The repeated phrases of the biblical creation account emphasize truths about God. Can you find the repeated phrases in these words?
“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
And God said, ‘Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so God called the vault ‘sky.’ And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day” (Genesis 1:3-6).
In each of the six days of creation, God says, “Let there be …” which is followed by “… and there was” as well as “and God made.”
God is so powerful, so almighty that he doesn’t need multiple steps or committee meetings or a long, drawn out protocol or process to create all things.
He says it. It’s done: “and God said” and “God called.” When the almighty God says, “Let there be trees,” there are trees. When God says, “Let there be bees,” there are bees. When God says, “Let Daron have knobby knees,” I have knobby knees. When God commands death, “Let go of my Son,” he rises alive. When God says, “I’ve already forgiven you,” it’s been done.
Like saying, “Alexa, play some 80’s music.” It’s that easy.
God is not just powerful but beautiful. He’s an artist. He creates species and kingdoms of organisms so that science can classify them as minerals and mammals “each according to their kind.”
How long did this take? God created everything in six, consecutive 24-hour days. We can say this because of the emphasis in the creation account. Every single day is defined the same way, “and there was evening and there was morning.” Exactly as we define a 24-hour period today.
We can go to the rest of the Bible to confirm this, where we find the same teaching from God’s own words when he is giving the Ten Commandments. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:11).
The Sabbath Day that God commanded—the same amount of time then as today—is 24 hours. God shaped it from the pattern of the six days of creation followed by the seventh day—all 24-hour periods.
God created all things with his unique traits, technique and time. Each of them a miracle of his might and majesty!
PRAYER: Dear Creator God, I hear people telling you how you created the world, but I want you to tell me how you created the world. I want to accept your truths about creation with the awe and delight of faith. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Read the entire account of creation in Genesis 1. Take note of these repeated phrases, and find a few others.
