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| CREATION. |
Gloria Phifer
Genesis was written by Moses. The original audience was the
people of Israel. Date written 1450-1410 B.C. It was written in the wilderness
during Israel’s wanderings, somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula.
Welcome to “The Great Adventure.” Our traveling clothes are
on and we are returning to the very beginning “Genesis.”
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the
earth.
(All Hebrew and Greek are taken from Strong’s Concordance).
Hebrew for “beginning is “re’shiyth (ray-sheeth) “The first, in time, in place,
order or rank. (Specifically, a first fruit) First, chief, choice part.” It
came from another Hebrew word “rosh” “which means “to shake.”
Remember, Jesus was the First fruits raised from the dead.
God in Hebrew is “elohiym” (el-o-heem). The word is plural.
Deity. God.”
Here we see that
Elohiym is plural…The Trinity. As we will see, God The Father, God The Son, and
God, The Holy Spirit were all involved in creation.
Created in Hebrew is “bara’” (baw-raw) “To create, shape,
form. To shape, fashion, create (always with God as subject.) Something new. Of
miracles. Of birth. As formative processes. Of new conditions and
circumstances. Of transformations.”
Heaven “shamayim” (shaw-mah-yim). “To be lofty, the sky as
aloft; the dual, perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move,
as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies revolve. Air,
Heavens, sky, as the visible universe the sky. As abode of stars. Atmosphere.
Heaven, (as the abode of God.).
Earth “erets” (eh’rets) “Meaning to be firm. Whole earth (as
opposed to a part).
This was just the first sentence of Genesis in Hebrew…What stands out to you?
What stands out to me is that God is plural…showing the
Trinity. Also, the very beginning. The formative process of creation. The
visible universe that we can see in the sky. Also the visible arch that the clouds
move in.
I remember sitting on a plane
and as we flew I could see the arch of the sky over the earth.
Genesis 1:2 The earth was without form and void. This Hebrew word for form is “tohuw {(to-hoo)
“From an unused root meaning to lie waste. A desolation: a worthless thing, in
vain: confusion, empty place, without form, nothing, waste, wilderness.
Formlessness, confusion. Formlessness (of primeval earth) nothingness, empty
space. Wasteland, wilderness (of solitary places) place of chaos.”
Wow what are your thoughts? I find
it interesting that it was a place of chaos and confusion, a wasteland, a
solitary place.
Void in Hebrew is “bohuw (bo’hoo) “an unused root meaning to
be empty. A vacuity, and undistinguishable ruin: emptiness, void.
(This reminded me of when we do not have Christ in our lies.
There is an emptiness…a vacuity, a void. A wasteland longing to be filled.”)
Darkness was over the face of the deep. “Choshek (kho-shek).
“The dark, literally darkness; misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow,
wickedness, night, obscurity, secret place. To be or become dark, grow dim, be
darkened, be black, be hidden. To cause to be dark, to hide and conceal,
confuse.”
What are your thoughts about this
darkness that covered the face of the deep?
This darkness was upon the face of the deep. Hebrew for deep
is “thowm” (the-home’) “As abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the
deep (the main sea or the subterranean water –supply): deep, abyss, the grave,
primeval ocean, deep. To make an uproar, or agitate greatly, destroy, move,
make a noise, murmur, roar discomfit, be moved. To be in a stir. To show
disquietude.”
This deep was noisy.
Agitating. To made a roar. It was stirred up. And darkness was on the face of
this deep.
What are your thoughts? I would not have liked this. I do not like
darkness and this agitation and this roar.
Thank God for the next sentence.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Hebrew for Spirit is “ruwach” (roo-akh).
Wind, by resemblance, breath. A sensible (or even violent) exhalation;
figuratively, Life, anger, blast, breath, wind, breath, mind, spirit. Of
Heaven. Spirit of God, the third Person of the triune God, The Holy Spirit,
coequal, coeternal with the Father and The Son. Imparting warlike energy
and executive and administrative power. As energy of life. As manifest in
The Shekinah Glory.
To blow, breathe of delight.”
Wow, The Holy Spirit, The breath, the energy of life, the
manifestation of the Shekinah Glory of God. The Breath of life. Warlike energy.
The Holy Spirit is Elohiym…part of The Trinity.
Moved in Hebrew “rachaph” (raw-khaf) “To brood, to be relaxed,
flutter, move, shake. To hover.
Can you see, in your mind’s eye, the Spirit of God with His
presence expanded over this roaring darkness of deep? The Holy Spirit is The
Spirit of Life.
The Holy Spirit brooded and hovered over the darkness. This is
what He does in our lives when we are in darkness. He begins to work…to brood,
to hover over our darkness…showing us that we need a Savior. We need Light.
Lab footnotes: “The image of The spirit of God hovering over
the earth’s surface is similar to a mother bird caring for and protecting its
young (Deuteronomy 32:11-12, Isaiah 31; 5) God’s Spirit was actively involved
in the creation of the world (Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30) God’s care and protection
are still active.”
vs. 3 “And God (Elohiym) said (To say with great latitude,
command, declare, demand, speak, use speech, to be told.) “LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!” AND THERE WAS LIGHT.” (THE
WORD SPOKEN!!!)
(This was before the sun and the moon and stars in vs 14-19.)
So, what was this light? I believe it was God’s presence…He spoke and
there was Light!!! Somehow, in my thinking, the earth had been cut off from
God’s presence…His light…it had been hidden in darkness.
Light in Hebrew is “owr” (ore) “Illumination, luminary (in
every sense, including lightning, happiness, etc.) Light of day. Day break,
dawn, morning light. Light of prosperity. Light of instruction. Light of face.
Jehovah as Israel’s Light. To be or become Light!!!”
In our lives, after The Holy Spirit has been working in our
heart, He shows us “The Light” Jesus Christ…and when we accept Jesus Christ as
our Savior…the darkness is vanquished…we have come into the Presence, The Light
of God. No longer does darkness reign in our lives…Light reigns. Matthew 4:16, Luke 1:79, John 1:4, 9, And 19,
John 9:5, And Colossians 1:13.
