At the end of the About page, there is a completed Vertiwords™ example that introduces this concept and format. Although the word itself does not appear in the Bible, it comes from the Greek phrase ta biblia, meaning “the books.” In the King James Version, there are 66 books. The Bible has both a beginning and an end, and God’s Word has journeyed through writing, copying, collecting, and translating into modern language. This process can be understood in four phases and is a worthwhile subject of study. Some describe the Bible as “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth,” a backronym that suggests God gave His Word mainly as guidance for living. To me, that view can reduce faith to a list of rules rather than reveal the Living God, who expresses Himself in three forms throughout The Word and invites people into a loving, communal relationship. As a Father, He shares with His family the deeper purpose behind the Bible’s design as a means of communicating His will, His ways and the giving love He invites us to behold.
Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;……. And it was so.
Genesis 1:29-30 (NASB)
The word behold appears more than 1,000 times in the Old Testament and just over 200 times in the New, depending on the translation. That difference—about 4.8 times more frequent in the Old Testament—suggests that God often calls attention to His works as a witness, preparing readers to consider what will come next. In this way, He continually directs attention to His plan of salvation through Christ.
For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through encouragement from the Scriptures.
Romans 15:4 (NASB)
“These things happened as examples, and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.
1 Corinthians 10:11
As God the Father, He closes the first chapter with His finished creation on the 6th day and a spoken gift of provision. That is something to behold— and it was so. Now, through the lens of agricultural history passed down through generations of tribes and peoples we know this to be true, let us close that thought with this: that is something to believe.
Then he (Abram) believed in the LORD; and He credited it to him as righteousness.
Genesis 15:6 (NASB)
The first mention of believe in the Bible appears in Genesis 15:6, where the Lord God establishes one of His great covenant moments with Abram, later called Abraham. God brings him outside and directs his attention to the stars, using their countless number to reveal the promise of descendants beyond measure; another top-down revelation. Abram responds in faith, trusting what God has spoken, and then moves forward in obedience as the covenant unfolds. Belief in Scripture is never merely passive; it carries with it a response of trust expressed through action. In that way, belief is much like a seed planted in the soil—hidden at first, yet destined to bear fruit in its season.
Behold and Believe His Glory!
“Bearing fruit in its season” points to a moment that had now arrived. John the Baptist began his ministry with a baptism of repentance, preparing the way for Jesus. Chosen by the Master Creator, the Lord God, John served as the forerunner who called people to turn their hearts toward the coming Messiah.
The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true. For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
John 3:31-36 (CSB)