Days 1 through 4 of Creation
May 21, 2024
Commentary
Genesis 1 is one of the most God-centered chapters in the Bible. No wonder Satan hates it. If the Holy Spirit cannot be trusted when He tells us about creation, how can He be trusted when He tells us about salvation? “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (v. 1). This sentence introduces the book of Genesis, the entire Bible, and God’s dealings with men. God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing, and it was in darkness (v. 2). He just spoke and it came to be (See Psalm 33:6-9). The universe did not come into being by chance. Life did not accidentally emerge from a mass of slime or out of a big bang. The early verses of Genesis give us an accurate account of the beginning. God made all things in six days of creation.
The first day of creation God spoke and there was light (v. 3). God saw the light was good, so He separated it from the darkness (v. 4). He named the light day, and the darkness night (v. 5). On the second day God made the firmament (vv. 6-8). This means the atmosphere or the air that surrounds the earth. Between the waters in the clouds and the water in the seas, God placed air in preparation for a home, for man and animals. Dry land with its vegetation was formed the third day (vv. 9-13). God gathered all the water on the earth together in certain places to form lakes, seas, and oceans. Then dry land appeared which would be the plains, valleys, and hills. “God saw that it was good” (v. 10). Then God commanded and the earth was covered with growing things: grass, fruit, trees, and grain. These verses alone refute the doctrine of theistic evolution. The fourth day of creation included the sun to govern the day and the moon and stars to rule the night (vv. 14-19). God put them in the sky to give light to the earth, to dominate the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.
Application
If I begin with God (like verse 1 says) everything else will belong where it should. I will get into trouble if I begin with man instead of God.
Genesis 1:1– 19 (NET)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water. 3 God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light! 4 God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.” There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day.
6 God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water.” 7 So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so. 8 God called the expanse “sky.” There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.
9 God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear.” It was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” God saw that it was good.
11 God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: plants yielding seeds and trees on the land bearing fruit with seed in it, according to their kinds.” It was so. 12 The land produced vegetation—plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening, and there was morning, a third day.
14 God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years, 15 and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” It was so. 16 God made two great lights —the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also. 17 God placed the lights in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth, 18 to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.