Word for Word: Episode 2

By -
בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֑ים
God created

The history of the first verb,  בָּרָא (bar´a), is interesting, for its root meaning appears to have indicated the idea of cutting, rather than of molding. The imagery is of a carpenter rather than the potter. The form בֵרֵאתָ֤ is translated "cut down" in Joshua 17 when Joshua tells the strong northern tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh to go into the woods and create more space. It seems that they were not satisfied with the lottery of preexisting towns.

The eventual meaning of creation from nothing but an idea is tied to the clearing of land to build something new. Like the "sons of Joseph", the Creator had a plan. He had nothing given to Him. However, since He exists in and of Himself (Exodus 3:14), it follows that the universe and all that is in it is not co-infinite with Him.

His creation is, in the final analysis, out of nothing but an idea. Everything was made by his speaking it into existence. The name used here for the Creator, אֱלֹהִ֑ים (´Elohim), carries the idea of strength. In the dual form, this implies "very strong", and as such capable of the task before him.
However, the text will reveal that everything did not "pop into" existence. Verse 1 is just the introduction.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Soul-Searching: Psalm 139

By -
Image
What does it mean to search for something? A search is not a low-energy effort to find something. A search is a deep, intense probing that will not stop until something is found.  How do we search? We pour through our environment intently looking to find that which we are seeking. That is what we must ask God to do in our own hearts, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”- Psa 139:23-24 In Psalm 139, David is both asking God to and recognizes that he searches the heart. This idea of God searching our heart sandwiches (inclusio) the body of the Psalm, which describes God’s intimate knowledge of us in great detail, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down… and are acquainted with all my ways.”-  Psa 139:2 “Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heav
Read more

Little Faith or Mustard Seed Faith?

By -
Image
The healing of the demoniac boy offers much enlightenment regarding the nature of faith. In the previous post I explored how faith (an action), though genuine, may come with a sense of doubt or unbelief (a noun). In this post we are going to explore the bewildering reason why the Apostles could not cast it out. To be very clear I have done a post before dedicated to exploring why the Apostles could not drive out the demon- while my previous study was right, I largely missed the point and neglected the more specific lessons on faith. After the Apostles could not cast the demon out from the boy, they asked Jesus why they could not cast it out. Jesus gave two responses: “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (see Jesus Heals the Demon )  and  “Because of your  little faith . For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed , you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’, and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you”  This an
Read more

How to Store up Treasure in Heaven

By -
Image
You’ve probably heard the saying that we should “store up treasures in Heaven” instead of focusing on earthly possessions. This phrase is used by Jesus numerous times and once by Paul, but is first and most famously used in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not lay up [treasure] for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”- Matt 6:19-21 ESV The question then becomes, “How do I seek treasure in Heaven?”. There is great news. We do not have to speculate or even infer wisdom from the Bible indirectly. Did you know the Bible tells us directly how to store treasure in Heaven? Let’s take a look directly at how we “lay up treasure in Heaven”. Paul’s Instruction  So how do we acquire this treasure that Jesus referred to? Well Paul gives us an exp
Read more