Erwin asked:
When God created the universe, where was He?
Great question, Erwin! To be honest, when I first read it, I had to stop and think for a while. I finally settled on this: Just because nothing existed doesn’t mean nowhere existed.
For instance, we call space “space” because nothing is there. But a rocket ship can still fly through it. Just because nothing is there doesn’t mean there isn’t a space that can be inhabited. The absence of matter is “space,” and we could say that the absence of space is “matter.” So before there was matter, I suppose you could say there was still space.
Admittedly, that’s all just my human logic at work, and I wouldn’t bank on it being perfect. So let’s turn to the Word of God.
It is true that God made the earth, and we know a few things about where God was at the moment of creation.
First, we have God the Holy Spirit:
Genesis 1:1–2 – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (NIV, emphasis mine)
Then we have God the Father:
Isaiah 45:12 – It is I who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretched out the heavens; I marshaled their starry hosts. (NIV)
And thirdly, we know that God the Son–Jesus Christ–was somewhere present:
Colossians 1:16–17 – For by him [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.(NIV) John 1:1–3 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (NIV)
God was intricately involved in the creation process. He was hovering over creation. He was stretching out creation. He was forming and molding creation. And all creation is held together within Him.
I also think about how God formed man from the dust of the ground. He breathed into him the breath of life. Later, he opened the man’s side, took out a rib, and formed a woman. These are “hands-on” descriptions that imply to me that God was not far away but was strikingly close to His creation.
God transcends space as we know it. He can be present in my heart and your heart at the same time–all the while sitting on His throne in heaven. He is everywhere.
Psalm 139:7–10 – Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (NIV)
God is “omnipresent,” which is just a fancy word for “everywhere at once.” So where was God when everything was created? He was hovering over the surface of the deep. He was in the heavenly realms, speaking things into existence. He was stretching out the heavens with His hands. He was kneeling in the dirt, forming man. He was breathing life.
In short, He was EVERYWHERE!
Our God has no limits.
God bless, –Art
