Moses was in the wilderness with the Israelites when he began writing the book of Genesis, having just been delivered from Egypt by God. If you are studying the first book of the Bible, this particular aspect is crucial. The primary theme of the Scriptures is Jesus Christ redeeming his people, yet before God showed himself to his people as the Creator, He had already manifested himself as their Redeemer. The abyss was covered in darkness, and the earth was formless and empty. According to Genesis 1:2, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
Remember that we can conjecture on this verse, as many of us have previously done, if we do not have in mind [the main idea of the Scriptures. But, having been inspired by God, how would Moses have perceived this? How did the Israelites comprehend this? What role should it play in our daily lives?
The earth was without form and void
For Moses, the creation of the earth was a sign of hope, even if it can be very difficult for us to comprehend that God made it disordered (or “formless” in Hebrew). Moses notes that God created a good creation in a great way out of the void and formlessness. See, do you not?
In order to make His redemptive power known, God creates a formless and empty earth and then gives it shape and life. Observe that God uses the power of his Word to form his creation in the first three days and fill it in the following three days.
But the Spirit of God moved on the surface of these deep waters, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters,” despite the darkness that shrouded the waters, as “darkness was over the face of the deep.” Herein reveals the great goal of our Redeeming God: to bring us from darkness to light.
The people of Israel were void and without form
According to Deuteronomy 32:10, “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness” after God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt. See, do you not? Israel was “without form and void” in Egypt, but God had a plan, and he would fill them. When He saved them, He had already begun this task, but it was focused on a lofty goal: the promised land.
Genesis 1:2 was not written by Moses to portray the Israelites as a “mere creation,” but rather as words of hope detailing what God would accomplish with them and reassuring them that their flight from Egypt had not been a mistake, since God had “encircled him, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.” According to Deuteronomy 32:10–11, “like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions.” Our All-Powerful God made his grand design—moving people from darkness to light—clear once more.
We were void and without form
Everything makes more sense now and is relevant to our daily lives. Do you recall our lives before to turning to Jesus Christ in faith and repentance? Just that! In the shadows, “void and formless.” However, God had a redemptive purpose for his people through Christ. God has shined in our hearts to provide the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ, for God commanded, “Let light shine out of darkness” (2 Corinthians 4:6).
It’s amazing that God is making his grand plan—moving people from darkness to light—clear. That is, in accordance with God’s flawless plan crafted from eternity, Christ Jesus, the light of the world, is saving his people from the darkness of sin. We are grateful to God for saving us because He loves His name.
