In Eternity After the Beginning During the Creation of Earth
Article #3 on the Sovereignty of God in the First Verse of the Bible (Genesis 1:1)
God’s second act of creation was in the making of Earth as a planet according to Genesis 1:1. Remember, the creation of Heaven and Earth transpired before time began on Day #1 in Genesis 1:3-5. Now, having understood the creation of Heaven, and the events that preceded the creation of the World, it is abundantly clear why the angels were sitting in the galleries of Earth’s sky shouting for joy during the exploits of creation.
the foundations of the earth? the measuresthe linethe foundationsfastened?the corner stoneWhen the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
God didn’t create mankind for the Earth. Mankind wasn’t an afterthought in the heart of God. Election motivated creation! God created the Earth for mankind. In Genesis, this can be observed in how the LORD subjected the Earth to mankind. Repeated statements of this nature were made in the Adamic Covenant (Gen. 1:26-31). God wanted Adam to “subdue it” and exercise “dominion” over it (Gen. 1:28). Therefore, it was “given” to Adam (Gen. 1:29, 30). Speaking of this, David said, “the Earth hath He given to the children of men” (Ps. 115:16). David also quoted Genesis 1:26-31 in Psalm 8.
dominionthou hast put all things under his feet
The divine wisdom employed in creation is unimaginable. The height, length, depth, and breadth of this undertaking is breathtaking and overwhelming! Coming to realize that God was doing it all for mankind is a humbling revelation. Literally, God wanted to be with mankind in the paradise of creation. Omnibenevolence motivated God to create a dreamlike situation of heaven on earth. In the beginning, there we see the LORD walking and talking with Adam in the cool of the day in the Garden of Eden! Can you imagine it? Reflecting upon this glorious beginning of God and Man, David wrote Psalm 8:3-6.
Heavensmoonstarsordainedmanthe son of mandominionthou hast put all things under his feet
Literally, God was motivated to create the Heavens and the Earth for mankind, while thinking about mankind as the primary object of His delight and the apple of His eye. It sounds unbelievable! “What is Man, that Thou art mindful of him?” Interpreters should allow the personification of Wisdom to speak on this matter. This brings us to Proverbs 8:27-31.
A Divine Preoccupation with Mankind During Creation
Divine genius was employed to create “the Earth” – appointing its “foundations” (Prov. 8:29), the fountains in the “depths”, and the “mountains” in the heights (Prov. 8:22-26). Infinite wisdom was used in the creation of “the Heavens” – in setting a “compass” upon the face of the depth and establishing the height of “the clouds” (Prov. 8:27-28). Meanwhile, the creation of these things was a thoroughly emotional experience, not for any special feeling of love that God had for these inanimate things of nature. Rather, divine Wisdom rejoiced to create these things while rejoicing to build a habitation for mankind. This is definitively stated in Proverbs 8:30-31 as the climactic conclusion of Proverbs 8:27-31.
Rejoicingthe habitable partmy delights were with the sons of men
With the infinite clarity of divine foresight, God acted to create the Earth while rejoicing in the habitable parts of the world because He was delighting in the sons of men. However, it should be noted that the exploits of divine Wisdom had already become famous, even before the creation of the world. This is stated in Proverbs 8:22-23.
possessedthe beginningbeforeworksset upfrom everlastingfrom the beginningever the earth was
Apparently, works were accomplished “from the beginning” and before “ever the Earth was” in a timeless place called Heaven – a place being referred to here as, “from everlasting” (Prov. 8:22-23). Sound familiar? We have already explored what happened in eternity, after the beginning, at the creation of Heaven, and before the creation of the Earth. As a result of these works the Angels of Heaven came to understand the glory of divine Wisdom. This brings us back to Job 38:4-7. Illustriously, the LORD “possessed” Wisdom! It was “set up” and put on display! It was publicly known in the creation of Heaven, and in the monumental events that took place in eternity.
A divine preoccupation with mankind in eternity must lead into a divine preoccupation with mankind during creation. This is loudly being communicated in the singing and shouting of Angels as they watched God create the world and everything in it (Job 38:4-7)! They had such uncontainable joy because the Angels were celebrating the “rejoicing” and “delight” of God during Creation (Prov. 8:22-23), and this is the same thing being called “pleasure” in Revelation 4:9-11.
pleasure
Wretched and unworthy sinners will object, by saying, “What is Man, that Thou art mindful of him?” (Ps. 8:4), but this doesn’t change reality (Lk. 5:8). The unmerited favor originates from the free will of God. Bitter and angry fallen angels, who have been turned into devils, agree with this objection in a slanderous way. You can hear it in their own words when a fallen angel visited Eliphaz to harden him against Job.
