Genesis 1:1-2:4a
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God 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.
And God said, ‘Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
And God said, ‘Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.’ And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
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, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
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.’ 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. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
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. 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.
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.’
So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
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.’ 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. 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. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
Reflection
Such variety in all of creation and this account of creation. Such variety in the separation of the waters. Variety in the taming of the chaos prior to creation. Variety in the creation of light and darkness, of the sea and all that lives in the sea, such variety in the land and the animals and insects and all the creatures of the lands and such variety in the creation of humankind. God creates with variety.
Yet, there is consistency as well. All of this variety comes into being because, "God said..." All of the variety takes shape in the form that God made it "good." All of this variety takes place between the beginning and the ending of the day. And all of this variety and goodness brings forth a day of rest.
"God said" reminds me of the Word made flesh. God said let my Son, Jesus walk upon this good earth with these good people I have created. These people that have strayed from my goodness and fell into the trap of sin, death and evil. I will send my Son, Jesus, the Word made flesh to dwell among them and free them so that I can, once again, bring them into harmony with the goodness and the love and the forgiveness. I will let my Spirit dwell within them so that humankind can take on this same love through the gifts that I give to each, unique in every way as I have created them good and unique in every way that they may glorify their Father in heaven. Yes... "God said" and it came to be through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit moving in this good creation.
And then the day of rest. What? Why would God need rest? No, not God... but creation... but humankind need the rest. God knows that we need rest. God provides rest by setting aside the rest that we need. God takes a day of rest because the good creation needs a day of rest. Creation is easy for God but being created is hard word for the created. We are changing each day. We are changing into what God intends for us to be. God wants to declare that "It is good!" and we change from the dirt of the ground into something good and pleasing to the sight of God. So, as we change, we need rest, and God has set aside that day of rest when we stop and contemplate the goodness of God and the changes and blessing God has done in and through us. We stop to worship and praise and honor and glorify our God right in the midst of that peaceful rest only God could demonstrate and only God could provide.
God the Creator, such a wild imagination! Such a wonderful variety for us to explore throughout all of our lives. God the Creator, full of variety yet consistent. What God says, God's Word stands. God will save us in our sinfulness and has saved us through Jesus. God will gift us with gifts that glorify God. And God will send us into all the world to proclaim the goodness, the love, the forgiveness to all creation.
Such variety and yet so consistent. Thanks be to God!
Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CBNE25rtnE
Prayer
Lord, use me this day with the gifts that you have given me that all you give to me may see your glorious goodness and come to follow in the footsteps of the Savior Jesus Christ... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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