Even after nearly four decades of teaching courses such as “Intro to Biblical Faith” and “Pentateuch” at Trevecca, I continue to marvel at the character of God when I open chapters of the Bible. Into the midst of darkness, God speaks light. Into the chaotic waters, God speaks peace. Into lifelessness, God calls forth life. And into despair, God brings hope.
From the outset of Scripture, we come face to face with our Creator who brings into existence an intricate web of relationality between God, humans and all of creation. I’m always left with the simple and almost childlike response of “wow!”
Perhaps, in worship, that wow takes the form of an “amen” or a “hallelujah!”
However, this response goes beyond the indescribable power of the Creator and the beauty of God’s creation. I’m particularly in awe over the manner in which God carries out his creative activity.
Rather than being an isolated, manipulative, micromanaging deity who declares to all of his creatures, “Step aside, get out of my way and let me do my thing,” the God of Scripture creates his creatures in order to invite them to join him—to participate with him in his ongoing light-bringing, hope-filled and life-giving work.
In the biblical text, God creates light in order for it to divide the darkness, and he creates firmament in order for it to divide the waters. God brings forth the land in order for it to provide the boundaries for the waters, and then He empowers the land to bring forth plants of every kind and later to bring forth animals of every kind.
He calls for the waters to swarm with fish and sea creatures. Unintimidated or fearful that some may eventually come to worship the sun, moon or stars, the Creator God places them into the light and the darkness to rule over day and night and to serve as signs for the days, months, seasons and years. God is not fearful of what He creates; He entrusts his very creation to what He creates.
As we come to the great crescendo of the creation story, God announces, “Let us make humanity in our image and let them have dominion…” Blessing the human race, our Creator who invites his creatures to participate with him in his life-giving and hope-filled work says, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, domesticate it, give custodial care over every living thing.” In Genesis 2, the Lord will entrust to his image—humanity—the task of serving and protectively guarding that which He has created.
Again, all that I can say is a hearty, joy-filled, “Wow … amen … hallelujah!” The God of Scripture breaks the rules and shatters the norms of what many would expect an all-powerful Creator God to do. Rather than being the divine, domineering power monger who tightly clinches his fist to his chest and says, “Move aside; I’ll do it alone,” the Lord God invites his creatures, including us, to participate with him in His life-giving, light-bringing activity.
No wonder, from the business professional to the medical worker, from the lawyer to the engineer, from the elementary school teacher to the social worker, from the law enforcement officer to the songwriter, from the pastor to the grandparent, as participants in God’s life-giving and hope-filled work, we exclaim with the psalmist: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth … What are human beings that you remember us, mortals that you care for us? Yet you have made us a little lower than divine, and you have crowned us with glory and honor. You have given us protective custody over the works of your hands. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” (Psalm 8)
Give us grace and wisdom, O Creator God, to participate with you in your life-giving, hope-filled, creative work. Wow! Amen!
