2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
2
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
By Bradley Sheahan, New Christian Bible Study Staff
Genesis 1, in its literal sense, tells the story of creation.
This is an ancient, ancient story of humankind. It was written down by Moses some 3300 years ago, but it’s far older than that. It was part of the “Oral Torah”, an oral tradition among Abraham and his descendants, and it’s a remnant from the Ancient Word, which dated back perhaps 5000 years in written form, and, again, far earlier in stories told around the campfires of countless peoples.
It’s not just ancient; it’s scientific! The sun and moon are out of sequence, but on the whole, it’s a pretty sound telescoping of what we know from astrophysics and geology and archeology.
And... here’s the main thing: It’s sacred. In its literal sense, it’s the story of God creating a world that can support life, and then living souls, and then human beings who can receive His love, and return it freely.
It is also a story that’s incredibly rich in symbolic meaning. At a deep level, it's telling us how people are born into a life focused on the world and its material distractions, but in time can be transformed by God into spiritual people. Each day described in the chapter refers to a new stage in the regeneration or rebirth of a human being, until we finally become heavenly in nature.
Here’s a brief chapter outline (and see Arcana Coelestia 6 for further reference!):
As the chapter ends, God rests from His work. This describes a heavenly state of being, in which we have learned to love what's good and true, and we have learned how to live by these loves.
Not all people reach the seventh day in their spiritual development. Most people stay at the first state; some make it to the second; a few others the third, fourth and fifth; and very few the sixth. People today, as throughout history, are over-focused on their sensory knowledge and the pursuit of worldly aims including money, status, power, and comfort. But... God is brooding over the waters; he's waiting for us to say, "OK, let's get started on living a better life."
In the pages and verses that follow, you’ll gain a greater insight into the life we are actually meant to live.
Key spiritual lessons from this chapter: The Lord is always calling us, inviting us to walk the path that leads to a close relationship with Him. He gives us life, and then leads us through the steps of regeneration. It is up to us to listen, to follow His truths, and to turn our life over to Him. As we learn and grow, He will transform us into a spiritual person in His image and likeness.
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Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness; there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.'