Formless and Void

"The earth was formless and void..."  

Genesis 1:2a

As you look at this passage what do you see? For many of us, the terms "formless" and "void" stand out. What does it mean when the Bible says that the earth was without form and empty?

Some scholars believe that Moses hints at there being a huge gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2. They say this because the Hebrew word for "formless" can also mean "a place of chaos." After they make this statement, they will likely point you toward Isaiah 45:18 which says...

"For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited)..."

 

The Gap Theory

This theory is that God created the heavens and the earth and all of the angelic hosts. They say that, just after the creation of the world in Genesis 1:1 and right before Genesis 1:2, Satan and a third of the angles rebelled against God and were immediately cast out of Heaven and thrown to the earth where they then fashioned it into a dark chaotic mess. Thus, when God, quite some time later, then comes to restore the world and perfect it according to His original intent, His Spirit comes into a supposedly chaotic waste place in which He remakes and reshapes it into a beautiful masterpiece.

Those who believe this theory attempt to speculate that it could have been a few million years or more thus accounting for the supposedly old looking earth. Yet how much time actually occurred, they do not have an answer. To them, the first day was separated by a possible million years or so. However, they generally believe that each of the other six days are literal 24 hour days.

Is this the Word of God? No. How can I say that? Because we know from Genesis chapter one that Satan did not sin until after Day 6. I have hyperlinked "Satan" for those of you who would like to research more on when he actually fell from Heaven. We know that he did not sin until after creation was completed because God says that he is "very good" in verse 31 of chapter one at the end of Day 6.

Formless and Void

What do these terms actually mean? They mean exactly what they say. I promise you that there is no hidden meaning in them. Formless means that "the earth was without form" while void means that "the earth was empty." Just because it can mean "chaos" does not mean that it does mean "chaos."

I think that too often we, myself included, keep trying to gain some new revelation into the Word of God. We want to find new things and grow in our understanding of Scripture. Our hearts are in the right place as we seek to know God in His Word better. Unfortunately, there is a tendency to sometimes overthink things and our minds can begin to unconsciously see anything we want them to believe.

So now that we understand that these words mean what they say, what does it look like? Let's tackle the easier one first. The Earth was considered "empty" because there was absolutely no life to it. There were no sea creatures filling the waters until Day 5 so there was no life at all.

Now let's move on to the second and more controversial term of "formless." Well, as you remember from all of those years attending children's church and heading off to Sunday School, God did not bring forth land until Day 3 of creation.

Now listen closely because we are about to get into some technical details which will aid in our exegesis of the rest of the chapter and ultimately throughout the rest of Scripture. This does not mean that land didn't exist before Day 3. Yes, the Earth at this time is a big ball of water floating all by itself in a dark and lonely universe, but what does God say in verse 9?

"Let the waters...be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear."

Did you catch that? Does the term "appear" seem to grip you like it does me? Where else in the creation account does God use the term "appear?" Nowhere! He always says, "Let there be...!" To appear means "to become visible." It carries the connotation that it is already there, it just cannot be seen. The reason that "dry land" is not seen until Day 3 is because it is under water. God said, "...let the dry land appear..." because there was no "dry land." There was only "wet land."

If before this blog you were not aware that Earth actually began completely covered in water, then from now on whenever someone asks you something concerning the "Global Flood," you should ask, "Which one? Creation's or Noah's?"

You see, the Earth, on Day 1, was created with all of the essential components necessary to its form and foundation. What I am saying is that on Day 1 when God made the Earth, He did not just make a giant rain drop. He gave it a core, mantle, and a crust and covered it with water.

The Earth is referred to as being "formless" because water, in and of itself, is formless. Liquid water takes on the shape of whatever container it is placed into. The problem was that there was no container. This massive one-world ocean covered the entire planet as there was no mold (land) to provide definite shape. Thus, as the angels were viewing the Earth in its beginning stages as God laid the foundations, they themselves observed no definite form to Earth.


A Closer Look at Genesis 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  

Genesis 1:1

Notice that God does not seek to prove Himself in existence or essence.  The fact of there being a Creator God is clearly seen and is evident to all men.  When I purchased my computer a few weeks prior to attending Bible School, I found that inside the box was an instruction manual on how to use it properly.  I did not, however, find a brochure trying to prove to me that this computer actually exists.  It is normally not an expectation you and I ever have.  Why?  Because SONY, the company who fashioned the very computer which I just so happen to be writing this blog with, expects me to understand that there is indeed a designer.

With that said, let's look more thoroughly at verse one.
 

Why is "heavens" plural?

 

Often when we read this passage we tend to overlook the plurality of the heavens and unconsciously equate this term with the singularity of the earth.  Our mind immediately fills with all kinds of images of what we perceive Heaven [God's dwelling place] to look like.  However, I will now seek to prove that the Bible is hinting at an idea, which will be addressed later on in Scripture, that at this time God created three distinct heavens and only one earth.

1. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 "...caught up to the third heaven..." The apostle Paul was brought into the presence of God.  He referred to this place as the "third heaven." This statement implies that there is a second and a first as well.  Thus, the third Heaven is what we would call "Paradise."  The question then arises, "What are the first and second heavens?"
2. 1 Kings 14:11 "...birds of the heavens..." The first heaven then would be the sky or the atmosphere of the earth.
3. Deuteronomy 4:19 "...lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars..." The second heaven is therefore the universe [outer space].

 

What is the order of creation?

 

1. In reference to outer space, it is not at this time that God created the bodies of burning gas, for that was not until Day 4.  However, it was at this time that He created the physical space capable of occupying all things, even Heaven itself.
2. He then proceeded in His act of creation by making His dwelling place [Paradise or Heaven] and the angelic beings.
3. Once Heaven was created along with its hosts, and there was space to hold large bodies of matter, He continued in His creativity by making the earth and graciously allowing the angels to observe His incredible Omnipotence.

Conclusion

 

God is the original cause of all things.  He is the Self-Existent One which is indicated by His name "ELOHIM."  In Hebrew it means that He is the Mighty God; the Supreme Deity.  His character qualities in this verse show that He is intelligent, powerful, the Creator of the universe (having no beginning or dependency upon any other source), and is also the Sustainer of all things.

He brought all things into existence without needing anything to work from.  Can you imagine God being fully capable of creating something but, throughout all of eternity past, waiting until only 6,000 years ago?  The Bible suggests that His creativity remained forever dormant until He chose to unleash His glory.

Were Adam & Eve Lost or Saved?

"Eternal Security" is defined as the belief that once you are a child of God (a believer in the Messiah, a.k.a. Jesus Christ) you are forever and always a child of God...no matter what.
 

While most of us acknowledge and hold strongly to this precious truth of Scripture, I believe at times we can unintentionally contradict ourselves. I am referring to how eternal security applies to Adam and Eve and their fall from Eden.
 

We often tell people this positional truth applies to all believers in both the Old and New Testaments. "Once saved, always saved" is both our rallying battle cry and soft comforting whisper. Why is it then that Adam and Eve are a special case? Some believe that Adam and Eve lost their relationship with God and became spiritually dead upon eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Why is this? Why would Adam and Eve be considered an exception to our dearly held positional truth?
 

Let me ask you a few questions:

Are you a child of God? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Has He made you a new creation? Has He given you a new and pure nature? Do you walk with Him? When you sin, what is God's response? Does He tell you that you are not His child anymore or does He pursue you, forgive you, and cleanse you?

Let me ask you some other questions:

Were Adam and Eve children of God? Did they believe in Jesus Christ? Did He make them with a pure nature? Did they walk with Him? When Adam and Eve sinned, what was God's response? Did He tell them that they were not His children any longer? No. He did the exact same thing He would do for you. He pursued them in love, forgave them of their iniquity, and cleansed them from sin.

You see, for all of those questions, we answered the exact same way as Adam and Eve. We are children of God. We all walk with Him and believe in His Son. We were given a pure nature. We have a right relationship with Him.
 

Even though we sin, we believe that God is strong enough to hold us in His hand. We understand that, because we are His children, He will never let us go. Why then do we think that God was not as strong for Adam and Eve in their time of need and failure?
 

We believe that even though the apostles and the first century church had a sin nature, God still held them eternally secure. We believe that, when David committed adultery and ordered the murder of his friend Uriah, He still loved him and called him son. We believe that even though Moses rebelled against God by striking the rock, he was still welcomed into the heavenly places to dwell in the presence of God his Father. If we believe these, then why is it that we believe Adam and Eve were eternally separated from God at the very moment they ate of the tree?
 

Were they not God's children before they sinned? Did they not have a pure and holy and pleasing relationship with the God of the universe? Did they not walk with God? When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, were they spiritually God's children or not? At that moment, were they saved or lost?

I propose that, if they would have died at the moment of first tasting the forbidden fruit, they would have been eternally in the presence of the Almighty Creator God. Yes, Adam and Eve disrupted their relationship with God in terms of fellowship, but not in terms of their position as sons. They were still the children of God by His grace, mercy, love, and strength just as we are.
 

They were God's children before they sinned, during their sin, and even right after they sinned. Again, their fellowship with God was hindered, but their position in Christ was never lost. As believers, when we sin we see the exact same consequence; we break fellowship with our God, but do we cease being His son or daughter? Absolutely not!
 

So then, are Adam and Eve the exceptions to eternal security? Not at all. The Bible is clear when it says, "Once saved, always saved!" Adam and Eve were created with a perfect relationship with God. They may have lost fellowship with Him, but they were and they remained His children.

Articles can be found all over the internet asking whether or not the Bible has anything to say if Adam and Eve ever got saved and are now in heaven. I believe the answer is obvious. Adam and Eve never lost their salvation in Christ. They never lost their position as God's children. Therefore, yes, they are saved and are in heaven.
 

To sum it up, Adam and Eve were saved before they sinned. Thus, after they sinned, they were still saved. They were never lost. They were never headed for Hell. They are not the exception but rather an example of the rule. They are a beautiful picture of how strong and loving our God truly is and how He upholds our position in Himself forever.

What if Adam Wasn't Blaming Eve?

