Genesis 1

 Welcome to the Daily Bible Chapter. My name is James Leroy Wilson and I invite you to join me as we discover new insights and new perspectives from a very old book.

GENESIS 1

At the very beginning of the Book of Genesis, we are introduced to a character named God. We see that:

• God is at the beginning of the "preparation of the heavens and earth." (Young's Literal Translation)

• Things come into existence on God's say-so.

• God speaks in the first-person plural: "And God saith, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.'" 

Read the whole chapter in the translation you prefer, but I'll zero in on the first few verses. From Young's Literal Translation, because if the original Hebrew was written in the present tense, that's the spirit in which I want to read it.

1 In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth --

2 the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness [is] on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,

3 and God saith, `Let light be;' and light is.

4 And God seeth the light that [it is] good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,

When I hear the word "light," I might think of one of several things:

• A flash, spark, ignition, or explosion that immediately changes the state of things.

• The means to see the physical world through the body's eyes, such as the sun or light bulbs.

• Warmth; the sun may light the way, or a campfire may help us see at night, but they also warm us.

• Lightness, as opposed to heaviness, in terms of weight or mass.

• A happy emotional state (light-hearted, lighter than air).

• Enlightenment, or a "flash" of understanding

At the start of Genesis, there seems to be water but no light. That is, no warmth. As if before the "beginning," there was only ice and darkness.

Perhaps God wanted light to melt the ice so it becomes liquid or vapor. Or maybe God wanted to feel lighter. Maybe God wanted to grow, and required light the way life needs light to grow.

Or maybe God wanted to become enlightened.

Try carrying a person who's asleep, whose eyes are closed (i.e., covered in darkness), compared to carrying someone who's awake, whose eyes are open to the light. The woke are lighter.

Nothing wrong with darkness. Most of us enjoy sleep. It is restful, peaceful and tranquil.

Maybe God was asleep and wanted to wake up, and that's how the light came to be.

James Leroy Wilson writes Daily Miracles, The Daily Bible Chapter, JL Cells, and The MVP Chase. Thanks for your subscriptions and support!

(Photo credit: TyshkunVictor)