Wow – The Genesis 1.1 Tohu Wa-Bohu (Chaos) Into Order Story Is Our Personal Stories Of Salvation!
The same God never changes. Neither does his modus operandi. Some of us are born into a Christian family and that can spare us a lot of worldly experiences, a lot of chaos, a lot of tohu wa-bohu whether we call it that or not.
For those of us who grew up in the world being taught the ways of the world or just hunkering down in our own version of Ali’s “rope-a-dope” while we get pummeled, we know all about tohu wa-bohu. The sin and temptations of the world. The conflicting messages cultural, societal, political with no buffer, no awareness that there is truly a sanctuary, a safe harbor, a peaceful place and a gracious God to turn to when confusion turns to overwhelm. I remember seeing that so many of the gals on the dating websites I would sometimes end up on identified themselves as “pagan”, wiccan” and such. Were they all active witches actively pursuing witchcraft activities? Maybe for some it was just an aspiration. There were blessed few who identified themselves as Christian though. Well, I couldn’t tell you because I didn’t know but there on that one dating website was so many invitations to get involved in a whole other life which would have driven us far from the Lord. All the spiritual chaos out in the world and the even more chaotic “answers” to that chaos, the apostasy, the cults, the fringe, new agey spins on accepting Jesus into their lives except it isn’t Jesus at all – just more demons. Tohu Wa-Bohu soup! And then one day if we are lucky, if we are called, if we are blessed we find the narrow door led to by a narrow path that says
“come all ye of weary hearts and mind, leave all your troubles and worries behind. You say it’s been a long hard road my friend, well I’m here to tell you every road must end. There’s a bright sun rising on a day that’s fresh and new. There’s a sweet voice in the valley calling me and you and we’ll sing a song of victory” – (lyrics by Zeb) victory in Jesus. The same voice that commanded “Let there be light” now commands “Let there be life” in Christ, in you.
So just as the “inky black soup of nothingness” (a poetic if not entirely theologically accurate depiction of the tohu wa-bohu in the Message translation of the Bible) preceded God putting order into all the chaos, such were our lives for many of us. Maybe for all of us to greater or lesser degree until the day we find that door, not ajar but wide open, walk in and leave our door slammed shut behind us because to backslide would be to take another swim in the soup. God is the same God whether we read about Him in the Tanakh, in the Gospel, in Revelation or whether we just have our own heart-to-heart experiences in prayer or spiritual metaphysical cracks through which the light gets in. Now we are no longer rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We have accepted the invitation of grace and we are a “new spirit” walking in “the newness of life” because Jesus makes all things new in His glory. The light that shined and gave life to the “tohu wa-bohu” of the universe, who talk the random numbers on the chalk board and put them into mathematical formulas upon which order and life could be written is still writing, still ordering things, still transforming chaos into light… in our hearts when we accept the invitation and walk through the door.
Let us see what scripture has to say about all this:
CORROBORATING SCRIPTURE
Genesis 1:2–3, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 6:15, Isaiah 43:18–19, Romans 6:4, Revelation 21:5, Colossians 3:10
Genesis 1:2–3 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Galatians 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Isaiah 43:18–19 Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.
Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
Lyrics by Zeb of Virginia Beach Church
from his song Let there be light
Let there be light X3
so sayeth the Lord X 2
The first words of creation
The same words everyday
Lord make the path straight and clear
For all have gone astray
For the Lord still loves us all
There ain’t nothing we can do
No matter the darkness fills our world
Gods light will shine on through
There is peace in the light of the Lord
(Let There Be Light)
There is joy in the light of the Lord
(Let There Be Light)
There is hope in the light of the Lord
(Let There Be Light)
There is truth in the light of the Lord
(Let There Be Light) X2
Your word’s a lamp to guide my feet,
Your Son, the light divine.
Through Him we’ll never walk in darkness,
His truth forever shine
(Repeat last line X4)
Prayer For Whomsoevers
Lord, I have known the Tohu Wa-Bohu except I thought it was a Polynesian island. But it is the opposite of peaceful, idyllic, godly and pristine. It is Hebrew for formless and void. The two year pandemic shutdown was the highest point of my experiencing formlessness and void. I was so close to falling out of that and into the clutches of the enemy. And instead you lit a light bulb in my skull… why not go to church? I am feeling I need some community and how bad could it be? Well I went from being formless and void and into a chaotic situation with the spirit of Jezebel at that church. But you led me through that too, Lord, and now here I am in a beautiful loving community of your children which increasingly feels like family. You lead me through the tohu and the bohu to a place where I can have peace and feel love and where I can worship You. You held the door open for me, you turned my chaos into peace and love and humility and you continue to lead and to guide me. I thank you Lord and I pray only for continuation. I am your faithful, yet undeserving, servant who is grateful for your grace and for opening thine eyes that I may see. I pray for all people that they may come to know you and to experience the peace, love and joy that you bestow through our advocate and intercessor, your Son, Jesus.
Fun Facts Note: Yes, “Tohu-Wa-Bohu” is from the Hebrew:
Tohu (תֹהוּ) = formlessness, confusion, emptiness, waste
Wa (וָ) = “and” (Hebrew conjunction)
Bohu (בֹהוּ) = void, emptiness, desolation
Translation: “Formless and void” (KJV) / “Without form and empty” (NIV)
even more fun fact: Jeremiah 4:23 uses the same phrase to describe God’s judgment on Israel, suggesting a reversal of creation—returning to chaos.