Here's the question:

Was Adam really playing the blame game and putting the fault on his wife Eve, ultimately on God, or is it possible that something else is going on here?

If you have spent any amount of time in church or in a youth group or even in a Bible study, then it is likely you have come out with an interpretation given to you by the pastor or teacher regarding the account of "The Fall of Man" which I do not believe Scripture supports.

The usual interpretation is as folows:

Adam and Eve both ate of the fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil." As soon as they ate the fruit, their eyes were opened and they immediately felt shame for the very first time in their existence. They went to sow fig leaves together so that they could hide their nakedness, but they soon heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden so they hid themselves. The LORD God called out to them and asked them a series of questions. Upon asking Adam what he had done, Adam blames Eve for giving him the fruit, which implies that he is ultimately blaming God for giving him Eve which gave him the fruit. Thus Adam is making every effort to not be at fault. Okay. God then moves to Eve. He also asks her what she had done and she in turn blamed the serpent.

Is this a correct interpretation? Well, no.

What does the text say?

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"  

Genesis 3:9-11

Now look at Adam's response very carefully and picture it happening in real life. Imagine you are watching this unfold. Think about the words and his tone of voice. Think about his body language. Imagine being in Adam's shoes for a second. Try and remember a time in which God confronted you directly on a sin in your life. Read it slowly.

The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."  

Genesis 3:12

Now read Eve's response very slowly. Again, imagine you are there. Pretend to be in her shoes. Think about tone of voice, body language, and the exact words proceeding from her mouth.

Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."  

Genesis 3:13

Do you find it interesting that, if Adam is actually blaming God, God just moves on and doesn't even acknowledge Adam's immaturity, failure to take responsibility for his actions, and his continual disobedience?

Illustration

Maybe this will make more sense. Pretend that you have a son and a daughter both at an age of accountability. Let's say they are around the age of seven and eight. Now let's imagine that you see your son from the other room hit your daughter. What do you do next? Do you run in angrily and begin spanking him? Or do you come in as a loving parent asking him what just happened?

You see, you know what just happened. You saw it take place. Yet you ask him what just transpired so that he will understand why he is being disciplined. And let's say that your son knows that you just witnessed this whole ordeal. What is he going to say to you? His options are to lie to your face, blame his sister for somehow causing him to do it, or indeed confess what he just did and take responsibility for his actions.

Granted, we see that children can be very rebellious. However, generally speaking we see that the difference among those children who will lie to you or blame someone else for their problems apart from those who will take responsibility and own up to their choices is in how they have been raised thusfar.

A child raised by godly parents who love him and reflect the grace of God to him every day, when he realizes that he is caught and there is no way out, he will generally not blame someone else. He will instead tell you exactly what happened and admit to his wrongdoing.

Adam and Eve had the perfect Father raising them in perfect grace, love, humility, kindness, goodness, etc. Not only that, but they were made perfectly humble. What generally happens when a really humble believer falls into sin and is caught in the act? Do they instantly lose all humility they once possessed and become 100% proud and arrogant? No.

Generally, when a humble believer is caught in sin, he will not blame somebody else. Instead, he will confess what he has done and admit his wrongdoing. This is what Adam and Eve were doing. They were not blaming each other. They were not blaming God nor the devil. They were telling Dad what happened and confessing their wrongdoing.

This is not a blame game. It is an open confession. Adam tells God what happened and he says, "...and I ate." Adam is taking full responsibility. Eve tells God what happened and then she says, "...and I ate." Eve is also taking full responsibility.

Did Jesus Go To Prepare For Us Literal "Mansions?"

"In My Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."

John 14:2-3

 

In my own experience, every time I have ever heard this passage taught on, the pastor or teacher always without fail has said that these are not literal mansions. He will tell the audience or class that instead of being literal buildings that Christ has gone to prepare for us, all He is doing is just making for us a dwelling place in heaven.

 

I understand that Jesus is aiming to comfort His disciples as He is telling them of His upcoming betrayal and death, but what if Jesus was serious? I mean, am I even allowed to question this? I dare say that we as believers in Christ should learn to question everything that everybody ever tells us in Scripture.

Heaven is a big place. I don't think that God needs to make sure there is room in heaven for another believer.

 

Actually, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you may not necessarily be spending eternity in heaven anyway. Did I just say what you thought I said? Again, I say that born again Christians might not be spending eternity with God in heaven.

 

Now before you stone me, hear me out. Believers will be able to go to heaven, but Revelation 21 speaks of a new earth in which we will mainly be spending eternity with God there. Heaven and the New Earth are two distinct places. They are not the same.

When you think about heaven or the New Earth what generally comes to mind? Streets of gold? Tree of life? God? Well, upon typing "heaven" into google images I found that the pictures that actually attempt to describe visually what heaven might look like generally include buildings...

Could these be the mansions that Jesus talks to His disciples directly about? Why is it that so many of us read the above Scripture passage and attempt to do away with the literal mansion idea, yet when we visualize what heaven or the New Earth look like we always seem to visualize a city with mansions in it.

So I leave you with this thought: What if Christ is actually preparing a place for us...literally?