Creation

^{Editor’s Note: This article was reprinted with permission from Warren Vanhetloo’s newsletter “Cogitation.”}
Creation was instantaneous and complete. There was no gradual development or evolution. The one creation, however, included stages of bringing “stuff” into existence, arranging and modifying it, adding to it, and setting patterns of continuing function. The entirety of this creative accomplishment took six days, not because any part of the task was time consuming, but mainly to set the example before man to work six days and to rest on the seventh. From Dr. Charles McLain: Ancient rabbis questioned the length of seven days. “How could it have taken so long?” Modern scientists question the shortness of seven days. “How could it have only taken seven days?”

“And God said, Let there be light, and there was light” (Gen 1:3).

1. This is the first of many commands recorded in the creation process. God spoke and it was done, thus the term fiat creation (by divine command). No command had been recorded for the bringing into existence the mass of heaven and earth; the verb “created” (bara’ ) was enough. Now there is clearly an order given and an obedience, an immediate, unhesitating accomplishment.

2. The command we understand as from the Father: “Make light to exist.” The One who obeys and fulfills that divine order is to be understood as the eternal Son of God. He brought light into being, a creative act, not an adjustment within the already existing indistinguishable mass. He acted such that light existed. The truth of the creative assignment of the Son was not clearly taught in the Old Testament. Only after the completion of redemptive work was it clearly proclaimed by the apostles. The Word which became flesh was with God and was God (John 1:1). All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made (John 1:3). His Son, by whom He made the worlds (Heb 1:2).

3. There was joint cooperation by the Trinity throughout the six days of creation. God the Father directed and commanded; God the Son obeyed and brought into being; God the Holy Spirit arranged and beautified.

4. This bringing into being of light was not a modification of the previously created mass. It was new and different, another out-of-nothing (bara’ ) creation. It may have included such aspects as radio waves, X-rays, possibly even sound. We might think of it as including non-material elements in the great mass.

5. It may have been along with the formation of light that energy was created. Today we see a constant lessening of energy. This may have been the original infusion of energy into the universe.

“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” (Gen 1:1:4-5a).

1. Immediately God pronounced the light to be good. Where all had been utter darkness, now light existed. Although all that God created was later pronounced “very good” (v. 31, including the darkened mass), when light was brought into existence, God immediately declared special approval and satisfaction.

2. Light was brought into existence before there were light bearers (v. 14). Presence of the light God called day, and absence of the light He called night.

“And the evening and the morning were the first day” (Gen 1:5b).

1. Evening suggests a declining of the light, and morning a gradual return of light. This order makes good sense to humans, but to try to explain it in context is but to guess. Darkness had prevailed through the undifferentiated mass. Light was introduced. Light faded into night and returned to complete “day one” and to begin a second creative day.

2. God labeled this a first day and He further numbered creative days through six, with the seventh a day of rest (Gen 1:31–2:3). It thus appears that He intends for us to think of the unit which we know as twenty-four-hour days.

3. God did not engage in creative activity during the time of darkness (night). Morning came, a new day, and God resumed activity, an example for those who endeavor to live to honor God. Later will come the lesson that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).

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.