God of the Storm
March 8, 2026
When you think of “nothing,” what comes to mind? Our 21st-century Western brains probably think of absence: absence of life, matter, emptiness, light, or maybe the empty void of space. But to a Near Eastern, pre-Enlightenment person, “nothingness” as a concept was viewed differently. Pre-creation nothingness, before life existed, was often described in ancient literature as water. Water was seen as a pre-created state—chaotic, formless, and void. In many pagan creation stories, life arose out of chaotic waters. Often, their deities came out of the water and usually fought for control of the waters in the process of creating the cosmos (see Enuma Elish, Atrahasis Epic, Heliopolitan Creation Myth, Song of Kumarbi, and Sumerian creation traditions, as examples).
With this in mind, we can better understand why water was such an important part of ancient cosmology. Water was the source of life in societies built around rivers and oceans, but it was also the source of uncontrollable catastrophe. Flooding, storms, and waves from the seas were features of everyday life, much more unpredictable than they are for us today. When the Genesis creation account is viewed with this context in mind, ancient readers would understand “the waters” and “the deep” as being present before the creation of the material world.
What they would not expect—and what subverts all other cosmologies—is that God is present before the waters. Unlike other creation myths, where the deities and life come from the water, usually after conflict, God exists outside of the waters. Genesis 1:2 describes His Spirit hovering over them, and God controls the water simply with His command, putting an expanse between them in verses 6 and 7. In doing so, He brings order to chaos and creates a good creation. God’s power over the chaotic waters demonstrates His authority as the one true God. He has no peer, He has no conflict, and He commands the waters and all creation—and they obey.
The motif of power over chaotic waters is used throughout the Old Testament to reveal God’s power to Israel and their enemies. From the Flood, to the Exodus through the Red Sea, to the crossing of the Jordan, and more, God controls the chaotic waters through His command or through His servants in order to rescue His people and defeat their enemies. The psalmist recognizes God’s power over the waters as a sign of His kingship in Psalm 74, saying:
12 But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.
13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monsters in the waters.
14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
15 It was you who opened up springs and streams; you dried up the ever- flowing rivers.
This is just one of many examples in the Psalms where God’s power over the sea is given as a reason for praise, worship, glory, and authority. This idea continues into the New Testament. The Gospel of John reveals that the same God who brought order to chaos through creation, and who has power and authority over all things, became flesh as Jesus the Christ (John 1:1–18). Jesus confirms this power twice in the Gospel of Mark, chapters 4 and 6. In both instances, Jesus rebukes the chaotic storm, rescuing His disciples. Just as at creation, Jesus walks on the waters (Mark 6:49) and gives a simple command that brings order to the raging sea and howling winds (4:39; 6:51). These actions astonish His followers, who ask, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” (4:41).
We now know through the revealed Word that this is God incarnate—the same God who created the world, who commands all creation, now in the flesh. He stops not only the stormy waters that night, but ultimately brings order to a world ruined by the chaos brought about by our sin. If your life feels empty, meaningless, void, chaotic, and out of order, consider the Psalms that remind us we worship a God whose purpose is to bring order to chaos and calm the storms. He has done that for us through Jesus, and as part of His creation, all we must do is listen to His voice and obey.
Psalm 93
1 The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.
2 Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.
3 The seas have lifted up, LORD, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the LORD on high is mighty.