Gen 1:1
In the beginning: Means just that. At the start. The first thing. This is how time started. When? We have no idea. I believe that this means time only exists here, which is miraculous in itself. Time is a creation. Think of the mind that can create something that does not exist. As humans, we can only manipulate what is here, yet God created something out of nothing. As humans that live in a 3D world, we don't have the ability to create 2D objects. We can try, but can only get a 3D object that is very thin. God created a universe that has time, unlike His own.
The concept of eternity is more than just living forever; it means that where God lives, there is no time. There was no beginning, and there will be no end. I just can't fathom that, and I can't understand how anything can exist. I doubt God would tell me, but I'd love to ask Him about how He created something out of nothing, and how eternity is possible. Maybe we will have a better understanding when we get to meet Him.
God created: God here is elohim, the plural form. This denotes the plurality of the singular God. And He created. Created something out of nothing.
In the beginning God: I've seen this noted many times. I've asked many believers in evolution how time started and have yet to get an answer. The answer to a believer is easy. God created us out of nothing, starting time. There is no other way to explain it. You get all kinds of crazy ideas, such as the universe is born and dies over and over, or matter always existed and was condensed into a small point and exploded. They all fail to answer the question of how time started. No human explanation can explain this. There is only God.
the heavens: The sky
and the earth: The entirety of the mass. The dry land wasn't separated from the waters until the third day.
the heavens and the earth: Noted from The Pulpit Commentary, "The earth and the heavens always mean the terrestrial globe with its aerial firmament."
Gen 1:2
The earth was without form, and void: This is exactly what it means. We look at the earth now, and it's clearly formed. There are seas, and huge land masses separated from each other. When God created the earth, He first created the matter, but without form. It's the same way an artist starts with a lump of clay without form before molding the lump into a sculpture. In this state, the land and water were all mixed up; A giant ball of mud.
and darkness was on the face of the deep: There was no light. God hadn't created it yet. The deep here is to denote the vastness of this mass. The way I think about it is, "a huge mass of mud in a place where light doesn't exist."
And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters: John Wesley points out that the word for hover here is the same word used in Mat 23:37 and Deu 32:11. God cared for this mass of mud, and I picture an artist with a lump of clay, getting a feel for what they're about to mold.
I've seen multiple times this discussion that Isa 45:18 says that God did not create the earth without form and void, and because he didn't create it formless and void, "The earth was without form, and void," must mean a reconstruction. That's pretty absurd. We're in the middle of reading the creation account. Creation took 7 days, and when everything was created, it surely was not without form and void. Light had been created, the land and water separated, etc... Seems to me like people trying hard to fit something into what they want to believe. What they want to believe is evolution, and these people mostly try and fit evolution into this gap here. Doesn't make any sense to me, and this shoving of evolution into this gap is quite possibly the doctrine of demons.
Gen 1:3
Then God said: He spoke. Whether aloud or within His own mind, it's not clear. Either way, it's clear that God willed it.
"Let there be light"; and there was light: This is creation of light. Just light itself. Without light, nothing would be able to live, and the firmaments which produce light were not created until the fourth day. So it seems that this is some form of light that could possibly be the same as the light in the New Jerusalem. Rev 21:23. It seems highly likely that God was the source of this light until the sun, moon and stars were created. However, we see that in Rev 21:23, the new Jerusalem will be illuminated by God's light, and there will be no day or night. It's possible that the only reason there was a day/night cycle is because time exists in this world, but it's not clear, and the only way I can see this happening would be if God was stationary and the light emanated directly from Him, the way light emanates from the sun. This is speculation of course, but possible. It's also possible that God simply emulated the day/night cycle without the light emanating from Himself. He could have simply had light shine the way the sun does. Who knows, but it's fun to ponder.
Gen 1:4
And God saw the light, that it was good: God saw His creation, and it met with His approval.
and God divided the light from the darkness: Chuck Smith points out that Moses probably didn't understand the importance of dividing the light, but with modern technology, we do. Light is divided. You can divide light into different categories, such as infrared, or ultraviolet. Light is vibrations at certain frequencies, and is just like sound, except at a much higher frequency. We have eyes that can receive and translate the light frequencies, and ears that can receive the sound frequencies.
Now, God's dividing the light from the darkness is a reminder that this world is a mix. Heaven has eternal light and no darkness, while hell has utter darkness and is absent of light. Earth has a mix, both a period of day ruled by light, and a period of night ruled by darkness.
Gen 1:5
God called the light Day: Whatever this light was, it simulated daytime. God names it Day, to make it clear that there is a difference between day and night. Day is ruled by light.
and the darkness He called Night: Night is ruled by darkness. The other side of light. Joh 3:19-20. God keeps this separate as a visual reminder of evil. We humans know that it's more dangerous at night, so we mostly come out during the daytime.
