...the days of creation...

“14 And God said, ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky 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 dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. 16 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 God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon 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.

20 And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ 21 So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 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.

24 And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’

27 So God created humankind in his image,     in the image of God he created them;     male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ 29 God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. 31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” Genesis 1:14-31.

The story of creation is more of a story of God’s organization and assignment of functions in the cosmos than it is a story of the creation of physical matter. Days 4, 5, and 6 suggest this as well.

Day 4 speaks of “signs” “to mark the seasons, days, and years.” Signs are indicators of God’s knowledge and the revelation of Himself. The celestial bodies are also “for seasons” — more likely religious seasons and festivals or Holy Days than the four seasons of winter, spring, summer, and fall. And the creation of celestial bodies are “for days and years” — the cycles of  the solar and lunar year, creating months and years. God also created the moon and the sun, to give lights, and divide and rule the day and night.

On Day 5 (1:20-23) God created and defined the functions of the creatures of the sea and “great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm.” These most likely spoke to the beliefs of chaos monsters that inhabit the cosmic waters. So, for instance, Psalm 74:13–14 puts Leviathan, a multi-headed beast, in the category of “monsters.” “Birds that fly above the earth across the dome of the sky” were created with defined functions just like any other.

On Day 6 (1:24-31) God speaks, allowing “the earth to bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.’ And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind, dividing the domes creatures from the wild, predatory animals.

Then God speaks again: “26 Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.

27 So God created humankind in his image,     in the image of God he created them;     male and female he created them.”

The image of God is an important theological concept both in Old and New Testaments, with roots that extend back to the ancient world an image that carried the essence of that which it represented. An idol image of deity, designated by the same terminology used here, was used in worship because it contained the deity’s essence. When Israel used the word “image” it wasn’t the representation of the physical appearance but a representative in physical form of God. While a baby may be affirmed to be in the image of its father, few can recognize that image. Based on the inherent image and the relationship with the father, the image grows more recognizable as the child matures. 

Then God blessed humankind. While the image of God defines a role for humanity, the blessing indicates the functions that people will have as a result of the role to which they were created. The first function is to “subdue”the earth, the second to “rule” it. Humanity is to bring something or someone under control. God granting humanity a blessing bestows a privilege, not an obligation. In the ancient world, the ability to reproduce was seen as a gift from God. People are privileged to be able to reproduce without limitation.

The blessing serves as a foundation for the theological message of Genesis. The genealogies show it being carried out. 

Today I invite you to consider prayerfully God’s creation as a gift to each of us to live in a world of God’s purpose. What is at issue is not the specifics of evolution versus the specifics of Genesis. Rather, at issue is the worldview claim that life is the product of impersonal forces versus the claim that life was designed by an intelligent agent. Being made in the image of God confers on us dignity, entrusts us with responsibility, and implants in us a certain potential, namely, the capacity to mirror our Creator. 

Lastly, I hope today you will consider how you “use” your time on earth: “If I only had more time, I could focus more on my spiritual life.” We know that time is valuable, so we seek to control it, redeem it, and save it. In these ways time can be subdued, but we must always remember that time has been given to each of us, ultimately, so that we can give it back to God.

Take time today and give yourself back to God again.