A voice from the ancient past ...

Genesis 1

From its very first verse, the Bible speaks to us as a voice from the ancient past and a message for our present and our future.

The Bible speaks to every generation because it is a Word that comes to us from the eternal God, the everlasting God, the God who is both the Beginning and the End.

There is a sense of more than 'This is for the ancient past. This is for people who lived a long time ago.' There is a sense of  'This is for today. This for now. This is for us.'

In the first verse of the Bible, we are taken back to the beginning of time - but this is not the beginning of God. Before human history began, there is God. He was there before the world was created. He is the eternal God. This is what is conveyed to us by the Divine Name - "I am" (Exodus 3:14). 

In the creation of the world, we read about the Spirit of God and the Word of God (Genesis 1:2-3).

This is more than ancient history. In today's world, we need the Spirit of God, and we need the word of God. This is what God has given to us - his Spirit and his Word.

In the New Testament, we read about the Spirit of God and the Word of God: "First of all, you should know this: no prophecy of Scripture comes from one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, moved by the holy Spirit, men spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:21). 

In Genesis 1, we have the Spirit of God and the Word of God, working together in the creation of the world. In 2 Peter 1, we have the Word of the Lord, provided for us through the mighty working of the Spirit of the Lord.

Wherever we look in the Bible, we have the voice of the Lord, calling us to listen to what he is saying to us.

We see this, especially, in the life of Jesus. At the time of his transfiguration, the voice, from heaven, says, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him" (Matthew 17:5). This voice comes to us from a long time ago. It is not, however, to be left in the distant past. It is still the Word of the Lord for us today. Jesus Christ is still God's living Word, and he speaks to us through Scripture, God's written Word.

The Bible begins with the words, "In the beginning, God" (Genesis 1:1). This sets the tone for everything that follows. In today's world, there are many people who take no interest in what the Bible says to us. They read the first words of the Bible, "In the beginning, God", and they say, 'This is not for me.  I don't believe in God.' They've closed their minds to its teaching; "The fool has aid in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 14:1). When people hear these words, they say, "How dare you say this about me?' They say, 'I'm very well-educated.' According to the Bible, it's, sadly, possible to have a whole of education without really knowing anything about the things that matter most, without knowing God. This is what the Psalmist means when he says, "The fool has said in his heart, There is no God" - but we must remember something else that the Bible says.It tells us that fools can become wise: "Brothers and sisters, consider your calling: not many are wise from a human perspective ... Instead, God has chosen the world's foolish things to shame the wise ... From God you are  in Christ Jesus, who for us became wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, The one who boasts must boast in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:26-27,30).

The world hears the message of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and says to us, 'If it's okay for you, that's 

fine by me - but it's not for me.' Who are we to dismiss the Lord in such an offhand way? What happens when we stop listening to what God says to us through his Word? - "every one did what was right in his own eyes" (Judges 21:25). Many people adopt a 'take it or leave it' approach - 'You take it. I'll leave it.' What happens when we set god to one side, and try to live our life without him? - Everything revolves around ourselves. Everything becomes man-centred. This is the world's way of thinking. This the world's way of living. The Bible presents us with a different way of thinking and a different way of living - a God-centred way of thinking, a God-centre way of living.

The world's way of thinking takes us away from the teaching of God's word. It tells us that man created God in his own image. This is the exact opposite of what the Bible says: "God created man in his own image" (Genesis 1:27).

May God help us to keep on listening to what he says to us - and not to rush headlong into the world's way of thing and living. Listening to God, we'll be blessed by him.