Jesus and Genesis 1:2, pt. 1

“And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” - Genesis 1:2

It has been evidenced that Jesus affirmed His Father’s creative work as the origin of the world. Is Genesis 1:1 enough for us though? Are you and I satisfied with that statement alone?

Did you know that Jesus left space for individuals to form their own conclusions?

In response to a lawyer’s question regarding eternal life, Jesus said—

“What is written in the law? how readest thou?” - Luke 10:26

He did not ask, “How readest the community?”  But “how readest thou”. “Thou” is the old English for an individual being addressed.

Why would Jesus give this space to individuals? Isn’t that dangerous? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends. “Depends on what?” One may ask. Hopefully we’ll come back to that.

Jesus was a good parent and teacher to His children. He brought the atmosphere of heaven down to earth with this approach to education. He asked questions that would lead and nurture them back to life, not questions that were intended to keep them in sin.

I believe today that Jesus asks me this same question about this Scripture, and any Scripture I read, just like He did when He spoke to that lawyer.

From my reading of this second Scripture in Genesis, I am inspired with more questions than answers. In contrast to the conclusive introduction of Moses in Genesis 1:1, this second verse of Genesis is loaded with implied questions—like a room full of doors.

Which door will I approach and knock at?

Will I knock at the door called formless?

Will I ask void to fill my needs?

Will I seek out darkness to give me insight?

Will I wash my feet at the basin of deep?

Will I partake of the bread called breath?

Let’s look into the dark for a moment.

When you close your eyes what do you see? Do you see a dream? Does closing your eyes make it easier to imagine?

Jesus spoke of darkness, that formless space void of light, in many ways and at various times during His personal ministry among men.

At one point He said something so shocking that even the elect might be rattled out of their seats—

“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness.
If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness,
how great is that darkness!” - Matthew 6:23

Can light be darkness and darkness be light?

According to Jesus, the answer is yes.

What is the determining factor?

I think the answer is you and I.

But that’s a mystery for another day.

Today, Jesus asks “What is written in the law? How readest thou?”

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. - Genesis 1:2.

I don’t read that Jesus calls us to be slaves to mystery. I also don’t gather that He demands we know all things at once.

There’s a proverb that says—

“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

Patience is a chief virtue.

Even the angels are inquiring into the Lamb’s mysteries.