Bible study with Paige Part 2: Genesis 1.2

This week has been quite busy and this study was not as great as it could have been.  The concert with the Phil is today at two, and I don't feel as prepared for that as I should, but here is the study.  I do thank Paige for her willingness to study with me and encourage me in God's word.
Genesis 1 verse 2
And the earth was without form and void…according to Strong’s form (8414) means to lie   waste, desolation, empty place… So from this I see the earth had shape in its spherical shape, but it was empty, empty of life, yet ready for God to put life into it.  Nothing yet filled the earth.  Void (922) to be empty… I see this as a blank canvas, ready for the Master artist to place everything in its  proper place. Mountains, rivers, streams, flowers, trees, birds to soar the skies, animals to roam the land, and man all placed as they should to bring joy to Man, and Glory to God.
In German: Und die Erde war wüst und leer, and leer means blank, so that leads me back to a blank canvas.  Wüst means desert or waste.  The earth without life in it would be waste and deserted like formless.
And darkness was upon the  face of  the deep:  Darkness- literally darkness , and face (6440) means the  face as the part that turns, possibly form, but I am thinking how like  God to use the word face, since the earth turns  on its axis.  Deep was an interesting word (8415) an abyss as a surging mass of water, depth, deep place (the deep main sea as the subterranean water supply… Now this I find to be so wondrous since the next part of the verse talks about waters! 
In German: und es war finster auf der Tiefe:  it was finster (dark, gloomy) in the deep (Tiefe).
Now we see there is depth to this formless earth, and it is dark.  In German the word for dark, finster, can also mean gloomy.   When I paint, and I have an empty canvas in front of me,  there is  gloominess to it.  What will I paint, what if the colors run?  But God, the Master artist will soon take all this formless mass and begin His marvelous work.  Just think, He hasn’t even finished with the first day.
                           Oh, How marvelous is  our God,
                                     To make the earth for our feet trod
                         What seems so dark and filled with gloom,
                         Will soon be bright and in full bloom!
And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters… Und der Geist Gottes schwebte (hover, move) auf dem Wasser…The triune God participates in creation.  God the Holy Spirit move upon the waters.  It is interesting that the word for Spirit is breath or wind.  The Holy Spirit at Pentecost came as a mighty, rushing wind.
The God, who saves, creates the earth and the first step is creating the earth with waters.  The Holy Spirit breathes upon it.  He Holy Spirit breathes upon it.  The Holy Spirit moves upon the waters, and He moves in the life of the believer comforting us, reminding us the Word.  How great is our God!

I didn’t have a lot of time to work on Psalm 119.2.  I didn’t study the words, but I have pondered the meaning.  Blessed are they that keep His testimonies and that seek Him with the whole heart.  Happy are the believers who keep God’s testimonies.  I did look up testimonies and it means witness.  I think it means happy are they who keep God’s words.  How did He bring everything into being?  With His Words, he created the earth and all of creation, and with His Word, He creates new life in the believer.  We grow and thrive on His word.  Several months ago, at Mother’s Day, our pastor preached on honoring our parents.  I thought, as he preached that there were so many failings in me.  I did not honor my mom in everything and I failed so many times.  Then Pastor went on to say the very thing I felt, that we cannot honor our parents the way God fully intends, because we are sinners, yet Christ did.  We fail in following the Ten Commandments, only ten and yet cannot keep them perfectly as a Holy God would have them kept, but Jesus did.  He kept every commandment of God perfectly.  He never once failed to keep them.  Why did He do this?  He did that for me and for you.  How awesome to think of that.  We so often think of how Christ loved us so much He died for us, but how often do I think of the fact that He loved me so much, that He lived for me?  He lived the perfect life that I could not.  This thought makes me want to serve Him more and better.    I thought of that message again as I read this verse.  God sustains us,  He keeps us by  His power. 
How great is the love of God toward me!
He lived the life that I could not,
He, for love, my soul had bought,
O the joy to live for Him eternally!
That was not good poetry, but my heart just overflows at the thought of God's love.
I don't think I'll be able to manage to memorize all of Psalm 119, but I want to try.  I may only manage Genesis 1 in English and German, at least that is my goal.
Again, I am sorry this late.
In Christ,
Your sister,
Marsha

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