“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters” (Gen 1:1-2).
The Spirit of God and Divine Wisdom
The more I study the prologue to the Torah (Gen 1:1—2:3), the more I’m blown away by the profundity of its opening verses. I probably read these verses thousands of times before I began asking the right questions, one of the most important being, “For what reason does the Spirit of God appear in Genesis 1:2?” This question cannot be answered until we read the entire Torah and see the role of the Spirit of God elsewhere in the story. The Spirit of God is always associated with God’s wisdom, be it his wisdom to reveal the meaning of dreams (Gen 41:38), to fashion a suitable dwelling place for his glory (Exod 31:3; 35:31), to reveal things that will take place in the last days (Num 24:2, 14), and to give Joshua the skills required to lead the nation of Israel in Moses’ place and bring them into the Promised Land (Deut 34:9).
Only when we read Genesis 1:2 with reference to the entire Torah do we realize that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of wisdom, and it is in blessed partnership with the Spirit of wisdom that God creates the world (Gen 1:26)! The author of Proverbs clearly interpreted Genesis 1:2 and 26 in this way when he tells us that God created the world through wisdom (Prov 3:19) and that “Lady Wisdom” was at God’s side when he made the world (Prov 8:22-31).
God’s Wisdom Reflected in Scripture
The wisdom of God is even reflected by the mathematical genius of the literary structure of this story. The first verse of Scripture is seven words in the original Hebrew (Gen 1:1) and there are fourteen words in Genesis 2:2 (double seven), which happens to be the verse about the Sabbath. There are seven days in the creation story, and the word “day” is used fourteen times (Gen 1:5, 8, 13-14, 16, 18-19, 23, 31; 2:2-3). Seven times the author tells us about the perfect goodness of God’s creation (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). “God” is mentioned thirty-five times, a number divisible by seven (Gen 1:1-12, 14, 16-18, 20-22, 24-29, 31; 2:2-3). The word “create” is used seven times (Gen 1:1, 21, 27; 2:3-4), and “land” is used twenty-one times (another multiple of seven).
Since the God who spoke this universe into being is so perfectly wise, then human wisdom is measured by our devotion and obedience to his word, which is also identified as God’s wisdom (Deut 4:6). For this reason, Adam and Eve’s pursuit of “good” and “wisdom” apart from God is not only sinful, but also the epitome of foolishness (Gen 3:6; see Deut 32:6).
“There is no reason we should keep fumbling in the darkness when God said, ‘Let there be light.'”
If there’s one thing God wants us to learn from the creation story it’s this: if we are not regularly studying God’s word, diligently seeking the perfections of his revealed wisdom, if are seeking a good life apart from God’s will, we are acting like blind men trying to navigate through the darkness of this world by means of our own carnal stupidity. There is no reason we should keep fumbling in the darkness when God said, “Let there be light” (Gen 1:3).
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psa 119:105). “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life” (Prov 6:23). “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth) … Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:8-9, 15-18).