A sovereign God providentially making plans in eternity to forgive sinners before they were even created is a marvelous testimony of grace. Having heard about this in Heaven, we can understand how this likely influenced the great Cherub, Lucifer, and hundreds of millions of Angels in train, when they presumed upon this grace for themselves on the day that they rebelled against God (Ezek. 28:14-15; Rev. 12:3-4; Rev. 9:16). Satan is still bitter about it.
It would be best to stick with God’s opinion on these high and holy matters. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20)! Let all mortal flesh keep silent. We should allow God to speak for Himself about why He created the world. This is done with eloquence and precision in the Book of Isaiah. Divine reasoning presents to readers strong arguments that are capable of converting the worst of sinners.
reason
The reasoning and argumentation only intensify in chapters forty through sixty-six. The sheer number of times that God speaks of the creation of the world and everything in it deserves our attention. Let’s try to follow the argument from beginning to end.
calleth
call
Who else but the Creator can command universal faith, subjection, and obedience? The LORD is contending for the faith of the people, that they would believe that there is nothing too hard for God (Jer. 32:17)! This is relevant for the Jews. They find themselves in impossible circumstances. More specifically, in context, the LORD is contending for their faith in the power of God to perform the Gospel (Isa. 40:9, 12), in executing judgment upon Babylon’s world (Isa. 40:22-24, 48:13-14), and for the liberation, regathering, and restoration of the Jewish people (Isa. 40:26-31). Evidently, the creation of all the inanimate things of nature wasn’t for divine entertainment. These things were created for mankind! So the LORD proceeded to make the same divine statements with this implication.
he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein
and created man upon it
and formeth the spirit of man withinhim
Implicitly, God is saying that He created the inanimate things of nature for mankind. Curiously, as a restoration prophet, Zechariah was compelled to say the same thing. The 70-year Babylonian Captivity had been a long and hard chastisement for the Jewish people. Therefore, in making these divine statements (Isa. 42:5, 45:12), once again, the LORD was in the process of promising their liberation, regathering, and restoration from Babylon through Cyrus, and where these prophecies don’t apply to history they will work to perform the liberation, regathering, and restoration of the Jewish people in the 2nd Advent of Christ.
A Divine Preoccupation with the Elect During Creation
Admittedly, the LORD was bringing the captivity to an end because if He continued to chastise the Jews, God said, “the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made” (Isa. 57:15-16). This helps us understand the heart of God in the creation of the spirits and souls of mankind (Isa. 42:5, 45:12, Zech. 12:1). Seeing that election motivated creation, theoretically, if all the elect were to perish, and the Jews were to be eradicated from the Earth, the original divine reason for creating everything in the physical universe would have come to nothing. Of course, God will not allow this to happen! Isaiah then proceeded to wax explicit and emphatic while making the exact same divine statements.
he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited
Clearly, God doesn’t want sinners to inhabit the earth (Gen. 6:5-7). It is now becoming clearer to readers that the Creator is speaking directly to the elect. The language of election pervades these chapters because God wants the elect to inhabit the earth! Election and creation are interrelated divine powers that are repeatedly presented together by divine reasoning. The timeless place of eternity, as the origin of divine sovereignty, is referred to by the words, “from the beginning”, “from the foundations of the earth”, and “before the day” (Isa. 40:21-23, 41:4-5, 26-27, 43:13). Demonstrating the power of election is how the LORD made a name for Himself as “the First and the Last” (Isa. 41:4, 26-27, 44:6, 48:12, Rev. 1:11, 17, 2:8, 22:13). Literally, God did this by “calling the generations from the beginning” (Isa. 41:4-5), and by calling the elect out of every generation first, before the LORD even created the Earth (Isa. 41:26-27).
from the beginningThe Firstshall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem One that bringeth good tidings
In a powerful demonstration of election, the LORD spoke about what was done “from the beginning” in eternity, when “the First” called and elected believers by predestinating them to be spiritually born in Zion, speaking of heavenly Jerusalem. This makes perfect sense in the light of Holy Scripture (Matt. 25:34, Heb. 12:22-24, Lk. 10:20, Ps. 87:1-7, Gal. 4:26, Jn. 18:36, Heb. 11:16, 13:14). The vacant mansions in the Kingdom of Heaven need inhabitants! Hence, when the Redeemer created these people, it was done with an overwhelming sense of love and affection. Literally, the Potter of Eternity lovingly and affectionately “formed [them] from the womb” to fulfill a specific purpose of divine sovereignty (Isa. 44:24).
thy Redeemerand he that formed thee from the womb
thy Maker
and say unto Zion, Thou art My people
God didn’t plant the Heavens and lay the foundations of the earth so sinners could take over the world (Ps. 104:35). No! It was all created so that Jesus Christ could say to Zion, “Thou art My people” (Isa. 51:16). This is the “One” who was foretold to bring “good tidings” (Isa. 41:27). Evidently, this is God’s “pleasure” in creating all these things (Rev. 4:9-11). The Angels, as witnesses of divine sovereignty in election, knew all about the “pleasure” of God in creating the Earth and everything in it (Rev. 4:9-11, Job 38:4-7). Without exaggeration, God created Heaven and Earth so that He might glorify Christ in the salvation of the elect, which means that He was doing it all for the elect Jews (Isa. 51:16; Eph. 1:10-11, Col. 1:15-20).
