For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. (Romans 1:20-21)

The Godhead In The Old Testament

Moses wrote down the story of the creation of the world, with a brief overview of thousands of years before the opening scene in Exodus, when God’s plan to create the nation of Israel is revealed. The writings of Moses are dated around 1450 B. C., showing that many years were unaccounted for before Moses was born. Moses described the creation in which the Godhead was actively involved in bringing everything in the world to life. The central theme is the Almighty God and Father, who takes precedence over all beings and exercises all authority. As the world is void and without form, the Holy Spirit hovers above the waters. The Christ is present at creation as one of the Godhead. On the sixth day, God directs the Holy Spirit and the Christ to complete the plan of creation to form man from the dust. Eve is created from the rib of Adam.

After the fall, Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden, but they are not excluded from the presence of the Lord. God reveals Himself to His creation to show them His will, His character, His nature, and His power. Cain and Abel offer sacrifices to God because they know who God is and what is expected of them. From the beginning of time, God promised to redeem man through the promise of the Seed. The fulfillment of the Seed promise would not be realized until Jesus Christ rose from the dead, but the concept of a coming Christ was always present in the minds of men. It is clear that God revealed the nature of His word and the Godhead to early man so that he would know how to worship Him. Abraham predates Moses by many generations, and he met Melchizedek, a priest of the Most High God.

The priesthood of Melchizedek shows how God revealed His will to man. Nothing is recorded about the priesthood of Melchizedek, but it was an order of priests ordained by God to worship Him in spirit and truth. The absence of writings describing the priesthood of Melchizedek does not suggest ignorance of man of the character of the Godhead. Moses wrote down the books of the Law for a foundation for Christ, showing why God chose Israel as His own people. Early man would have known about the Seed promise through God’s revelation. Moses was not the first man to know about the Seed promise. Abraham believed in the promises of God before the promise of Isaac was fulfilled. The man Job knew about the Holy Spirit as well as his friend Elihu. David pleaded with God not to take away the Holy Spirit from him. From the beginning of time, God revealed Himself to the world in the form of the triune personalities of the Divine.

Moses declared the glory of God when he wrote about the Godhead forming man in their image. Man was created to show the glory of God, the hope of the Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Early man understood through a dark mirror the nature of the Godhead. Time would slowly reveal the story of God’s redeeming love. Throughout the Old Testament story, the faithful of God hoped for and longed for the fulfillment of the promises made in the Garden of Eden. Time would unfold the story of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The Holy Spirit would burst upon the scene of the early church, not as a new revelation but as part of the Godhead actively involved in the scheme of redemption.

The invisible attributes of God are clearly seen from the beginning of time. There has never been a time when man could plead ignorance to the character and nature of the Godhead. Although they knew God, they rebelled against Him and rejected His word. The nature of the Seed promise was not fully realized until Jesus came to earth as a man. When the early church began, the nature of the Holy Spirit was magnified in His work of revealing truth and showing the power of God through miracles. For the world today, the story of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is contained within the pages of the Bible to lead the heart of man back to God. All men are created in the image of the Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.