Creation

Out of Nothing—Ex Nihilo

Out of Nothing—Ex Nihilo

The Latin word “Ex Nihilo” (yesh me-ayin in Hebrew), means out of nothing, and is used to describe God’s creation of the universe and His forming of life from nothingness. Let us therefore ask this question: Can something actually be created out of nothing? Rationally, our minds would tell us no. But if we believe—by faith—that God created the universe ex nihilo, which is both irrational and seemingly impossible to comprehend, then we can also conclude that the universe cannot continue to exist apart from the One who created it.

In the Beginning

In the Beginning

We read, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

The first word in Hebrew is Be-reisheet. This word signifies the very act of creation—God brought “being” into existence from “non-being,” something from nothing. In the beginning (Be’reisheet), the Lord God-YHVH made everything perfect. Each living organism on earth is divinely planned and woven into the most remarkable fabric of creation, a living tapestry of God’s artwork. Every detail is carefully and methodically executed by the wisdom of God, for creation without wisdom would be chaos. But the universe is far from that. It is intelligently designed by God’s hand. Each star and speck of dust moved into place, every planet in our solar system carefully aligned, and the earth itself delicately cloaked in a firmament of water and oxygen, a biosphere capable of sustaining all life.