Interesting question...

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J

JakeIA

New member
#1
Nov 24, 2019
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#1
I had a friend read Gen. 1:1-5 recently after we were discussing current events.

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

He said "how could there be water upon the earth if the earth was formless?" I didn't have an answer. lol
 
Dave-L

Dave-L

Banned
#2
Jan 17, 2020
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#2
JakeIA said:
I had a friend read Gen. 1:1-5 recently after we were discussing current events.

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

He said "how could there be water upon the earth if the earth was formless?" I didn't have an answer. lol
Click to expand...
Have you ever tried to shape water into a square?
 
posthuman

posthuman

Senior Member
#3
Jul 31, 2013
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#3
JakeIA said:
He said "how could there be water upon the earth if the earth was formless?" I didn't have an answer. lol
Click to expand...
this helps us understand what He means by 'formless'
the word can mean 'empty' or 'desolate' or 'futile' -- it's used a twenty times in the Bible, and usually not to imply 'having no shape' so much as 'barren' -- often translated as 'meaningless' when talking about the thoughts and intentions of people.

some people think, there is a lot of time between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 -- that there may have been a previous 'garden' and a previous flood; they speculate that perhaps Satan had played a similar role to Adam in a garden of minerals or something else, over angels, and that in judgement over Satan's fall the earth was made desolate. that Genesis 1:2 & onward represent a new creation, the creation of plant and animal life and humankind.
of course it is speculative, but they will point to passages like Isaiah 44:18 -- God didn't create the earth to be 'empty' -- that's the same word that in Genesis 1:2 translators chose to write 'formless' -- so, they will say, if He didn't create it 'formless/empty' but Genesis 1:2 picks up with it being 'formless/empty' then perhaps something took place beforehand, in the history of angels ((of whose creation we are told nothing about, but who are they eternally existing like God?)) - something may have taken place by which the earth became desolate, if it was not created desolate.
 
posthuman

posthuman

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#9
Jul 31, 2013
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#9
Dave-L said:
It was a comment of Genesis the earth being void without shape.
Click to expand...
i'm not sure 'formless' is the best translation. topologically speaking, irregular form is still form.
a puddle isn't 'lacking any kind of shape' it's puddle-shaped.
 
Dave-L

Dave-L

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#10
Jan 17, 2020
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#10
posthuman said:
i'm not sure 'formless' is the best translation. topologically speaking, irregular form is still form.
a puddle isn't 'lacking any kind of shape' it's puddle-shaped.
Click to expand...
If it wasn't all puddle.
 
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