What was God doing before creation?

What was God doing before creation? ∙

The LORD merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command. – Psalms 33:6,9

Psalms 90:2-12

2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
4 For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.

10 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon, they disappear, and we fly away.

12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life so that we may grow in wisdom.

Throughout history, humanity has wrestled with understanding the origin of the universe. Ancient civilizations crafted creation myths, such as those of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese. Despite their cultural differences, these stories shared a common factor—there were no human witnesses. These myths were not the products of human observation. There were no eyewitnesses, so they were the result of “guesswork” and imagination. They often involve gods or mythical beings engaged in cosmic struggles from which order emerged out of chaos.

With the rise of rationalism and modern science, these ancient tales were dismissed as mere folklore. They were replaced by theories rooted in science, mathematics, physics, and the use of advanced tools for observation and analysis. But once again, like the myths of old, there were no human observers, no eyewitnesses. Despite being based on rigorous study and evidence, they still ultimately rely on creative speculation and hypothesis. They also were the result of educated “guesswork” and creative imagination.

The best guess that science came up with is quite simple. In the beginning, there was nothing. Then there was something. Then, there was a monumental event known as the Big Bang, marking the birth of our universe.

The formula looks like this: nothing + no one = everything

Really! How can nothing ever become something? Isn’t nothing always just nothing? Before I am willing to accept a theory, no matter how scientific, I want to know how nothing becomes something.

Whether through clay tablets or powerful telescopes, all human efforts to understand the universe’s beginning rely on speculative reasoning rather than firsthand observation. Like the legends of old, scientific models require a leap of faith, as neither can produce definitive proof of how it all began.

The Bible offers a strikingly different explanation. Its account starts not with nothing but with Someone. Was anyone present at the time of the creation of all things? The Scriptures provide an unequivocal answer. “In the beginning, God created. . ..” This changes the equation entirely.

The formula here is also quite simple: nothing + God = everything.

The God of the Bible is eternal, without beginning or end. He exists outside of time, creation, and the physical universe itself. Psalms 90:2 reflects this truth, stating, “Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.”

Unlike the speculative nature of human theories, the biblical account roots the origin of all things in the existence and action of an eternal Creator. Yet, even here, questions arise.

What was God doing before creation? The Bible does not fully answer this question but provides glimpses into His eternal purposes, reminding us that His ways and actions are beyond human comprehension.

Ultimately, whether one looks to ancient myths, modern science, or the biblical narrative, belief in any explanation requires faith. None of these accounts come with visible proof or eyewitness testimony. But the biblical claim is unique in presenting an eternal Creator who is not confined by the limitations of time or matter—a God who calls the universe into existence by His will and power.

REFLECT & PRAY

Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. – Psalms 148:5

Father, thank You for having me in Your mind before the world began and for wanting my best in life and for all eternity.

INSIGHT

The eternal, everlasting Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit dwelt alone in perfect harmony and union. Nothing else had come into being. They dwelt outside what we perceive as time, for time itself was yet to be created. The Father is the high and lofty one Who dwells in timeless eternity (Isaiah 57:15).

Human thought and language are inherently limited. They fall short when it comes to adequately conceiving or describing the infinite mind of God—eternal, self-existent, and boundless. Though beyond our complete comprehension, we know that God, in His divine wisdom, conceived ideas and formed the plan of redemption. Through the sheer power of His word, everything He desired came into being.

Consider the elegant beauty of Psalms 33:6,9: “The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. For when He spoke, the world began! It appeared at His command.”

These verses teach us that God’s voice alone is the source of creation—His command brings forth existence.

The phrases “before the foundation of the world” and “before the world began” appear repeatedly in Scripture. They mark the farthest boundary of the past, the point where human history began. It is the starting point of time, the terminus ad quo, the beginning of human history. Yet, before this moment, God already existed, and He revealed glimpses of this eternal reality to us through His Word. There was an eyewitness to what happened before the foundation of the world. The Father himself was there.

W.J. Hocking spoke of this mystery, noting how God’s plans were shaped before creation itself. The phrase “before the foundation of the world” occurs a handful of times in the New Testament (John 17:5, Ephesians 1:4, 1 Peter 1:20). A corresponding phrase, “before the ages of time” or “before the world began” (KJV), occurs twice (2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 1:2).

Ephesians 1 beautifully unfolds God’s sovereign love and plan: “Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

Long before the universe was set in motion, we were already on God’s mind. Out of love, He chose to redeem us through the Lord Jesus Christ and adopt us into His family. His desire was for us to be holy and blameless in His sight.

1 Peter 1:20-21 reminds us of Christ’s role in God’s eternal redemptive plan: “God chose Him [Jesus Christ] as your ransom long before the world began, but He has now revealed Him to you in these last days. Through Christ, you have come to trust in God.”

Before time existed, God had ordained the death of the Lord Jesus Christ as the means to rescue humanity. Every detail of His plan worked toward calling His people to Himself, granting us salvation and enabling us to live holy lives.

Titus 1:2 reassures us of God’s promises: “This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God—who does not lie—promised them before the world began.”

God, who cannot lie, made a promise before time itself to offer eternal life to His children. This eternal promise gives us confidence and hope, securing us through His unchanging word. Every promise He made, including the promise of eternal life, was set in motion before time began. His love is infinite, His Word is true, and His plans never fail.

¯_(ツ)_/¯8-25-1

© Dr. H 2025