thinking bible.

You asked

what understanding of chaos and order did ancient near eastern cultures hold regarding creation?

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

Genesis 1:1-2

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 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.

This is the very beginning of the Bible, introducing the story of creation. It sets the scene before any specific acts of creation, describing the initial state of the cosmos and the presence of God's Spirit.

How might embracing a degree of 'formlessness' or 'emptiness' in our lives open us to new possibilities of creation or transformation?

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

  • Psalm 104:5-9

    This Psalm praises God for establishing the earth, holding back chaotic waters, echoing creation themes.

  • Jeremiah 4:23-26

    This prophetic passage uses imagery of the earth returning to 'formless and empty' to describe judgment and desolation.

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