The Creation of Heaven and Earth

Genesis 1:1–2:3

Genesis opens with God creating the heavens and the earth. The earth starts out "without form and void" (Genesis 1:2, ESV) — dark, empty, and covered in water — and the Spirit of God is hovering over it. From there, God begins to speak things into existence, one day at a time.

Forming and Filling

The six days of creation follow a pattern that scholars have long pointed out. The first three days form the spaces — light and darkness, sky and sea, dry land and vegetation. The next three days fill those same spaces — sun, moon, and stars fill the sky; fish and birds fill the sea and air; animals and humans fill the land.

This structure matters because it shows that creation isn't random. God first builds the environments, then populates them. Theologians like Henri Blocher and others have noted that this forming-then-filling pattern directly addresses the two problems stated in verse 2 — the earth was formless (tohu) and empty (bohu). Days 1–3 solve the formlessness; Days 4–6 solve the emptiness.

Each act of creation is followed by the phrase "And God saw that it was good" — a refrain that runs through the chapter like a recurring stamp of approval.

The Rhythm of Speech

Everything in this passage happens through God speaking. "And God said" appears ten times across the six days. There are no tools, no struggle, no rival forces to overcome. God speaks, and it happens. This sets up a view of God that carries through the rest of the Bible — He is sovereign, and His word is effective.

Each day also closes with the same line: "And there was evening and there was morning." This repetition gives the passage a deliberate, measured pace. Creation unfolds in an orderly sequence, not all at once.

Humanity as the Climax

The account builds toward Day Six. After the land animals are made, the text shifts. Instead of "Let there be," God says:

"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." — Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

The plural "let us" has been debated by scholars for centuries. Some early Christian theologians read it as a reference to the Trinity. Jewish interpreters, including those behind the Midrash Rabbah, understood it as God consulting with His heavenly court — the angels. Others, like Nahum Sarna, have described it as a "plural of deliberation," reflecting the weight and intentionality of this particular act. What most agree on is that the shift in language signals that something different is happening here.

Humans are then created "in the image of God" — male and female — and given a mandate: be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and have dominion over it (Genesis 1:28). The concept of the imago Dei (image of God) becomes one of the most important ideas in the Bible. It's the basis for human dignity and responsibility, and it comes up again in later passages like Genesis 5:1, Genesis 9:6, and throughout the New Testament.

After humanity is made, the refrain changes. Instead of "it was good," the text says:

"And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good." — Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

The upgrade from "good" to "very good" comes only after the whole creation — including people — is complete.

The Seventh Day

"And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy." — Genesis 2:2–3 (ESV)

God rests on the seventh day — not out of exhaustion, but because the work is finished. He then blesses the day and sets it apart as holy. This is the first thing in the Bible that God makes holy.

Scholars studying the ancient Near East have noted that in surrounding cultures, a god "resting" in a newly built space was a way of saying the god had taken up residence — like a king sitting on a throne after a palace is completed. John Walton, an Old Testament scholar, has argued that the seven-day structure mirrors ancient temple dedication ceremonies, where a deity would "rest" in the temple on the seventh day to signal that it was now functioning as intended. In this reading, the whole creation is presented as God's temple, and the seventh day marks the moment He takes His place in it.

This day later becomes the foundation for the Sabbath commandment in Exodus 20:8–11, which directly references this passage.

What to Notice

A few things worth highlighting from this passage:

• God creates by speaking. His word alone is enough. This idea reappears throughout Scripture — in the Psalms ("By the word of the Lord the heavens were made," Psalm 33:6), in the prophets, and in the New Testament ("In the beginning was the Word," John 1:1).
• The "good" refrain. Creation is declared good repeatedly, and "very good" at the end. The world as God made it is not flawed or accidental.
• Humans carry God's image. Both male and female, equally. This is stated before any commands, roles, or failures — it's the starting identity.
• Rest is built into the design. The week doesn't end with more work. It ends with a blessed, holy pause. Rest isn't an afterthought; it's part of the structure of creation itself.

This passage sets up everything that follows. The goodness of creation, the role of humanity, and the pattern of rest all become reference points that the rest of the Bible keeps coming back to.