A few days ago, I wrote about one of the most misused verses in the Bible. Then while talking to my friend Krista, she suggested I do a series of underrated verses in the Bible which people may not know about, but should. So, I have no idea how many there will be, but I can promise you that they’ll either be theologically rich or poetically brilliant.
So let’s start with my favorite verse in the Bible, the second one.
I love making that joke with people because it confuses them. My favorite verse is probably Genesis 1:2 (the second verse in the Bible…or maybe the first, because some people believe that the first verse is actually the title of the section).
If you want to watch/listen to a more in-depth expansion of this verse, watch my sermon on it on YouTube.
Many people are familiar with 1:1 — In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth — but many can’t remember the second one!
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
There is so much happening in this verse I don’t even know where to begin. Better to watch the vide for a full analysis.
But a few overview things: God comes into the chaos of the world and begins to straighten it out. The dark waters symbolize chaos, and rather than ‘kill chaos’ which is the story told in other Ancient Near Eastern creation stories, God crafts it with His voice and then with His hands.
We see the Spirit hovering over the waters. The word for ‘hovering’ is the same word used one other place to describe a mother bird hovering over her young, urging them to jump from the nest and fly. We see the heart of God as one of a mother bird, calling the primordial creation to rise and take to life. What a picture.
But what’s cool is, where else do we see God’s voice speaking over water, and a bird hovering over water?
If you said, “At the baptism of Jesus,” you’re correct. (c.f. Mark 1)
Any Jew familiar with the Torah would have immediately recognized this picture and hearkened back to the creation of the world. Except, in addition to God’s voice and the Spirit like a bird, there is now a third party: The Son who enters into the water and get baptized. He enters into the chaos of our world and partakes in it.
Christ rises from the water, the world rises with him.
-Gregory of Nazianzus
God is not one who sits on the side, like a bored teenage lifeguard at a pool. He is intimately involved in His creation. The Spirit is hovering, calling us to flight, to life, to rise to more. This is the sort of Spirit that infuses the world, and life, and everything. This is where the Bible starts and it’s beautiful.
It’s poetic and beautiful and even ominous.
There is much more packed into the historical context of Genesis 1:2, but since this is just an introduction, I’ll stop here. Check out my sermon if you’re interested in more, and give me your favorite verses which are underused!
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