Et Isn’t Over Yet
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
Et – Do you remember the un-translated et that precedes the words for heavens and earth? It is a particle (the smallest part of a language structure) that indicates that the next word is the direct object of the verb. It is never translated. Scholars call it a linguistic marker. We pointed out that Yeshua seems to be using a play on words when He speaks of the Alpha and Omega in Revelation. But there is something else that we need to recognize about et in this verse. Bandstra (Genesis 1-11: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text) points out that this et is independent, not a prefix. That means it has the function of acting like emphatic italics. In other words, if we account for this independent et, we should read the text as “In the beginning, God created the one and only heavens and the one and only earth.”Why does this matter? Well, first it puts to rest all that great science fiction speculation about life in the universe. Of course, this doesn’t say that the planet earth is the only planet that supports life, but it does say that as far as we are concerned, this is where it’s all going to happen. Don’t expect aliens to arrive and rescue (or destroy) us. Our home is the one and only earth. From our point of view, this is the only playing field that we will ever have.
Secondly, this little emphatic particle also implies that what we make of the course of our lives here is what matters. This is the only practice field we are going to get for all eternity. If you don’t learn to play the game here, you aren’t going to get another earth to try again. This is the one and only place for us.
Finally, of course, is the implication that what we see is really what we get. Yes, there are hidden spiritual realities, but they are not hidden from God nor are they hidden from His elect. What we see here, on this earth, is what we have to deal with – and there is plenty of opportunity to display God’s character right here. The follower of the Way might have his eyes fixed on the hope of heaven, but his feet are solidly placed in the dust of the earth. If I am going to make God visible to those who do not see His handiwork, it will have to happen in the dust, not in the stars.
Nothing is unimportant if this is the one and only earth. Nothing slips by unexamined. Et reminds me that my obligation and His glorification depend on my concentration in exactly the place God has put me. Today is a day on the one and only earth. Time to make it count.
Topical Index: et, earth, only
