The Beginning

The Beginning

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Genesis 1.1
 

Have you ever spent some quality time thinking of the introductory verse of the Bible? Some truncate the verse and stop too soon in quoting it. It does not only say, “In the beginning.” Nor does it only say, “In the beginning God.” It also does not declare that “In the beginning was God.” It says, “In the beginning God created.” (See Psalm 90.2)

What is suggested by the introductory statements is that there is a God and that He is not idle. Our Lord supports this supposition when He defended Himself before the Jews for healing on the Sabbath Day: “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” (John 5.17) In this, Jesus is saying that God, the Father, works * and that He, Jesus, being co-equal with the Father is actively involved even as His Father is active. **

The point of all of this is that God’s activity did not begin with Genesis 1.1. (Psalm 102.25) God never sat watching TV nor did He idle away His existence sipping tea in a recliner. We often think of our personal activities as related to morning, noon and evening. We grow tired and need rest. Paul exhorted his readers to, “not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6.9; II Thessalonians 3.13).

While we may guess at some of the things God was doing before Genesis 1.1, there are some things we can know for sure. The Three Persons of the Trinity were in a loving fellowship together planning the redemption of humanity, and decreeing the foundations of His kingdom. (John 17.24) Here are some things we know God was involved with prior to the “beginning.”

God was formulating the plan of redemption: God conceived the blueprint for salvation. Ephesians 1.4, 5 states that God chose those who would believe to be adopted as His children. And, His promise to His children is that each one would be conformed to the image of his Son. (Romans 8.29)

God was recording names in the Lamb’s Book of Life: Those who should be saved were chosen and their names were inscribed in the Lamb’s Book of Life before time began. A definitive line of demarcation exists between those written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and those simply written in the Book of Life (Book of the Living). At the point of death, the names of those who are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are blotted out of the Book of the Living. (Psalm 69.28) At the point of death for the followers of Christ, the names of those recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life realize their sealing and security. (Revelation 3.5) Their names will remain in both the Book of Life and the Lamb’s Book of Life and enjoy eternity with God.

God was preparing the Kingdom: God prepared a kingdom for His followers to inherit. The inheritance of this kingdom is described as having been prepared from the foundation of the world. (Matthew 25.34) It seems that this activity is still part of what God is doing now. (John 14.1-6)

God was creating the Spiritual Realm: Angels and the heavenly hosts were created sometime prior to the completion of the physical universe. According to Job 38.4-7, God laid the earth’s foundations while the “morning stars sang together.”

The Creation of the universe – the creation of you – was no afterthought. God planned it all – accomplished it all – and prepared it all for those who would trust in Him. If you are a follower of Christ, you are, indeed, a special individual.

 

* (present, middle deponent, indicative – ever continuously, personally {hands-on}, in the present)
** (present, middle deponent, indicative – same as the Father)