So the evening and the morning were the first day: The word day here is fairly ambiguous, and while it can be used to denote a period of time, it's very unlikely that God would inspire Moses to record that the creation took seven days, but then use that to describe a period of time to allow for evolution. The gap theory folks say that since the word for day here can mean an unspecified period of time, it must. I think that's pretty absurd. The description of one day is clear. A period of light and dark. Day and night. "There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day." The gap theory folks are really engaging in wishful thinking and twisting words to fit what they want.
The mix between the two, day and night, make up one day. God wants us to understand that this world is a mix of light and dark and gave us this visual reminder. We are to work for Him during the day and rest in Him at night.
It's interesting that there was only darkness, then God created light. God then separated light from darkness, and that constituted the first day. So the order we see is darkness, then light, the two make one, and we see the cycle repeat. The Jews even followed the Sabbath starting from evening until the next Lev 23:32. This cycle will continue to repeat until the New Heaven and New Earth. See Rev 21:1-22:5
Gen 1:6
Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.": The word firmament here means an expanse.So when God created the earth, the structure was very different. There used to be a protective layer of water covering the earth. As described here, there was the sea, then an expanse (the atmosphere), and then a protective water layer. Many people (and probably for really good reason) believe that this protective cover was why people lived such long lives before the flood.
Gen 1:7
Thus 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: We see a pattern here. God says something, then it happens. God is the creator, and He creates simply by speaking. He has direct involvement, and isn't just letting things happen.
Gen 1:8
And God called the firmament Heaven: Again, God wants to remind us of Himself. He named the firmament Heaven to point us to Him.
Gen 1:9
Then God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so: Here, God focuses on the waters on the earth. He gathers them together into big bodies of water, and creates dry land. We see the same pattern as before: God speaks, then it happens.
An interesting contrast here is how the earthly scientists say all this must have taken billions of years, yet God says that it only took Him less than a day. Think of the process that these geologists say took place over this extended period of time, and speed them up. I see nothing wrong with their observations that sand was compacted into sandstone, or how there are different strata, but the error I see is that there's no reason why it couldn't have all happened as God says: In one day. Evolutionary theory simply explains the process that God used to make these things happen.
Gen 1:10
The third day is divided into two parts. The first part, he creates the seas and dry ground. The second, he creates plant life.
And God called the dry land Earth: Earth here refers to the dry ground. However, I believe that God names these things to reflect something that points us to Himself. I haven't found it, but I'm sure somehow earth is something in Heaven and if we knew what, it would point us to Him.
and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas: The same with naming these pools of water Seas. Isn't it interesting though, how the author calls them "Seas" plural? Moses hadn't seen them.
And God saw that it was good: God was pleased with His creation. We hadn't messed it up yet.
Gen 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so: The sun, moon and stars hadn't been created yet, so we can see the power of God's light. These plants grew in one day.
We also see that fruit trees produce fruit of their own kind. An orange tree isn't going to produce an apple. Evolution? I don't think so! And think of the creativity. Some of the seed dispersal processes are amazing, such as the cattail, or the seeds that get stuck in your socks.
Gen 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good: This is for me, one of the hardest verses in the bible to understand. How can the land bring forth these plants in this verse, but in Gen 2:5, we see that no plants had grown yet? The explanation is again quite simple. There are two types of plants. The plants discussed here are the type that require no cultivation to grow. The plants discussed in Gen 2:5 are the type that require cultivation and rain. The plants here don't even require rain.
Gen 1:13
So the evening and the morning were the third day: We're not sure how time was measured here, but it was a day, so likely it was one complete rotation of the earth. The third 24 hour period.
Gen 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night: The light source in Gen_1:3 isn't clear, but here in verse 4, the light sources are created. These light sources are literally translated as light holders.
and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years: Signs of what? Possibly as guides, such as the North Star, or the star that guided the wise men to Jesus.People also navigate ships by using the stars. It's not really clear though.
I find it interesting that God created the earth to have seasons, and He put these lights up in the sky so they could be tracked. God also establishes the division of time, and makes these lights to show us how much time has passed. God often uses time to communicate with us, and we can know what He means because of the sun and stars. Without them, we'd have no way of tracking the passage of time.
Another interesting thought is how the calendar has changed from 360 days to 365 1/4 days. Nobody knows why, but in https://truebiblecode.com/understanding90.html, one theory is that before the flood, the earth was warmer, and therefore more liquid beneath the surface. Because the earth was more liquid, the centrifugal forces caused the earth to expand at the equator, slowing down the rotation of the earth, kind of like when a skater pulls their arms closer to their body, they spin faster, or when they put their arms out, they slow down. When the flood happened, it cooled down the earth, the equator didn't bulge as much, causing the earth to speed up it's rotation.
