the Hebrews/Israelites/Jews believe in any form of the trinity? This is why I ask:
The "Shema" is a statement commonly recited in Judaism based on Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, beginning "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One." Obviously, this advocates God's unity and singularity.
What does Judaism say about the Holy Spirit? Is He considered a part of God in a triune sense or is He just an essence of God?
We just talked about how God spoke creation into existence in Ex-Deut. He mentioned that in Luke when he calmed the storm he did so by rebuking it and the professor made the point that the disciples may have started making a connection.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to Austun, I wonder if they saw the Holy Spirit more as God's "active force" like the JWs. I don't know.
I like this blog.
ReplyDeleteAustin and Ian, thanks for checking it out. I am praying that those who read it will be blessed by the Lord. Thankyou both for your question (Austin) and comment (Ian). Austin, I edited the Gen 1:2 post so it has your question and an attempted answer. You asked a really good question and I have spent the better part of the night studying to answer it. Both of you, let me know what you think.
ReplyDeleteThanks honey. Im glad you like it.
ReplyDeleteSeeing Jesus in Gen 1.3 may be a bit anachronistic from a historical point of view, but from a theological and canonical point of view it seems possible.
ReplyDeleteCliff