THE WONDERS OF CREATION

Passage: Genesis 1:6-25

Key verse: 12

NIV

6 And God said,(A) “Let there be a vault(B) between the waters(C) to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it.(D) And it was so.(E) 8 God called(F) the vault “sky.”(G) And there was evening, and there was morning(H)—the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place,(I) and let dry ground(J) appear.” And it was so.(K) 10 God called(L) the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters(M) he called “seas.”(N) And God saw that it was good.(O)

11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation:(P) seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.(Q)” And it was so.(R) 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds(S) and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.(T) 13 And there was evening, and there was morning(U)—the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights(V) in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night,(W) and let them serve as signs(X) to mark sacred times,(Y) and days and years,(Z) 15 and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.(AA) 16 God made two great lights—the greater light(AB) to govern(AC) the day and the lesser light to govern(AD) the night.(AE) He also made the stars.(AF) 17 God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night,(AG) and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.(AH) 19 And there was evening, and there was morning(AI)—the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures,(AJ) and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.”(AK) 21 So God created(AL) the great creatures of the sea(AM) and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it,(AN) according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.(AO) And God saw that it was good.(AP) 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.”(AQ) 23 And there was evening, and there was morning(AR)—the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures(AS) according to their kinds:(AT) the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.(AU) 25 God made the wild animals(AV) according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds.(AW) And God saw that it was good.(AX)

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

6 And God said, (A)“Let there be an expanse[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made[b] the expanse and (B)separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were (C)above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven.[c] And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, (D)“Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth,[d] and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, (E)“Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[e] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for (F)signs and for (G)seasons,[f] and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16 And God (H)made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to (I)rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

20 And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds[g] fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21 So (J)God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, (K)“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

24 And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

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Footnotes
  1. Genesis 1:6 Or a canopy; also verses 7, 8, 14, 15, 17, 20
  2. Genesis 1:7 Or fashioned; also verse 16
  3. Genesis 1:8 Or Sky; also verses 9, 14, 15, 17, 20, 26, 28, 30; 2:1
  4. Genesis 1:10 Or Land; also verses 11, 12, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30; 2:1
  5. Genesis 1:11 Or small plants; also verses 12, 29
  6. Genesis 1:14 Or appointed times
  7. Genesis 1:20 Or flying things; see Leviticus 11:19–20
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

These passages describe God who created the world and everything in it: The sky (day 2), land, sea, and vegetation (day 3), the solar system (day 4), the birds and fish (day 5), and finally all the creatures of the land (day 6).

As a civilization we have marveled at God’s creation. Scientists have studied the farthest reaches of space and examined the tiniest of atoms. Artists have written or portrayed the beauty and wonder of nature. We still stand in awe at the beauty, order, and depth of nature. The Apostle Paul wrote that God’s invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature are revealed in creation (Rom 1:20). And the Psalmist wrote “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps 19:1).

While the Bible itself is not a science book, all of our studies of the world come from a place of wonder and awe in his creation. In the midst of our struggles, we can come to God by just looking up to the stars or opening our eyes to nature as we take a walk in the park. Suddenly our problems don’t seem so huge. Somehow, the God who holds the universe together, can hold us in his grace and power.

Prayer: Creator God, you hold the depth and beauty of nature in your mind. We seek you in awe, wonder, and joy.

One Word: Experience the glory of God in nature.