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THE BEGINNING

(Days 1–5, c. 4004 B.C.)

The first page of the Bible reveals the answer to the biggest question of all time.

How did everything come to be?

Some people believe in a “big bang” where a pinpoint of energy mysteriously appeared and exploded billions of years ago, somehow resulting in our exceedingly complex universe.

Some even believe the idea that space-aliens somehow evolved and seeded life on earth.

However, we have a book that is the eyewitness testimony of the only One who was there. That book, the Bible, reveals that creation is the direct result of the Creator God.

Genesis is the very first part of the Bible. It is 50 amazing chapters of flawless history. In Genesis, God tells us how the world came to be, how marriage and the family are to be structured, the origin of pain and death, why we wear clothes, the beginning of beauty and pleasure, and much more. The fascinating early pages of the Bible even make known the foundations of biology, zoology, anthropology, astronomy, and geology.1

After revealing that the Creator made everything out of nothing by His Word,2 the Bible summarizes what happened on each day of the creation week.

On day 1, God created time, space, the earth, and light. He separated light from darkness, and He made evening and morning. The words that God used to describe how long He took are very specific.3 Each of the days in the first chapter of Genesis is a normal, 24-hour period. God could have taken millions of years, but He did not.4 He emphasizes repeatedly that He created in six consecutive, ordinary days. And science confirms that the Bible is true.5

On day 2, God separated the water by an expanse called heavens; He placed some water below the expanse and some above it. Then there was another evening and morning.

On day 3, He gathered the waters under the expanse into one place and made dry land appear — one big continent, and one big ocean with spring-fed rivers flowing into it. The angels shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth.6 He made plants and trees with seeds to reproduce after their kinds,7 and He saw that it was good. Then there was evening and morning.

On day 4, three days after He created light, God made ongoing sources of light: the sun and stars. Plus he made the moon, which reflects the sun’s light for us at night. Because of the sun, earth has heat, photosynthesis, the water cycle, and more. The sun is a fireball, equal to thousands of hydrogen bombs exploding continuously. The Creator’s immense power is staggering. Scientists now estimate that trillions of billions8 of stars fill the universe — numbers far beyond comprehension.

On day 5, He created winged creatures and every kind of fish, including those the Bible describes as huge monsters of the sea.9 In addition to exotic and exquisitely colored animals, there were swimming reptiles and water mammals like whales. These would have included sea turtles and beasts like the shastasaurus, which grew to nearly 70 feet long. Besides the small and beautiful birds, there were flying mammals such as bats, plus enormous flying reptiles like the pterosaurs, whose wings spread as wide as an airplane.10 Because all animals were originally vegetarian,11 they lived in harmony and did not eat each other. God blessed them to be fruitful and fill the water and the sky with creatures after their kinds.

The perfection and intricate design of all creation filled both God and His angels with joy. But the best was yet to come. In only a few hours, He was about to fashion His most special creation of all!

PRIMARY PASSAGES

Genesis 1:1–23; John 1; Hebrews 11:3; Colossians 1:16, Job 38:4–7

KEY VERSE

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16)

WRAP UP

“Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing that You created everything in just six days, not billions of years. As I think of the infinite universe and earth’s microscopic details, it leaves me in awe of Your power. Lord, it is so good to know that You made a perfect world. Please soften my heart and give me a clear mind. I want to know Your Word, the Bible, and I want to honor You, the Creator!”

1 Regarding geology, Noah’s Flood logically explains the majority of the world’s rock layers that have fossils. Related topics are also easily understood in light of the worldwide Flood of Noah’s day, and the transitions that occurred in the years just after the Flood.

2 Creation from nothing is clear from the early verses of Genesis 1, and expanded upon in the New Testament (John 1:1–3), the worlds were framed by the word of God (Hebrews 11:3).

3 www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/could-god-have-created-in-six-days by Ken Ham.

4 www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/why-christians-shouldnt-accept-millions by Dr. Terry Mortenson.

5 Much has been written on this subject and is available from numerous books, videos, periodicals, and websites. Good sources for such information include AnswersinGenesis.org, CreationToday.org, ICR.org, AnswersBookstore.com, BibleArchaeology.org, CreationResearch.org, CreationMuseum.org, and ChristianAnswers.net.

6 We know from various Bible passages that the angels were created during creation week, and that they shouted for joy when God laid the foundations of the earth (see Job 38:7), so they evidently were created sometime between day 1 when the earth was “formless and empty” and early on day 3 when God made the dry ground appear. www.answersingenesis.org/articles/kw/feedback-angels,www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab2/satan-and-origin-of-evil.

7 The biblical term “kind” is roughly equivalent to the taxonomic term “family” in most instances. See Dr. Gary Parker’s article, “Species and Kind,” at www.answersingenesis.org/articles/cfl/species-kind.

8 Recent estimates are more than 300 sextillion stars. That is 3 trillion times 100 billion. The estimate varies depending on who is doing the estimating, but virtually all agree that the number is immense.

9 “Monsters” is the most literal translation (YLT, NASB). Most contemporary versions simply state “sea creatures” or similar, which does not adequately denote the immense length and bulk of some of the creatures both current and in the fossil record.

10 The giant pterosaur “Quetzalcoatlus” had a wingspan of up to 36 feet, equal to some 6-passenger airplanes.

11 Genesis 1:30.