Realizing from the very beginning of everything: it has always been about God’s loving God’s creative Presence. Genesis 1:1-5

Genesis 1:1-5 Complete Jewish Bible

Parashah 1: B’resheet (In the beginning) 1:1–6:8

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was unformed and void, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the water. ³ Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and God divided the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. So there was evening, and there was morning, one day.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Have you ever stood on top of a cliff, have you ever watched a seagull or a tern that seems to just hang in the air over the waters? The wind may be blustering waves and waters roaring, but the bird still soars calmly over the rough ocean.

That image of hovering over turbulent waters is how the Bible first describes the Spirit of God. The word for “hovering” indicates a high degree of care, even concern, in its action, and it is unmistakably linked to the behavior of protective birds that brood over their nests, guarding and keeping their clutch warm and safe as it develops. From the beginning the Holy Spirit, in his protective love, hovered over the surface of the unformed deep and even now, continues to care.

The story of creation in Genesis was given to God’s people at a time when other stories about the beginning of the world were filled with themes of violence and chaos. Into that unsettled situation, the Genesis story came as a blessed gift revealed God’s purposeful, loving intention to make all things good, beautiful.

At the time, it would have sounded far different from the other creation stories.

And because love and goodness are at the center of this story, it continues to invite people to know God as the loving, protective Creator that he is. As we’ll explore, discover, many other passages in the Bible also teach us something about “in the beginning God ….” through the imagery of the creation story.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Psalm 19 Complete Jewish Bible

19 ⁽⁰⁾ For the leader. A psalm of David:

^2 (1) The heavens declare the glory of God,
the dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands.
^3 (2) Every day it utters speech,
every night it reveals knowledge.
^4 (3) Without speech, without a word,
without their voices being heard,
^5 (4) their line goes out through all the earth
and their words to the end of the world.

In them he places a tent for the sun,
^6 (5) which comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber,
with delight like an athlete to run his race.
^7 (6) It rises at one side of the sky,
circles around to the other side,
and nothing escapes its heat.

^8 (7) The Torah of Adonai is perfect,
restoring the inner person.
The instruction of Adonai is sure,
making wise the thoughtless.
^9 (8) The precepts of Adonai are right,
rejoicing the heart.
The mitzvah of Adonai is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
^10 (9) The fear of Adonai is clean,
enduring forever.
The rulings of Adonai are true,
they are righteous altogether,
^11 (10) more desirable than gold,
than much fine gold,
also sweeter than honey
or drippings from the honeycomb.
^12 (11) Through them your servant is warned;
in obeying them there is great reward.

^13 (12) Who can discern unintentional sins?
Cleanse me from hidden faults.
^14 (13) Also keep your servant from presumptuous sins,
so that they won’t control me.
Then I will be blameless
and free of great offense.

^15 (14) May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be acceptable in your presence,
Adonai, my Rock and Redeemer.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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