Reflections
CREATION AND ITS CREATOR
Enoch Reuben Muniah, Johannesburg.
One of the greatest reformers of the 15th century by the name John Calvin, made this profound statement,
The sacred Scriptures are the God-given eyeglasses or (contact lenses) to put it in ultra-modern terms, which correct our spiritual vision and our human perception and enables our sin-darkened minds to see aright God’s revelation of Himself in the world which He has created.
The question is sometimes asked, ‘Does the Bible confirm what science says’? No, science confirms the validity of what the Bible has said thousands of years ago. While there are many conflicts between interpretations of Scripture and theories of science, obviously there can be no clash between the plenary, inerrant and unadulterated, infallible Word of God and the proven facts of science.
A futile attempt has been made by fallible interpreters to interpret the infallible Word of God.
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual: the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2.13-14).
Science does give credence and credulity to the veracity of the Scriptures. God is the creator of all things visible and invisible, things in heaven and things on the earth,
For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible and He is before all things and by Him all things consist” (Col. 1:16 & 17).
God is invisible as Spirit yet His attributes and character can be seen in the things He has created. Creation commands our attention and the Creator (God) demands our response as His voice thunders in marvelous ways (Job 37:5). Creation declares God’s transcendent glory, His intrinsic beauty and extravagant provision. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiworks” (Ps. 19:1). The beauties of the universe are a mirror of God’s infinite wisdom.
The Book of Genesis is doctrinal, historical and poetical. It’s doctrinal in the sense that it deals with the truth of Sovereign Election. It is historical, in the sense that it deals with nations of the earth in the post-Noahic period. Its linguistic and literary features make it poetical, especially chapters 1 through to chapter 3 concerning creation.
This Book records four great events:
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The Fall – involving Adam;
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The Flood – involving Noah;
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The Fire - - involving Lot and
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The Famine – involving Joseph.
The word ‘Genesis’ means origin or beginning. The names of the first five books of the Bible (The Pentateuch, i.e., Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) were given when the Hebrew Bible was translated into the Greek language. The entire Greek Bible known as the Septuagint, also known as the LXX (Roman numeral) was translated by 70 Jewish scholars and later on, came the Latin Vulgate Bible by Jerome of Stridon.
The Trinity
The Bible begins with the words, “In the beginning, God” (Gen. 1:1). There is, therefore, no need to‘re-interpret’ that verse. Just the word ‘God’ opens up a whole vista on theology, which is the doctrine of God (God, ‘theos’ in Greek, hence theology, doctrine of God) and a kaleidoscope on creationism.
The word ‘doctrine’ simply means, teaching. The word ‘God’ in verse one is given in the plural ‘Elohim’ and is indicative of the union of the triune God-head as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. ‘Elohim’, the name of God stresses His majesty and power.
Triune God and Tripartite Nature
When God said ‘Let us’ in verse 26 of Genesis chapter 1, He was speaking in one voice with the Son and the Holy Spirit. The name ‘Elohim’ in the plural form is also called a uni-plural noun. A uni- plural noun means that a word appears in the plural form but is also used in the singular. For example; words such as sheep, fish, fruit, dice, clothing etc.; are same in the singular and plural.
So, ‘Elohim’ plural and singular, three in one - not three gods but one God in three persons; the uni-plurality of the God-head; tri-unity or blessed trinity, (Matt. 28:19). God as one, created the universe.
The Holy Bible teaches us that the Father is God, the Son (Jesus Christ) is God and the Holy Spirit is God. God is one being equally and eternally existent in three distinct persons. As distinct persons each one functions in His own unique manner.
The Father is the Originator, the Son is the Agent and the Holy Spirit is the Applicator. Each person in the Trinity is self-conscious and self-directing. Yet one person never acts independently or in opposition to the others.
God is love but love does not exist in a vacuum. Love needs to be directed to something or someone. Thus, if God is love He cannot exist as a singular entity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit existing as a plurality of persons mean that love is possible. The Father loves the Son, the Son loves the Spirit, and the Spirit loves both Father and Son and round and round it goes.
In the triune God-head the Father loved us and sent His Son to die for our sins. Christ became the God incarnate and the express image of the Father (Hebrews 1:3). He condescended to the low estate of mankind, taking upon Himself the form of a servant.
So, God as one, created the universe. The word ‘Eloi’ in the New Testament; when the Lord Jesus cried out unto God the Father, is given in the singular, a cry of the Son to the Father, “Eloi, Eloi, (Aramaic - singular) lama sabachthani” (Mk. 15:34 & Ps. 22:1). The names ‘El’ (Strong One) and ‘Eloah’ (Mighty One) are singular nouns.
It is also of interest to note, that names which start or end with ‘El’ has something to do with God. For example, Jo-el (Jehovah is God), Samu-el (Heard of God), Dani-el (God is my judge), Ezeki-el (God strengthens) and Emmanu-el (God with us). Then there is El-ijah (God of Jehovah), El-isha (God of supplication), El-iezer (God of help), El-imelech (God of the king) and so on.
We learn that man also is tripartite; meaning that he is body, soul and spirit, sometimes referred to as the trichotomy: simply put, man is three-part. In the spiritual realm, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are invisible; the Son of God was made visible.
In the earthly realm man’s soul and spirit are invisible - man’s body is visible. Just a little digression; the words of the Lord Jesus to the lawyer who tempted Him with the question, ‘what is the greatest commandment in the law?’ to which the Lord Jesus replied, ‘thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind’, throws some light onto this deliberation.
The heart, the soul and the mind are invisible. The heart is the seat of our emotions and appetites; the soul is the embodiment of the spirit and is the seat of our convictions, and the mind is the seat of our conscience.
As the body (visible) envelopes the soul (invisible), the soul envelopes the spirit (invisible). We know that the whole universe was brought into existence by the creative act of God. We learn that the Spirit of God, which moved upon the face of the waters, brought the whole of creation out of its formless condition into an estate of impeccable perfection. G&P
(To be continued…)
Creation commands our attention and the Creator (God) demands our response.
The Father is the Originator, the Son is the Agent and the Holy Spirit is the Applicator.
