Biblical Creativity
From Chaos to Order:
God’s First Creative Act
The Bible begins and ends with stories of creation.
The first is God bringing order to disorder.
“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 (Genesis 1:1-2 NIV).”
The earth had no structure, no light, and no purpose. It was empty.
When my wife and I closed on our first house, we felt accomplished and excited! But when we stepped inside for the first time as owners, it didn’t feel like home. It was empty. Our voices echoed off the vinyl floors and bare walls. Only after we moved in our belongings and began to live in it did the house truly become a home.
Bezalel: The First Spirit-Filled Artist
In the same way, the tabernacle wasn’t just a structure. It became a dwelling place for God’s presence when skilled hands, guided by the Spirit, brought it to life. One of those hands belonged to a man named Bezalel.
“See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills…34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others (Exodus 35:30-34 NIV).”
Bezalel’s creativity wasn’t random. It reflected the same Spirit who, in the beginning, hovered over the waters to bring beauty from chaos.
No More Chaos, Only New Creation
In the ancient world, water was a symbol for evil and disorder. In Genesis 1, the Spirit of God hovers over the waters. In Revelation 4, John sees God’s throne room. Before the throne, something that looks like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. This image conveys water completely still with peace.
Only a few times have I seen a pond that still and it’s only been for a moment or two before something disrupts it with ripples. Those brief moments are like looking into a mirror, which is another way of saying a sea of glass. The point? In God’s presence this is no disorder. There is no evil.
This theme of God bringing order from chaos carries from the first page of Scripture to the last.
God’s perfect creation is broken because of sin, but the Bible ends with a promise.
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…and there was no longer any sea (Revelation 21:1 NIV).”
This doesn’t necessarily mean there will be no oceans in the new creation. It means there is no longer chaos, disorder, or evil. John makes that clear:
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4 NIV).”
That sounds beautiful to me!
The gospel is the ultimate creative act. God brings order to chaos in your life by making you a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Create Biblically: Reflect the One Who Makes All Things New
Your creativity is more than a hobby or talent. It’s part of your calling as a human made in God’s image. Every time you create – whether you’re designing, building, cooking, planning, writing, or leading – you are reflecting the Creator. You’re bringing order to chaos just like God did in Genesis, will do at the end of time, and is doing in the lives of every Christian.
So, create biblically! Because your work echoes the work of the one who makes all things new.
Justin Dewell
Professor and Digital Initiatives Coordinator
at Ozark Christian College
