But now, this is what the Lord says—

He who created you, O Jacob,

He who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name;

You are mine (Isa 43:1).

Here, the Hebrew word, “to create” in “he who created you,” is bara’, and “to form” in “he who formed you,” is yatsar. It is helpful to know that the Bible has two different creation stories in Genesis—type one in chapter one, and type two in chapter two. These can be explained as two different traditions on how the world was created, each of which has its own emphases and themes that are contrasted with those of the other. The verb bara’ represents the story of type one, and yatsar that of type two.

The important nuance embedded in bara’ is to create something by dividing it into two contrasted things. See, for instance, the following usages:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1).

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them (v. 27).

In the same way, light was created against darkness. It is important to know that creation in the Bible does not mean creation out of nothing. On the other hand, the second type of creation story is represented by the verb, yatsar, which means to make something with hands as a potter makes pottery with clay.

The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (2:7).

The important implication of this statement is that what was formed was first dead, and when God breathed his breath of life into it, it became alive—the essential theme in the second type of the creation story. Death came into this world as a result of people’s sins, and they return to dust from which they were taken. Death came to be realized to them when they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden, and deprived of the access to the tree of life. In the same way, the people of Israel were taken captives to Babylon by having been deprived of the access to the Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed. Yet, God would restore them to Jerusalem: the temple would be rebuilt, and the people would be revived. Such was the historical background of the above passage in Isa 43.

We are new creations today in Christ: God has restored us to the spiritual Garden of Eden where we have now free access to the tree of life again. We have the following words in Proverbs:

She (wisdom) is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

Those who lay hold of her will be blessed (Prov 3:18).

“Wisdom” is the truth, the word of God, which is Christ himself according to John’s gospel. The Bible says, “… in whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3).” Jesus said one time to those who came to follow him seeking the bread that would only fill their stomachs.

I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you (John 6:27-27).

He continued saying:

But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world (vv. 50-51).

This is the Lord’s Supper—the communion we receive today. It is the restored access to the tree of life—the work of God’s creation. Jesus said to the disciples who were wondering what he meant by all these words:

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life (v. 63).