The Beginning Part One
The first book in the Old Testament is all about beginnings. Beginnings such as the creation of the world, relationship between God and mankind, new covenant, and the birth of twelve tribes of Israel are found in this book.
One of the themes that continues through out Genesis is the ordering and timing of God. This applies to several areas in this wonderful book but let’s look at this aspect concerning the creation story, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
God said,
Day One: “Let there be light…he separated the light from darkness” (1:3)
Day Two: “Let there be an expanse” separating the sky and the waters below” (1:6)
Day Three: “Let dry land appear,” separating water from land. (1:9-10)
“Let the land produce vegetation.” (1:11-13)
Day Four: “Let there be lights” (bearers), the sun and the moon marking night, day and the seasons. (1:14-19)
Day Five: “Let the waters teem with living creature, and let birds fly above the expanse of the sky. (1:20-23)
Day Six: “Let the land produce living creatures (the animal kingdom) …Then God said, Let us make man in our image…so God created man in his own image…male and female he created them.” (1:24-27)
Day Seven: “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.” (2:1-3)
In the Full Life Study Bible, Donald C. Stamps, summarizes these passages saying, “day one through day four was bringing order to creation, day five and six is giving life to creation and ending with God saying that creation was complete and good on day seven.”
The order was necessary to establish the perfect environment that in turn, would sustain all things created along with mankind, the Crown Jewel of God’s creation. It was not haphazard. While God spoke the word on the first part of creation, He handcrafted the birds and animals (2:19). Then God made a distinction between those created in “His image” than other living beings. “God breathed into his (Adam’s) nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being,” designing mankind to have a personal relationship with Him that is unlike anything else in all of creation. The God of creation has a purpose for you too, but it will still call for order, timing, and completion of the plan. Following God in these areas with work for you to and His glory.
Pastor Ruth Kaunley