Hebrews 11:3 NIV
[3] By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Now we come to verses that for many stretch their credulity in Christianity. And yet I am at a loss why.
Allow me to explain.
On a recent visit to the city of Florence, Italy, we saw a copy of Michaelangelo’s David – a very fine piece of art. It deserves admiration.
However, do you know anyone who would reasonably assert that it easily created purely by chance? Or that the marble particles just happened to coalesce in that particular direction?
Of course not!
Anyone asserting such a thing would be subject to ridicule – and quite rightly so.
By the same token, we cannot reasonably maintain that a sunset or a beautiful view was the product of purely random forces.
It just makes no sense.
The writer to the Hebrews makes his assertion as to what it was that created the world. In doing so, he falls back upon ancient Jewish teaching and tradition going back centuries.
And not just in the book of Genesis:
Psalms 8:3-4 NIV
[3] When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, [4] what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Psalms 74:16-17 NIV
[16] The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon. [17] It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.74.16-17.NIV
Psalms 90:2 NIV
[2] Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
And this is not simply an Old Testament belief. It is a New Testament belief also:
Revelation 4:11 NIV
[11] “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” https://bible.com/bible/111/rev.4.11.NIV
It is a fundamental belief for all Christians that God created the world:
John 1:1-3 NIV
[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
We will explore this fundamental belief under four headings. Firstly, how we believe.
As we saw in my post:
Hebrews 11:1 NIV
[1] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.11.1.NIV
Faith is not a foolish flight of fancy. It is based first and foremost on evidence.
And there are two parts to that evidence.
Firstly, the world, in all its beauty and complexity and profundity. That itself, in all its majesty, should be enough to convince us that it needs a Creator, as Paul argued:
Romans 1:20 NIV
[20] For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Creation itself is evidence that God created it.
But we also have the Word – the Word of God.
The Word of God states that God created the world:
Genesis 1:1 NIV
[1] In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. https://bible.com/bible/111/gen.1.1.NIV
For any Christian, this is enough. God says it. We believe it.
But the writer to the Hebrews moved on from how we believe to what was made, and the text is very clear: the universe.
Interestingly, the word used here has two dimensions. It means ‘the universe’ in the sense of the stars:
Job 9:5-9 NIV
[5] He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. [6] He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. [7] He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. [8] He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. [9] He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.
Psalms 8:3-4 NIV
[3] When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, [4] what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
But the word can also refer to time, as in the passing of time.
In other words, both space and time were brought into being entirely by God Himself.
They were not, are not, and will never be, the result of some cosmic accident.
That takes us on from how we believe and what was made to how it was made.
There are whole branches of science dedicated to exploring the physical world and looking to find explanations for how things work. Of course, people should be involved in endeavours like that – they show the infinite beauty and complexity of God’s creation.
But as for the actual mechanics of how everything was created, the Bible is perfectly clear about that:
Psalms 148:1-6 NIV
[1] Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. [2] Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. [3] Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. [4] Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. [5] Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, [6] and he established them for ever and ever— he issued a decree that will never pass away.
Eight times in Genesis 1, we see The same phrase – ‘And God said...’ (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26). What happens when God says?
Creation.
Now, before we get into any form of argument about whether or not it is possible for a god to simply create something by speaking, let me state that if someone is a god, then it stands to reason they will have this ability, because they are God.
The specific ability to create with words and not just actions is critical to Christianity. It shows that God really is all-powerful.
It also ties in with John’s introduction of Jesus as not only God Incarnate, but the embodiment of His Word, as we saw in John 1:1.
So yes, as Christians, we believe that God simply spoke the world into being ex-nihilo (out of nothing), and that this gives as clear an indication of any of His greatness.
Of course, this belief comes through faith. But then, so does belief in any creation narrative because we were not there. We did not witness it for ourselves. And so with whatever we believe about the creation of the universe, we will always be exercising faith.
Which is rather the point.
But apart from how we believe and what was made and how, we lastly moved on to why it was made – something that is not covered by Hebrews 11:3, but is a critical part of our understanding of both its purpose and ours, as created beings.
The Bible is clear about this:
Psalms 8:1 NIV
[1] Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
Psalms 19:1-4 NIV
[1] The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. [2] Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. [3] They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. [4] Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.
Romans 1:20 NIV
[20] For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Colossians 1:15-17 NIV
[15] The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. [16] For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. https://bible.com/bible/111/col.1.15-17.NIV
Creation exists, in all its beauty and splendour, to glorify God.
That might sound vain, but consider this: if you go to a gallery containing paintings by an old master, how often do you admire the frame or the chemical composition of the paint or the canvas? How many tour guides extoll such things?
None.
How many praise the painter?
God, in the utmost power of His creativity has produced a masterpiece unsurpassed in its wonder since it came into being.
His masterpiece is a wonderful representation of His artistry and humour and use of colour.
Give Him the praise He is due. Don’t even give it a second thought.
Often we approach life as if we were buying a train ticket for our future. We have little thought about where we came from. Our only focus is to get to where we need to go.
This leaves us feeling dislocated, rootless, disconnected. It robs us of our sense of identity and purpose and meaning.
It leaves us empty.
By faith we have the answer. By faith we believe that we are not a random collection of cells that just happened to coagulate together at the right time. By faith we believe that we are God’s handiwork (Ephesians 2:10).
We have evidence for it too. That is how we believe it. We believe that it was made through God simply commanding it into being. And we believe that the whole universe – and us as part of it – was created for His glory.
What a difference this makes!
Often, when the weather is good and I feel like I need it, I will wander down to our nearest woodland. I will stand there in the serene quiet and just listen to the breeze in the trees, and to the bird song, and to the buzz of bees.
Sometimes it helps to reduce my own inflated sense of self-importance to realise that I am part of this, and that it will still be here long after I’m gone.
Because God created it. And He created me.
And God sustains it. And God sustains me.
And this great God is far beyond my imagination.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I realise that this is important. You created the universe. You crested me. And You created both with a purpose – to bring glory to You. Help me to work out how I can do that in my life. Amen.
Questions
1. Why do we believe that God created the world? What evidence is there?
2. What benefits do we gain from this belief?
3. What difference does it make to you to believe that you were created by God and are a reflection of His creativity and artistry?
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