You asked

where else in the bible do we see creation described as an ongoing act or a new beginning?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Psalm 104:29-30

“You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to their dust. You send out your Spirit; they are created. You renew the face of the earth.”

Psalm 104 is a hymn of praise celebrating God's majesty and wisdom in creation. It moves from the grand cosmic order to the intricate details of animal life, and these verses highlight God's continuous involvement in sustaining and renewing all living things.

What does acknowledging God's ongoing act of creation mean for how we perceive our daily experiences of life and change?

Then — the setting

Psalm 104 is often dated to the post-exilic period (6th-4th century BCE) but draws on older traditions, including possible connections to Egyptian hymns praising the sun god Aton, though distinctly monotheistic. It reflects a sophisticated understanding of God as both transcendent creator and immanent sustainer, whose active presence is necessary for all life to begin, continue, and be renewed. The audience would have been the community of Israel, for whom the continuous presence of God was a core belief, impacting their understanding of both natural cycles and divine providence.

Across the Testaments

This Psalm, from the Old Testament, describes creation not as a single past event, but as a dynamic, ongoing process dependent on God's active Spirit. The New Testament picks up this theme of ongoing creation and also introduces the concept of 'new creation' in a more explicitly redemptive and spiritual sense. While Psalm 104 focuses on the natural world's continuous renewal, passages like 2 Corinthians 5:17 describe a 'new creation' for individuals in Christ, and Revelation 21:1-5 envisions a cosmic 'new creation' that resolves the brokenness of the current world. Both testaments affirm God's sovereign power to bring forth life and order, but the New Testament extends this power to include radical spiritual and eschatological transformation.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Isaiah 43:18-19
Prophetically announces God's intention to do a 'new thing,' creating new paths and springs in the wilderness.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Declares that 'if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation,' emphasizing a spiritual transformation.
Revelation 21:1
Presents a vision of a 'new heaven and a new earth,' a future eschatological renewal of all things.

Ask your own follow-up