Let’s read Genesis 1:1-2 from the King James Version: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God MOVED upon the face of the waters.” The New King James Version (along with other translations) says, “And the Spirit of God WAS HOVERING over the face of the waters.” The word “moved” or “hovered” is the Hebrew word RACHAPH which means “flutter, move, shake.” It is thus a word of ACTION and in this context, it speaks of the Holy Spirit as the Divine Agent in Creation. In verse 1 we see that “the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep” and in verse 2 we learn there was “Divine ACTIVITY to change the state of the earth” to make it habitable for man and animals.

There are some who believe that the original creation is described in verse one and that verse two describes a dramatic change that resulted in a formless void shrouded with darkness, which demanded a “reconstruction” of the earth in order to make it possible for God to create the vegetable kingdom (verses 11-12), the animal kingdom (verses 20-25), and mankind who would be given dominion over the earth (verses 26-30). Others believe verse one is simply a declarative statement of God creating the heaven and the earth and the remainder of the chapter describes in great detail the creative process where God took this formless void and in six literal days, He brought order and harmony out of disorder and chaos. I personally believe in the first view, for we read in Isaiah 45:18, “Fur thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who DID NOT CREATE IT IN VAIN, Who formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.” It seems clear from this verse that when God created the heaven and the earth, it was NOT a formless void in a chaotic state of darkness and disorder. It was ready to be inhabited. But again, something happened to bring about the formless void that necessitated a “reconstruction of the earth” so plants, animals and man could live and survive on the earth. Mr. William Kelly is a proponent of this view and in his translation of Genesis 1:2 it reads, “And the earth BECAME without form and void…” He replaces the word “was” with the word “became” which means there was indeed a dramatic CHANGE brought about by some catastrophic event (perhaps the fall of Lucifer as described in Ezekiel 28:11-19).

In this “reconstruction process,” God the Holy Spirit “moved upon the face of the waters.” God is made up of three Divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 28:19). They are “one God” who share the same attributes of Omniscience (all-knowing), Omnipresence (present everywhere), and Omnipotence (all-powerful). There are passages that speak of the Father and the Son’s role in creation (see Hebrews 1:2 with John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:15-17), but here the Holy Spirit’s role is seen (see also Job 33:4). He “moved in power” to reconstruct the earth.

Before we close, it is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit is also the “ACTIVE agent” in the New Birth where lost sinners are born anew through faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God in power to bring about the New Birth (see John 3:1-8 with 1st Peter 1:23). Just as the Spirit of God said “Let there be light” in Genesis 1:3 to begin the reconstruction of the earth, so the Spirit of God shines the “light of the gospel into a sinner’s heart” so he/she can believe in Christ and have eternal life. “For it is the God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2nd Corinthians 4:6).  The moment one believes in Christ as their Savior they are seen by God as a “New Creation.” This is confirmed by 2nd Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Has my reader been born again and made a new creation through the Holy Spirit shining the light of the gospel into your heart?  (DO)  (594.5)