Why a Line?
Give a two year old pen and paper, and what will you get — a line. It might not be straight, but you’ll get a line. A surgeon’s scalpel will begin with a carefully planned incision line. A draftsman’s architectural plans will hold a plethora of lines, but they will always have begun with that one first line. For me, most fascinating of all lines, is the remembering that “in the beginning”, creation began with lines. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…”(Gen. 1:1a).
“In the beginning”, the great pen of everything first touched the paper of life. Where the first surgical line cut through the void; the first architectural mark revealed detailed plans. Miraculous wonders began at that moment. “In the beginning”, reflects that there was a “line” where something new came and it was to be different than what was before it (Gen. 1:2a tells us “the earth was formless and void in darkness”).
Tucked neatly within the wording of this first verse, we find a second clarifying “line”,“the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1b). The earth did not just appear; it has not always been. It was created by God. Likewise the heavens were created. God created them to be separate from one another. Two places divided by an unseen line.
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen. 1:1)
Meditating on these first lines of the beginning, recorded by Moses inspired by GOD, I viewed it as a treasure hunt. Prayerfully, and with eagerness, I wanted to see the lines that had been drawn by the great hand of the Creator, in the beginning of the beginning. Where better to go, for any good search, than to the Word?
I invite you to take your own Bible and see how many “lines” you can find in the beginning. A line, for the purposes of this writing, is marked by the separation of or delineation of two things. As shared above, “In the beginning” separates the beginning of something from the void prior to it. Likewise, “the heavens and the earth”, delineates the one from the other. How many “lines” can you find in Genesis 1?
Genesis chapter 1 creatively holds at least 11 “lines”. These eleven “lines” were needed in order for the world to begin functioning. If ever there’s been proof of the intense value of a “line” it’s found in the beginning. As we look through Genesis chapter 1 together, notice with me that these “lines” of beginning will divide one thing from another — but never for the purpose of conflict. These beginning lines are put in place so that something more can come. God shows us that growth and new life come only after void and darkness are dispelled. The title to this week’s reach-for-more is, “Why a Line?”. Watch with me how Chapter 1 reveals the answer to that question.
(For clarity sake, I’ve shared Genesis 1 below and underlined the “lines” I found. The numerals in parenthesis are not marking verses, they are counting the “lines” I found.)
In the beginning God created (1) 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.
And God said, “Let there be light”, and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness (3). God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. And there was evening, and there was morning (4*) - the first day. (*this one repeats 6 times, we’ll count it only as one “line”)
And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water. (5)” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky”. And there was evening and there was morning* — the second day.
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. (6)” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation; seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation; plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning* — the third day.
Can we pause for a second here and acknowledge how very important the ordering of lines were that God created.
He knew light would be needed,
dry land would be needed,
water was needed but in a controlled setting,
before plants could live and produce seeds and fruit.
Lines of separation are needed for life to begin.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night (7) and let them serve as signs to mark the sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning* — the fourth day.
And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth (8) across the vault of the sky.” So God created great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning* — the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds (9); the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image (10), in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
(Verses 24-26 reveal the line between all land dwelling creatures as separate from mankind — for mankind is made in the image of God.)
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female (11) he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground — everything that has the breath of life in it — I give every tree plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning* — the sixth day.
And there you have the first chapter of the first book of the Bible with its 11 clear “lines” noted. Reading through them collectively we quickly see the need for separation between one thing from another. God’s great intention in these lines was to BRING LIFE. Every detail needed to bring new life was carefully put in order day-by-day by God. He meticulously showed us that lines need to be defined carefully and have purpose. These lines did not reflect divisiveness or judgement. God was not critical of the dry land and cheering for the sea. He did not condemn the moon and exalt the sun. He made their differences clear and defined their purpose to them. He began “in the beginning” by showing us that differences are important and even needed — they were needed in order for life to begin and grow.
Why a line? God teaches us by example — a line is needed for good things to be able to grow.
