Genesis 1:24-25 (Day Six)

24 And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds--livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so.

25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

v.24
God is almost finished. Parallels with day 3, the earth is filled with creeping things, and beasts, and livestock. He gives word for the earth to come alive. After the sea has been replenished with life, and the skies filled with winged creatures, then the earth may bring forth all manner of creatures. And they are diverse in nature. From tame livestock, to wild beast God gives word to create such a diversity on the planet.

v.25
God acts. He also did the work He set out to do. Giving word and acting on it. The earth is, indeed, filled with all manner of beast, and creeping thing all according to their kind, as is right with nature. Some to live on the grass and herbs of the ground, others on flesh, some harmless and some ravenous this is the diversity being brought out of the world as designed by God. Such is portrayed here thatthe entire design of the planet shows it cannot have happened by chance. That all this diversity comes about from a single cell is utterly absurd unless a God is involved in the whole process. If the earth did evolve from a primeval soup such a wide ranging catalogue of beasts would not be, but simply one. God has everything to do with this process, whether a six day creation, or a process lasting longer, God is not only involved but responsible for all these things coming together.

Bigger Picture - God created diversity. Looking out on the world we can see plenty of different colours. And looking in on the church, the body of Christ, we can see plenty of colour. God blesses such a thing, but if God created it you must acknowledge and love it. The amount of different people in a church, not just black/white, yound/old, but poor, and wealthy, educated, and simple, all have a part to play in God's creation and God blesses all those who belong to Him. The church is a symbol of the relationship God has with the earth, so it needs to model a oneness that is shown through the creation account.

Genesis 1:20-23 (Day Five)

20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.
21 So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.
23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

v.20
Paralleling with day two the waters and skies that were created and separated, God now commands the earth to be filled with living creatures.
(Let the waters...) This is begging a question. What is the purpose of doing it in this order? Swarms of living creatures in the water, and flying birds in the sky. These are two extremes, and, in light of Genesis 9 and 10, without the land in place the birds would not survive. Why would God command the creation of two opposing creatures. The birds are high, and the sea creatures are low, and the earth is able to support both.

v.21
God first commands, then creates. It is crucial to know that God generally acts after telling people what He is going to do. This is the first mention of any living creature. Not hearing of creatures before this point shows how the creation of the earth is gradual and the progression is from that which is less excellent to that which is more excellent.
(...according to their kind...) God is careful in His creation of the creatures to know that their purpose is inline with their kind. As in Romans 2, we are judged according to our works, not by our faith. This is not meant that we are not justified by faith, we are, but that from the faith, we do not want to enter into a relationship with God where our works do not correspond with our purpose.

v.22-23
God instructs His new creation to make themselves part of what is now their home.
(And God blessed them...) This is the first time God blesses anything. The first creatures must be worth something to God as the blessing is for His own works. He will not forsake them.
(..be fruitful and multiply...) And what a blessing! Something to be pleased with is something that as multiplication and fruitfulness takes place they are reminded of their blessing.

Bigger Picture - Look at how the earth is taking form: Each day, gradually, it rises and advances from good to better to best, and God continually sees it as good. This is an inspiration to press towards perfection and endeavour that your last works may be your best works. And, as you strive towards that perfection, know that it is according to your works that you are judged. Sanctification is the next step in the Christian faith and it should not be something side-tracked by a life full of grace. Repentance should see a transformation not a temporal regret. That way, the new creation you become on being born again, will see how, first light, then water, then land and vegetation, then lights, then creatures blessed with being fruitful and multiplying. What stage are you at? And what do the different stages relate to your life? Sanctification is a slow process, and, through all of it, can only be progressed by the grace of God, and His Holy Spirit. He wants to bless you, and seeking Him for the help to undergo the sanctification process is the only way a striving for perfection will be attainable at all. Seek His guidance, He begun each day with commands that were carried out, and this can be true for your life too.

