Pr. 30: Agur the Oracle Says

Proverbs 30:8 "Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread."

Agur sounds like that part in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure where they're reading Socrates (So-crates) and they read "The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing." This is the humble place where Agur starts Proverbs 30. He admits to not having wisdom, not having a great education. But there are still things he knows, based on what he doesn't know.

God binds up and controls the winds, the waters, the land. He holds absolute power, which is mind-blowing. There is no one capable of understanding this, let alone being capable of doing this.

This power leads him to say that every word of God is flawless.

It would be bad to add to the words God said. In other words, don't attribute to God words he didn't say. God's words are flawless, and anything, any "wisdom" man purports to attach to God is filth, tainting.

The oracle asks two things from God.
1. Keep falsehood and lies far from him. He wants to live in truth and honesty.
2. Give me neither poverty nor riches. He just wants to live his normal life. And it makes sense. Too much wealth, and a man grows arrogant, not needing God. Not enough, and a man steals, besmirching the God he claims to honor and love.

I don't know who will curse you, the servant or the master, when you slander the servant, but I could see grounds for both parties wanting to do that.

A leech is like the four things which are never satisfied...never sated: The grave (death), a barren womb (See: Rachel), a dry and thirsty land, and a raging fire. They all want more, and are never satisfied with more.

Four amazements:
1. how an eagle navigates the sky
2. how a snake navigates the land
3. how a ship navigates the ocean
4. how a man navigates a maiden.

I think he's going somewhere with that. The point is, why give up a faithful wife for adultery, or for a prostitute who offers her services, feigns love, then cleans up and says "Next?" It makes no sense.

Four things the earth shouldn't bear
1. A servant becoming king
2. A fool full of food
3. An unloved woman who is married (See: Leah)
4. A girlfriend displacing a wife.

Wisdom in small things.
1. Ants store up food for winter.
2. The hapless coney, who find protection in rocky hills
3. The leaderless locust, who advances in ranks, as one
4. The lizard, who is found in the king's court. Apparently not making a pest of himself

Stately in their stride.
1. Mighty lion
2. Strutting rooster
3. He-goat
4. A king with his army

Have evil planned? Shut your lips.

3 proven facts:
Churn milk = butter.
Twist the nose = blood.
Stir up anger = strife.

Pr. 8: Wisdom is Eternal

Proverbs 8:34 "Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. "

Where the detrimental ways of the prostitute and adultery were enumerated previously, wisdom's call and benefits are chronicled here in the 8th chapter. Wisdom, too, calls out in the streets, for anyone, everyone to hear. She (hmm, wisdom denoted with the female gender...) calls out to men, suggesting that wisdom is perfect fit for people. As man is with woman, wisdom is for all people. It was meant to be that way.

Rather than riches, it is suggested that man choose wisdom's instruction. What good are riches if you are a fool? But how much more valuable is discernment and prudence?

I discovered something new about wisdom here. It was by God's wisdom (wisdom the "craftsman" v. 30) that He was able to create. It was wise for God to create what He did, the way He did. Not only that, wisdom was brought forth as the "first" of His works. I'm not sure if that was the first thing God did, as that suggests a timeline for a God who transcends time. Maybe in this case it is the most important of his works? It does say, "Before" these various items were created, Wisdom was given birth. Which suggests that wisdom is alive. A living being.

Like a teacher to a fidgety pupil, "Listen to my instruction" and "Listen to me" are written again, like in every previous chapter. This is important.

Ps. 148: Everybody Praise!

Psalm 148:3 "Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars."

As crazy a thought as it may be to picture "inanimate" objects like the sun, moon and stars praising God, it is precisely what is happening. All these things listed in the 148th Psalm are commanded to praise God for his power. God hung them there in space, set them spinning, and for that reason, and that power, these things praise God. Creation, dragons of the deep, weather phenomena...when they do what they are intended and created to do, that is their act of worship. Let's not forget the first time we had this image of the sun, moon, and stars paying homage...Joseph's dream back in Genesis 37. (note)

I am reminded again of the concept of "to obey is better than sacrifice." God deserves their obedience for his great power and love. These things, the sun, moon, stars, the rain, mountains, the trees...their "walk" as it were, is only pure. They have no need to sacrifice. Yet they were brought under the curse back in Genesis, at the fall of man. But their constant obedience leads to their blamelessness. Yeah, a lot like David.

