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Six Day Creation

The developments subsequent to the original creation are to be traced to the fiats of 'Elohim. Fiat which is the Latin for 'Be it done' is here used for a sovereign, effective command that is completed by its fulfilment. There were commands, followed by exact, unerring outcomes, and this is wonderful and cause for praise. 'Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.'33 The effects reflected the greatness of their Creator. His name 'Elohim is, as we have seen, 'a plural expressing majesty, magnitude, fulness, richness.'34 There is none like him. 'Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being his counsellor hath taught him?'35 'Elohim, the eternal One, who is 'from everlasting to everlasting'36, in the fulness of his limitless strength, brought into being the entire cosmos from non-existence simply by the word of his power. The first seven days was the time frame of the fiats of 'Elohim, those which were creative falling within the first six days and that which was institutional falling on the seventh. Thus was established that weekly cycle which has impressed the Divine seven upon human life. This sequence of seven is fundamental not only in creation but also, as we shall eventually see, in the disclosure of the future. For the present we must pause to admire the sovereign fiats, which were completely effective and exactly fulfilled in every respect. Consider the summary given below.

The Fiats of 'Elohim

Time

Frame            Acts and Fiats of Elohim                                                       Effects

1st Day        'Elohim created the heaven and the earth                    Heaven and the unfurnished earth

                        'Elohim said, Let there be light                               There was light

                        'Elohim saw the light that it was good                     Light approved

                        'Elohim divided the light from the darkness             Alternation of light and darkness

                        'Elohim called the light Day                                   The name Day

                        'Elohim called the darkness Night                          The name Night

2nd Day       'Elohim said, Let there be a firmament .. and               The expanse

                                    let it divide the waters from the waters

                        'Elohim made the firmament and

                                    divided the waters                                      Celestial & terrestrial waters

                        'Elohim called the firmament Heaven                      The name Heaven

3rd Day        'Elohim said Let the waters ... be gathered                  Waters gathered. Dry land

                                        and let the dry land appear

                        'Elohim called the dry land Earth                            The name Earth

                        'Elohim called the gathered waters Seas                 The name Seas

                        'Elohim saw that it was good                                   Division and gathering approved

                        'Elohim said Let the earth bring forth grass..             Grass, herbs and fruit trees

                                    after his kind

                        'Elohim saw that it was good                                   Vegetation approved

4th Day         'Elohim said Let there be lights ... to divide..                Lights in the firmament

                                    and let them be for signs ...

                                    and let them be for lights ...

                        'Elohim made two great lights … the stars               Sun, moon, stars

                        'Elohim saw that it was good                                   Celestial lightbearers approved

5th Day         'Elohim said Let the waters bring forth ...                     Sea creatures and fowls

                        'Elohim created great whales..after their kind

                        'Elohim saw that it was good                                   These creatures approved

                        'Elohim blessed them, saying, Be fruitful ...              Empowered to multiply

The 6th         'Elohim said Let the earth bring forth ...                       Cattle, creeping things, beasts

Day                             after his kind

                        'Elohim made the beast of the earth ...

                        'Elohim saw that it was good                                   These creatures approved

                        'Elohim said Let us make man in our image ..

                        'Elohim created man in his own image                     One male and one female

                        'Elohim blessed them, and .. said unto them            Empowered to be fruitful, multiply,

                                    … fill the earth and subdue it having

                                    dominion over fish, fowl & animals

                        'Elohim said Behold I have given you ...                    Vegetarian diet for man and beasts

                        'Elohim saw everything ... very good                         All creation approved as excellent

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

7th Day         'Elohim ended his work ... and he rested                      Active cessation and repose

                         'Elohim blessed the seventh day ...                         The weekly sabbath instituted

 

Day One

As we have seen, the initial act of creation and the original condition of the earth open the creation account. It immediately continues: And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.37 By a creative fiat light was brought into existence. Light is indispensable to life and this priority of light will not surprise the scientist. The light was in every way perfectly suited to its purpose in the plan of God and when God looked upon this newly created light with his deep penetrating insight into its nature his seeing this to be the case immediately verified its suitability to its purpose. There was no deficiency: God saw the light, that it was good.38 This was followed by a further and closely associated action: God saw the light that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.39 The light was suitable to its purpose and it was thus divided from the darkness and concentrated in such a way that by a regular alternation there would be a period of light upon the earth followed by a period of darkness. This implies the rotation of the watery mass called the earth. The names given to these periods expressed their nature and confirmed their place in the cosmic order. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.40 One day in this second sense is comprised of the period of light that draws to a close with the evening ('the obscure') together with the period of darkness that is brought to an end by the morning ('the breaking').

