I saw the earth, and it was without form and void [Jeremiah 4:23]

I saw the earth and it was without form and void [Jeremiah 4:23]

Jer 4:23-26 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; and at the heavens, and their light was gone.

24 I looked at the mountains, and they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.

25 I looked, and there were no people; every bird in the sky had flown away.

26 I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert; all its towns lay in ruins before the LORD, before his fierce anger.

Gen 1:1-2 In the beginning God created 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.

BECOMING ZERO

What is it to be a zero? A nothing? Of no worth? Consider a rusted bucket – what can you do with it. In computer thinking, a zero is actually different than emptiness and worthlessness. A zero is a necessary component of modern math. What else would you have if you have one of something and then take it away. But there is yet another concept that I learned: the null set. A zero is that strange spot on a numbering system between a negative number and a positive number that we symbolize with an "OH" or zero. There is yet another concept of emptiness or nothingness that would be best understood as a hole in the paper where the number line is.

Worthlessness, emptiness, void, formless, before the first day of creation, before the Big Bang?

If I understand correctly, the concept of a zero is a relatively current invention of man and it was made by Hindus and brought to Europe by the Arab traders.

The Original Use of Zero

The original use of the zero was formed by the babylonians. They used the sunya(zero) in the medial position to represent a blank spot for that individual set. The Zero in betweeen nagative and positive numbers wasn't invented until later when the chinese invented negative numbers.

The Mythological Invention of Zero

According to a Babylonian legend the original shape of the zero was said to be derived from buddha. When he was meditating he formed a circular shape with his index fingers and thumbs meaning void. By doing this he was saying that in prayer you should make your mind blank. This void was the same idea as the blank space between numbers. So in order to be able to define the number of blanks they used the symbol in the shape of a 0. Thus the mythological or spiritual invention of zero.

Names of Zero

Hindu: sunya, meaning "void" or "empty"

Arabic: sifr, meaning "vacant"

Roman: cifra

Latin: zephirum or zephyrum changes: zeuro, zepiro, cifre

English: zero and cipher

Other Forms: naught, tziphra, sipos, tsiphron, rota, circulus, galgal, theca, null, and figura nihili

Jeremiah is told to tell the nation of Judah that they will become – their land will become – as the earth was before God went through the 6 days of creation in Genesis 1. And then he was given the description of what that will be like.

Ps 69:6 May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

"Formless and void" is a concept that is only used twice in the Bible: creation and the destruction of Judah. This could give reason for language that the creation account in Genesis one is actually a "re-creation" of the earth after it has been somehow destroyed. And that would fit in with the instruction given to Adam and Eve to "re-populate" the earth – the earth was populated before?. The earth had become or had been made empty and void and then God was going to restore it. This is handy thinking to explain the science that "proves" the age of bones and rocks that show immense age – not 6000 some years. However, in spite of those who adamantly declare with loud voices that there was a pre-Adamic race somehow ruined by Satan, scriptures used to defend the position leave a lot in substance. But isn’t that true for a lot of "doctrine" that has nothing to do with the love of Jesus? Special personal revelation makes for interesting and entertaining stories, but to base one’s belief and life decisions on the story can lead to error.

Dake’s bible – the one with the real small print in four columns – became a favorite of Charismatics and Pentecostals in the mid-70s. His commentary extensively presents the pre-Adamic concept. Some examples from the Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible – right at the beginning.

"THE CREATIVE AGES"

"I. Original creation made perfect and inhabited (Isa 45:18), the world that then was (2 Pet. 3:5-8)."

"From the dateless past to the end of the 7 days of 1:3-2:25, the period may be called the Ante-chaotic Age - the Dispensation of Angels, because angels ruled various planets (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek.28:11-17; Col.1:15-18).

""The world that then was" which embraces the whole pre-Adamite universe, to which all fossils and remains belong."

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

"II. Earth made chaos: end of earth’s first perfect state and first sinful career because of Lucifer’s rebellion. Overthrow of "the world that then was" (2 Pet. 3:5-8; Jer 4:23-26)"

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.

Okay. He presents all the arguments on page 54. Curious, but scripture is weak in defense. And if there was a pre-Adamic race, why just one? And is it on this planet or all planets? The need for his argument seems to be more the existence of fossils (absolute concrete revelation to Dake and many) more than the simple words of explanation inspired by Holy Spirit and kept within context.

Whether there was a pre-Adamic race (or two) or not is beside the point. The account in Jeremiah and the account in Genesis that use "formless and empty" have a context that is more important. The nation Judah had fallen into gross sin and God was disassembling it in the same way and language – even type of language – that God uses to describe how He assembled the earth in creation.

Jeremiah looked at the earth: it was formless and empty as it was in the beginning.
Jeremiah looked at the heavens: their (notice the plural) light was gone.
Jeremiah looked at the mountains and hills: they were quaking and swaying.
Jeremiah looked: there were no people, no birds.
Jeremiah looked: there was no fruitful vegetation – it was a desert – towns were in ruins.

And Jeremiah was there.

