The Days of Creation

Genesis 1:2-31

There’s no reason to take the days of creation as anything other than literal 24-hour days. Each day is qualified by the terms ‘morning and evening’ which points to a literal day as we know it. The Hebrew word ‘yom’ in the original text also means a literal day. It is used in other Old Testament passages where it is obviously a 24-hour day, such as the soldiers marching around Jericho for seven days in Joshua 6.

Day One – Light

It’s interesting that light existed before the sun was created. Skeptics would say this is impossible, but a study on light sources reveals that the sun is not the only source of light. According to the Institute for Creation Research, light can come infrared and ultraviolet waves as well as x-rays, radio waves, fire, nuclear and chemical reactions. God could use any or all of these to accomplish His purpose in the usage of light.

Day Two – The Expanse of Heaven

The expanse, also called the firmament in some Bible translations is the sky that we see spread out over the earth. In other words, it is our atmosphere.

Day Three – Dry Land and Plants

Plants need photosynthesis in order to grow and thrive. Long periods of darkness would be harmful to plant life and so God created the sun on the next day. Evolutionists and even some Christians argue that the days of creation were not really regular 24-hour days like we know them, but were long periods of time, even millions of years. If that were the case, the plants God created on Day Three would not have lived very long.

Day Four – Sun, Moon and Stars

The lights that God put in the expanse(the sun, moon and stars) had a couple specific purposes. They would be used to separate the nighttime from the day. Along with that, they would help us keep track of seasons, days and years. Our clocks and calendars are based on the regularity with which the sun rises and sets. In addition, the lights were intended to give light on the earth.

Day Five – Sea Creatures and Winged Birds

“After their kind” is a phrase often repeated in this chapter. We see it in the creation of plant life, sea creatures, winged birds and land animals. This means exactly what you think it means: apple seeds produce apple trees, horses reproduce horses, the offspring of a dolphin would be another dolphin. They are reproducing after their own kind, just like the Bible says.

Day Six – Land Animals and Man

Animals are very important to God. We know this because animals are referenced frequently throughout the Bible. There are goats, donkeys, and horses. Bulls and cattle and foxes. People are compared to sheep. Jesus is compared to a lamb and a lion. Animals are important pieces to the whole message God has for us in His Word.

Man, infinitely more valuable than any animal, was also created on the sixth day. Even though the animals have a high order of complexity to them, God created mankind with qualities unrivaled by any animal. Our mental capacity to think, express emotion and communicate puts us on a level far above animals. That is because mankind has been made in the image of God.