JacobservantsIsarelelect
electservants
elect
Election motivated the creation of the world! Yes. And Election also motivated the creation of specific people in the womb. Can you hear this coming through in the Book of Isaiah? For instance, when the LORD was speaking to the Jews, it was written, “Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb…” (Isa. 44:24). This is the language of election. This is a language of paternal love. This is especially true for the “elect” Messiah of the Jews, as can be seen in Isaiah 42:1-7.
Electdelighteth
he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:Covenantlight
The Messiah was foretold to be the root of Jesse, the son of David, and the only begotten Son of God, who alone was born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14, 9:6-7, 11:1, 10; Jn. 3:16). His birthday was the one and only immaculate conception the world has ever seen (Ps. 22:9-10)! Understandably, God the Father was personally involved in the conception, formation, and birth of this holy child (Lk. 1:35). Speaking of this, the Son of God made the following personal statements.
The LORD hath called Me from the wombfrom the bowels of My mother hath He made mention of My name
that formed Me from the womb
Connect the dots. In the language of election, the everlasting arms of the Potter are at work in creation. As a genuine human being, the Name of Jesus Christ was called by God and written in the Book of Life (Ezek. 13:9, Ex. 32:32-33, Ps. 69:28, 87:6, Isa. 4:3, Dan. 12:1, Hos. 9:3). Similarly, the Name of Jesus Christ was reckoned up in the genealogies (Matt. 1:1-17, Lk. 3:23-38).
The Book of Life motivates God to create life on earth. Specifically, and individually, this proves to be true with the Messiah, and with all the elect of every generation. And without the election of Jesus Christ, there would be no election of anyone else (2 Cor. 1:20, Eph. 1:10, 1 Pet. 1:2-10). Christ is the Fountainhead. Downstream, the elect things spoken to the Jews also apply to all the elect of every generation (Isa. 44:5, 55:3-5, 56:3-8, 65:1-2, 15-16). elect Gentiles even become spiritual Jews at salvation (Rom. 2:25-29, 11:16-17, Eph. 2:18-19, Gal. 3:26-29)! Hence, the language of election waxes stronger and stronger as God is reasoning with the Jews in the Book of Isaiah.
The godliest people to ever walk the face of the earth have the most astounding assurance of their own election. This was true of Jeremiah the Prophet. He felt “formed” by God in “the womb” of his mother for a very specific purpose in the earth (Jer. 1:5). This was true of the apostle Paul. He too felt that God “separated [him] from [his] mother’s womb” (Gal. 1:15, Rom. 1:1). Harmoniously, Paul was “called”, “elected”, and “chosen” by the LORD in the New Testament (1 Cor. 1:1, 2 Cor. 1:1, Eph. 1:1, Col. 1:1, 1 Tim. 1:1, 2 Tim. 1:1, 9-11, Acts 9:15, 22:14-15). Ah! But the same assurances would be granted to all believers if we could comprehend the language of election (1 Thess. 1:4). Meditatively, like King David, let us trace our election from now to infancy, and into eternity.
By thee have I been holden upfrom the wombthou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels
David traces the presence of irresistible grace back to its origin. In “old age”, David looked back at a lifetime sovereign mercy (Ps. 71:9). He said, “Thou art my trust from my youth” (Ps. 71:5). David then looked back even further at his own birthday, and there he saw God as the Physician, Nurse, and Deliverer (Ps. 71:6). Ah! But the “searching” continues (1 Cor. 2:10-12). Inspiration carried David’s thoughts even further back in time. David looked back beyond his birthday and theatrically saw into the womb of his mother! He received a revelation of the love of God in the formation of his substance in the belly of his mother (Ps. 139:13-16). This is a staggering revelation! Can you imagine it? Finally, when it seems that David could proceed no further back in time, the man was somehow conducted into eternity. David looked into eternity and saw the divine thoughts of infinity (Ps. 139:17-18)! These are the sure mercies of David (Isa. 55:1-3).
thou hast covered me in my mother's wombfor I am fearfully and wonderfully madeMy substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of thempreciousthythoughtsgreatsumthem!countthemtheynumbersand
This should give all men some pause. This should give all the elect some prostration! David peered into the heart of God and saw an unquantifiable sum of divine thoughts about himself. These were precious thoughts. This motivated the Potter to joyfully take a lump of clay and then proceed to intimately mold and form the elect body and soul of David on the wheel of divine sovereignty. The same is true for all the recipients of “the sure mercies of David” (Isa. 55:3).
