Before Time Began

The book of Genesis begins with what I call our “Statement of Faith” – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The Hebrew word used for “beginning” refers to “an initial period”, a starting point.  This means that before this starting point there was God.  He existed even before everything else in the heavens and earth.  We see this in John 1:1

John 1:1 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The “in the beginning” here in John 1 is the beginning before the “in the beginning” of Genesis.  Genesis talks about the beginning of all creation.  John speaks of the beginning of beginnings – eternity past.  It was God and only God.  This is why everything, literally everything created all comes from Him.

Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV)
16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

So before anything was created, before time even began, God was God.  But have we ever wondered what God was doing before He created the heavens and the earth?  What triggered this question in my mind was something I read in Warren Wiersbe’s “Be Series” commentary of Genesis where he said:

“In spite of its name "Genesis," which means "beginning," and in spite of its position as the first book in the Bible, the Book of Genesis isn't the beginning of everything. Genesis 1:1 reminds us, "In the beginning God." So, before we study the basics that are laid down in Genesis 1-11, let's acquaint ourselves with what God did before what's recorded in Genesis.”
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)

So it got me thinking – what was God doing before He created the heavens and the earth?  Was He just sitting on His throne doing nothing?  Here’s what Scripture tells us He was doing:

Titus 1:2 (NIV)
2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,

Wow.  Before the beginning of time our God was already designing the salvation that He would eventually bring to those He was going to offer to all, and make effective to those He chose.

2 Timothy 1:9 (NIV)
9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

Before time began God had already planned to grant us grace through the Son of God, Christ Jesus, giving His life for us.

1 Corinthians 2:7 (NIV)
7 No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 

This wisdom is the message of the cross, the gospel that saves us!  This wisdom of God, having His Son die for us on the cross as payment for our sins, was destined for us even before time began!  He did not wait for us to sin, to ruin our lives – He already had it in His heart to graciously bring this wisdom, this good news, to each of us.

Finally, before time began, look what the Lord was doing:

Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight…

He chose us.  Even before He created the heavens and the earth, before Adam, before the nations, before anyone and everything else existed – He chose us, you and me, those of us enjoying the grace of God.  We were in His heart even before time began.

Our God wasn’t just sitting down, twiddling His thumbs and doing nothing.  Even before He began His wonderful work of creation He already had in mind to bring salvation to a fallen world, and to bring it by His grace through the death of His Son.  And He chose one of the worst times in history where one of the most painful and humiliating death penalties was enforced – crucifixion.  And before time began He chose those of us who are now born again, who recognize Him as our Savior, and walk with Him as our Lord.  All that before even time began.