Genesis 1-2: Verse by Verse With Bible Study FellowshipSample

Audio Teaching

Listen to deeper insights and practical applications from days 1-5.

Sixth Day

Land Animals (1:24-25) – On the sixth day, God commands the land to produce land animals. The animals are grouped in three classes – livestock, wild animals and crawling creatures. Animal instincts and behaviors defy human explanation and reveal divine wisdom. Next week, we study the pinnacle of God’s creation – humanity. God intimately forms Adam from the earth and Eve from Adam’s earthly body.

Without human words, God’s creation loudly declares the glory of its Creator. The intricacy and multiplied diversity in the created world could not happen by chance. The vastness of the sky, filled with more heavenly bodies than can be mapped or named, declares God’s glory. We see and enjoy the plants God designed. In countless varieties, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea and the animals on the land give testimony to God’s provision and creativity.

Special Revelation

Creation gives ample evidence of God’s existence. God holds people responsible for failing to recognize Him in it. But creation cannot communicate salvation’s full story. God requires and provides special revelation so people can worship Him in Spirit and truth. God’s special revelation is the inspired Word of God. God’s Word reveals truth that cannot be known through nature alone.1

God’s special revelation begins in Genesis. In fact, Genesis gives us the beginning of much of life:

• Man and woman
• Marriage
• Sin and redemption
• Birth and death
• Government

God’s written Word also reveals the pinnacle of God’s special revelation: Jesus Christ Himself, the Word made flesh.2 He is the radiance of God’s glory, the exact representation of His being and the very embodiment of truth.3

Why do people ignore or passionately deny the Creator? How could the order, beauty and interdependency witnessed in the created world exist, if not designed by One with infinite knowledge and power? To acknowledge the Creator’s reality invites personal accountability to the One who designed the world.

Some choose to ignore or deny God’s amazing revelation. They rationalize their independence from God, even while living and enjoying what God created. God must awaken dead hearts for them to understand and yield to the divine love revealed by this world’s grandeur.

Such a Time as This

Acknowledging our Creator God is vital to understand the world’s purpose - and our own. At this time in history almost like no other, people are eager to preserve the earth’s beauty and resources from further damage. God agrees. God remains responsible to care for, restore and ultimately reveal perfection through His work in our natural world.

We honor God when we preserve and steward well His beautiful earth. If God cares so deeply for the plants and animals, how much more does He care for you and me?4 As we praise the God of creation, we join throngs of heaven’s angels who shout: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11).

The Creator of the universe became a man who walked on this earth. He died to redeem all people who believe in Him by grace through faith. These realities about God cannot be ignored. Ultimately, either as Savior or as Judge, “every tongue [will] acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11). Let us worship the God of creation!

Questions

1. What stands out about God’s creative work on the sixth day?
2. While we cannot know everything about God or creation, how have you responded to what you do know?
3. Scan Job 38-40. How does this relate to Genesis 1, and what are your answers to some of God’s questions to Job?

Reflect

We’ve reached a time in our study to pause. Let’s reflect on what we’ve discovered so far to help us grow. Reflect on the Scripture, your prayers and your responses to the questions raised as you’ve studied. Here are two questions to guide you into taking what you’ve learned into the rest of this study and into your daily life.

What is the most challenging or encouraging thing you learned about God and creation from these verses?

How could you share truths from this week’s study with those who doubt or deny the personal Creator God of Genesis 1?

Related Verses

1. God’s inspired Word: 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
2. Word made flesh: John 1:14
3. Jesus, God’s glory: Hebrews 1:3; John 14:8
4. God’s care: Matthew 6:26, 30