The Fight (Spiritual Battle) Part 1
This week we are going to start laying the foundation for our new series we are calling ‘The Fight’, in which we will be looking at spiritual battle. We are going to introduce some terms and some ideas that we will need to have as we dig into this series. The four ideas for this week will be cosmology, cosmic temple, imagers and elohim.
Cosmology
Cosmology is a compound word consisting of cosmos (world) and logia (study). We will define it as our understanding of the origin of the world.
We all have a cosmology, a way of thinking about creation and the universe. The people whom the Bible was initially written to had a cosmology. They had an understanding of the origin of the universe. It was much different than what our cosmology today might be. As you read the Bible you need to remember that the Bible was written to the people at the time it was written. It was written for you, but it was written to them. We need to learn to think like the people the Bible was written to. Let the Bible say what it means without imposing your cosmology and worldview on it.
Genesis 1:1 (NIV)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
When you read ‘the heavens and the earth’ try not to automatically impose your cosmology on the text. Instead of thinking of fixed places, try and think of realms. For example, think of the heavens as divine space and think of earth as human space.
Cosmic Temple
The creation account is about God creating a cosmic temple. A place where heaven and earth would be connected.
Genesis 1:2-5 (NIV)
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. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
This cosmic temple is what Eden is all about. A perfect place where God and humans would dwell together. The heart of God is to dwell with us, His human family on earth.
Imagers
Genesis 1:27-28
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
You need to think of the ‘image’ of God as a verb. We were created to image God. To be His imagers is to have mission and purpose. We are the ‘royal priesthood’. Royal in the sense that we are His family and we are to be active in the family business. Priesthood is about us reflecting God to the world and reflecting the praises of the world back to God.
elohim
Before God created us, His human family, he created a spiritual family. We often think of them as the angels. But this spiritual family is actually more than angels. The Bible calls them ‘sons of God.’
Job 38:4-7 (NIV)
4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. 5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? 6 On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— 7 while the morning stars sang together and all the angels (elohim – sons of God) shouted for joy.
The Old Testament book of Job tells us that the sons of God “shouted for joy” when God laid the foundations of the earth. They were already in existence and they were watching.
What we see in the creation account is that God’s heart is to live with both his divine and human family on earth. God wanted the whole earth to be a place where heaven and earth connected.
Steve Lawes is a church encourager and the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church.