Children’s Stories for Grownups
March 10, 2025
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 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. — Genesis 1:1–2, NIV.
There is no measure of time in these first two verses of the Bible. Yes. In the ensuing verses there are, but the use of the English word “day” has been confusing to casual readers. Nevertheless, it has been very convenient for writing Children’s Bible Storybooks.
However, the Sun and Moon were not created until day Four!
Maybe as adults we should develop our understanding of the Bible record as our brains have developed into adulthood.
In the following descriptive resource, there are one or two ideas I really like. The first is the picture of “the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary,” the mother of Jesus, with “protective oversight,” “tender nurturing,” and “that suggest care, protection, and the impartation of life…”
That is a great description of how God intervened to bring Jesus Christ into the world. At the same time it is like many supernatural interventions of God — the most significant one, in my mind, being John 3:14–17, NIV:
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. 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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
What shouldn’t escape anyone’s notice is how the Apostle John starts outs his recollections about this time with Jesus, writing in the beginning of his Gospel Book something uniquely similar to the Creation Story in Genesis:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
I hope this short essay will encourage you to begin to look at the stories in the Bible with your grownup adult eyes…
Read the Bible anew and seek Jesus and the hovering Holy Spirit In your life.
Strong’s Lexicon
rachaph: To hover, to brood, to flutter
Definition: To hover, to brood, to flutter
Meaning: to brood, to be relaxed
Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Greek equivalent in the Septuagint for “rachaph,” the concept of divine hovering or overshadowing can be seen in the New Testament with the Greek word “ἐπισκιάζω” (episkiazō), Strong’s Greek 1982, used in Luke 1:35 to describe the Holy Spirit overshadowing Mary.
Usage: The Hebrew verb “rachaph” primarily conveys the action of hovering or brooding, often with a sense of gentle movement or protective oversight. It is used to describe a motion that is tender and nurturing, akin to a bird hovering over its young. This word is employed in contexts that suggest care, protection, and the impartation of life or energy.
Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the imagery of a bird hovering or brooding over its nest was a powerful symbol of care and protection. This metaphor was often used to describe divine activity, suggesting a deity’s nurturing and life-giving presence. The concept of “rachaph” aligns with this cultural understanding, portraying God’s Spirit as actively involved in creation and sustenance.
