Detailed observations of Genesis 1:5-23

(Originally written June 21, 2006 in Book 3)

Genesis 1:5 "God called the light 'day' and the darkness he called 'night'. And there was evening, and there was morning - the first day"

Fact - God names light and darkness, signifying ownership. That which he creates, he also names. Naming it also signifies an ongoing relationship.

Theory - The first 'day' of creation is done. This may be an indeterminate amount of time, but I believe that it was a single day. Why? Not because the author says 'day' but because he says 'there was evening, and there was morning'. The day is split into two parts: evening and morning. If it said 'that was the first day' I think those who believe a day is an age would have more weight to their argument, but since it specifies evening then morning, I feel very strongly that it was a single day.

1:6 "And God said, 'let there be an expanse between the water to separate water from water'"

Fact - God speaks and action happens.

Question - What is the significance of separating water from water? What is the necessity of the expanse?

1:7 - "So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so".

This is a reiteration of verse 6.

1:8 "God called the expanse 'sky' and there was evening, and there was morning - the second day"

Fact - God names the expanse 'sky', signifying ownership and a continuing relationship.

1:9 "And God said 'Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear'. And it was so"

Fact - God speaks to enact the forming of seas and land.

Question - God gathers the waters into a single place. Could this be a Biblical proof of Pangea?

Theory - Land 'appears', that is dry ground appears. It isn't created at this point. It must've been created as the earth was created.

1:10 "God called the dry ground 'land' and the gathered waters he called 'seas'. And God saw that it was good.

Fact - God names the dry ground and the gathered waters signifying ownership and a continuing relationship.

Theory - This is the first time when God calls his creation 'good'. (Not true, see verse 4). Why? Why is the land and the seas the first creation warranted as 'good'? Could it be that God calls this creation good because it is the first creation that has form? When the earth was created it was formless, but there was water, without form. The earth was empty (1:2) but had water. By drawing the water into a single place he gave it form and exposed the already created land.

1:11 "Then God said, 'Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.' And it was so."

Fact - This is the first creation of life.

Theory - In this verse God creates 'seed-bearing plants', not just seeds. The tree he creates is a tree, not simply an acorn. This gives weight to an accelerated creation theory. It also adds weight to a day equaling a day, not an era or period of time.

1:12 "The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

Fact - The water is covering the earth from creation, but it and the earth are formless. Then when the water is gathered into a single place it reveals the land that was on the earth from creation. Thus, the land is revealed by gathering of water into a single place. The land then revealed is able to produce vegetation.

Theory - The land produced vegetation: the earth was created formless and empty save for water and the land hidden by the water. The earth was given form by the water being gathered into a place and dry land appearing. Once dry land had appeared it was suitable to now produce and facilitate vegetation.

Fact - God calls the vegetation good. He admires his work.

1:13 "And there was evening and there was morning - the third day".

Theory - This again lends weight to the theory of a day equaling a day and not some indeterminate amount of time.

1:14 - "And God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs as to mark seasons and days and years".

Fact - There was already day and night, but God gave his creations (those created and still to be created) things to mark them so as they could be known to them.

Question - This leaves us a problem. There have been evenings and mornings, yet no stars. How do we know there were evenings and mornings?

Question - The stars were created to mark time. When was time created? (That is time itself, not measurements of time, i.e. days, seasons, years, etc.)

1:15 "and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth' And it was so."

Fact - The lights in the sky serve two purposes: 1) to light up earth and 2) to mark time for created beings.

1:16 - "God made two great lights - the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.

Reiteration - THis is just a differentiation of the sun and moon from other stars, not a second act.

1:17 "God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on earth"

Another reiteration.

1:18 "To govern the day and the night and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

Another reiteration.

Fact - God saw that His creation was good.

Question - [side note] Why is there so much repetition in verses 14-18? Is this a literary thing or did we mistranslate?

1:19 - "And there was evening, and there was morning - the fourth day"

I truly feel the reiteration of evening and morning signifies days, not eras.

1:20 "And God said, let the water teem with living creatures, and let the birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."

Fact - God speaks to elicit action.

Fact - This is the second creation of life (the first instance occurs in verse 11).

Question - what has occurred since the first creation of life?

Vegetation (1st creation of life)
1) Vegetation is good.
2) End of the 3rd day
3) Stars, sun and moon created
4) Stars, sun and moon called good
5) End of the 4th day

Question - So before birds and fish are created, the sun, stars and moon were created. But vegetation was created prior to the sun, moon and stars. Science tells us that vegetation requires sunlight to grow (via photosynthesis). How then did it exist prior to the sun? Is photosynthesis a necessary survival tool acquired due to the Curse? WHy is this the order?

Day 1
1) Heavens and earth made (formless)
2) Light
3) Light separated from darkness

Day 2
4) Sky (water separated from water)

Day 3
5) Land (water gathered into one place) revealed
6) Vegetation

Day 4
7) Sun, Moon and Stars

Day 5
8) Fish and birds

Question - This seems illogical. The sun, moon and stars should be prior to vegetation. What is God's purpose in doing it backwards?

1:21 "So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which water teems, according to their kind and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good"

Reiteration, not a second act of creating.

Question - What is the significance of the phrase 'according to their kind'/'according to its kind'?

Question - He sees that his creation is good. Does this mean God created them and then said, 'Oh! That's good!"or Did he see to it that his creation was good?

1:22 "God blessed them and said 'be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.

Theory - God's first blessing is bestowed on the birds and sea creatures. This is why these creations are on a higher level than the vegetation, which was also good.

Theory - The blessing also comes with a duty - be fruitful and increase in number. This blessing is the first right granted to any creation, but it comes attached with a duty. Thus, those who bestow rights bestow duties. Their blessing (right) would be stripped if they would become in dereliction of their duty.

Theory - THis could be the beginning of any microevolution that has occurred.

1:23 "And there was evening, and there was morning, - the fifth day"

Theory - Reiteration of days, not eras of creation.