Its been a few weeks since we last examined a day of creation. I’ve been writing about some topics that came up as part of a discussion with several evolutionists instead. However, this article resumes our series on the days of creation. Today we will be discussing the fourth day of creation.
The fourth day of creation is massively important due to what God makes on it. Genesis 1:14-19 tells us ” And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.” In the following paragraphs we will break down what these verses tell us.
Verse fourteen tells us both what was created and its purpose. God put lights in the firmament. What these lights are is discussed a little further into the chapter. However, God clearly delineates the purpose of these newly formed lights. They were to “divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” We understand what dividing night from day means because we experience it every day of our lives. However, some of the other terms are less self-explanatory. The word “signs” is the Hebrew word “owth” which literally means monument, signal or miracle. God intended these lights to stand as monuments to His power and strength. However, these lights also had practical function for His creatures. Their second purpose is to tell seasons. The word “seasons” is the Hebrew word “mow’ed” which translates as an appointed time. This clearly refers to specific times of year. Essentially, the lights were put in place to enable man to tell what time of year it was. This certainly implies the modern seasons, even if it is not implicitly stated. Further the lights were put in place to separate days and years. The point of God making these lights was to enable His future creation man to tell time, and to point back to the Creator.
Those who have read the other articles in this series may remember that the word “firmament” has a special meaning as well. It is the Hebrew word “raqiya” and literally means the “arch of the sky”. These lights were placed in the “arch of the sky” which, as viewed from earth, is outer space. There they serve other practical purposes such as providing energy for plants producing food and causing tides. That is the final practical point made by verse fifteen when it says the lights were “to give light upon the earth:” The lights were meant to give light to the earth. With the creation of these lights, the Light that had existed from the first day of creation was no longer needed and thus was removed.
In verse sixteen God finally tells us what it was He made. He made the sun to give light to the daytime. This light would guide man and creatures steps and enable man to work during the day, as well as giving plants the ability to begin growing. God also made the moon to illuminate the night. However, since the moon is not always visible depending on the time of month, God threw in an afterthought. He made stars. Reading the verses above the stars really do seem like an afterthought to God, yet there are an estimated 100 billion trillion stars in the universe. That number is beyond most human comprehension, yet to God it is an afterthought. It is likely that He also made the remaining planets and the galaxies on this day as well since He was working in outer space.
Of note in this passage is the fact the God does not mention creating any form of life on day four. Instead He creates inanimate objects such as stars and galaxies. I believe He did this to help prevent His children from becoming confused into believing aliens are real. God created life and His Word tells us nothing of life anywhere but earth. If He had created life on other worlds, it is reasonable to expect that He would have told us so, particularly if that life had been of the intelligent variety.
The fourth day of creation, while not as glamorous as the preceding day nor the following two days, contains a beauty and majesty unmatched by any other day of creation. Anyone who has watched a sunset, or sat outside at night and counted stars can attest to the beauty the lights in the sky bring us every day. Consider this closing thought. The Creator of the universe made the stars as an afterthought to the two main lights, yet spent the time to arrange them into constellations like Leo and Ursa Major. How much more will He arrange the life of His most special creation, man, to both glorify Him and bring His best to His child?
In His Image 