Jump Start # 408 

Genesis 1:9-13 “Then God said, ‘Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear’; and it was so. And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas and God saw that it was good. Then God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with seed in them, on the earth’; and it was so. And the earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.”

  The third day of creation happened on a Tuesday—we realize this by how God defined a week in Exodus 20. Many important things happen on this day. We must realize that God was not limited and could have done everything at once, in one day. He chose not to do it that way. And in looking at each day, we see things that are helpful for us to understand.

  It’s hard to grasp the “formless” earth that God made on the first day. How He seems to be shaping the things He created on the first two days.

• The waters were gathered in one place and God called the water “seas.” That is an interesting thought. When we look at a globe we wouldn’t conclude that the waters were in one place—in fact, in school we learned the names of the “Seven seas.” It appears that the water is in one place and the land is in one place. When you look at a globe our continents look like puzzle pieces that ought to fit together. Were they that way at one time? Possibly. How did they separate? Could have been the flood.

• It is on this day that the first “living” things appear—plant life. Three thoughts about the plant life here. First, they appear before the sun is created. The sun is made on the fourth day. Those that believe each day of creation represents millions of years have a hard time explaining how vegetation survived without the sun. If each day is a day like we are used to, then they could survive.

God placed the mechanism for reproduction within the plant world. Numerous times these verses remind us that the plants, vegetation and fruit trees had “seed” within them. They would reproduce. God was thinking in the future. Those same mechanisms are in plants today.

God placed a sense of order and restrictions, seen here in the plant world, and later in the animal world. The expression, “after their kind,” defines this order. Vegetation after their kind and fruit trees after their kind. Vegetation produces vegetation and fruit trees produce seed for more fruit trees. Apple trees do not produce corn, nor do green beans give us seeds for pear trees. The study of botany reveals the various classes of plants. Although we may lump them all together as “the plant world,” there are very definite groups.

  Why does this matter and who cares? First, God does, because He tells us. Second, it shows that the various plant orders were created that way. They didn’t evolve from some “mother” plant eons ago. God’s way makes sense. Evolution would have apple trees producing corn on the cob until it got it right. Those will not happen.

  At the end of the third day, God saw that it was good. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see a picture of that third day. Lush, green, bountiful earth, without cities, streets, pollution and yes, without us. There is something not stated here, but we know it. In the plant world, especially with flowers, what magnificent colors and wonderful smells. Our passage doesn’t tell us that God threw in color and sent but He must have. What a difference they make. A well kept flower garden bursts with colors. God didn’t have to do that. He could have made everything black and white and without aroma. What God does is always the best. The world He made was incredible. Colors and smells are for us to enjoy. He want a wonderful world for us. Water falls, mountains, oceans, sunsets, rolling hills reveal a God that must have had fun shaping and coloring the world as it was.

  Take a look around at the trees and vegetation today. Give it some thought. God is good.

Roger