The creation account in Genesis one has a similar list.

In the beginning there was darkness; God separated the darkness from the light.
The next day, God moved the dry land together.
The third day, God made some vegetation.
The fourth day, God made some light (for the vegetation) and some night lights.
The fifth day, God made fishes and birds.
The sixth day, beside some animals, God made man.

This is a list of assembly. These are the things that are built.

When we go to the Revelation written by John along with the other prophets, we will see again another list of disassembly - taking creation or man down to a deserved level of emptiness or worthlessness. The lists are the same. This is how Holy Spirit presents the information.

Judg 5:4-5 "O LORD, when you went out from Seir, when you marched from the land of Edom, the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water. The mountains quaked before the LORD, the One of Sinai, before the LORD, the God of Israel. [NIV]

Do you see the similarities?

WORTHLESSNESS

Sometimes, we Christians are not worth the salt we are made of.

James 2:20-24 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. 24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. [NIV]

James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. [NIV]

This is emptiness. This is worthlessness. This is "without form and void."

Sometimes Christians are in a situation that is worthless – and we may personally feel worthless. Look at Job if you want to be discouraged. Or look at David.

2 Sam 22:7-16 [also Psalm 18]

7 In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.

8 "The earth trembled and quaked , the foundations of the heavens shook; they trembled because he was angry. 9 Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. 10 He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. 11 He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. 12 He made darkness his canopy around him- the dark rain clouds of the sky. 13 Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. 14 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. 15 He shot arrows and scattered [the enemies], bolts of lightning and routed them. 16 The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of breath from his nostrils. [NIV]

David uses almost the same list that Jeremiah used. And God reveals to Job, "Where were you when I..." And God lists the assembly instructions for the universe’s existence. But David and Job were innocent of the reasons they were in that state of seeming worthlessness. Sometimes, "victorious Christians" don’t look or feel too victorious. Sometimes they brought it on themselves – Judah did – but Jeremiah did not. Sometimes it is simply where they are at the time and we, like Job, will not find out the reason other than Satan doing satanic things. The greater hope is to look at the promise of assembly that God gives through His Word. If Jeremiah can list the order of disassembly. He has given us also the list of assembly that God will do in our lives. Today you may feel worthless in the Kingdom of Heaven, but tomorrow something will happen.

LIGHT WILL SHINE IN YOUR DARKNESS

2 Cor 4:5-6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. [NIV]

Today you may feel you are in a deep, dark hole, but Jesus has another future in mind – and it will come.

YOU WILL BE FRUITFUL

Gal 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [NIV]

YOU WILL SUPPORT BIRDS

Luke 13:19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." [NIV]

AND THEN THERE ARE THE MOUNTAINS

Matt 21:21-22 Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain , 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." [NIV]

Mountains have some connection with faith. Literal mountains? Maybe. But look at something else.

Jer 51:24-26 "Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion," declares the LORD.

25 "I am against you, O destroying mountain, you who destroy the whole earth," declares the LORD.

"I will stretch out my hand against you, roll you off the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain.

26 No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone, nor any stone for a foundation, for you will be desolate forever," declares the LORD. [NIV]

Two things – maybe three things of note:

Babylon is called the "destroying mountain" for what they had done to Judah. However, they went to the entire earth. And Babylon is the object of God’s wrath in Revelation. It does not seem to be the city or the nation or the empire, but rather the spirit. And it is that spirit that is coming against you and me on a daily basis. It is that spirit that is trying to destroy you and discourage you.
God is against that "destroying mountain." Notice that it is God that does it.
God will make the mountain worthless: "no rock will be taken from you." This is a mountain whose rock – the essence of what it is – is of no value. Desolation is in queue for that destroying mountain called Babylon.

Jesus told us that we can say to this mountain, "Go throw yourself into the sea." Literal? Maybe. But consider the connection to faith and the connection of that Gift of Faith that Holy Spirit provides as He wills. And also, what the spiritual connotation of "Babylon" means.

1 Cor 12:9 to another faith by the same Spirit, [NIV]

And is it the faith that moves mountains?

1 Cor 13:2-3 ...if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. [NIV]

Faith is what makes those mountains in our lives quake and melt. And that mountain moving is part of the re-assembly instructions for us.

WITHOUT FORM AND VOID

We may have brought it upon ourselves and now we are worthless. We may be in a situation where everything has gone wrong, and we feel worthless. Zero is where we are at. The null set is our domain. Dare I say that God does not care how or why you happen to be in that position of emptiness? The reason He does not care it because He loved us so much and He has the assembly instructions. Just take Jeremiah list and go backwards. If something can be disassembled, it can be reassembled.

John 3:16-21 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." [NIV]

This is the Jesus we know. This is the Redeemer Jeremiah, David, and Job were looking forward to. This is the One Paul talked about when he simply presented the conclusion of assembly.

Rom 10:8-13 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." [NIV]

Consider these words of encouragement heard and confirmed last Wednesday night.

The King is on His throne;

The King is on His throne.

He watches over His subjects.

We are His subjects.

He watches over you tonight.