Where It Began (p2)

Week 2 something happens I don't expect.  I wake up to sunshine and the sounds of people moving about downstairs as they get ready for work.  Suddenly this question comes to mind - 'Why did the Holy Spirit hover over the waters of the deep?' 

Wow, what a great question, I'm thinking but then I realise I didn't pose it.  I start to think back to Genesis 1:1 and remember it says ......

'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.' 

So the question was - Why was the Spirit of God hovering over the waters?  I thought about it for a moment and said out loud to no-one in particular 'I don't know'. 

Interesting how the Spirit of God works because I knew as soon as I answered that didn't excuse me.  I knew I was supposed to give this some time and attention and hopefully come to a new understanding but I also knew it would take some searching because I'd never seen an explanation in the Bible.  I don't read commentaries or other works, when I came to faith I asked the Lord how He wanted me to learn and He said 'I will teach you' so that's why I didn't know whether anyone had looked at this question before.  I wondered why the question was posed and then I wondered why the answer mattered.

With hindsight I can see now that the Lord had been asking me questions like this for some time but they were fairly easy to answer.  However back in March as I was driving to work I suddenly started thinking about Moses crossing the Red Sea.  Before I got to work this question was in my mind.

"What was it about the rod that effected this great miracle.  Why did God use a stick?"  At the time I thought, great question, I wonder if anyone's ever considered that before.  But I went into work and got on with my day as though it didn't need me to answer it.  All day I focussed on my job, out in the woods in the sunshine, back in the office working on an event, phone calls, problems to solve then it was time to go home. 

Back in the car the question came back to me.  "What was it about the stick that made it the right tool for the job?"  I answered aloud - "I don't know, Lord.  It's just a stick, you're the one with the power and Moses knew that"

About a mile along the road the question came back so I began to talk aloud in the car.  First I talked about faith, then obedience and then trusting in the promises of God.  It seemed great to me, I was really exploring new territory here and I hoped the Lord was pleased with my efforts. 

"What was it about the stick that made it the right tool for the job?" came the question again.  "I'm all out of answers Lord.  I've given you all I've got.  What is it about the stick that made it the right tool for the job, cos I'm never going to get this".

By this time I'm about 5 miles from home and a voice says to me..."speak what I say, say it out loud".  So since there's only me in the car I say - "Ok".  But there's silence for a few minutes and I'm thinking, "This is stupid, I'm not hearing from God, it's just me.  What was I thinking?"

Another mile passes then there is a string of words in my head so I begin to speak them.  
   “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.  (Isa 66:1)  The Psalms also mention this.

"If the earth is my footstool then I can see all it's contours and every land mass.  From where I was sitting with my feet upon the earth I measured the distance from shore to shore.  From my position it was exactly the length of Moses rod.  So if he stretched out his rod it would, from my position cover the distance.  From where Moses stood it stretched a few feet.  My perspective is different from yours, my solution is different from yours, my thoughts differ from yours because I am God and I can see all things from any perspective". 

Silence.  I need time to deal with this.  It's too simple, to childish, too.....uncomplicated.  It can't possibily be from the Lord and I don't want to go down the road of error.  But the funny thing is I'm really bubbling up inside because my spirit seems to be rejoicing over this revelation.  I didn't share it with anyone, I kept it to myself for a few weeks.  When I finally spoke about it it was to encourage someone who was facing something really tough.  I heard myself say -

"Your problem is nothing to God.  He knows exactly what to do to rescue you.  What do you have in your hand, give it to the Lord and He'll make a way of escape for you because He put it there for this day.  Trust Him, He's looking down on this situation from His throne, His feet are on the earth because it's His footstool and He knows how high and how wide this problem is.  He'll come through for you." 

Now the person I was talking to had mental health problems and they laughed at me.  They really laughed hard at the thought of God leaning over the earth and looking at his problem in that way.  The person looked as though they had been given the right answer and went away laughing, that's not how they had been before we talked.

When I woke up that July morning to the question about the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters of the deep I didn't have a clue but I gave it right back to God and said. "I have no idea, my ideas are so puny and they're jumbled up from science, creation and personal opinion whatever that is.  You'll have to tell me".   Silence

For days the question kept coming but silence from the Lord when I asked for an answer.  One morning I ventured an answer but it was complex and I knew I was grasping.  Again the question is in my mind and I begin to think of everything I've ever learned but still the question comes back as though the answers are no good. 

About three weeks after the question was posed I woke up to it again.  I'm thinking "God, I've just opened my eyes, I have nothing, I can't answer this question, no-one can.  But it's obviously important to you that I know so you'll have to tell me."  I get up, grabbing the crutches as I go and shuffle my way past the bed. 

"Ezme, you're making this more difficult than it is.  What is the significance of water to creation?"  I'm afraid to answer in case it's ridiculous so I say "I really don't know". 

"Yes, you do.  Just tell me what you know". 
"Everything needs water to live, all life on this earth would die without it". 

"Yes, before I created anything I purified the waters, I set my Sprit to hover over the water because the very source of life was in it.  I began with purified water, even the seas were pure, no salt when I created life on this earth.  It was at the flood that everything changed.  But Jesus said He was the water of life, anyone who drank from Him would never thirst again.  Do you see, I gave my Spirit to be in relationship with water, the source of life, from the beginning. Water is special to me, water represents my purity and my creativity". 

I didn't say anything, I couldn't.  I just let it sink in.  It was too vast yet so simple, easy to grasp yet difficult to take in.  I got dressed and gingerly made my way on my backside down the three flights of stairs to the kitchen that would become my seminary over the next few months as the Lord began to minister to me and teach me, opening my eyes to things from His perspective and showing me things that had been hidden from me. 

He gave me a study plan, (which should take 6 months until the end of the year):
- Hebrews (which I was studying at that time)
  Isaiah - Job - Jeremiah - Mark - Ephesians - 1&2 Thesselonians - Esther - Ruth
- Deuteronomy - Galations - Nehemia - Daniel - John (1,2&3) 

He told me how to study, start with the
       time, place, dates, background

       context - for Israel, today's believers, me, others
       what can be applied
       principles
       truths
       summary
       conclusion 

   
I didn't finish before the end of the year, it took until March the following year to get through it all and I didn't write it up but what I learned was extensive.  I tried to find a theme but all I could see was the similarities with today - we're travelling the same road, going our own way and God is still watching, He's not blind, stupid, ignorant or deaf to what is going on. 

I remember praying, crying out because we have so much to repent of.  "It's as if we think we can do what we want and because of Jesus we'll be treated differently but if you didn't spare Sodom or Gomorrah and you are the Judge it's your measure we have to meet not our own.  We will be judged by the same standard as Sodom and Gomorrah because you are God and you never change.  Help us to hear from you, repent and come under your laws and statutes once more".   

So the Lord had begun to minister to me as He said he would and I, trapped by my plaster cast was a captive audience as He poured out revelation and understanding of Himself, His word and how He was going to use me to bring him glory.  Bit by bit I'm seeing these things become and I know that He will do everything He said because He is not a man that He should lie.