This Psalm ends with another mention of the concept of raising up a "horn." I suppose this means a king, a monument, an example, whereby God establishes himself among his people, and his people see this horn, and know that God is the LORD.

Ps. 114: Water and Rocks

Psalm 114:7-8 "Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water."

God intends for His creation to do and to be precisely what He means it to. Most of the time, the sea is the sea, rivers are rivers, and mountains are mountains. Occasionally, and to meet God's purposes, he calls on the sea, the river, and the rock to do and be something they aren't used to doing and being. And they obey without hesitation.

Does that go for man?

Ps. 104: God Rules Creation

Psalm 104:30 "When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth."

Another Psalm firmly establishing God as the ultimate power in the universe, but still someone who cares enough about what goes on in the earth to stick around and maintain it. This isn't someone who goes by "set it and forget it." God is deeply and intimately involved with all the goings on of every creature, of every body of water, of everything we see as a geological feature. It is God who reigns in all of these things.

Ps. 98: Sing with Joy

Psalm 98:3 "He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God."

Another quickie, the 98th Psalm is one of celebration. Whenever I read, "The LORD remembered" it is almost exclusively when a person (or Israel) has been delivered from some terrible onslaught, or have returned to the covenant made with God.

When it talks about the LORD making his salvation known to the nations, I wonder if that is the instrinsic idea in everyone that there is a God, a creator, a power higher than they. It is the LORD that has done this. He reveals Himself, in his might and righteousness. Creation celebrates this, in full view of every person.

Ps. 96: How to Worship

Psalm 96:5 "For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens."

The 96th Psalm does a few things. First, it declares who God is. Second, it instructs God's people what we are supposed to do about it. Third, it reveals creation's ability to worship God.

God is worthy of praise, dwelling in splendor, and, unlike hand carved gods made by men, created the heavens. Because of this, we sing a new song to him (this Psalm is one of them), praise his name, and declare his salvation, day after day. Also, we tell others about the marvelous deeds he has done. Ascribe glory and strength to God and bring him offerings. These are methods of worship. Even simply trembling before God in his power seems to be a way to worship, as it acknowledges God's glory and strength, when words fail.

Even non-human creation serves to worship God...the seas, the mountains, the fields, the trees...they find their jubilance in God...God brings them joy. That's quite a ponderous thing. Maybe some of the religious beliefs of the native American faiths aren't so far off, in the idea that creation is conscious of who their God and creator is? Thoughts?

Ps. 84: Better Is One Day

Psalm 84:14 "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked."

The 84th Psalm extols the wonder and ultimate joy it is to dwell in the house of God. Besides being the obvious inspiration for Matt Redman's ubiquitous late-90's tune, it really shows how God's house can be everywhere. The sparrow finds rest. The sparrow. A common bird. Yet this bird has a place near God's altar. All creation, and I presume the illustration is for all people, is important to God.

The sons of Korah write that their soul faints to be in the house of God. Other than to be with my wife, I can't think of anything else my soul faints for. O, that the house of God would be so critical to my own personal strength and sanity.

We have a section about a pilgrimage passing through the valley of Baca, which I hear tell is sorrow or tears. So much so that pools are formed. I'm not entirely sure what is meant by going from strength to strength til each appears before God in Zion. Perhaps they are encouraged and strengthened? Appearing before God sounds as though there is some final accounting before God. And the strength gained through adversity is the strength that will keep one through the judgement?

Ps. 66: God Did It

Psalm 66:20 "Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!"

As powerful as God is in the universe, a read through the 66th Psalm reinforces the idea that God has specific care for life here on planet earth. Your life. Described here are ways God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. So God brought them into prison, was it just so God could show his power? Wouldn't have not allowing them to be imprisoned by the Egyptians in the first place been a greater show of power? How far back up the line do you go? The point is, how often is God praised by people who are having it good? So something bad doesn't happen. Do you praise God for it, or do you not notice it?

