Creation, Part 4

^{Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from Warren Vanhetloo’s newsletter “Cogitation.”}

Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Creation of the heavens and the earth was planned, guided “construction.” None was by accident or as an afterthought. Each step each day proceeded according to divine plan. Each step was divinely accomplished. Each phase was divinely approved, passing inspection. The work was done “on schedule,” God not creating during the night periods, only during the six days. The end result was a perfect earth on which to locate a Garden of Eden, watched over by orderly heavens above.

The first day saw “stuff” and light (probably including energy), a massive, indistinguishable glob. The second day that glob was separated, some to be called “heaven” and some to be called “earth.” Separation and division of the portion to be known as “earth” took place on day three.

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good (Gen 1:10).

1. The first activity on the third day was a division of the mass under the expanded sky, a worldwide division between land and seas. There was a gathering together of waters, forming the seas, and an appearance of dry land, earth.

2. The condensed “glob” had before been called “watery.” On the third day a separation of liquid from what was or became solids took place. The land portion, which had been a part of the watery mass, now was dried up and became visible apart from the gathered seas.

3. The divine command was carried out, again presumably by the modifying, supervisory function of the Holy Spirit. That it “was so” emphasizes that what was done was exactly as God had commanded.

4. This is the second time God immediately pronounced good that which had been done.

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, throughout the earth, and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day (Gen 1:11-13).

1. This second great adjustment of the earthly mass introduced growth and reproduction on the earth. Previously all had been inactive, though not inert. What was different at this point involves what we call “life.” Waters can move. Life in the waters or on the earth is more than movement. Animal forms did not spring forth from inanimate muck. The divine Author of life, as of light, was the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. The seed-bearing process would represent all the various forms of reproduction and continuation, visibly understood by a “seed.” The emphasis is on the restriction, that each produces only after its kind. The seed of a fruit tree does not and cannot bring forth grass. Various varieties were introduced on this third day of creation, none to be developed later.

3. Color! First utter darkness, then black and white, then possibly blue and brown; now color everywhere! A great variety of color, predominately green, but the various bright colors of the flowering plants totally changed the appearance of the planet.

4. God commanded, God commended, and it was so, and it was good. And then an evening and a morning completed day three. Note that later in Israel, a new day began at sundown; during these six days, God counted each new day from dawn.

Warren Vanhetloo has A.B., B.D., Th.M., Th.D., and D.D. degrees. He served three pastorates in Michigan, taught 20 years at Central Baptist Theological Seminary (Plymouth, MN), taught 23 years at Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary (Lansdale, PA), and is listed as adjunct faculty at Calvary. Retired, he lives in Holland, Michigan. Since the death of his wife a year ago, at the urging of fellow faculty and former students, he sends an email newsletter called “Cogitations” to those who request it.