Having grown up in a Christian home, one of the first stories I encountered from the Bible was that of creation. The 7-day story has been recounted on many platforms and is well-known to Christians and non-Christians alike. The story stretches from the first Chapter of Genesis into the second, detailing the order of creation. So, what did God create on each day? Read on to find out.
According to Genesis 1: 1 – 31 and Genesis 2: 1 – 25, the Bible suggests God created light on the first day, the sky on the second, seas, dry land, plants, and trees on the third day, and the heavens and all its elements on the fourth day. On the fifth day, He created creatures of the seas and those that fly; on the sixth, he created man. According to the creation story, God rested on the 7th day.
This article will offer a detailed account of the chronology of creation with references from the Bible. Join us as we also try and find answers to several questions such as why God used 7 days to create the universe and everything in it, and what we can do to appreciate God’s creation. Keep reading for more!
Accounts of Creation: World Creation in 7 Days
First Day Of Creation: Light
On the first day of creation, the Bible infers that God created light. According to the Bible, it is implied that there was no universe or world. In their place was a dark void that had nothing in it. The Biblical account of creation implies that God created the light from word of mouth, meaning that He spoke it into existence.
Genesis 1:1-4 infers ‘In the beginning, God created heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first days.’
Second Day Of Creation: Firmament
On the second day of creation, the Genesis account of creation infers that God created the firmament. The firmament refers to the sky although some texts define it as the heavens, especially when speaking from a Christian standpoint. According to the Bible, the firmament was created to separate the waters. In some Bible versions, the firmament is described as a dome whose purpose was to ‘separate the waters from the waters’.
Genesis 1:6-8 suggests ‘And God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were under the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.’
Third Day Of Creation: Dry Ground and Plants
According to the Genesis account of creation, the Bible alludes that once the waters above had been separated from the waters below, God proceeded to create dry land and plants of all kinds throughout the landscape. Going through the Bible passage, it is implied that the waters on the earth had not been separated and that the entire world had been covered entirety in water.
To create dry land, the Bible suggests that God spoke land into existence by word of mouth. He commanded all the waters to be gathered in one place so that dry land could appear.
Genesis 1:9-11 insinuates that God commanded the waters under the heavens to be gathered together in one place to let the dry land appear. The Genesis account of creation suggests that God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of water the Sea.
The account also implies that once the dry land was in place, God created all plants. Genesis 1: 12-13 suggests ‘And God said, let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed after his kind, whose seed was in itself, upon the earth, and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb yielding seed after his kind, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.’
Fourth Day Of Creation: Sun, Moon, and Stars
The Bible suggests that on the fourth day of creation, God filled the firmament of heaven with the sun, stars, and moon. The creation account implies that He intended them for seasons, signs, days, and years. In essence, they would be key instruments in governing time and seasons on the earth.
The Genesis account of the fourth day in Genesis 1:14-19 suggests that God used word of mouth to form lights of the firmament that would be used as signs for seasons, days, and nights. The Bible suggests that the lights in the firmament were created to give light to the earth, with the sun and moon set in place to give light during the day and night. The Bible proceeds to infer that God also created the stars on the fourth day.
Fifth Day Of Creation: Birds and Great Sea Creatures
According to the Genesis account of creation, the Bible suggests that God set the fifth day apart to create all creatures of the seas, as well as all kinds of birds.
Genesis 1:20-23 infers ‘And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the water brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.’
Sixth Day Of Creation: Land Animals and Humans
After creating creatures to dominate the seas and the sky, God used the 6th day to create all land animals, creeping things, and humans according to the Genesis account of creation. The Bible infers that all forms of creation came forth by the Word of God’s mouth, save for humans who were fashioned from mud with His own hands.
Genesis 1:24-31 suggests that God commanded the earth to bring forth creatures to roam the earth. It infers that He created all forms of cattle, all crawling and creeping creatures, as well as beasts of the earth.
According to the Bible, man was the epitome of God’s creation. The Genesis account of creation suggests that God expressed His desire to create a being that was like Him in likeness. After creating all animals of the land, the Bible suggests that God created man and woman and blessed them. The Bible also suggests that He gave them dominion over all created things and asked them to multiply and fill the earth.
Seventh Day Of Creation: God Rested
The Bible in Genesis 2:2-3 infers that God rested after having created the earth and everything in it. It suggests that He blessed the 7th day and sanctified it because it was the day He chose to rest from all the work He had done to create the world.
The verses read ‘And on the 7th day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the 7th day from all His work which he had made. And God blessed the 7th day; and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.’
Why Did God Only Create in 7 Days?
A close study of the Genesis account of creation suggests that God created the earth and everything in it in 7 days because, within this set period of time, He had a specific set of beings and creations to bring forth. It is believed that He followed an order that resulted in 6 days of creation and 1 day of rest. Many scholars have argued that the 7 days could easily have been an indefinite period of time as opposed to one week as we know it.
While many may argue in favor of this theory, the Genesis account of creation included the mention of evenings and mornings which comprise a day as we know it. This is further supported in Exodus 20:11 which suggests ‘For in 6 days the Lord made Heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the 7th day; wherefore the Lord blessed the 7th day, and hallowed it.’
Was God tired after creation?
Based on the Christian teaching of the nature of God, it is suggested that God could not have been tired after creation. The Bible offers that God is not a physical being that gets affected by factors that affect regular people. It also infers that God is all-powerful and that He transcends everything He has created including space and time.
The Bible supports this belief in many verses. For instance, Isaiah 40:28 suggests that ‘The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.’ This Bible verse suggests that God is a powerful God.
Many other Bible verses also suggest that, apart from being all-powerful and indefatigable, God has the power to also give strength to His creation. The Bible suggests that He gives strength to the weak and sustains those in need of sustenance. To suggest that He is capable of tiring or needing rest is to indicate that He also depends on a source of physical strength or power. The Bible also suggests that God works round the clock and that He never sleeps or slumbers.
To clarify what the Bible meant by ‘God rested on the 7th day’, several linguists have come out to debunk and explain the reason for the phrase. They suggest that the word ‘rest’ was translated into English from the Hebrew word Shabbat. In Hebrew, the word Shabbat means to stop or cease. This implies that God did not take rest on the 7th day because He was physically exhausted. It simply means that, on this day, He ceased to create.
It is important to note that the Bible infers that God did not use any manual work in the creation process as all were created through His word with the exception of man.
How can we appreciate the beauty of God’s creation?
Here are a few ways in which we can express our appreciation for God’s creation;
Taking care of our immediate environment
The first step in appreciating the beauty of God’s creation is to take care of the creation itself. This can be done through simple steps such s throwing the trash in the right places, maintaining neat and tidy lawns and fences, watering plants, feeding wild birds and stray animals, and even planting trees, flowers, and other vegetation where applicable.
Being thankful
To show genuine appreciation for God’s creation, we should start by being thankful to Him for it. Being grateful is an acknowledgment of the divine work that He created. Start by being thankful for food, air, health, and life.
Refrain from being wasteful
We can show appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation by refraining from being wasteful. One of the ways we can do this is by being careful with the resources allocated to us such as money, food, water, time, and electricity. We should use everything in moderation.
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
