We often hear Christians say, “In the beginning, God created the world.” But the exact wording in Scripture is, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) I use the phrase Christian believers intentionally, because some people claim the title “Christian” without truly living in faith. For them, it becomes more about church attendance and affiliation than a genuine spiritual relationship with God.
As God formed the earth, the animals, and the trees, humanity was created last. I used to wonder why God chose that order. Then He gave me insight: if man had been created first, he would have opened his eyes to an empty, unfinished world—nothing but darkness and water. Scripture says, “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) Humanity would have missed the beauty of creation unfolding.
Adam and Eve, however, were created fully formed—pure, blameless, and already mature, made in the very image of God. Scripture records God saying, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals, and every creature that moves along the ground.” (Genesis 1:28)
My cousins used to tease me with the classic question, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” It’s a playful riddle people like to toss around. I remember pausing, unsure of the answer, and simply saying, “I don’t know.” They didn’t tell me the answer either.
But the question stayed with me until God gave me insight. In the beginning, God created every creature, such as animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, as fully grown. He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” That meant the mother hen came first. Once I understood that, I finally felt confident in my answer.
So, the next time my cousin brought up the same question, he said my team could start first if I got it right. I scratched my head and asked what the question was. Boom—right in front of all our friends, he repeated it: Which came first, the egg or the chicken? This time I didn’t hesitate. Grinning, I said, “You’re such a chicken. The chicken came first!”
He stared at me and asked how I knew. I answered, “The egg didn’t just fall from an oak tree. A grown chicken has to exist first before it can lay an egg.” Everyone burst into laughter, and they all agreed with my reasoning. Honestly, none of them were sure of the answer either. It really did sound like a genius response. But the insight came from God as He is omniscient, omnipotent, and all-knowing. I thank Him for giving me that understanding.
A consistent theme throughout Scripture is that God reveals Himself and speaks through those who believe in Him. Nowhere in the biblical record does God anoint a pagan or unbeliever to serve as His prophet or messenger. Instead, He entrusts His word to individuals who acknowledge Him, even when their faith is small or imperfect. Divine calling rests not on human perfection but on willingness, obedience, and reverence for the Lord. For this reason, God may choose even a child when no adult proves faithful or available for His purposes.
This truth becomes especially vivid when we consider God’s omniscience—His perfect knowledge of every thought, intention, and hidden motive. Nothing escapes His sight. The Gospel of Luke provides a striking illustration of this in the account of Jesus healing the paralyzed man (Luke 5:17–26).
The narrative unfolds on a day when Jesus was teaching in a crowded house. Pharisees and teachers of the law had gathered from villages across Galilee, as well as from Judea and Jerusalem, to observe Him. Luke notes that “the power of the Lord was present for Him to heal,” setting the stage for a profound revelation of divine authority.
Amid the crowd, a group of men arrived carrying their paralyzed friend on a mat. Determined to bring him before Jesus, they attempted to enter the house, but the crowd made it impossible. Undeterred, they climbed onto the roof, removed the tiles, and lowered the man directly into the room, placing him at the feet of Jesus. Their boldness and persistence were themselves an expression of deep faith.
Seeing their faith, Jesus declared to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” This pronouncement immediately stirred silent controversy among the Pharisees and teachers of the law. Within their hearts they reasoned, “Who is this who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Though they voiced nothing aloud, Jesus perceived their inner thoughts. He confronted them directly, asking, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?”
To demonstrate His divine authority, Jesus then turned to the paralyzed man and commanded, “I tell you, get up, take your mat, and go home.” Immediately, the man rose, picked up the mat he had been carried on, and walked out in full view of all, praising God. The crowd was overcome with awe, declaring, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
This episode reveals a profound theological truth: no thought is hidden from God. The Pharisees’ silent objections were fully exposed before Jesus, demonstrating that God sees not only outward actions but the deepest meditations of the human heart.
This principle is further illustrated in the calling of the prophet Samuel. As previously noted, Samuel was only a young child—likely around five years old—when God chose him as His messenger. Scripture emphasizes that, throughout all Israel, God found no one else suitable to receive His word except the boy who ministered faithfully in the temple. Samuel’s youth did not hinder God’s purpose; rather, his openness and purity of heart made him usable when others were not.
Together, these accounts affirm a consistent biblical theme: God sees all, knows all, and appoints His servants according to His sovereign wisdom. It is faith, humility, and the readiness of the heart, not by age, social standing, or human perfection, that determine whom God entrusts with His message.
