Creation Week

Gen. 1:2a states that in the beginning the creation was formless and empty, covered in darkness, and a watery abyss. These are three negative descriptions1 that needed to be undone in order for Yahweh’s creation to sustain life and be declared “good.” Yahweh changes these states to something good in the reverse order in which they were mentioned.

In Gen. 1:2b the Spirit of Yahweh hovers over the surface of the waters. This Hebrew word for hovering is used elsewhere of a mother eagle hovering over her young in care and protection (Deut. 32:11; Ps. 18; Hos. 4:19). The Hebrew word for water used here is no longer the chaotic watery abyss but the calm waters of peace and life. This is the same word used throughout the Bible of eternal life and the Holy Spirit.

In Gen. 1:3 Yahweh says, “Let there be light,” thus replacing the darkness with the light of His own being.

In Gen. 1:3-31 Yahweh is forming and filling what was formless and empty. On the first three creation days, Yahweh formed the light, sky, waters, and land. On the following three creation days, He filled that which He had created in the first three days with the sun, moon, and stars, and the creatures of the air, the waters, and the land.

Notice in the phrase “there was evening and there was morning” that evening comes before morning. Originally in the Hebrew, the words “evening” and “morning” meant “unorderly” and “orderly.” Thus Yahweh was moving the creation from chaos to order on each day. As chaos became associated with darkness and as order was associated with light, these words came to be understood to mean evening and morning. This is why the Jewish day begins in the evening.

Throughout the creation week Yahweh pronounced the days as “good,” emphasizing the fact that His creation is good and orderly unlike the pagan gods’ creation accounts.

The seventh day (Gen. 2:1-3) breaks the “it was good” pattern and brings a ceasing, blessing, and sanctifying of the creation. The word for “rest” actually means, “cease” and describes the enjoyment of accomplishment and completion. This becomes the basis for the Sabbath in the Levitical law.

The most important idea communicated in the creation account is that Yahweh brought creation into existence through His Word (Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 11:3; 2 Pet. 3:5-7). Yahweh chose to bring into existence and relate to His creation through His Word or speech, which communicates intimacy. Yahweh shows that from the very beginning He is intimately and relationally involved in His creation.