Genesis 1:14-19 (Day Four)

14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,
15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so.
16 And God made the two great lights--the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night--and the stars.
17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.


v.14-15
(Let there be lights...) Genesis 15v5
5 And He brought him outside and said, "Look towards heaven, and number the stars if you are able to number them." The He said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

This talks about the call of Abram and the promise of his many children. The many lights in the sky included the stars, Sun and Moon. Separating day from night. God's plan was, in part, to show how everyone in the family of Abram, or Abraham, is represented by a light in the sky. This is the first inkling of a calling from before the beginning. The stars before Abram had looked to the number of children, and the called of Christ who are adopted into His family; branches grafted onto the tree. He knew who would be with Him before time itself, and the lights are there as a representation of His future glory.
(...signs and...seasons, and for days and years...) God already had planned the timings for all events to pass. From the rise of David, to the death & resurrection of Jesus, and they are signified by the passing of days and years. Without these signs Joshua or Daniel's interpretations of dreams would not be the same, or maybe even as accurate.

v.16-19
Even though the sun and moon weren't specifically named, they take a special part in creation. Separating and signifying day and night, as to show the progression of time. The fall had not yet taken place, but time still progresses. The earth had not been subjected to sickness and death but it still was subject to the passage of time. In heaven, when the new heaven and new earth are brought about, after Jesus' second coming, time will still pass. People will get older. Time did pass during creation and this is the point that the earth is heading back to. Looking forward to heaven should not be one of, no more time to worry about, we will still sleep, work, and rest but in a way that is totally as God and we should want it.

Bigger Picture - This parallels with Day One only with more detail. There are arguments for both whether this account is literal or descriptive and poetic in it's form, but that is not important. It is there for a reason: to know that God created the whole universe with a purpose for it all. With the expanse that is around you, you may feel insignificant or worthless, but you mean everything to God. Every time you look at the stars think that one of them represents you. As each day passes, know that God planned that day for you, and the one to come is under His control. All the way through this account it shows that God knows what He is doing, and, even though we can never know that full picture, we can see how the beginning fits with the end fits with all that happens in between. This is so true in your life. Trusting God is the best way to know that where you're going is the best direction to go.

Genesis 1:9-13 (Day Three)

9 And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so.
10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so.
12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.


v.9
God prioritises the earth over the rest of the universe in putting it into order.
(Dry Land...) Go makes the place He most treasures inhabitable; this further shows His plan is already set out before the beginning. He is not a God of disorder (1 Cor 14:33)

v.10
Further Seperation as the earth takes shape

v.11-13
This reiterates the point from v.9. Why would God have plants and trees bearing vegetables and fruit if there was not going to be anyone there to eat from them? As God speaks the earth bears fruit, the seeds of different kinds bear different fruit and it is God that makes them grow. (1 Cor. 3:6-9)

Bigger Picture - God has certain things happen that seem inexplicable. When He drew up dry ground from the ocean it did not seem immediately obvious what He was going to do, but if He had never done that, vegetation would never have sprouted from it. God will bring fruit in your life but there may be some inexplicable goings on in order for the fruit to grow.

Genesis 1:6-8 (Day Two)

6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters."
7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so.
8 And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

v.6
God begins a refining process on His creation. There is order and wisdom in what He does.

v.7
(separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse...) This could explain an amount of the flood (Genesis 9)
(And it was so...) Reiterates the fullness of God's action. He did this. He did it.

v.8
God names His creation. Section by section God shows His overruling control.
(Evening and morning...) This shows how everything is linked. The light and dark from the previous day plays a part in all that is to come, as the water will play it's part in all that is to come.

Bigger Picture - When God first made the earth it consisted almost entirely of water. It was a void that could not support life. God separates the waters with an expanse, or canopy, so that, at the right time, it can support life. In God's refining process He can create separation in your life so that it can better 'support life' or bring fruit to/for others. But, just as in this account, there must be a willingness to submit to what God has to do. The earth is not reluctant to what it's King wanted to do, and now it is beautiful. Imagine what God can do in your life if you had the rule over Him. He does what He has to do in a caring way for the best outcome in His creation.

Genesis 1:3-5 (Day One)

The 6 Days of Creation
3 And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.
4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

v.3
(Let there be light...) It's the first time God speaks (see also 2 Corinthians 4:6) and, disregarding the heavenly host, there is no one to hear Him. This is the first implication that God created this from His love & independence. Why would He say it unless He was completely independent?
(...there was light...) shows the reliability of God's word. The action is in line with the Word.

v.4
(Light was good...) God is inerrantly good. His word followed by action, or His will, is completely good.
(...separated light from darkness...) The two things cannot co-exist. Anything outside of His will is separated from what is in line with His word.

v.5
(...night and day...) This appears to me that from the off, God has everything planned, right down to the basic elements of day & night. It separates light & darkness, each element of creation, the Sabbath, Jesus death & resurrection, all in line with His plan.

Bigger Picture - Like last time God has already got everything planned. From the major decision to everyday routine, God knows the best option for your life. His word is good so trusting it will separate wheat from chaff in your life.