3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
On the first day of creation, God created the heavens, the earth and light. Initially, He, by His wisdom, created the earth without form and void. The thought that there is a gap between verse 1 and 2 was something I held on to for quite some time. But then, I read in Exodus that God created everything in six days. I had to change my view:
Ex 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
The heavens and the earth were part of the creation of God on the first day, not only light. When God created the earth in verse 1, the earth was without form and void. God decided to create the earth in stages. At its initial stage, it was without form and void.
"Without form" means without arrangement and order and organization. "Void" means empty.
The rest of Genesis 1 addresses this initial stage:
In verses 3 to 10---we have God forming or arranging or giving order to the earth.
In verses 11 to 31---we have God filling the earth.
In verses 11 to 31---we have God filling the earth.
This was to teach Israel that God can bring symmetry and satisfaction to their broken and empty lives if they obey His Word. At its initial stage, the earth and the waters were mixed together. It was a fluid matter at the beginning. The creation of the earth came in stages just like the creation of man.
The earth was like a seed. It must be watered before the plant could come out. The earth, initially, was deformed, desolate and dark.
"Darkness" is mentioned to describe the earth's primeval condition. It is also mentioned to teach Israel that God can overcome the darkness, which was a symbol of evil during ancient times. Their lives maybe broken, empty and dark, but God can bring light to it, if they obey His Word.
The third person of the Trinity was active during creation. Like a mother hen, He hovered over or brooded over the face of the waters.
The earth was like an egg with the mother hen on top, lovingly brooding over it to hatch it. Out of the shell, will emerge the chick. Out of the waters, the earth and everything that will be in it, will emerge.
