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No.8.
The Creation of
Gen. 1: 1
a "Firstfruits" (contd.).
pp. 121 - 126
Not only do we have the most careful choice of terms `become' in John, `work of
Thine hands' in Hebrews, and `create' in Colossians, but the three titles of the Creator are
similarly selected and related.
"The Word" Logos reveals the hidden thoughts of God, and makes them manifest in
creation. "The Image" eikon reveals that which is otherwise `invisible', so that Christ
could say "He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father". "The express Image" is the
character, the "Person" is hupostasis substratum, that which lies under.
Creation is the thought of God expressed in the material world. The Saviour is the
Image of the invisible God, even as He is the external character of His invisible
intangible reality. John says "all things were made by Him". Colossians says "all things
were created by Him". Hebrews says that He it was Who "in the beginning" laid the
foundations of the earth, and declares that the very heavens are the works of His hands.
These three great references to Christ as the Creator of Gen. 1: 1 are followed by
references to His descent into humanity for the purpose of redemption. Let us go over
the ground again with this in view:
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (as in a tent or tabernacle) among us, and
we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth . . . . . and of His fullness have all we received" (John 1: 14-16).
"And He (Who created all things) is the Head of the Body, the Church: Who is
the BEGINNING . . . . . in the body of His flesh through death, to present you . . . . . holy
. . . . ." (Col. 1: 18-22).
He Who is the express Image of His person, the Son Who is God, seeing that the
children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same;
that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil,
and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage
(Heb. 2: 14, 15).
When the heavens & earth were created, the goal of God set forth in I Cor. 15: 24-28,
that God should be all in all was envisaged, and a word used by God to Job is highly
suggestive of the redemptive character of creation.
"Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth . . . . . whereupon are the
foundations thereof fastened?" (Job 38: 4, 6).
Two very different Hebrew words are here translated `foundation'. The first word is
the Hebrew yasad, which means to establish anything upon a foundation and this is
equivalent to Heb. 1: 10, the same word being used in the Septuagint showing that the
Almighty Who spoke to Job was the One we know as Christ, but the second word is