We are going to look at the first usages of the words “beginning,” “God,” and “Lord.” The words “beginning” and “God” are first seen in Genesis chapter one. The word “Lord” is first seen in Genesis chapter two. Understanding how these words are used in the Scriptures will enlighten many passages of Scripture for you.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The word “beginning” is first seen in the very first verse of the Bible and is most familiar to everyone. How it is used elsewhere in the Scriptures may not be so familiar. The Hebrew word translated “beginning” is bereshith. It is translated “beginning,” 16 times; “firstfruits,” 12 times; “first,” 9 times; “chief,” 8 times; “chiefest,” once; “first part,” once; “first time,” once; and “principle thing,” once. Of the 50 times bereshith is found in the Scriptures it is only translated “beginning” 16 times, which is less than a third of its usage. How it is used in the Scriptures determines the best translation.
The word “beginning” in Genesis 1:1 is usually understood as the beginning of the world or the beginning of time. It cannot mean the beginning of the eternal world of God because God’s world has no beginning or end. Some think of eternity as time without end; time just goes on and on without ever ending. That is an incorrect concept. There is no time in eternity. You might say that eternity is the absence of time, though that does not describe it completely. God is eternity and eternity is God; that is, eternity is found in Him.
Since Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, you might say that God created the heavens and the earth in the realm of time. That is true but it only speaks of the natural heavens and earth. He also creates heavens and earth in the realm of eternity, and that creation takes place in the Beginning. You may have noticed that I spelled “Beginning” with a capital “B”. Now let me give you a verse of Scripture to show why. This portion of Scripture is taken from the letter to the Laodiceans in the book of Revelation. These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God. Revelation 3:14. This is obviously not speaking of the natural heavens and earth, yet it is one that is created. Also, we know that the Amen, the faithful and true Witness is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. He is the Beginning of an eternal creation of God, and that creation is the spiritual creation of the many-membered Christ; He is the “Beginning” of it, the “Firstfruits” of it, the “first” of it, the “chief” of it, and the “Principle thing” of it.
There is a creation of God in the natural realm and there is a creation of God in the spirit realm. There is a church in the natural realm and there is a Church in the spirit realm, which is eternal. The Church of the spirit realm is the many-membered Christ, which is a creation of God and Jesus Christ is the Beginning of it. Note the following passages of Scripture.
Psalm 102:18 This shall be written for the generation to come; and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The Hebrew word for “God” here is Elohim. Elohim is the plural for El as Cherubim is the plural for Cherub and Seraphim is the plural for Seraph. The question arises, why would the name of God be written in the plural form when the Bible stresses that He is One and not many? Then, realizing that elohim is also used in the Scriptures when referring to false gods, the question of why becomes even more significant. It is to be noted that when Elohim is referring to God it always carries with it a singular verb, and when it is referring to false gods it always has a plural verb. Two things come to mind regarding this. One, it is common in the Hebrew language to use a plural noun for a singular subject to show great esteem or value to the subject. This is called the “plural of quality” or “excellence”. Two, God manifests Himself in many ways but is only One. For example, He once manifested Himself as a burning bush (Exodus 3:2). You can probably think of many other ways.
Keep in mind that Elohim referring to God carries a singular verb and when referring to false gods it has a plural verb. That will clarify Scriptures such as Genesis 6:2: The sons of god saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. The Hebrew word for “god” here is elohim, which is plural. The Hebrew for the verb “saw” is also plural, which means the sons of god here are not “sons of God” but are of a satanic nature. (To verify the plurality of the verb “saw” see Analytical Key to the Old Testament by John Joseph Owens.)
Genesis 2:15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress and to keep it.
You will notice that God has always been God, for God is what He is. Therefore, the name “God” would be eternal the same as He is. But that is not the case with the title “Lord.” He does not take the name “Lord” until there is something or someone to be the Lord over. It is the same as the fact that one can not be a “father” until he has a son. So we see that God does not receive the name “Lord” until He has Adam under His Lordship. After God forms man and puts him in the garden, He is then called the “Lord God.”
It is also interesting that when God becomes Lord He always delegates responsibility to the one or ones under His Lordship. He creates Adam, becoming the Lord over him, and then He puts him in the garden to dress it and keep it. He commissions and delegates. The word “dress” in Hebrew is abad and properly means “to serve” or “to minister unto.” This immediately brings out the mystical implications. Jesus Christ the Son of God came to earth “to dress and keep” the Garden of God – the Church. The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28. Is He the Lord over your life? Then you have the responsibility to be one of those who “dress and keep” the Garden of God.
Copyright © 2006 by Henry DuBose