Gen 1:15
and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so: Aliens? I don't think so. Why were the stars created? For the earth. All of the so-called UFO sightings are easily explained as demonic activity. These aliens move as angels are described moving in the bible. They always mimic the technology of the day. When chased by defensive aircraft, these UFOs tend to let the aircraft get close, then they move away. The idea is that they want to be seen, but not identified. This creates doubt in the average person that there is a God. If life evolved on other planets, wouldn't that disprove the idea of a seven day creation? Yes, it would. That's why the fallen angels are doing these things. They're deceivers, and people are willingly deceived. Much easier to believe that we're all a big cosmic accident than that a God created you. How can you be a god if you were created by God?
Gen 1:16
Then 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: Verses 14 & 15 explain God's intention. 16 to 18 are what He did. For the lights, God created the sun and moon to be great lights to divide day from night. The moon provides just enough light that we aren't in pitch black, and the sun provides warmth and light for us to see with during the day. With this, we can see that man was created to have a sleep cycle. In our new glorified bodies, we're getting an upgraded model that doesn't require a sleep cycle.
Gen 1:17
God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth: Again, the emphasis is that these lights were placed in the heavens for the earth. They're not life filled as the earth is. God didn't create them to hold life, but only for light for the earth.
Gen 1:18
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: To provide the light needed for the different divisions of the day. We sleep at night, so we need a soft light. For the day, we need a light so we can see our work. And God approved of this. We still haven't had a chance to ruin it yet.
Gen 1:19
So the evening and the morning were the fourth day: The fourth 24 hour period.
Gen 1:20
Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.": This is literallly just the sea creatures and the birds.
Gen 1:21
So God created great sea creatures: The great sea creatures here includes things like whales, great whites, and even the Leviathan (Job 41:12-15)
and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded: I've only been snorkeling a couple of times in my life, but I remember seeing so much life in the waters. There is a lot of life in the oceans. When I was growing up, my elementary school had a pond we would watch all the life grow there as well. It's amazing how much life lives under water.
according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind: Again, we see a statement that goes against evolution. God created these creatures to reproduce according to their kind. He did not create a primordial ooze and some single cell bacteria and let nature go to work. These are intentionally created beings that replicate. A dog doesn't give birth to some other species. Evolution is absolutely not a biblical concept.
Gen 1:22
And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.": Notice that there's no mention of exceeding the capability of the earth to support the numbers of creatures. Overpopulation is a concept of man, not God. In fact, the multiplication is God's blessing, exactly opposite of what we're told by man.
Gen 1:23
So the evening and the morning were the fifth day: The fifth 24 hour period
Gen 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind": Another verse that explicitly denies evolution. First, the animals and insects came from the earth. Second, they reproduce "according to its kind," not "Let Me take a fish from the ocean, give it some legs and lungs, and let species naturally occur as nature takes it's course." Just saying that makes me roll my eyes.
Gen 1:25
And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good: Again, we have God speaking what is to come into existence, then His making the things He spoke about.
Gen 1:26
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image: This verse is loaded! Why does God say "Us" and "Our" here? It seems to be used interchangably with the word God in the previous verses. First, it could mean that there is some sort of pantheon, or a group of gods. This doesn't fit because God clearly says that He is the only God (Isa 44:6). Second, it could mean that He involved the angels in the creation. This doesn't fit either because there are multiple verses, such as Gen 1:1, Gen 1:31, and Joh 1:1-4 that say God created everything. The third and only likely explanation is that Us and Our here are the first mention of the Trinity: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost.
according to Our likeness: The likeness here is a general term. Normally we think of likeness as a physical likeness, but God is spirit and we are physical. We see that God thinks, speaks, wills and acts, so the likeness here is probably referring to that ability we have to reason, speak, and act within our own capacity. We alone on earth are creators, just like God.
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth: We are given sovereignty over the animals and all living creatures.
Gen 1:27
So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him: Here, God is recorded making man, both male and female. Later on, we'll get a detailed picture of the creation of man.
male and female He created them: Where's the rest of the genders!?? Oh wait, God only created male and female. DUH!
Gen 1:28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.": When "environmentalists" say things such as "We're destroying the rain forests," I point them to this verse. God had no concern that we'd run out of resources. This completely defies normal logic anyway. The more scarce a resource is, the more valuable it becomes, which moves entrepreneurs toward that new source of value. These entrepreneurs would plant trees to reap the profits that the declining tree population and resulting increase in value provide, thus increasing the supply of trees and bringing the supply back up again. Humanity has its own built-in economic ecosystem that uses greed to replenish things that are needed.
Gen 1:29
And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food: Originally, man was supposed to only eat fruit and vegetables.
Gen 1:30
Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food"; and it was so: Same with the animals. They were vegetarians at the beginning too. Our sin has corrupted even the animals.
Gen 1:31
Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day: The sixth 24 hour period.
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