Let’s read Genesis 1:1-13. What do you notice, what gets your attention? What is created on each day? How is it created? What do you notice about the repetition of words?

Genesis 1:1-13- In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 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. 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. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.

Focusing on “day” 1 (Genesis 1:3-5). What do you see. God said with a word and God called with a word, that’s important. Then we see that God separated, which is to bring order. Then God describes what he did, it was “good”. We’ll talk light and darkness a bit later. That’s “day 1”- with a word God said and called, then separated and it was good.

What do we see on “day” 2? (Genesis 1:6-8) God said with a word and God called with a word, then separated. Yes, this is a challenging “day 2” because it appears that there was just water all around and to some degree, that’s how the ancients described it; a watery mass that was formless, no boundaries, and God separates the watery mass from sky and sea, which means God shapes and forms.

Pause for a moment, because I understand this may not make any sense. But think about it. Without our current knowledge of science or even meteorology how do you describe what we experience? We see rivers and seas and understand water below us. But then there is a clap of thunder or a dark cloud and we begin to have water above us. How do you explain it in your ancient world? God must have separated the waters from above and waters from below with sky.

That’s “day 2” God, with a word, said, called, separated what was formless and without bounds.

Finally, what do you see on “day” 3 (Genesis 1:9-13) God said with a word, with a word God called. Now he gathered, we see it was good. We see vegetation, seed and it was good. I don’t find it a coincidence that God gathered land and sea and vegetation all on the same day. They were together for a purpose and a function, soil and water with seeds, crucial for vegetation and their agriculture. That’s “day 3”, with a word God called, said, gathered, gave vegetation AND seed, critical for life and called it all good.

Can I just say, the awe and wonder of what God did with a seed? How true that is for life? God packed, in a tiny little seed; the roots, stem, leaves, fruit all to be placed in the ground, with water and eventual light and it grows to reproduce more and more. If a seed isn’t descriptive of God’s creative and redemptive process, I don’t know what is.

What does Genesis 1:1-13 reveal to us about God as creator? Let me share with you Theologian Sidney Greidanus’ answer. “With His powerful Word, the King of the Universe created earth as His good kingdom.” That is what we are to see in Genesis 1 and 2 and how we need to orient our life under fear and reverence. The ancients needed this declaration with all that was in their life trying to make sense of the world. We need this as well. We need this declaration in our life.

Think about it for a second, what does it mean for you? With God’s powerful Word, the King of the Universe created YOU for His good Kingdom?

What does it mean that God spoke creation into existence with a word, and how should that reality impact the way you view His authority in your circumstances?