Messianic Rabbi: The War Was Over from the Beginning

Read Time: 4 Minutes 50 Seconds

Recently, I was asked the question, “Could you summarize the Bible in one word?”

After thinking for a moment, I responded, “If I had to describe the Bible in one word, that word would be ‘War.’”

Now, I know that many reading this will have many opinions of what one word would best describe the Bible. But, let me explain why I chose the word war.

From the very outset of the Bible, G-D Himself establishes the battlefield and the two sides of the conflict. The battlefield is the Earth that He spoke into existence and the opposing forces are order vs. chaos. In the opening chapters of the Bible, we find the opening battle begin to rage as we read these words from Genesis 1:1-5:

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was chaos and waste, darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water. Then God said, ‘Let there be light!’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good. So God distinguished the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ So there was evening and there was morning—one day.”

Notice as we read these words that when G-D spoke the world into being, we read about the battle begin. Chaos and darkness are on the earth and G-D is hovering over its surface. Then, with one short phrase, G-D defeats the adversary when He speaks the words: “Let there be light.” The immediate result of this first victory is order. Light and darkness are separated and named day and night.

From these very first words until the very end of the book of Revelation, everything we read is the continuing battle between order and chaos. Throughout the Bible as we turn from page to page, we see this battle rage, and every time chaos begins to get a foothold, G-D, time after time, repeats those words, “let there be light.”

In Isaiah 9:1, the prophet foretold the birth of Yeshua this way:

“The people walking in darkness will see a great light. Upon those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, light will shine.”

This verse is followed by Isaiah’s prophecy of the ultimate victory over chaos in Isaiah 9:5-6:

“For to us a child is born, a Son will be given to us, and the government will be upon His shoulder. His Name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God My Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and shalom there will be no end—on the throne of David and over His kingdom—to establish it and uphold it through justice and righteousness from now until forevermore. The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot will accomplish this.”

The light that Isaiah wrote about was the very same light G-D spoke of in Genesis 1. We know this because of what John wrote in John 1:

“In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him, and apart from Him nothing was made that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.”

Notice when speaking of Yeshua, John says He was the light in the beginning that overpowered or defeated the darkness. Yeshua Himself made this truth clear when He said in John 8:12:

“Yeshua spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. The one who follows Me will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

When G-D spoke the words “let there be light,” He won the war between order and chaos and the rest of the Bible provides for us the history of His victory. It is in recognition of this victory that at the starting and ending of every Shabbat, we light candles in our home to remind us of the light that defeated chaos. Because the order of our seven-day week tells the story of the creation and how G-D by speaking the words “let there be light” vanquished our enemy chaos and provided order for us.

We read in Exodus 20:11 where we are commanded to keep the Sabbath day to remind us of the creation.

“For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Thus Adonai blessed Yom Shabbat, and made it holy.”

Our seven-day week and the Sabbath are just one of the many examples of memorials G-D provided for us to remember that He has already won victory over chaos. For those of us who believe that the earth is moving toward its 6000th year since creation, this cycle of sevens brings even more meaning and significance because we see Genesis 1 and the beginning of the first thousand years and Revelation 22 as the close of the seventh thousand years. So, when we read the words of Revelation 22:5:

“Night shall be no more, and people will have no need for lamplight or sunlight—for Adonai Elohim will shine on them. And they shall reign forever and ever!”

We understand that the light spoken of in Revelation 22 is the exact same light spoken of in Genesis 1 when G-D said, “let there be light.” So, as you see, the Bible is the story of a war. A war between chaos and order. A war that was won not with sword or guns, but was won by saying the words: “let there be light.”

As we consider this war between order and chaos, we must remember that all sin is chaos. Sin is simply stepping out of G-D’s perfect design for order and entering chaos.

So, if any part of your life seems to become chaotic, just remember that G-D provided His Word as a way for us to see the order that His victory brought about. He has already won the victory against chaos.

All we have to do is realize He has already said, “let there be light,” and turn or return and walk towards and into the light.

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Eric Tokajer is the author of “Overcoming Fearlessness,” “What If Everything You Were Taught About the Ten Commandments Was Wrong?,” “With Me in Paradise,” “Transient Singularity,” “OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry,” “#ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer,” “Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians” and “Galatians in Context.”