Lesson 4: Creation in Six Days (Genesis 1, Revelation 21)

by | Feb 9, 2022 | Topical Studies

Introduction: This week I sat down in front of the
television in time to see some sort of science program
explaining how areas of the earth are the result of a
massive flood.

Immediately I thought I must be looking at a Christian
station since a flood, and not ancient glaciers, was
described as the active force. It turned out I was not
watching a Christian station. The program explained how
great ice dams held back an increasing amount of melting
water (no explanation, of course, why the more southern dam
remained ice), until there was too much pressure and the
deluge that resulted reshaped the earth!

Man just has to have his own story! God’s explanation is not
good enough.

This week (and next) we look in more detail at the week of
Creation. Let’s explore God’s explanation!

  1. HOW MUCH TIME?



    1. Read Genesis 1:1-5. The Hebrew word translated
      “day” in verse 5 is “yowm.” Yowm comes from a root
      meaning “hot” and it can literally mean twenty-four hours or even longer periods of time.



      1. What does the context suggest: twenty-four
        hours or an age? (The “evening and morning of
        verse 5 clearly point to our present
        experience of a twenty-four hour period. Even
        the root meaning of yowm, referring to heat,
        reflects our experience that the day is warmer
        than the night.)



    2. What if I told you that my business had been
      making a ton of money over the last year, and I
      explained it by saying “every dog has his day.”
      To celebrate, I told you “I’ll come to see you in
      two days.” When would you think I was coming?



      1. Am I referring to a literal day when I talk
        about a dog having “his day?” (No. I would
        mean a period of time – not necessarily
        bounded by twenty-four hours.)



      2. Would you have no idea when I was coming,
        because I previously mentioned dogs and days?



        1. If you would have an idea, tell me why?
          (I said in “two days,” which conveys the
          idea that I am talking about a precise
          period of time.)



          1. How do our verses in Genesis present
            “day?” As an age or a precise
            period of time? (Verse 5 says “first
            day.” Thus, indicating a precise
            period of time.)



        2. What argument is there for saying that
          each “day” was really an age (a period
          longer than 24 hours)? (Any argument for
          a longer period of time is related in
          some way to a belief that God lacks
          sufficient power to do what He said He
          did.)



  2. THE LIGHT



    1. We speak of “sun-worshipers” and people have (and
      probably still do) worship the sun. Why do you
      think they do that? (Because the light of the sun
      provides power and warmth.)



    2. When was the sun created? (For those of you who
      shouted out “first day,” let’s look at Genesis
      1:16-19. Do you see the sun was not created until
      the fourth day?)



    3. How did God create the light without the sun?
      (Read Revelation 21:23. God Himself is a light
      source. When we are in the New Jerusalem in the
      earth made new (see Revelation 21:1-2)we will have
      no need of the sun.)



      1. Alright, we have seen that God is light
        without the need for a sun. The question then
        is, “Why didn’t God just create the sun on the
        first day since He was going to use it for
        light ultimately?” (Our lesson has the very
        interesting comment that this is God’s way of
        showing that He, and not the sun, is the true
        God.)



  3. THE EXPANSE.



    1. Read Genesis 1:6-8. What kind of picture comes to
      your mind when reading these verses? (I have a
      picture of sitting in a little boat with water
      everywhere and a cloudy sky. God has just popped
      the sky up so that I can see things.)



      1. What does it mean that there was water below
        and above the expanse?



  4. THE EARTH



    1. Read Genesis 1:9-13. Someone suggested a couple
      of weeks ago that there were no oceans until after
      the flood. What do these verses tell us about
      that?



      1. How can the water be gathered (v.9) “to one
        place” and at the same time have (v.10)
        “seas?” (The “one place” is probably compared
        to “everywhere.” The water was now not
        constantly shifting over the surface of the
        earth. Even today the oceans are in “one
        place” in the sense that they are all
        connected.)



      2. Notice verses 11 and 12 specifically mention
        that the plants and trees bear seeds. Why do
        you think the text mentions seeds? (God
        created a master plan for reproduction and
        continued life. God did not, as evolution
        postulates, leave reproduction to chance.)



        1. Do you see a preview of Christ’s
          atonement here? The fruit falls to the
          ground and dies. The seed then arises
          anew?



          1. Or is the “death” of the fruit a
            “post Eden” development?



  5. SUN, MOON AND STARS



    1. Read Genesis 1:14-19. What are the “two lights”
      of verse 16?



    2. Light has a finite speed. How could God create the
      galaxy and have it provide light to the earth in
      one day? Wouldn’t it take more time than that for
      the light to get here? (Remember that God created
      the light on the first day? The light from these
      celestial bodies merely joined the light steam
      coming from the glory of God.)



    1. Other than light, what other purpose do the sun,
      moon and stars serve? (Mark time.)



      1. We see a reference to “day” (yowm) again. What
        clues do we have about the kind of time period
        referred to here? (This is unambiguous about a
        24 hour period. The day/night rotational cycle
        of the sun and earth are called “days.”)



  1. ANIMALS



    1. Read Genesis 1:20-23. What significance do you
      find in the use of the word “every” in these
      verses? For example, (v.21) “every living and
      moving thing” “every winged bird.” (Once again,
      God states that He made all the varieties.)



    2. Read Genesis 1:24-25. We have three classes of
      land animals mentioned. What are they? (Wild
      animals, livestock and “creatures that move along
      the ground.”)



      1. Are you surprised that livestock were always
        livestock?



        1. Why do you think God made some animals to
          be livestock?



          1. If there was no death, no meat-eating, why have livestock animals?
            (Domestic animals have more than one
            purpose.)



      2. What does verse 24 mean when it says, “Let the
        land produce” living creatures? How did the
        land produce anything? (This is a reference to
        God making animals out of dirt. See Genesis
        2:19)



      3. What kind of animals are we talking about that
        “move along the ground?” (These are animals
        with no feet.)



        1. Why are they mentioned specially?



  2. MAN



    1. Read Genesis 1:26-31. Why was man created last?



      1. What does it mean to be created in God’s
        image?



        1. Notice the plural – “made in our image.”
          Our we made in the image of the entire
          Godhead?



      2. I read about “species discrimination” these
        days. Species discrimination occurs when we
        test medicine or makeup on animals instead of
        humans. It occurs when we wear animals for
        coats. What would you think is God’s view of
        “species discrimination?” (Verse 28 creates a
        clear hierarchy. Man is to “subdue” and
        “rule” over the animals.)



      3. What diet did God originally intend for man?
        (Vegetables and fruits.)



        1. What was the original diet for the
          animals? (The same. See v.30)



      4. How is your life different (or how should it
        be different) when you believe that you are
        made in the image of God?



  3. NEXT WEEK: “A RECENT CREATION”