Genesis 1:3-31

© John Stevenson, 2009

The Six Days of CreationThe Six Days of Creation

Unformed UnfilledDay 1: Light Day 4: Light-bearers

(sun, moon, stars)

Day 2: Water & sky divided

Day 5: Fish & birds to fill water & sky

Day 3: Dry land & vegetation

Day 6: Land animals & man

Day 7: Sabbath Rest

Then God said, Then God said, “Let there be “Let there be

light”; and there light”; and there was light. was light.

(Genesis 1:3).(Genesis 1:3).

And God saw that the And God saw that the light was good; and light was good; and God separated the God separated the

light from the light from the darkness. darkness. 55 And God And God called the light day, called the light day,

and the darkness He and the darkness He called night. And there called night. And there

was evening and was evening and there was morning, there was morning, one day. (Genesis one day. (Genesis

1:4-5).1:4-5).

Textual Formula in Genesi 1Textual Formula in Genesi 1

• God’s creative statement: And God said...

• The fiat: “Let there be...”

• The creative act: And there was light...

• A declaration that the creation was good: God saw that it was good.

• The time limits of that creative period: And there was evening and there was morning...

• The numerical listing of that day: One day.

Then God said, “Let there be Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters, and let it separate the

waters from the waters.” waters from the waters.” (Genesis 1:6)(Genesis 1:6)

And God made the expanse, And God made the expanse, and separated the waters and separated the waters

which were below the expanse which were below the expanse from the waters which were from the waters which were

above the expanse; and it was above the expanse; and it was so. so. 88 And God called the And God called the

expanse heaven. And there expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was was evening and there was

morning, a second day. morning, a second day. (Genesis 1:7-8).(Genesis 1:7-8).

[;yqir' (Raqiya)

• Defined in verse 8 when “God called the Raqiya heaven” (note that the Hebrew is plural; “Heavens”).

[;yqir' (Raqiya)

• Further explained in verse 20 where God says, “...let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens” (It literally reads “...upon the face of the raqiyah of the heavens”)

[;yqir' (Raqiya)

The heavens are telling of The heavens are telling of the glory of God;the glory of God;And their EXPANSE is And their EXPANSE is declaring the work of His declaring the work of His hands. (Psalm 19:1).hands. (Psalm 19:1).

Praise the Lord!Praise the Lord!Praise God in His sanctuary;Praise God in His sanctuary;Praise Him in His mighty Praise Him in His mighty EXPANSE. (Psalm 15:1).EXPANSE. (Psalm 15:1).

Then God said, “Let the Then God said, “Let the waters below the waters below the heavens be gathered heavens be gathered into one place, and let into one place, and let the dry land appear”; the dry land appear”; and it was so. and it was so. 1010 And And God called the dry land God called the dry land earth, and the gathering earth, and the gathering of the waters He called of the waters He called seas; and God saw that seas; and God saw that it was good. (Genesis it was good. (Genesis 1:9-10).1:9-10).

Then God said, Then God said, “Let the earth “Let the earth sprout vegetation, sprout vegetation, plants yielding plants yielding seed, and fruit seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, after their kind, with seed in them, with seed in them, on the earth”; and on the earth”; and it was so. it was so. (Genesis 1:11).(Genesis 1:11).

Then God said, “Let Then God said, “Let there be lights in the there be lights in the expanse of the heavens expanse of the heavens to separate the day from to separate the day from the night, and let them the night, and let them be for signs, and for be for signs, and for seasons, and for days seasons, and for days and years; and years; 1515 and let and let them be for lights in the them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens expanse of the heavens to give light on the to give light on the earth”; and it was so. earth”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:14-15).(Genesis 1:14-15).

And God made And God made the two great the two great lights, the lights, the greater light to greater light to govern the day, govern the day, and the lesser and the lesser light to govern light to govern the night; He the night; He made the stars made the stars also. (Genesis also. (Genesis 1:16).1:16).

And God placed And God placed them in the them in the expanse of the expanse of the heavens to give heavens to give light on the earth, light on the earth, 1818 and to govern and to govern the day and the the day and the night, and to night, and to separate the light separate the light from the darkness; from the darkness; and God saw that and God saw that it was good. it was good. (Genesis 1:17-18).(Genesis 1:17-18).

Created KingdomsCreated Kingdoms Created KingsCreated Kings

Day 1: Light & Darkness

Day 4: Light-bearers to rule day & night

Day 2: Division of waters into sky & sea

Day 5: Birds to rule the sky and fish to rule the sea

Day 3: Dry land & vegetation

Day 6: Land animals & man as ruler

Creator KingCreator KingDay 7: The King takes His Rest

Then God said, Then God said, “Let the waters “Let the waters teem with swarms teem with swarms of living creatures, of living creatures, and let birds fly and let birds fly above the earth in above the earth in the open expanse the open expanse of the heavens.” of the heavens.” (Genesis 1:21).(Genesis 1:21).

Then God said, “Let Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the earth bring forth living creatures after living creatures after their kind: cattle and their kind: cattle and creeping things and creeping things and beasts of the earth beasts of the earth after their kind”; and after their kind”; and it was so. (Genesis it was so. (Genesis 1:24).1:24).

Genesis 1:26-27Genesis 1:26-27The God said, “Let Us make man

in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26-27).

Genesis 1:28Genesis 1:28God blessed them; and God

said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

– In the Image of GodIn the Image of God

– Federal HeadshipFederal Headship

– Stewardship and a basis for EcologyStewardship and a basis for Ecology

Genesis 1:29-30Genesis 1:29-30Then 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; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”; and it was so.

Genesis 1Genesis 1

Light and darkness are made by God on

Day 1

The Israelite The Israelite ExperienceExperience

They had seen God bring light and darkness

over Egypt

A division of the waters on Day 2

They had passed through the Red Sea

The sun and moon and stars created on

Day 4

Egyptians worshiped the sun and moon and stars and had seen the sun darkened in Egypt.

Genesis 1Genesis 1

Man is created in the image of God

The Israelite The Israelite ExperienceExperience

Only the Pharaoh was thought to be in the

image of God

Man is told to rule over the earth

Only the Pharaoh had the right of rulership

Man is placed into a beautiful garden

Israelites are tempted to return to the meats of Egypt, but Canaan is

the new promised Eden.

Lessons from Genesis 1Lessons from Genesis 1

• There is only one God and that is the God who created us.

• The God who created us is a very big God.

• God is personally involved in His creation.

• The purpose of the Genesis account is not merely to have us view the creation, but that we might see the Creator who created the creation.

Compare & Contrast Compare & Contrast these three views:these three views:

Romantic View of the Natural

World

Biblical View of the

Natural World

Resource View of the

Natural World