Topical Bible: The Earth: God: Laid the Foundation of

◄ The Earth: God: Laid the Foundation of ►

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The concept of God laying the foundation of the earth is a recurring theme in the Bible, emphasizing His sovereignty, wisdom, and power in creation. This foundational act is depicted as a testament to God's eternal nature and His role as the ultimate architect of the universe.

Scriptural References:

1. Job 38:4-6 : In this passage, God challenges Job, asking, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its foundations set, or who laid its cornerstone?" This rhetorical questioning underscores God's omnipotence and the mystery of His creative work, which is beyond human comprehension.

2. Psalm 102:25 : "In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands." This verse highlights the eternal nature of God, contrasting the temporal creation with the everlasting Creator. It affirms that the earth's foundation is a deliberate act of God, establishing His authority over all creation.

3. Proverbs 8:27-29 : Wisdom, personified, speaks of being present when God "established the heavens" and "inscribed a circle on the face of the deep, when He established the clouds above, when the fountains of the deep gushed forth, when He set a boundary for the sea so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth." This passage illustrates the order and precision in God's creation, with wisdom as an integral part of the process.

4. Isaiah 48:13 : "Indeed, My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens; when I summon them, they stand up together." Here, God's creative power is depicted as both intentional and commanding, with the earth and heavens responding to His voice.

5. Hebrews 1:10 : Quoting Psalm 102, the author of Hebrews writes, "In the beginning, Lord, You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands." This New Testament reference reaffirms the Old Testament testimony of God's foundational work, linking it to the supremacy of Christ.

Theological Implications:

The imagery of God laying the foundation of the earth serves as a powerful metaphor for His role as the Creator and Sustainer of all things. It reflects His wisdom, as seen in the precise and ordered nature of creation, and His authority, as the One who commands and upholds the universe. This foundational act is not merely a historical event but a continuous reality, as God remains actively involved in His creation.

In the broader biblical narrative, the foundation of the earth also points to God's faithfulness and the reliability of His promises. Just as the physical world is grounded in His creative act, so too are His covenants and purposes secure and unshakeable. This assurance provides believers with confidence in God's unchanging nature and His ultimate plan for redemption and restoration.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 38:4
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if you have understanding.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 102:25
Of old have you laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of your hands.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Foundation of God
... A stone so gigantic and so firm God has laid for man ... with us; and how, in another
aspect, historically, since the day on which He appeared on earth, He has ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the foundation of god.htm

Remarks on the Creation of the World.
... For man, being below, begins to build from the earth, and cannot in order make the
roof, unless he has first laid the foundation. But the power of God is shown ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter xiii remarks on the creation.htm

Sky, Earth, and Sea: a Parable of God
... that that character was the only relief in the contemplation of the miserable sights
of which the earth is only too ... But God accepts the cares laid upon Him ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/sky earth and sea a.htm

Commendation of those who had Laid Aside the Practice of Swearing. ...
... For he that said, "He hath laid the foundation of it upon the seas ... the same one saying,
"In His hands are the corners of the earth." Not that God hath hands ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/homily ix commendation of those.htm

That the Foundation and Strength of Hope and Faith is Fear.
... Who is a God as Thou art, raising up unrighteousness, and passing over impiety ... were
moved at Him, and the hills trembled; and the earth was laid bare before ...
/.../three books of testimonies against the jews/20 that the foundation and.htm

Wisdom and Christ
... hymned 'Thou, Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundation ... the same was in the
beginning with God.' for his ... in the beginning or ever the earth was.' Then ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/wisdom and christ.htm

God's World
... and business were in heaven, with God who made the earth, with that blessed One
of whom he said, "Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon i gods world.htm

Of Creation
... this ground which God hath laid, man may fancy many superstructures. But when he
stretched out the heaven, and laid the foundation of the earth, "who, being ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture xvii of creation.htm

The Eternity of God
... and venerable Bede understand it, that when God laid the foundation ... thereof all the
wicked of the earth shall wring ... worm, the fire, the curse of God, all these ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/3 the eternity of god.htm

Christ's Finished and Unfinished Work
... but also heaven'; for 'new heavens and a new earth' accompanied the ... His hands have
laid the foundation ... excess or defect, or contrariety, the will of God has not ...
/.../christs finished and unfinished work.htm