I suppose also this idea that God would turn the sea to dry land to deliver his people is pretty neat. He turns nature back on itself. He uses the land to do something it wasn't meant to do, to do what God wants it to do. Pretty miraculous stuff.

Ps. 24: The King of Glory

Psalm 24:7 "Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in."

Here's another descriptive Psalm of what God does, describing his power in creation and his holiness. It's really indescribable, the power it takes to create the world, the universe, the land and the sea. Because of this power, how could anyone stand in his presence? He refers again to the holy hill (Ps. 15), and the temple. The place to meet God.

It takes purity, cleanliness of heart, devotion to God and his ways. There is no other way to stand before God.

So after describing this King of Glory, the question is raised, "Who is he? Who is this King of Glory?" Well, its the LORD God almighty, mighty and victorious in battle. The "Be lifted up" refers to the gates of cities, designed to protect the city and keep stuff out. So not only would David like to see his city be receptive to God, the king of glory, I think he refers to the gates on people's hearts, that they would open up and allow God inside to change them for the better.

Psalm 24 reminds me of:

King of Glory by Third Day

Who Is This King of Glory? by Petra

Ps. 19: Thoughts on God

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

David gets all deep and cerebral here in the 19th Psalm. But still it is a very beautiful passage. When David talks about declaring the glory of God, no words are needed. The heavens, the skies...they are the messengers. They tell everyone, regardless of language, that God is glorious. In some mystical way, that cosmic message gets out there to the world, to everyone. It's an amazing thought, really. So what about followers of other gods? Are they blinded? Do they refuse it? The writer has no thought that creation may be an accident. Its simply impossible, doesn't come up.

This display of the knowledge of God is nonstop, day and night. The sun speaks to the daytime, while the stars talk to the night. Permeating, going into all the earth...the message is a constant, as water flowing into everything. There is nothing, nobody that doesn't experience night or day, and hence nothing, nobody that doesn't experience God's glory.

God's law is perfect and it revives the soul. If you follow it, I suppose.

God's statutes are trustworthy. He doesn't go back on his word, and means what He says with integrity. "Making wise the simple..." I ponder that. Those who don't have wisdom simply need to hold to God's statutes. That in itself is wise, but gives birth then to wisdom, recursively, I spose.

Why would fear be pure? Two things I don't often see in one sentence, or describing each other. But this fear...this awe of God is pure. It cannot be contaminated because of the ineffability of God. The fear is too deep and immense to be anything but pure. It is beyond a fleshly fear, which can be unhealthy or misplaced or screwed up or pointless.

Gold is just about the most valuable thing on earth (ask those who assembled the tabernacle). Yet here David elevates the ordinances of God above that. More precious than gold, sweeter than honey. Now, I've tasted honey. And what I remember most about honey besides me not wanting to stop eating it is that it is sticky. Honey is something you experience with all 5 senses (What, you haven't heard anyone crunching on Honey Nut Cheerios?). The ordinances of God are above this.

Interesting that David calls these things a warning as well as a reward. A warning not to avoid these precepts, this fear of God. A reward in that they are highly prized (again...gold).

And I don't know how many people are up on their own hidden sins. The stuff a person does without realizing it. Will these pillars that David describes here in chapter 19 prevent these sins? Maybe not, but here is David asking for forgiveness. He is conscious of the presence of unconscious sin. Wild. I would have never thought about that. David asks God to keep him also from willful sins. When you know you are about to sin but you just don't care. Or you don't consider pleasing God, the rock and redeemer.

Overall, I feel like this Psalm is a pause...a refresher, a breather...from the frenetic pace of Psalm 18. With the conflict and fear behind him, David can meditate on God, without being distracted by the danger from his enemies.

Psalm 19 reminds me of:

Famous One by Chris Tomlin

Ps. 8: How Majestic

Psalm 8:4 "what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

Remember that Sandi Patti song "How Majestic?" Of course you do. "The Voice" made Psalm 8 memorable, by taking word-for-word the first verse of the eighth Psalm and making a song out of it. And what's a gittith, you ask? I asked the same question, and found out it is a stringed instrument of some kind, and is derived from the words literally meaning "on the wine fats." So perhaps a wine fat is like a skein, and maybe the gittith is made from that skin. And no, I don't believe it is the KJV translation of "guitar."

