Genesis 1:2 — ‘ruach’

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:55 — 5.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Gen. 1:2 says, “the Spirit of God was moving on the face of the waters” (NASB). The words from the original language for “Spirit” and “moving” give us an intimate picture of who God is.

Food for thought from the recorded discussion

Let’s review some key Hebrew words in Gen. 1:2:

• ha-’Aretz () means “firm ground.”
• tahom () means “depths,” “deep.”
• The Hebrew word ruach () means “to blow,” “to breathe,” “to smell.”
• Ruach Elohim () literally means “Wind of God” or “Breath of God.”

When God talks about the “sweet aroma” of the sacrifices, He’s talking about the smell.

Ex. 30:37-38 — The recipe for the perfume of the High Priest. The word that is translated as “to smell” in most translations is the Hebrew word ruach.

Lev. 26:31 — God is speaking to Israel about the consequences of their disobedience. He refuses to smell the aroma of their sacrifices. Does God like the smell of roses? Of course, he made them.

Smells are linked to emotions. God created the sense of smell and he uses it to teach us just as he uses the other senses to teach us.

Amos 5:21 — God hated the false feast days of the Northern Tribes of Israel. God said Israel’s false days and their false sacrifices stank and He wouldn’t be there.

1st Sam. 26:19 — David asked God to accept the ruach, the smell/aroma of his offering.

Isa. 11:1 — The Branch of Jesse would have the ruach of God, the ruach of understanding, the ruach of inspiration. Our understanding comes from the Ruach.
John records Yeshua’s word that the Ruach would give them even more than He gave them. 

Gen. 6:3 — The LORD said Ruach would not always strive with man.

Gen. 21:8 — The Pharoah’s “ruach” was troubled about the dream. Do you know that you have the “ruach”? Paul tells us that when God’s ruach connects with our ruach, it makes us stronger.

Gen. 21:38 — The wisemen of Egypt were astounded that Joseph had a connection with the Ruach of YHWH (the LORD).

Genesis 35 — Jacob still thought that Joseph was dead until the brothers brought the wagons of Egypt w them. When Jacob saw the wagons, he believed his son’s words and we are told that Jacob’s “ruach” was revived by this knowledge.

Num. 5:14-15 — This verse is important because our “ruach” that He gave us when He made us, that spirit can become evil or resentful. When we say that someone has a “spirit of anger” or a “spirit of jealousy” it’s more accurate to say that he has allowed his own spirit to be angry or jealous. The person is responsible for their own feelings and their own emotions. If our spirit anger, jealousy, etc comes up in us, we are supposed to bring it to our High Priest, Yeshua.

Gen. 6:17 — God brought the flood upon the earth to destroy everything which had a “ruach” in it. He removed the ruach from the face of the earth. Our own breathing is an example of “ruach” it goes in and out and moves.

Now back to Gen. 1:2: We are told that the “Ruach of Elohim” moved on the “face of the water.”

When we see other instances of the word “ruach” used in the Bible, it helps us understand this text better. God gave man the desire to live forever and in our “ruach” we know that is how God originally meant us to be. We also know God has the power of resurrection. Suicide is an extreme symptom of the hopeless felt by those who don’t feel a connection between their “Ruach” and the “Ruach” of God.

Deut. 32:9-11 — the flutering of the eagle wing’s over the nest is referred to as “ruach”. It is in the same sense that God’s ruach hovered over the waters. Yeshua said He longed to gather Jersualem as a hen gathers her chicks. It’s not with an awesome display of power but with gentleness and protectiveness.
ha-mayim (): literally “the waters” There was no life in that water. God created life on the 5th day. What does water do? What does water represent? Why are we baptized in water?

Why did God created us? How did He create mankind?

Now that He’s purified the earth, He’s going to do something with it.

Speaker: Richard Agee.