Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Lawrence May <lgmay AT mindspring.com>]

I am new to this list and do not have a long appendage of letters added
to my name so that anyone should take what I say serious.

When I come to Genesis 1:1, a number of questions come to mind as I read
this verse.
1. What was God doing in eternity before he began the act of creation?
2. What are the pictographic meanings available?
    I see God in anthropomorphic way pressing his lips hard together and
letting go with "Bereshit" "br)shyt" followed by another word "barah".
"br)"
The time is the beginning of something/
The act is creation.
the objects of creation is first the heavens followed by creation of the
earth.

Elsewhere in scripture, it is said there are three heavens.  Then it
would seem that God (plural majesty?) began by creating his own
habitation followed by the the heavens we see at night that is full of
stars.  Then the sky that we see in the daytime.
Then it would follow that all were perfect: exactly as He had planned
it. These first seven words expresses a complete statement about
creation.

Then how is it in verse two we read the earth was formless and void. Why
are we left thinking that the creation of the earth was not a complete
and perfect creation in verse 1?
Is it legitimate to go to other scriptures to find out if the planning
of some other intelligent being being involved in the earth being a
waste dump: empty of any life forms and entirely covered by water.