Second Day

The second day involved the creation by Divine fiat of the 'firmament' in order to separate the terrestrial from the celestial waters. 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 above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven.41 Thus the earth's atmosphere was spread out all around the earth as an invisible tent in the midst of the waters separating those above from those below. From a single vantage point of observation upon earth this 'expanse' has the appearance of a dome or vault. The emphasis of the original Hebrew is not upon solidity of the material used but the stretching out or spreading out by which the atmosphere forms to our observation the vault of Heaven above our heads in which the clouds float. The continued reference to the earth as 'waters ... under the firmament' underlines the fact that the account describes things, as an observer would see them, for no dry land was as yet visible. We are thus seeing things as they appeared at each point of time. And the evening and the morning were the second day.42 The full period of light came to an end and was succeeded by the full period of darkness which came to an end at daybreak. Thus another day had passed and we could translate: 'And there was evening and there was morning a second day.'

Third Day

First we have the appearance of dry land. This is accomplished by the gathering of the terrestrial waters. 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.43 To affirm that this was accomplished by the thrusting up of the earth and the production of depressions into which the waters gathered is a reasonable assumption but it is not stated by Moses. We are evidently not to seek to pry into the miraculous in order to seek to describe the processes of cosmic development. This work of day three is accomplished by fiat and fulfilment no less than the origination of light on day one. The vast ocean into which the waters were gathered is called 'Sea' and the plural is used to stress the magnitude of it. The Divine approval confirms the state of affairs that resulted as suitable to the purpose intended. The second great work on this day was the clothing of the land with vegetation. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, and herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon 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.44 This covering of the ground with vegetation was accomplished by the earth bringing forth green grasses, plants with seeds and trees bearing seeds in their fruits. That subsequent propagation was to be within strict limits is indicated by the words 'after his kind'. The word translated 'kind' refers in this context to the sort of plant or tree that the particular thing is; its species which defines it as having specific characteristics. Each specific plant or tree had a specific seed, which would grow into that specific plant or tree. There is no suggestion here of one kind developing into another. The language precludes such an idea. And the evening and the morning were the third day.45 As with the previous days the period of light was closed by the evening and the period of darkness was closed by the new day breaking. That this period of darkness could not be a long period of time running into tens or hundreds of thousands of years is evident. The continuation of the life of the vegetation would necessitate the rapid return of the light without which it would wither and die.

Fourth Day

On the fourth day the celestial bodies were made. This Divine work is recorded as follows: And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.46 What relationship there is between the primeval heavens referred to in the first statement of the record, the creation of light and the lights or lamps now spoken of is impossible to determine precisely as no specific information is provided. All that we can be sure of is that by the end of the fourth day the original light had been concentrated into the specified celestial bodies so that the appropriate light would be furnished to planet earth by day and by night for the flourishing of vegetation, animals and man. The specific functions of these bodies of light or lamps are identified as:

1. To divide the day from the night. It is further added and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness.47 God had already divided the light from the darkness but from this point the alternation of day and night would be regulated by the bodies of light now made. The sun or 'greater light' would rule the day and the moon or 'lesser light' would rule the night. Being thus 'set ... in the firmament of the heaven' there would be no confusion between light and darkness, day and night. It is obvious that the description proceeds according to how an observer upon earth would see things. But for this geocentric standpoint we could not make sense of what is recorded. Scientific astronomy until very recently could only operate from the surface of the earth.

2. To be for signs. These heavenly bodies were to have considerable significance in the history of mankind. They provide a fixed frame of reference external to planet earth whereby a variety of things can be signified. In a purely natural way changes in the weather are indicated. As a result of Divine intervention extraordinary events have been signified, such as the birth of the Mediator. At the last, changes in these celestial bodies will herald the end of the world. A proper relation to these heavenly bodies is fundamental to the welfare of the human race.

3. To be for seasons. As a fixed frame of reference external to the earth these celestial lamps exert considerable influence upon the 'times'. By their relative movements they establish a regularity that fixes specific periods, preventing the passage of time from being arbitrary and consequently conditioning the life of plants, animals and man. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.48 The heavens thus impress upon human action an unavoidable and definitive framework for agriculture and consequently social development.

4. To be for days, and years. The twenty-four hour day is defined by the earth's rotation upon its axis in relation to the sun whereas our years are defined by the earth's orbit around the sun. These are constants in the chronology of the world.

5. To be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth. The sun, moon and stars are designed to furnish the earth with the light necessary to the continuation of life.

