Genesis 1:4

2 The earth was ^awithout form, and void; and darkness¹ was on the face of the deep. ^bAnd the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 ^aThen God said, ^b“Let there be ^clight”; and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 God called the light Day, and the ^adarkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

6 Then God said, ^a“Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.”

7 Thus God made the firmament, ^aand divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were ^babove the firmament; and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 Then God said, ^a“Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and ^blet the dry land appear”; and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 Then God said, “Let the earth ^abring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the ^bfruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let there be ^alights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and ^bseasons, and for days and years;

15 and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.

16 Then God made two great¹ lights: the ^agreater light to rule the day, and the ^blesser light to rule the night. He made ^cthe stars also.

17 God set them in the firmament of the ^aheavens to give light on the earth,

18 and to ^arule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living¹ creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the² firmament of the heavens.”

21 So ^aGod created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, ^a“Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, ^a“Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; ^blet them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over¹ all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man ^ain His own image; in the image of God He created him; ^bmale and female He created them.

28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ^a“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and ^bsubdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that¹ moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; ^ato you it shall be for food.

30 Also, to ^aevery beast of the earth, to every ^bbird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is¹ life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

31 Then ^aGod saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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What Does Genesis 1:4 Mean?

In relation to Genesis 1:4, where God saw the light as good and divided it from the darkness, the adjustment of the earth's rotation speed was made to ensure the proper length of day and night, essential for sustaining life. Additionally, the tilt of the earth's axis might have been altered to bring about the occurrence of seasons. These modifications reflect the deliberate separation and organization of light and darkness, establishing a balanced environment conducive to life.

Genesis 1:1-31

The true God is the Author of the Bible, and He used His sovereign authority to determine the revelations it contains and the sequence in which they are given. Since Adam and Eve, believing in the existence of the true God and His Word has been the principal challenge affecting the quality of life mankind thinks it must have for happiness and prosperity. These beliefs have eluded human understanding—not because God has hidden Himself, but because men refuse to accept the clear evidence He provides in the creation.

Imagine that the Creator God sat us down in a room by ourselves and presented a short film summarizing the Bible's first ten chapters. What would we see? What would it teach us about His character, purpose, and plan?

Authors and filmmakers are creators in their own way. They prepare an outline, a story flow, they wish to follow either to entertain or to educate their readers or viewers. Have we ever wondered why God began the Bible as He did? Consider this simple overview as a factor of utmost importance to our well-being in relation to life's purposes.

Have we ever consciously noted that the Bible begins in Genesis 1 with God creating order from what appears to be the result of either a destruction of a previous system or an array of disparate parts, fashioning them into a form appropriate for His next step? Either way, as the story unfolds, the role He plays emerges. The primary point is virtually impossible to miss: Supreme order and direction in what He will reveal originates in and from Him. Though normally invisible to humanity, He is clearly in control, initiating what will happen and also continuing to completion what He began.

The orderly progression of time and activity continues as God arranges, piece by piece, the environment in which later events will take place. Created elements appear in a natural progression. First, there must be light. From this point on, everything coming into view is made new and in sparkling, showroom condition.

Last of all, the two humans are designed in the image of God Himself. They, Adam and Eve—who will set in motion the human side of the action—are created, given life, and presented gifts, which are examples of His grace: earth and all it contains for their use within the boundaries He set. They immediately begin to use what God freely gave them as gifts.

What has God chosen to show us thus far? First, He is the Author of all that is. Second, He brings order out of lifeless chaos. Third, perhaps our Lord's flesh-and-blood brother sums it up best in James 1:17-18:

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

What has God revealed of Himself to this point without saying a word except for what He commanded to bring into existence? It is purposefully instructive.

Genesis 1 shows that He is a God of order and that He has a distinct purpose for each step He takes. He is a God of awesome powers, moving mountains, seas, rivers, valleys, and vast oceans of atmosphere into place. Greenery and animal life appear. Nothing happens randomly. Every step proceeds as He directs. He is in control as He purposefully establishes His sovereignty over everything He has brought into existence.

John W. Ritenbaugh
Leadership and Covenants (Part Ten)

Genesis 1:4-5

God describes His adjustment of the earth's rotation speed so that the length of the day and night would be correct to permit the sustenance of life. He may have also adjusted the tilt of the earth's axis to cause seasons to occur.

Earl L. Henn
Genesis 1: Fact or Fiction?

Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Genesis 1:4:

Genesis 1:26-30
Ecclesiastes 7:1-4
Matthew 12:38-40
Matthew 16:4
Luke 11:29-30
Acts 15:14-18

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What Does Genesis 1:4 Mean?

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