The first verse of the Bible “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” has been the subject of more commentators than any other verse in the Bible. There are many different interpretations of This verse also. There are nearly as many interpretations as there are commentators! I want to scream, “More detail, God, would have been appreciated.” But no, that’s all we really get! Alright, then let’s use Kipling’s six brave men. He wrote in poetic form, “I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When and How and Where and Who.” There is a lot more to that poem, but I’ll limit my research to these six honest serving men. Today, I’ll just look at the first one in this article. The “what” in verse one.
What is referred to in verse one of the Bible. We can answer than easily grammatically. “The heavens and earth” were created. There is much to be said about the verb “created” and commentators make much of it. It deals more with creative and artistic creation that involves more than just the hands. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses the word from which we get our word “poem.” Paul used that word described that we were God’s “poems” in Ephesians chapter 2. It’s normally translated as “masterpiece.” It argues that we are God’s masterpiece. Well, whatever it is that God created in Genesis 1:1, it must be a masterpiece of creative brilliance. Thus, Pink argues that “we cannot but believe that these creations were worthy of Himself, that they reflected the perfections of their Maker, that they were exceedingly fair in their pristine beauty. Certainly, the earth, on the morning of its creation, must have been vastly different from its chaotic state as described in Genesis 1:2.”
The argument from these Gap theologians is that God only creates “good things.” There are some verses in the Bible that might support this idea. Many will quote Isaiah 45:18. I must admit it seems relevant. It says, “For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): I am the Lord, and there is no other.” There is another verse in the Book of Job that might be worth noting. Job 38:4-7 contains God’s address to Job who questions God’s actions. God says to Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” When God created the heavens and the earth, they caused the angels to “shout for joy.” I’m thinking that the saying “God don’t make no junk” is correct.