With respect to this humanly immeasurable panorama of humanly innumerable celestial objects separated by humanly inconceivable distances God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.49

Fifth Day

Of the fifth day we read: And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath 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 waters 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.50 Both the waters and the expanse of heaven were to be populated with a rich diversity of creatures and that in vast abundance. We may think of huge shoals of fishes and a vast variety of birds. Also the "whales" or tanninim which refers to creatures that are stretched out to a great length. These were vibrant with life and endowed with reproductive powers after their kind to ensure that the waters and air would be filled with numerous creatures.

The Sixth Day

The use of the definite article in the original Hebrew singles out the sixth day. This is the day of culmination. It proceeds to a climax with the creation of man. But first we read: And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.51 Comprehended here we have (a) domesticated cattle, (b) creatures that creep on tiny feet or none at all, like worms, reptiles and insects, and (c) the non-domesticated beasts that roam freely on the earth. Five times 'after their kind' is mentioned to emphasize a reproduction within fixed limits. The creation of man marks the climax of creation. Moses records the divine decree and its execution. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.52 The distinctiveness of man is indicated by the decree to create man, the creation of man in the image of God, the dominion given to man and the particular blessing bestowed upon him.

The decree discloses an important truth regarding the being of God. The use of the plural 'Let us make' can only be properly accounted for on the basis of distinctions within the Godhead which are personal and eternal. The Apostle John elaborates on this point when he says: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.53 The Spirit of God has already been expressly mentioned at the opening of the creation account.54 We may thus distinguish within the Godhead: God the Father, the eternal Word and the Spirit of God. These are not attributes, but personal subsistences who can speak in the first person and who enter into personal interactions as co-equal and co-eternal. Man we are told was created in the image and likeness of God. The total thought combines the ideas of 'likeness' as the copy to the original and 'image' as a shadow or outline faithfully represents the original, without so corresponding to it as to be exactly the same, for man is but a finite likeness of his Maker. The image is not to be sought in man's physical characteristics or in his dominion over the creatures but in his spiritual nature. Man, as self-conscious, possesses in his nature 'a creaturely copy of the holiness and blessedness of the divine life.'55 Thus endowed he was given dominion over all cattle, the animal kingdom and the earth itself. There is a celebratory note in the three parallel clauses: so God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them;56 which refer to the creation of the first pair. The divine blessing conveyed the power (a) to multiply, (b) to replenish or fill the earth, (c) to have dominion over the earth and (d) to subdue it. According to the following verses man's original diet would be the seed-bearing herbs of the field and the edible fruits of the trees. And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.57 The animals in contrast would eat vegetables or green plants and grass. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.58 Thus in the original order of things neither man nor animals depended upon animal flesh and there was then no 'Nature red in tooth and claw'. According to the inspired account what we now observe is emphatically not of the original order of things but is to be accounted for by reference to the curse resulting from sin. This is consistent with the description of the restored order of things. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain ...59 The beasts are not ferocious, the lion is vegetarian and a most perfect harmony exists among all of the creatures. Such was the condition of things upon the newly created earth and in Paradise. God who knows the end from the beginning had decreed that, in consequence of sin, the creation would pass into the bondage of corruption along with man's fall into a state of sin and misery, for the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, because the creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption ...60 The carnivorous condition thus entered as one of the consequences of the Fall but what changes were effected in the constitution of the relevant animals and how we are not told.

The divine assessment of creation is decisive. All was perfect and there was no evil present at all. So Moses concludes: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.61 There was nothing out of accord with God's purpose for it. Every single thing was a perfect specimen of its kind and excellent in degree, capable of fulfilling its purpose within the cosmos. Within the rich diversity and vast abundance of the universe each creature was fitted to perfectly accomplish the end of its being, to glorify 'Elohim. A most happy and harmonious order prevailed.

Notes and References

33. Psalm 33.8-9

34. Geerhardus Vos, op. cit., p.78.

35. Isaiah 40.12-13

36. Psalm 90.2

37. Genesis 1.3

38. Genesis 1.4

39. Ibid.

40. Genesis 1.5

41. Genesis 1.6-8a

42. Genesis 1.8

43. Genesis 1.9-10

44. Genesis 1.11-12

45. Genesis 1.13

46. Genesis 1.14-19

47. Genesis 1.18

48. Genesis 8.22

49. Genesis 1.18c-19

50. Genesis 1.20-23

51. Genesis 1.24-25

52. Genesis 1.26-28

53. John 1.1

54. Genesis 1.2

55. C.F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, op. cit., p.64.

56. Genesis 1.27

57. Genesis 1.29

58. Genesis 1.30

59. Isaiah 11.6-9a

60. Romans 8.20-21a

61. Genesis 1.31