The Creation — Genesis 1–2

The Creation — Genesis 1–2

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void — a vast, dark, watery chaos. Darkness covered the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the waters.

Day 1 — Let There Be Light

And then — the first words ever spoken into creation. God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. God saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "Day," and the darkness He called "Night." And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day.

Day 2 — The Sky

On the second day, God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters to separate the waters from the waters." God made the expanse and separated the waters under the expanse from the waters above it. He called the expanse "Sky" — the heavens stretched out like a vast canopy over the earth. Evening and morning — the second day.

Day 3 — Land and Vegetation

On the third day, God gathered the waters together so that dry land would appear. He called the dry land "Earth" and the gathered waters He called "Seas." Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation — plants yielding seed, fruit trees bearing fruit, each according to its kind." And it was so. The earth burst forth with life — grass, flowers, towering trees, fruit of every color.

Day 4 — Sun, Moon, and Stars

On the fourth day, God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night." God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day — the sun — and the lesser light to rule the night — the moon. And He made the stars also. Countless points of light scattered across the vast darkness, each one placed with purpose.

Day 5 — Fish and Birds

On the fifth day, God said, "Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth." And the seas exploded with life — great whales surging through the deep, fish of every shape and color filling the waters. Above, birds took to the skies — eagles soaring, sparrows darting, every winged creature according to its kind.

Day 6 — Land Animals and Humanity

On the sixth day, God brought forth the beasts of the earth — lions, elephants, deer, and every creature that walks upon the ground. But God was not finished.

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness." So God created man in His own image — in the image of God He created him. Male and female He created them. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it."

And behold — it was very good.

Day 7 — The Sabbath

On the seventh day, God finished His work. He rested from all the work of creation that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.

The Garden of Eden

The second chapter of Genesis draws us closer. The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life — and the man became a living soul.

God planted a garden in Eden, in the east — a paradise of unmatched beauty. At the center stood the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. A river flowed out of Eden and divided into four rivers.

God placed the man in the garden to work it and keep it. And He gave a command: "You may freely eat of every tree in the garden — but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, you shall not eat."

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished. In the beginning, God created. And it was very good.

*Watch the full narrated video above. Episode 1 of "The Story of Scripture" series.*