In our study of the first day of creation, we saw that God created some of the most basic of our needs… water and light. We could not survive without these, could we? These are very ‘good’ things. As we proceed today into the second day of creation, we will see the creation of another one of our most basic needs.
Verses 6-8 tell us of the second day. What is happening in verse 6? The KJV calls it a ‘firmament’ while the NIV calls it a ‘vault’. What exactly is this firmament, or vault (verses 7-8)? God has now taken this empty, formless mass of water called ‘earth’ and separated it into the earth water below and the sky mist above. In between, we now have the sky, or atmosphere. God has created air. Record in your journal what was created the second day of creation.
At first glance, it appears that God has created, these first two days, three simple things… water, light, and air. But being a more modern and educated people, let’s think this through. I am going to suggest to you that on day one, He created much more. In creating water, God has created elements and molecules and the laws of chemistry. God has also, in creating light, created energy, and the spectrum of colors, and the laws of physics. At this point, we probably also have heat. On day two, we’re looking at gravity and atmospheric pressure, to say the least. Since there is water above the atmosphere, we can probably say that God has created weather. It is safe to say that this has been a complex creation process where God is creating not only things but the laws of science necessary to hold them all together and make them work. And, of course, let’s not forget time and space to give the creation context. God made the rules of science and He rules everything. Who else, but God, could do all this (Isaiah 40:10, Jer 32:17)? Record this trait of God in your journal… God is sovereign.
Verses 9-13 discuss the third day of creation. Verses nine and ten tell us the first two things created on day three. What are they? Again, we see here that oceans and land formations happened simply because God spoke. And, we see again that God has evaluated His work and determined that it is good. There is no evil, or sin, present in His creation.
Verses 11-12 tell us that later that same day, God created vegetation, or plants. Notice how we are told, here in the official record, that each plant put forth seeds or fruit containing seeds, according to its own kind. This creation is different than those which we have seen before in that the plants reproduce. God has created life as well as botany. But is this all that God is trying to tell us here? Is it possible that God is making a statement here that plants reproduce the same as their predecessors in successive generations because he knows that man, in a far distance time, would try to explain God out of the creation process and He knew we would need this information? Record this trait of God in your journal… God is all knowing (omniscient).
At the end of day three, God does another evaluation of His work and verifies that it is good. Nothing bad, or evil, has been introduced. He has made two checks on this day. And with verse 13, we see the close of day three. Record in your journal what was created on day three.
Verses 14-19 bring us day four. Day four gives us the heavenly bodies. We can see in verses 14-15, the planets. At first glance, you might think this refers to the stars, but if we compare it to verse 16 where it says the stars were also created, we know that it must be referring to something other than the stars. Since the movement of the planets can mark the passage of time, it makes more sense that this is referring to the planets. Verse 16 then brings us the sun, moon, and stars. With the sun and the moon and the earth’s rotations, we also now have seasons, and astronomy, and so much more science (Psalm 74:16-17). Again, this was a complex creation. I want you to understand here that God is not subject to the laws of science… He defined the laws of science. This is an important distinction. And we see, in verse 18, God’s assessment of His work once again. Record in your journal what was created on day four.
Notice how creation is progressing in a logical order. The sun, moon, and planets were not created before there were heavens to put them in. Plants were not created before light or dirt. Animals and people did not come before air or water or food. Who among us would even know where to begin on a job like creation, but God knows how to do everything. He does things in the best way possible. Record this trait of God in your journal… God is wisdom.
Now remember, hold on to those journals and these columns because we will need them again.
Responding to God: Are you beginning to grasp the enormity of God’s traits? Our God so exceeds our boundaries it is often difficult for us to imagine or comprehend. Praise Him now for who He is. Acknowledge His sovereignty over you. Thank Him for air to breathe, oceans, land, the seasons, and the realms of space. Ask Him for His wisdom as you deal with issues like evolution and ecology. Have you ever thought of asking God to help you understand things like chemistry, physics, or mathematics since He created them? Do you ever think of science as the study of God’s creation?
Further Research: To learn more about wisdom from God, read the book of Proverbs.
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