Genesis 1:3-2:3

Read Genesis 1:3-2:3 from NASB. Genesis 1:3-2:3 continues with God creating the heavens and the Earth by going into the six days of creation and the day God rested. People have debated whether the six days are six literal 24-hour periods or six extended periods of time. The Hebrew can read either way. That is not important. What is important is to see Jesus in all six days of creation.

Days 1-4
On the first day, he created light. This is such a powerful statement as to what God does. He creates light, goodness, and life. He separates the light from the dark. This shows that God clearly divides His wisdom from the knowledge of good and evil. His wisdom declares that eternal life comes from God and God alone. It leads to eternal life and immortality. The knowledge of good and evil says to find life apart from God. It leads to death and destruction.

With each day, the Bible describes night and day. The Jews have interpreted this verse to mean that the day starts at sunset, because it’s describing night first. But the point is not how do we mark the beginning of a 24-hour period determined by the rotation of the earth. It is actually describing going from darkness to light. That is what happens in the creation account. The resurrection of Jesus takes us from the darkness of thinking that we are doomed to death into the light that eternal life is a free gift. In fact, when we put our faith into the resurrection Jesus, we experience that transition. The final passing of darkness into light is the return of Jesus when the dead are resurrected and death itself is destroyed.

On the second day, God created the sea and a sea in the sky. The sea in the sky was a separation between Heaven and Earth. The idea was for Adam to believe in God for eternal life, thereby breaking the separation and letting Heaven come to Earth. The ending of Revelation says that there is no more sea in the New Heaven and New Earth. This means that the separation between Heaven and Earth is broken. It is also important to know that this is the only day in which God does not call the creation good. This is because God never intended for Heaven and Earth to be separated. He intended for Heaven to come to Earth through Adam so that man would dwell forever with God.

On the third day, God created land and plants. The land appears from out of the water. The water is a type and shadow of the Holy Spirit. His Spirit is the source of the physical world (land) and life (plants).

On the fourth day, God created the lights of the sky. Once again, he separates light from dark. These lights from the sky are types and shadows of how God bringing light. The sun is Jesus. He is the great light in the world. The stars are the Church. We are many, and a light in the darkness and death that floods the Earth. The light we shine is the truth that eternal life is a free gift through the resurrection of Jesus.

Days 5-7
On the fifth day, God created sea creatures and everything that flies. On the sixth day, he created animals and man. It is important to note that God created animals first, and on the same day He created man. Animals did not satisfy God. They could not relate to Him as the same kind. So, he made man in His image. The Hebrew word for image also means idol. It is referring to the ways we reason with God and different aspects of God seen in us.

Man was made according to His likeness. His likeness refers to immortality and eternal life. It is what man was designed for. However, man had to accept it as a free gift, and not try to find it apart from God. We will see this when God gives His command to Adam.

Man was made to rule over creation. This meant that the choice to accept God’s gift of eternal life would have meant that all living things are subject to immortality. However, the decision to have life apart from God subjected creation to death. This can be seen in many ways. When wildfires spread across Australia, people were sad that Koala's were dying and losing their homes. James M. Tuttle once posted a video describing how he experienced death amongst neighborhood stray cats. When Jesus comes back, all living things will receive immortality.

Man was not only given rulership over all creation, but told to be fruitful and multiply. This verse is not about having kids. It is about God’s life producing fruit and spreading through the Earth. It would have happened is Adam and Eve accepted it as a free gift. However, Jesus completed this command when he believed in the Father for Eternal life. As we see the resurrection of Jesus, the fruit of God’s life starts manifesting. He is being fruitful and multiplying through the influence that His resurrection has upon our hearts. The ultimate manifestation of that fruit is the return of Jesus when those who believe in eternal life receive immortality.

At the end of the sixth day, God said it was very good. Man was very good. Man was the creation greater than any other creation.

Six is the number of man. Man was made on the sixth day. Six is short of seven. Seven is the number of the completion of God’s work. On the seventh day God rested. God’s rest is to make His home inside man. He just wanted to dwell inside man. These numbers become important in Biblical numerology.

Through the Bible <-Genesis 1:1-2|Genesis 1:3-2:3|Genesis 2:4-25->