March 21, 2008
The content of the next four chapters is a slight deviation from the storyline of redemption, but is essential in order to establish a foundation for understanding the Creator's faithfulness to accomplish all that has been spoken through His prophets from of old. Please bear with me, as some of this may be new to many who have been taught something different. Satan is not the mastermind behind the fall of man. YHVH's sovereignty remains in tact, His will and Word govern His Kingdom and His purposes for the creation.
Let us now digress slightly from following the Divine Order in the family of Adam, and reflect on the Creation account in order to reinforce Elohim's faithfulness to His Word. His Word, as well as His Kingdom, is a manifestation of Himself. What YHVH says is what will be, for He calls Himself "I will be what/whom I will be" (literal Hebrew translation of Exodus 3:14 – E'he'ye Asher E'heye). His Spirit is the power that carries out what He decrees by His Word. Viewing His characteristic of consistency will help us better understand His Plan of Redemption, as revealed in the Creation process. This will also have significant implication upon our faith in the covenants, promises and prophecies that He would make at a later point.
The opening lines of Scripture, "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), comprise a statement of intent; as in the first verse of the second chapter it is written, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1). What took place then, between those two verses, was the process and order of creation, until its completion at the end of the sixth day, for "on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made" (Genesis 2:2).
According to Genesis 1:2, “The earth was without form and void…” Thus, the location where the creation process was to take place was called earth (eretz), although at that point it (the earth) had not yet taken its present form. This transformation would occur only on Day Three of the manifestation of Elohim’s Word.
"And darkness was on the face of the deep…" What kind of darkness was over the face of the deep, and how did this spiritual condition of darkness come about? We understand that at one point in eternity past there was an angel, a created spiritual entity called Lucifer (Hey'lel Ben Shachar), whose name means light bearer or shining one. This entity coveted the position of the Most High, and is hence addressed by the following: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isaiah 14:12). Thus, when he was expelled from heaven his light was removed from him, as well as the light of all those who had rebelled with him, and his abode was left in a state devoid of (spiritual) light. This realm of the deep was now characterized and described by the terms tohoo va’vohoo and "sheol" (ref. Isaiah 14:15).
The spiritual state devoid of light and life was in total opposition to the nature of the Spirit of the Creator. Nevertheless, this contrast was very important and necessary in Elohim's plan, as the darkness was destined to become the medium through which He will manifest His Word and reveal Himself. The principle of "light out of darkness", and by the same token "death out of life", is at the very core of redemption. And so, the Spirit of Elohim hovered, or brewed, over the face of all that was called "waters", including the realm of darkness, indicating that YHVH had not lost His sovereignty.
"Then Elohim said 'Let there be light'" (Genesis 1: 3). Keeping in mind that everything that was brought forth by Elohim's Word revealed aspects of His nature, the Light was also a type of manifestation, or emanation, of Himself. This Light was not natural light, as the luminaries had not yet been created, but the very essence of the Creator’s nature! It is the highest form of Life and the quintessence of His being. This Light also contains all the laws, statutes, and ordinances that govern His Kingdom and its administration, as revealed in the light of Torah.[1] Because Elohim is Light, by necessity He had to separate the Light from the Darkness. Had He not separated one from the other, there would have been no darkness, as the light would have swallowed it up. However, it should be noted that as far as YHVH is concerned, there is no difference between light and darkness (ref, Psalm 139: 12).
[1] A well known Hebrew idiom is Torah-Ora (or "Torah Or"), that is - "Torah-Light". The Aramaic term for Torah is "Orah'y'ta", thus combining "light" and "Torah".
The content of the next four chapters is a slight deviation from the storyline of redemption, but is essential in order to establish a foundation for understanding the Creator's faithfulness to accomplish all that has been spoken through His prophets from of old. Please bear with me, as some of this may be new to many who have been taught something different. Satan is not the mastermind behind the fall of man. YHVH's sovereignty remains in tact, His will and Word govern His Kingdom and His purposes for the creation.
Let us now digress slightly from following the Divine Order in the family of Adam, and reflect on the Creation account in order to reinforce Elohim's faithfulness to His Word. His Word, as well as His Kingdom, is a manifestation of Himself. What YHVH says is what will be, for He calls Himself "I will be what/whom I will be" (literal Hebrew translation of Exodus 3:14 – E'he'ye Asher E'heye). His Spirit is the power that carries out what He decrees by His Word. Viewing His characteristic of consistency will help us better understand His Plan of Redemption, as revealed in the Creation process. This will also have significant implication upon our faith in the covenants, promises and prophecies that He would make at a later point.
The opening lines of Scripture, "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), comprise a statement of intent; as in the first verse of the second chapter it is written, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1). What took place then, between those two verses, was the process and order of creation, until its completion at the end of the sixth day, for "on the seventh day Elohim ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made" (Genesis 2:2).
According to Genesis 1:2, “The earth was without form and void…” Thus, the location where the creation process was to take place was called earth (eretz), although at that point it (the earth) had not yet taken its present form. This transformation would occur only on Day Three of the manifestation of Elohim’s Word.
"And darkness was on the face of the deep…" What kind of darkness was over the face of the deep, and how did this spiritual condition of darkness come about? We understand that at one point in eternity past there was an angel, a created spiritual entity called Lucifer (Hey'lel Ben Shachar), whose name means light bearer or shining one. This entity coveted the position of the Most High, and is hence addressed by the following: "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” (Isaiah 14:12). Thus, when he was expelled from heaven his light was removed from him, as well as the light of all those who had rebelled with him, and his abode was left in a state devoid of (spiritual) light. This realm of the deep was now characterized and described by the terms tohoo va’vohoo and "sheol" (ref. Isaiah 14:15).
The spiritual state devoid of light and life was in total opposition to the nature of the Spirit of the Creator. Nevertheless, this contrast was very important and necessary in Elohim's plan, as the darkness was destined to become the medium through which He will manifest His Word and reveal Himself. The principle of "light out of darkness", and by the same token "death out of life", is at the very core of redemption. And so, the Spirit of Elohim hovered, or brewed, over the face of all that was called "waters", including the realm of darkness, indicating that YHVH had not lost His sovereignty.
"Then Elohim said 'Let there be light'" (Genesis 1: 3). Keeping in mind that everything that was brought forth by Elohim's Word revealed aspects of His nature, the Light was also a type of manifestation, or emanation, of Himself. This Light was not natural light, as the luminaries had not yet been created, but the very essence of the Creator’s nature! It is the highest form of Life and the quintessence of His being. This Light also contains all the laws, statutes, and ordinances that govern His Kingdom and its administration, as revealed in the light of Torah.[1] Because Elohim is Light, by necessity He had to separate the Light from the Darkness. Had He not separated one from the other, there would have been no darkness, as the light would have swallowed it up. However, it should be noted that as far as YHVH is concerned, there is no difference between light and darkness (ref, Psalm 139: 12).
[1] A well known Hebrew idiom is Torah-Ora (or "Torah Or"), that is - "Torah-Light". The Aramaic term for Torah is "Orah'y'ta", thus combining "light" and "Torah".
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