Bereshis 1:1-6 Orthodox Jewish Bible
1 In the beginning Elohim created hashomayim (the heavens, Himel) and haaretz (the earth).
2 And the earth was tohu vavohu (without form, and void); and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the face of the waters.
3 And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light [Tehillim 33:6,9].
4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was tov (good); and Elohim divided the ohr (light) from the choshech (darkness).
5 And Elohim called the light Yom (Day), and the darkness He called Lailah (Night). And the erev (evening) and the boker (morning) were Yom Echad (Day One, the First Day, Mk 16:2).
6 And Elohim said, Let there be a raki’a (expanse, dome, firmament) in the midst of the mayim (waters), and let it divide the mayim from the mayim.
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.
In the Bible we have God’s great story of the world from its beginning to its end.
This story includes not only mind numbing complexity and wondrous beauty but also great tragedy and sorrow.
One of the golden threads woven into this story focuses on the world’s true King. Who is this King, and what does true kingship look like on the earth?
In the Bible’s opening verses we can hear God speaking.
In the ancient world, no one could make things happen the way a king could by just speaking.
If the king said, “Let there be a banquet,” the obedient servants jumped into action. “Your wish is our command,” they would say.
In Genesis, God speaks as King, and the cosmos itself springs into being.
God can even make something out of nothing!
Light and darkness, day and night, water and sky, sun and moon, vegetation and creatures.
Whole arenas of life are formed and filled.
And the King says, “It is good.”
This Creator King builds by speaking, and his lordship over all things is put on display.
Ancient kings in their earthly kingdoms would build temples, palaces, and vast gardens. Creator King has spoken, built the marvelous temple-palace-garden complex that is creation, the whole universe, including our own earthly home.
The world in which we “live and move and have our being” exists because our King continues to speak and uphold its existence (Colossians 1:16-17). Amazing!
Appreciate this thought: There is, was will never a time when God did not exist. Before there was time, before there was anything at all, there was always God.
Hebrews 13:8 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
8 Jesus Christ, yesterday, and to day; and the same for ever.
And since His nature is unchanging, so He has also always existed in the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen!
When we are reading the Bible, we discover each member of the Holy Trinity was involved in creation: God the Father took the initiative, God the Holy Spirit is described as “hovering over” the proceedings, and God the Son was the agent of creation in all that was made (Genesis 1:2-3; John 1:3).
“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small”[1] should leave us in awe; they were all fashioned by God’s command.
1 Cecil F. Alexander, “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (1848).
And He is not only the Creator of all; He is also the King, the Lord of all that He has created. All of nature is quite literally, by, in His hands, under His control.
As we visually try to picture waves crashing against ancient shorelines, it’s wonderfully encouraging to know each one is there as a direct result of God’s sovereign rule. He hasn’t stepped away from His creation, nor will He ever.
It’s so vitally important to remember God is also transcendent. He is sitting on His throne, above, beyond, fully unique and distinct from all that He has made.
This is what distinguishes Christianity from pantheism.
It is the idea that the natural world is a manifestation of God and therefore literally every single thing is somehow a part of Him.
With this belief, we dare not kill a fly, step on an ant – those insects are divine.
Similarly, we should not chop down a tree or eat meat, because these too are “parts of God.”
Teachings like these are mistaken and misguided and tend to lead to idolatry.
Scripture makes it crystal clear that time and time again that people will choose to worship “the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).
When we see a great painting, we rightly admire and enjoy the painting, and then we praise the painter. All of creation is God’s canvas, and all of it speaks of “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature” (v 20).
Only God is to be worshiped, for creation exists by His power and for His glory.
His existence knows no beginning or end, and He will reign forever.
He is the King.
Today, exalt Him as He alone deserves.
Go for a walk or look out of the window and sing praises to Him as you see His beauty displayed in what He has made.
Humble yourselves! Praise Him, Honor Him, Glorify Him, Worship Him, as He continues to rule over His creation, and for holding you in His sovereign hand.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …
Praying ….
Psalm 23 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
23 On the first day of the week, a psalm for David. The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof: the world, and all they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas; and hath prepared it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 The innocent in hands, and clean of heart, who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Saviour.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in.
8 Who is this King of Glory? the Lord who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: and the King of Glory shall enter in.
10 Who is this King of Glory? the Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.
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.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 