This truth becomes even clearer when we look more closely at Samuel’s background. His calling cannot be separated from the unwavering faithfulness of his mother, Hannah, who dedicated him wholly to the Lord. For many years, she endured the deep sorrow of barrenness, yet her devotion never wavered. Her story is often overlooked in Christian circles, and her strength—both spiritual and personal—rarely receives the honor it deserves. Yet it was her steadfast faith that opened the way for the anointing of a new prophet in Israel, the youngest ever called by God to speak His truth.
Hannah’s life stands as a powerful example for all of us, whether young and old, men and women alike. Her perseverance in suffering, her humility before God, and her refusal to let despair silence her prayers reveal a model of faith that continues to speak across generations. She returned again and again to the temple, pouring out her heart before the Lord in quiet, tearful supplication, pleading for His mercy. In the depth of her anguish, she made a solemn vow: if God would grant her a son, she would dedicate the child entirely to Him for lifelong service.
In her anguish, she prayed and made a vow: “Lord Almighty, if You will look upon Your servant’s misery and remember me, and give me a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor will ever touch his head.” (1 Samuel 1:11) God heard her prayer, and Hannah remained faithful to her vow. In time, she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” When Samuel was old enough, she brought him to the temple, with her husband’s full agreement. They visited him each year. As she had promised, she told her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”
“Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.
After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.” (1 Samuel 1:22-28)
A natural question arises when reflecting on Hannah’s example: Are there young women today who embody the same devotion, purity, and spiritual strength that marked the life of Samuel’s mother? Scripture describes Hannah as a young and beautiful woman, yet her beauty was matched—and surpassed—by her sincerity, humility, and truthfulness before the Lord. Her character stands in sharp contrast to many cultural patterns that shape modern life, where outward display is often valued more than inward holiness.
The book of Revelation uses powerful imagery to warn God’s people against the seductions of worldliness. John, the youngest of Jesus’ disciples, was commanded to record a vision of the “great prostitute,” a symbolic figure representing spiritual corruption and the allure of ungodly living. John writes:
“One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. With her, the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.’ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names and having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. The name written on her forehead was a mystery: Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth. I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. When I saw her, I was greatly astonished.” (Revelation 17:1–6)
This symbolic figure represents a way of life marked by pride, excess, and spiritual unfaithfulness, an image that stands in sharp contrast to the quiet purity and humility embodied by Hannah. She did not seek attention through outward display; rather, her beauty flowed from her devotion to God and the sincerity of her heart.
The Lord addressed this very issue through the prophet Isaiah, condemning the spirit of vanity and self-exaltation that had overtaken the women of Zion. Their outward adornment reflected an inward departure from holiness. As Isaiah records, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles.” (Isaiah 3:16)
This prophetic rebuke is not merely about jewelry or appearance; it exposes a deeper spiritual condition, a heart captivated by pride, worldliness, and self-display rather than by reverence for God. In contrast, Hannah’s life demonstrates that true beauty is found in humility, purity, and a spirit submitted to the Lord.
Reflecting on this contrast brings to mind the biblical call to holiness in every generation. God desires purity not only in outward conduct but also in the heart and in speech. This call shapes how we present ourselves, the values we embrace, and the influences we allow to form our character. Holiness is not a cultural trend but a timeless command, inviting God’s people to live differently from the world and to reflect His character in all things.
I remember my own early fascination with tattoos when I was a child. At eight years old, I would draw on my cheeks and arms with a red marker, thinking it looked interesting. When my father saw it, he gently explained that tattoos were common among prisoners and sailors in his military experience, often used for identification. His words stayed with me, and I lost interest in the idea. Scripture also warns Israel not to imitate the practices of surrounding nations. As the Lord commanded:
“Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:28)
The point is not merely about outward markings but about the deeper call to live differently from the world, to pursue holiness, humility, and devotion to God, just as Hannah did. Her life remains a timeless example for all believers, young and old, men and women alike.
I will address the mystery and interpretation of the scarlet woman later, for John’s vision of her is a prophetic revelation connected to a specific future event. Although this theme relates to the material in Revelation 12 and 13, which I discussed earlier, it stands as a distinct subject of its own. What follows, therefore, is a separate examination of the mystery surrounding this scarlet woman and the significance of her appearance in John’s vision.