The second verse took a couple of reads to figure out what was being said. 

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger."

Near as I can figger, the children praise God because He is their deliverer and strength in the face of God's enemies. When they offer praise to God from an early age, who can stand against them? I still don't think I fully grasp this verse.

I recognize verse 4 as the beginning of Michael Gungor's "Friend of God." While I appreciate how the lines are used in the song to describe God's friendship with men, in the Psalm David has compared humanity on the short side of the creation of things like the heavens, the moon and the stars. With such awesome and amazing things hanging in the heavens, why would God devote any time or mind to mere men? Despite being created lower than "the heavenly beings" (God or angels, I assume), men were put in a position to have dominion over creation (Ge. 1:28). These are things David takes joy and comfort in, knowing his God has created these things.

Job 39: God's Animal House

Job 39:21 "He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray."

The questions God asks in chapter 39 are about the animal kingdom. A lot of these things, man knows about on the surface. But I am reminded here that man isn't God's sole creation. Specifically, God speaks about mountain goats and deer, the wild donkey, the wild ox, the ostrich, the horse, and the hawk. God demonstrates his knowledge and his care and attentiveness to each species in front of Job with this line of questions.

When it comes to the goats and deer, God knows that each is pregnant, and how far along they are...knowing when each offspring is born. The wild donkey, a nomad, is described as wandering, glad to not be bound in the city by men. God always provides for him.

I'm not familiar with how wild oxen were used back a million years ago, but these were described as beasts of burden. They do man's heavy lifting. Do we forget that God created them, and even so, not merely to serve man?

The ostrich kind of has a weird story, about how it lays its eggs in the sand, oblivious to the fact that something or someone could trample them. The ostrich doesn't appear to have a very motherly attitude toward its young as described in Job 39.

I just love the various personality traits God calls out in reference to each animal. The donkey's laughter, the ox's trustworthiness, the ostrich's joy, a horse's pride, ferocity and strength. Snorting, "Aha!" Very cool. 

Hawks and eagles fly and soar so far above our heads, its impossible to believe we have any sort of control or say in where they go or what they do. I think that's the sense God wanted to give Job, as a sort of metaphor for God's comparative wisdom and power.

But what I was reminded of here is that God not only knows each person intimately, he even knows each animal. He has given them these traits, and I gotta believe enough heart and soul to realize they are his creations.

Job 38: God Responds

Job 38:12-13 "Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?"

In the 38th chapter of Job, God responds to this whole wild situation. Instead of answering any of the questions, or affirming or disparaging any of the advice of Job's friends, God asks a series of impossible questions. These don't appear to be questions asked with any intent of answer or discussion. These are questions intended to prove a point, and that is to demonstrate God's infinite power and ineffable character.

What is interesting aand compelling about these questions, is that this could be a sequel to the creation story. 

Leading off, God asks about where Job was when he laid the foundation of earth, and measured it off. He didn't just randomly form a ball of raw materials and set it in motion. He purposefully imagined and created the earth at the exact and proper size He intended. With God, I think I perceive that he just spoke and everything just happened, and stuff went wherever it went. This is absolutely false. God isn't that laid back. Its amazing to think about the stuff we take for granted was created with the utmost care for us to wander around on. I'm no environmentalist, but it makes me think more about how I care for the earth and it's creatures. How could I litter? How could I just kill an animal for no reason? And consider the reaction of the morning stars (whatever that means) and the angels shouting for joy! They were cheering God on. Just being in God's presence would have been amazing on it's own, but this, his creation, elicited a joyful shout that would have been overwhelming to hear.

When I read about the sea and the snow and the hail and the thunderstorms and everything, its even more incredible what God controls and oversees. The light, the dark, the sun, the stars...all of these things follow God's orders and require God's conscious involvement just to function. These things we consider "nature," are beholden to the supernatural guidance. None of these phenomena occur on their own without God's specific instruction and orders, if I am to believe what He says here in chapter 38. Inherent in this idea are that these phenomena are not deities. The valleys and the mountains have their formation explained by erosion and the like, but it is God's potter's hand that forms the seemingly random crags and caves.

