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Immanuel in the Creation of the World

© John L. Hoh, Jr.

We all have a picture in our mind of the origin of time, the universe, the world, the human race, and ourselves. We haven't physically witnessed these events, but we generally imagine what may have happened. When we let our mind imagine Creation, what do we usually think of? No doubt we immediately think of a great and mighty force. The picture in our minds usually is not one of timidity or gentleness.

Proponents of evolution think along the same lines. Theories of evolution tend to be found beyond the grasp of human experience and thought. There is the "Big Bang Theory" that envisions a mighty explosion of the magnitude we just cannot picture or comprehend. In dating the earth, the millions and billions and, perhaps someday, trillions of years are difficult to comprehend and grasp in our minds.

Christians also often see the magnanimity of Creation. They hear in their mind the booming voice saying, "Let there be light! Let the earth and water separate! Let there be vegetation! Let there be animals in the air, on the ground, and in the water." We envision these episodes without stopping to think: "Why did God create the earth? What did He go through all this trouble for?" God created the earth for a specific purpose and he planned out his creation and He created using that very blueprint. Even when He was creating the world, God was with us.

As we read Moses' account of the Creation of the world in Genesis, notice that Moses does not write about a divine being who just powerfully set the world in motion and then let "nature take its course." Instead, Creation was deliberate and purposeful. God was involved in every detail. Let us look day by day at creation and see the attention to details in this magnanimous project.

On day one (evening and morning-one twenty-four hour cycle), God created light. Here God establishes time units called days. One day is one evening and one morning, which God also takes the time to name. There is a time to rest and a time to work. What this source of light is is still unknown, since the sun, moon , and stars are created later. St. Augustine opines in his book, The City of God, that the angels were created on day one, thus supplying the light. But Scripture remains silent both on what the source of this light is as well as remaining mute about when the angels were created. Moses simply informs us who the Creator of light is.

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