Thank you for the question, “What happened the week before the Genesis 1 creation week? Did anything at all exist before it? I currently believe that in that week G-d was created, but I am willing to entertain other ideas.”
The question on Genesis 1 and the creation of God is an interesting thought.
Here are some thoughts for one’s consideration:
A. As I look at the Creation week, the “days” reflect the creative activity of God in stages. The reason is that the sun and moon were created until the fourth day. Since man wasn’t created until the 6th day, there was no humans noting the “days”. The days are seen from God’s perspective.
B. As I read Genesis1:1, there is a statement that God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.
The statement and interpretation of Genesis 1:2 can be viewed in three manners. The three views would be that the statement is an introductory statement of the Biblical narrative, that God created the heavens and the earth, and the inclusion of an introductory statement and the creative act of God in bring the heavens and earth into existence.
My view at this time is both an introductory statement and creative act of God in causing the heavens and the earth to come into existence.
C. As I ponder before Genesis 1:1, there is the self-existence of God. The nature and attributes of God is known only to himself since there was no other entity to observe him. In other words, if God didn’t reveal himself by creating something other than himself, there would be no knowledge of him since nothing would exist apart from himself.
D. As I ponder before Genesis 1:1, there is no “time” with God. The observation of “light” and its measurement from the source to us gives us a sense of time as in the “rising” and “setting” of the sun. But if one was in outer space, one wouldn’t “see” the rising and setting of the sun from another galaxy. We wouldn’t think of the rising and setting of the sun from our distant viewpoint.
E. As I ponder before Genesis 1:1, if “God” was created by another being, then that creative act by that being would mean the created object, “God” would have a point of “time.” It would have a beginning. It is not self-existence.
That leads to a continuing problem as one already who made the maker of the Universe. Scientists have two options for the existence of the Universe. The Universe is self-existed or the Universe is created by something or someone greater than the Universe.
If Scientists can accept the self-existence of the universe without a cause for its existence, then one can also accept the self-existence of God apart from the Universe. The reader has to decide which is more reasonable to oneself.
If God didn’t create anything, he is self-aware and self exists. It doesn’t mean that God is lonely for there is no time. He is just there. The creation of the Universe allows the self-aware beings to know that there is a Creator Being who is able to appreciate the creative work of God.
For example, if a person knows that he is a creative artist, but never draws anything, then no one can appreciate the ark work. It lies dormant within that person.
What was there before God created the Universe? No one really knows for the Universe wasn’t created so we couldn’t observe it.
Can there be a maker of God? It’s contradictory for the belief of God is that he is self-aware and self-existed. No one brought God into existence otherwise that being would be considered “God.”
-Kingston