In verse 17, God asks about the gates of death, and gates of the shadow of death. Maybe I'm not supposed to know anything other than life and death itself belong to God. No one or thing lives a moment longer or dies a second sooner than God intends. This is astounding in view of the things that experience life and death.

Everything rises and falls at God's command. And that's quite revealing to someone who thinks God allows a certain amount of sketch or randomness. Tree limbs and land formations look chaotic and disorderly. These things don't exist in God's realm. Everything lies and grows and forms exactly as God means it to. Obsessive attention to detail? More likely infinite power over absolutely everything.

Jg. 5: Deborah's Song

Judges 5:31 "'So may all your enemies perish, O LORD! But may they who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.' Then the land had peace forty years."

With victory is singing. This is another example. Moses had a couple. Israel had a couple. Music is important to worshiping God. Music is a way to express appreciation to God. It would be easy to read this as a song, just an artistic rendering of what God has done, and how man appreciates him. But I think there are many insights about the nature of man and the nature of creation in Deborah's song.

First of all, Deborah describes how the earth trembles, the clouds pour down water, and the mountains quake in God's mere presence. Next, and more wondrous and mystifying is the section in verse 20:

From the heavens the stars fought,
from their courses they fought against Sisera.

Is this some sort of endorsement of astrology? Hardly. The stars are a part of creation. My presumption here is that even then, travelers (including Sisera) navigated using the stars. Could God have nudged the stars around to confuse Sisera? The river is credited as sweeping enemies away. Each corner of the earth, and each section of creation seems to take part in this advancing of Israel. This will of God. Creation has consistently obeyed.

There is reward and blessing for those who take part in the battle...curses (or at the very least denigration) for those who do not.

There is a retelling of Sisera's slaying by Jael. The song makes it appear as though Sisera struggled or was conscious when he died, but the point is, he died. And Jael was the killer.

The song takes a particularly dark turn in verse 28, when it portray's Sisera's mother as watching and waiting for her son...the commander to return, and he never does, nor would she stop waiting, and she and her ladies perpetuate the false hope that he is busy dividing plunder.

I love the challenge at the end..."May those who love you be like the sun, when it rises in its strength." Would creation be something to model one's character after?

Then at the end, it doesn't say "peace happily ever after," it says "peace for forty years." The cycle. 40 years appears to be some sort of a cycle...a stage...

Ge. 2: Naked without Shame

Further observations on previous reading:
Creation, although it could have been instantaneous, was a process. With that precedent, who am I to expect immediacy in certain aspects of life?

Chapter two begins with saying that the heavens and the earth were completed. What God did, He apparently did right the first time. No redos or mulligans.

Rest is blessed of God. Rest is separate from our work. Rest should take up a whole day. God didn't rest because He was exhausted. He rested because he should have.

The next part is too amazing to just break down into interpretation. From the King James Version, I give you Genesis 2:7:

"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

Spectacular. Ponder that for a moment.

This God breathes life into what heretofore was a pile of dust. Lifeless...soulless. Nothing.
What an amazing display of power. What a way for the Almighty to connect to man. Can two beings be drawn any closer together? What intimacy. What a way to begin life. Can you imagine? Exhaling from your lungs on your first breath the very breath of God. He could have spoken and told the man to breathe. Instead, God comes into our space, our face, and gives life from himself.

No animals are recorded as receiving this kind of treatment. The very idea that we are mere "great apes" does a disservice to all mankind, and completely negates the above exchange between God and Adam.

I wonder at what age Adam was? I wonder how old he would have been, had he been born? Something tells me that this was a land before time, before the ravages of age. Maybe he had the glorified body we are promised at our own resurrection?

Eden seems like it would have been a very cool place. Pristine streams watering every kind of beautiful flowers and fruited trees that were, "pleasing to the eye." You have your choice in this endless river valley of the best kinds of food available to you.

Then we are introduced to the concept of good vs. evil for the first time. The tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Adam was put in the garden to care for it. He was given a very clear instruction. "That tree...that is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Do not eat from that tree, or you will die." Die? Was there any concept of death? Could we fairly expect Adam to grasp the gravity of this command? Or maybe the command itself wasn't the point. It was the expectation of obedience. It was God issuing His will, and the choice suddenly being available to abide in it, or to wander outside of it.

