The Spirit of Creation

The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Genesis 1:1

Observe

The opening two verses of the Bible reveal a lot about life and the nature of our existence, and the mention of God’s Spirit provides a good starting place for our journey too. 

This piece of detail at the outset of scripture does a couple of things. It tells us something quite crucial about who God is and it stirs up our intrigue about what’s about to happen. 

God’s nature:

The noun used in the original language for God in these verses is a plural word that could equally be translated as ‘gods’ however the use of singular verbs makes it clear that we’re being told about one, singular, God. Here then, in the opening verse of scripture, is hidden an insight not fully appreciated at the time, but understood now in the light of Jesus’ coming, that God is three-in-one. God, we know now, is one God but three persons and that each person is fully God. God the Father-Son-Spirit is a being completely unlike any thing else we come across on Earth. 

To substantiate this God as plural-yet-singular from the creation account look at how things happen: 

• The writer describes the creation process as taking place by God, in response to his Word and through his Spirit (an idea that is developed further still in later parts of the Bible). 

• Then, when God creates Adam he says: ‘let us make man in our image.’ Surely a confusing phrase without the revelation of Jesus in the New Testament. 

The intrigue:

The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

What a beautiful picture. The image is that of a gale breezing across a cloudy, murky ocean but not a senseless wind or gust of air but the person of God himself. The Spirit of God, the life or breath of God but not a personless vapour, but the person of God the Spirit. He is hovering, not just blowing. He is waiting, brooding and preparing for the word to come. He is looking out for the green light to show, for creation’s symphony to begin. 

The Spirit of God is eagerly anticipating what God is going to issue him to do and even as he waits he is now drawing together and holding the waters together, sustaining them in readiness for what’s to come. 

As if creating something out of nothing isn’t hard enough, to then expect life to develop out of non-life is surely a stretch too far for most people’s imaginations. In the opening verses of the Bible we’re not expected to just wish life into being or marvel at the random chaotic mystery of it all. Instead we see God creating and now the Spirit of God waiting, waiting for the time to inject life into lifeless matter. 

God didn’t simply play a game of cosmic roulette, walk away and hope for the best. God created and nurtured his creation, gently, lovingly, thoughtfully bringing it to life by the power of his word and the life of his Spirit. 

O this is a beautiful picture, one’s imagination can’t help but run away with itself. The world, far from being a cold, unfeeling and brutal reality is super-charged with the activity of God. The Spirit of God is like a mother hen sitting atop her eggs, waiting, eagerly anticipating the safe passage of her loved ones into the world. The Holy Spirit was not an afterthought of later writers of scripture, or an invention of lively churches but an active agent in creation. He lovingly nurtured life into existence in the partnership and enthusiasm of the three-in-oneness of God. 

Prayer

Almighty God, I thank you for the created world around me. Thank you that it is not merely a ‘natural’ world made up of nature, but a created world brought about by a loving creator.

Please help me today to see your awesome, powerful and loving hand at work in the world around me. I choose to today to trust that even when I cannot make sense of everything that goes on, I will trust your good, guiding hand in and through it all.

Amen.