Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.“

Genesis 1:3

God did not TOIL in creation. He worked by SPEAKING. We are made in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). There is importance put on our speaking as well (Proverbs 18:20-21). There are three steps to how God speaks. First, God THINKS or imagines it (Psalm 139:17-18). Then He WILLS it in His heart (Zechariah 12:5). And THEN He speaks it (Job 22:28). Imagination is a key part of the creative process, part of God’s nature. As images and likenesses of God (Genesis 1:27), it is a huge part of who WE are too. We’re called to have a godly imagination. Thinking of GOOD things to invest our will and good choices in (Philippians 4:8; 2 Timothy 1:7). The Word is FULL of instruction on the imagination: Genesis 6:5; Joshua 1:8; 1 Chronicles 29:18; Psalm 2:1; Proverbs 29:18; Matthew 22:37; Romans 1:21; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Ephesians 1:18; and Hebrews 11:1 among others. Here in today’s verse, God spoke it to Himself (the Three that are One – Genesis 1:1) because there was nothing else that had been created yet. His saying was full of His Will which is what gives His Word power (Psalm 33:6; 148:5). He spoke to His heart, the seat of His thoughts, and then VERBALLY spoke, releasing His energy which ALWAYS produces (Isaiah 55:11).

This light was not terrestrial light. It was not housed in a physical body (a sun, for example). This light was the expression of a foundation and base – like the righteousness spoken of in Proverbs 11:19. With nothing else created, God had no reason to be anywhere but Himself – He was all that there was. Then Holy Spirit came out from Himself to hover over and prepare for creation. Here I think it’s clear that Jesus (the Son, the Light, and the Word) came out of Himself to speak the thoughtful design of creation (John 1:1-4). The Father thinking, the Son speaking, and Holy Spirit imbuing. Jesus is the Light that is the knowledge of God. That which upholds and penetrates all of creation (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:16). It isn’t that Jesus didn’t exist before this point – He clearly has ALWAYS existed (Revelation 13:8; Genesis 1:1; 1 Peter 1:19-20). It’s only that before this point He had no reason to take up His ROLE in relation to creation (Psalm 2:7; Colossians 1:15).

In today’s verse and tomorrow’s (which is the second half or result of this command), the word ‘light’ is used five times. Sages teach it is because of the five books of the Law – the foundation of the Word – and the five types of revelatory light – as relating to the human experience:

Book of Moses (Genesis), where we see (terrestrial) light created. Light of Creation.

Book of Exodus, where He orchestrated light for the Jewish people’s exodus – enabling them to emerge from spiritual, as well as physical, darkness. Light of Redemption.

Book of Leviticus, full of commandments which provide spiritual light. Light of Repentance.

Book of Numbers, full of separating from the unclean. Light of the Holy Temple (something both physical and spiritual – 1 Corinthians 3:16).

Book of Deuteronomy, also full of commandments and lessons providing spiritual light. Light of the Word.

All these five types of light are wrapped up as Messianic Light – hidden at the Fall (Genesis 2:17), underpinning everything (Hebrews 1:3), meant to be found (Isaiah 55:6-7), and reserved for the Messianic Kingdom of God (Revelation 21:23).

This verse doesn’t end with ‘and it was so’ as many of the creative acts do, because this Light ALREADY existed. It was not ‘made’. Rather, it came out of where it was in the Father and took up the role designated for it: illuminating all of creation with His Light (1 Corinthians 8:6; Nehemiah 9:6). It is by His Light that we see and recognise God’s works and His glory in them. We also need it so that we can perform our worshipful work (not toil) while it is ‘day’ (John 9:4). As we continue through Genesis, we’ll observe a close connection between ‘seeing’ and ‘providing’. The Light is required for us to truly SEE and thereby be provided for.