Faithfully In Ecuador: What Was God Doing Before He Made The World?

WHAT WAS GOD DOING BEFORE HE MADE THE WORLD?

The first verse of Scripture tells us that God created the heavens and the earth.

But what God was doing before He brought the universe into existence.

The famous atheist of the 19th century, Robert Ingersoll wrote:

"If God created the universe, there was a time when he commenced to create. Back of that commencement there must have been an eternity. In that eternity what was this God doing? He certainly did not think. There was nothing to think about. He did not remember. Nothing had ever happened. What did he do? Can you imagine anything more absurd that an infinite intelligence in infinite nothing wasting an eternity?"

Robert Ingersoll, Some Mistakes of Moses

The famous fifth-century A.D. Christian teacher Augustine had two answers to this question.

One of them humorous and the other one serious.

The humorous answer was that God was spending His time preparing hell for people who ask question like this.

14. Behold, I answer to him who asks, “What was God doing before He made heaven and earth?” I answer not, as a certain person is reported to have done facetiously (avoiding the pressure of the question), “He was preparing hell,” saith he, “for those who pry into mysteries.” It is one thing to perceive, another to laugh,—these things I answer not.

Chapter XII.—What God Did Before the Creation of the World , The Confessions and Letters of St. Augustine, with a Sketch of his Life and Work

The serious answer was that God didn't have any time on His hands, since there was no time before time was created.

Time begun with creation.

Before creation, there was no time.

And there was no time for God to have on His hands.

The world did not begin by a creation in time but by a creation of time.

15. But if the roving thought of any one should wander through the images of bygone time, and wonder that Thou, the God Almighty, and All-creating, and All-sustaining, the Architect of heaven and earth, didst for innumerable ages refrain from so great a work before Thou wouldst make it, let him awake and consider that he wonders at false things. For whence could innumerable ages pass by which Thou didst not make, since Thou art the Author and Creator of all ages? Or what times should those be which were not made by Thee? Or how should they pass by if they had not been? Since, therefore, Thou art the Creator of all times, if any time was before Thou madest heaven and earth, why is it said that Thou didst refrain from working? For that very time Thou madest, nor could times pass by before Thou madest times. But if before heaven and earth there was no time, why is it asked, What didst Thou then? For there was no “then” when time was not.

Chapter XIII.—Before the Times Created by God, Times Were Not, The Confessions and Letters of St. Augustine, with a Sketch of his Life and Work

This brings us another question:

If there was no time before time begun, what was there?

Eternity.

God is eternal, and the only thing prior to time was eternity.

The question also implies that an infinitely perfect being like God could get bored.

Boredom is a sign of imperfection and dissatisfaction.

God is perfect and perfectly satisfied.

There is no way God could be bored, even if He had long time periods in His hands.

An infinitely creative mind can always find something interesting to do.

Only finite minds run out of interesting thing and get bored.

Christian God also has three persons who are in perfect fellowship.

There is no way such being could get bored or lonely.

There is always someone to talk to, someone of perfect understanding, love, and companionship.

Boredom is impossible for someone like this.

But we can know something of what God did before He created the Universe and the world from the Bible:

Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

John 17:24

He definitely loved, even before He made the world.

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.

Ephesians 1:4

He thought about us, even before He made the world.

In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.

Titus 1:2

And He promised us the eternal life, even before the time begun.

This is Good God Questions Monday. A series dedicated to those good, and difficult, questions about God, universe, life, sin, Christ, love, and everything related.

Why is it so important to answer questions about God?

“but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect”

1 Peter 3:15

Even little children can ask tough question, but there are good answers for all of them. The Bible exhorts us to find them and give them.

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”

Colossians 4:6

This post is based on the book “How Made God? And Answer To Over 100 Other Tough Questions Of Faith” by Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler.

The First Monday we wondered:

WHO MADE GOD?

The Second Monday we wondered:

WHY COULDN'T THE WORLD HAVE ALWAYS EXISTED?

The Third Monday we wondered:

HOW CAN GOD MAKE SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING?

The Fourth Monday we wondered:

WHAT WAS GOD DOING BEFORE HE MADE THE WORLD?

The Fifth Monday we wondered:

HOW CAN THERE BE THREE PERSONS IN ONE GOD?