Six Days Of Creativity

SIX DAYS OF CREATIVITY

GENESIS 1:3-31

INTRODUCTION

The six days of creation are told from the perspective of an individual standing on the surface of the earth and observing the events. We have a very poetic telling of the creation of all things. The first three days we see the creation of light and earth. The final three days we see the filling of the creation with life in all of its features. We shall look at this description of the Creation in order to understand its poetic value and its theological significance.

READ GENESIS 1:3-31

I. POETIC FEATURES OF GENESIS 1

A. Anthropomorphisms- God is taking on human form and human characteristics. We see God walking, speaking, and breathing. This is a very poetic way to put God on paper and is a great way to describe something that is not easily understood.

B. Special Uses of the Number 7

1) seven days

2) the word “create” occurs 7 times

3) 7 words in verse 1

4) 14 words in verse 2

5) the phrase “it was good” occurs 7 times- the Hebrew word tôb is fluid in meaning and could mean happy, aesthetically pleasing, beautiful, morally righteous, and of superior quality.

C. Repetition of certain formulas and phrases

1) “and God said”

2) “it was so”

3) “it was morning and evening”

I want us to see that as Moses was trying to put the truths he knew about God and

Creation on paper, he chose to use poetry as a means of doing this. Some of the hottest debates today about Genesis 1 would simply fall away if people would open their minds to perhaps understand this as a poetic way of telling the truth.

II. GOODNESS OF CREATION- we see that God calls His Creation good. Why? First, because God is good He will create something that reflects Himself. Second, everything that was needed as a foundation for human life was in place.

A. First Day- light is considered good because it dispels the darkness that once described the earth (v. 2). The separation of light and dark is the beginning of preparations to make the Earth inhabitable.

B. Second Day- the sky is created and more preparations are made to create life. The sky and atmosphere are seen as good because they will sustain (oxygen, water) the plants, animals, and people that will later populate the creation.

C. Third Day- God enabled the land to produce plants by His word and is good because it will provide the diet for animals and people who will come after.

D. Fourth Day- the heavenly lights are regarded as good because they fill the once empty skies. The stars at night show through the darkness and are an example of God’s creative power. To the human observer, nothing-quite makes you feel as small as looking up at the night sky at all the stars.

E. Fifth Day- this creative day was deemed good because it filled the empty earth with life and sound and smell. They are blessed by God to procreate and fill the earth, showing that God is even in charge of these.

F. Sixth Day- the crown of creation to worship Him and care for the Creation

III. THEOLOGICAL MEANINGS FROM GENESIS 1

A. Caretakers of the Earth- Scripture is full of verses and passages about loving life and caring for it. Proverbs 12:10 and other verses instruct the farmer to care for his animals. Later in Genesis, it was human sin that impacted the whole world when God sent a flood. Animals are the responsibility of man to care for. Psalm 115:16- “the earth He has given to man.”

B. God is the Creator- All that is known comes from Him. It was God’s power that brought all that is into being. The Spirit called the material into being.

C. Crown of Creation (Shepherd’s Notes: Genesis pg, 14)

1) While God’s other creative acts began with the phrase, “Let there be,” people were called into existence with the personal command “Let us make.” (1:26)

2) People were created in God’s image and likeness (1:26-27), instead of like the animals which were created according to their kinds.

3) While the animals were created with gender differences, “male and female” were only mentioned in connection with people.

4) The blessing bestowed upon people included their right to have responsible dominion over the rest of creation.

TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS

CONCLUSIONS