His Presence, His Pattern

I have read and re-read this verse often. “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” - Genesis 1:3

Often, my focus was drawn to the opening verses describing the earth without form, the Spirit moving over the waters, and the darkness from which God separated the light. Yet during a recent reading of the opening chapter of Genesis, I found myself drawn into a new discovery.

Have you ever noticed that in verse 3 God says, “Let there be light,” and then later, in verses 14–18, He separates the day from the night? At first glance, it seems repetitive. Hadn’t He already done that in verse 3?

God Always has Purpose

As I searched to understand why two seemingly similar acts appear in the same chapter, I began by studying the Hebrew word for light. I wondered if there might be a different meaning of the word as it is written in verse 3 compared to what was written in verses 14-18. In fact, there does seem to be a distinction. While both are bright light, the sun and the moon are physical in nature governing what God names as day and night. But the light described in verse 3 is the Hebrew word, Ohr. This light is divine, a supernatural illumination. The Hebrew alphabet is more than just letters and sounds; they are also pictures that can reveal patterns and deeper meaning.

The Hebrew word Ohr contains three letters. When God said, Let there be light (ohr) He established a pattern that would be repeated throughout scripture.

• Aleph — The first letter, Aleph is depicted as an ox, meaning, strength, ox head.

• Vav — Vav is a picture of a tent peg or a hook. It means join, secure or establish.

• Resh — This is a picture of a head, specifically head or beginning.

  
  

Taken together, this verse gives us a picture of God’s presence and strength being established…in the beginning.

His Presence

This understanding reveals to me that the light I think of as solar doesn’t appear until day four. This means that the light in verse three is something different, something that was prior to, and released before the physical creation of solar light and even before He sets about organizing and filling creation. God Himself is complete light, the Shekinah Glory that gives purpose to His creation. His presence in dividing light from darkness was the necessary first step in the creation account. His presence fills the void. 1 John 1:5 states this clearly, “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.”

Presence before Construction

This pattern is repeated throughout the bible. God’s presence precedes action. Here are a few examples:

• The pillar of cloud and fire that guided the Israelites from Egypt (Ex. 13:22-22).

• The Shekinah glory (the glory of God) before the tabernacle was used (Ex. 24:16-18).

• The Holy Spirit descending on the disciples at Pentecost, unifying Believers as the church (Acts 2:1-4).

God’s presence is not coincidental. It is His design and His pattern.

Invite His Presence

Jesus exemplified how to walk in this pattern. He was filled with, and led by the Holy Spirit, before enduring the forty days in the wilderness. He prayed and invited His Father’s presence and will when making big decisions like choosing the twelve disciples. And in times of distress, such as prior to his crucifixion, He prayed His Father’s will be done.

One example though, especially stands out. Mark 1:35, says, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” It was still dark. It was a desolate place. And,Jesus prayed. Scripture does not explicitly describe the Father’s presence filling that place, but I believe His divine light (presence) met Jesus there in the darkness of those early morning hours.

When we attempt to act before inviting God’s presence, we work against the pattern He established from the beginning. His presence always comes first.

As Moses declared in Exodus 33:15, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.”

In Christ's love,

Tracey