I wonder what God had him doing the whole time that would make Adam be thankful for a woman.

As I reread that, I realize the slam on women that is inherent. It wasn't my intent. The intent was to wonder about the various tasks Adam had to do throughout the day(s?) of labor that completely exhausted him. Tasks that made him long for a companion. Again, the creation of the woman could have been instantaneous. Instead God goes through a rather bizarre process of causing Adam to sleep (to this point, sleep may have been unnecessary and an undiscovered treasure), taking a rib (a rib of all things, and the significance is currently lost on me, but I'll look into it), and closing up the place. Again, we can expect process from God. How rare it must be then when our requests are granted with immediacy or with simplicity in the way we expect it.

God's conventions are unconventional.

The idea of the woman being taken "out of man" combines man and woman in just the perfectly designed way. Man and woman are designed and created to be one flesh.

And they were naked, and they felt no shame.


Questions I have for God:
1. Why the choice of trees to begin with?
2. How did all these animals show up to be named, and who recorded it? Everything comes from some Latin or Greek name (which...has to come from somewhere I suppose.)

Ge. 1: Why not start at the beginning?

Why not start at the beginning...

"In the beginning God..."

So begins the most fascinating book.

In reading through the first chapter of Genesis, there is one way to describe God as He creates something where there was not. This God is just about the most powerful being I could imagine being conceived.

He was there at "the beginning," which is the only way we as people can grasp the concept of an eternal God. So don't try to go past that. It's scary and pointless, like Chemistry class.

With a word, He said, "Light." And light appeared. Something I just used to skip over as a kid. Eh, God says something, and it is done. Immediately. But lately, I've been pondering over this idea. Light never existed before God thought of it. It wasn't like us walking into a dark room, and turning on the light switch. Its like walking into a dark room, and inventing light. How does one go about inventing something we so readily take for granted like light? There was nothing giving off light, no fire, no bulb...just...light. Man.

I'm not going to get into day-age creationism, but scripture says, "there was evening, and there was morning - the first day." Admittedly, this is before the Earth was in orbit around the sun, but I won't die on that hill.

"And God said," is repeated a buncha times in the chapter. He didn't consult a committee. This shows me He is certain of all things.

Evolution is another debate that ensnares well-meaning Bible-thumpers like me. Not so much plant evolution, but it should be noted that in verse 11, God creates vegetation bearing fruit with the seed already in it. According to what I'm reading here, seeds protected by fruit are not the result of millennia of Survival-of-the-Fittest. They are the result of God wanting them to be there. Now. The same can be said for animals. God says all were created according to their kind. Not the result of millennia of of Survival-of-the-Fittest. They are the result of God wanting them to be there. Now. Fish, birds, wild animals, livestock, creatures that move along the blah blah blah, and so on. Now. And this isn't a cobbled-together creation theory among Christian theologians and scientists using external Bible passages to assemble what we think happened, and pass it along in Sunday School. It's all pretty much right there in Chapter 1.

The image of God is something I don't readily grasp. But here we are. Are we an image of God in that we reflect His glory, or are we theomorphs?

Verse 16: God created two great lights - the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night. Foreshadowing....

Toward the end of chapter one, God says we were created to be vegans. Originally. And lets be careful, cruelty-free had nothing to do with it. But, at least we had every green plant for food.

Throughout the chapter, God is quoted as saying "This is good. That is good." What kind of amazing standard is that, to have created something, and said, "Good?" Perfect. Complete.

I wish I could have seen light for the first time in light's existence. How mind blowing would that be? Especially hanging around God, and not really having a good grasp of his omnipotence. I imagine the sky lifting from the ocean like some massive worldwide ocean liner suddenly rocketing out of the depths, when God created sky. The sheer sound and spectacle of such a catastrophic miracle would take my consciousness away, I think. I imagine continent-wide full grown trees suddenly carpeting the land, lakes forming, and the flight of the first birds, taking off with an instinct that flight is nothing new, and completely natural.

What a beautiful miracle, what a perfect entrance for this God.

Questions I have for God (Admittedly limited by my own humanity, and context of my own knowledge):
1. What were you and what were you doing before creation?
2. What made that light?