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how does this initial divine act of ordering chaos relate to jesus's calming of storms?

The passage, plainly, with room to sit with it.

Genesis 1:2-3

Now the earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep. God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

This passage comes from the very beginning of the Bible, in the book of Genesis. It introduces the creation narrative, describing the state of the world before God's active creation and the initial divine act that begins to bring order.

What does this initial act of ordering, spoken into the deep, suggest about the nature of divine presence in chaotic situations?

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Read alongside it

  • Psalm 104:5-9

    This psalm describes God setting boundaries for the waters, echoing the ordering of creation.

  • Job 38:8-11

    God challenges Job, reminding him of His power in containing the sea as if it were a baby, a continuation of the creation theme.

  • Matthew 8:23-27

    Jesus calms a storm with a word, demonstrating authority over the elements, paralleling the creative word in Genesis.

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