Bullet Point Bible

The Initial Creation

¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.² Now the earth was without shape and empty, and darkness was over the surface of the watery deep, but the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the water.

The opening verse, Genesis 1:1, serves as a majestic summary statement for the entire creation account, declaring God as the ultimate origin of all things.
The Hebrew word for "God" used here is *Elohim*, a plural form often interpreted as a plural of majesty or hinting at the Trinity, emphasizing God's supreme power and authority.
The verb "created" (*bara*) is used exclusively with God as the subject in the Old Testament, suggesting a unique divine act of bringing something into existence.
Verse 2 describes the initial state as "without shape and empty" (*tohu wa-bohu*), indicating a formless, chaotic, and uninhabited condition, not necessarily non-existence, but raw potential awaiting God's ordering work.
The "watery deep" (*tehom*) evokes imagery common in Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cosmology, but unlike those myths, here it is not a rival deity but simply part of the unformed creation under God's control.
The "Spirit of God" (*ruach Elohim*) "moving" (or hovering, brooding) over the waters signifies God's active presence and power, poised to bring order and life to the formless void. This anticipates the Holy Spirit's role in regeneration and new creation (John 3:5-8, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
This account contrasts sharply with ANE creation myths (like the Babylonian *Enuma Elish*) which often involve conflict among gods; Genesis portrays one sovereign God creating purposefully and peacefully.

Day One: Light and Darkness Separated

³ God said, "Let there be light." And there was light!⁴ God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness.⁵ God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." There was evening, and there was morning, marking the first day.

Creation begins with God's spoken word ("God said"), highlighting the power and authority of divine speech. This theme resonates throughout Scripture (Psalm 33:6, Hebrews 11:3, John 1:1-3).
Light is the first element created, symbolizing order, truth, and life, overcoming the initial darkness. Light is intrinsically linked to God's nature (1 John 1:5).
God's assessment, "that the light was good," introduces a recurring evaluation, emphasizing the inherent goodness and purposefulness of God's creation.
The separation of light and darkness establishes the fundamental rhythm of time (day and night) even before the creation of the sun and moon (Genesis 1:14-19), suggesting God is the ultimate source of this order.
The act of "calling" or naming signifies God's sovereignty and authority over what He has created.
The phrase "There was evening and there was morning" marks the conclusion of the creative period. The interpretation of "day" (*yom*) varies (literal 24 hours, indefinite period, literary framework), but the text emphasizes a structured, sequential process.

Day Two: Sky and Waters Separated

⁶ God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water."⁷ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. It was so.⁸ God called the expanse "sky." There was evening, and there was morning, a second day.

God continues to bring order by separating the waters, creating an "expanse" (*raqia*). This reflects ancient cosmology's understanding of a firmament or dome holding back waters above.
The expanse creates the atmosphere, separating the waters on the earth's surface from the moisture in the clouds or perceived "waters above."
This act establishes the necessary space for weather patterns and, eventually, for life that breathes air.
Unlike other days, there is no explicit statement "God saw that it was good" on Day Two in the Hebrew text (though some ancient versions like the Septuagint add it). Some scholars suggest this is because the separation of waters wasn't fully complete until Day Three when dry land appeared.
God again exercises authority by naming the created element "sky" (*shamayim*).
The repetition of the structure (command, execution, naming, time marker) reinforces the deliberate and orderly nature of God's creative work.

Day Three: Land, Seas, and Vegetation

⁹ God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place and let dry ground appear." It was so.¹⁰ God called the dry ground "land" and the gathered waters he called "seas." God saw that it was good.¹¹ God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: plants yielding seeds and trees on the land bearing fruit with seed in it, according to their kinds." It was so.¹² The land produced vegetation-plants yielding seeds according to their kinds, and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.¹³ There was evening, and there was morning, a third day.

Day Three involves two distinct creative acts: the formation of dry land and seas, and the creation of vegetation.
The gathering of waters allows dry land (*erets*, also translated "earth") to appear, completing the formation of the basic terrestrial environment. God names these distinct realms.
God declares this separation "good," completing the ordering of the physical world initiated on Day Two.
God then commands the land to bring forth vegetation, demonstrating His power working through the created order itself.
The emphasis on plants and trees reproducing "according to their kinds" highlights the order, diversity, and self-sustaining nature God embedded within creation. This principle counters evolutionary theories that propose transmutation between fundamentally different kinds.
Vegetation appears before the sun is explicitly placed (Day Four), which some interpret as evidence against a literal 24-hour view, while others suggest God provided light initially (Genesis 1:3) or that the text follows a topical, not strictly chronological, order.
God again affirms the goodness of this stage of creation.

Day Four: Sun, Moon, and Stars

¹⁴ God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years,¹⁵ and let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." It was so.¹⁶ God made two great lights -the greater light to rule over the day and the lesser light to rule over the night. He made the stars also.¹⁷ God placed the lights in the expanse of the sky to shine on the earth,¹⁸ to preside over the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good.¹⁹ There was evening, and there was morning, a fourth day.

After establishing the basic environments (light/dark, sky/waters, land/seas), God populates the heavens.
The purpose of the celestial bodies is explicitly stated: to mark time (signs, seasons, days, years) and to give light, serving the earth and its future inhabitants.
In contrast to ANE cultures that worshiped the sun, moon, and stars as deities, Genesis portrays them simply as created objects, subservient to God's purposes ("lights," not named deities like Shamash or Sin). Their role is functional ("rule" implies governing time, not divine authority).
The creation of the "greater light" (sun) and "lesser light" (moon) on Day Four, after light itself was created on Day One, is a key feature of the narrative's structure, possibly emphasizing God's transcendence over natural phenomena often deified.
The casual mention "He made the stars also" underscores God's immense power and the vastness of His creation.
God again declares this aspect of creation "good." The structure of Days 1-3 (forming) corresponds to Days 4-6 (filling): Day 1 (light) corresponds to Day 4 (lights); Day 2 (sky/waters) to Day 5 (birds/fish); Day 3 (land/vegetation) to Day 6 (animals/humans).

Day Five: Sea Creatures and Birds

²⁰ God said, "Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."²¹ God created the great sea creatures and every living and moving thing with which the water swarmed, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. God saw that it was good.²² God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth."²³ There was evening, and there was morning, a fifth day.

God populates the waters and the sky, filling the realms created on Day Two.
The text emphasizes the abundance and variety of life ("swarm with swarms," "every living creature," "every winged bird").
The mention of "great sea creatures" (*tanninim*) may specifically counter ANE myths where sea monsters represent chaos deities defeated by a creator god; here, they are simply part of God's good creation.
The phrase "according to their kinds" is repeated, reinforcing the order and boundaries established by God within the biological world.
For the first time, God issues a blessing directly to creatures, commanding them to "be fruitful and multiply." This indicates the inherent capacity for life and reproduction given by God.
This blessing highlights God's intention for creation to be dynamic, filled, and sustained.
God's evaluation remains consistent: "it was good."

Day Six: Land Animals and Humanity

²⁴ God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals, each according to its kind." It was so.²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good.²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth."²⁷ God created humankind in his own image,²⁷ in the image of God he created them,²⁷ male and female he created them.²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground."²⁹ Then God said, "I now give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the entire earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.³⁰ And to all the animals of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has living breath in it-I give every green plant for food." It was so.³¹ God saw all that he had made-and it was very good! There was evening, and there was morning, the sixth day.

Day Six culminates God's creative work with the creation of land animals and, uniquely, humankind. Land animals are also created "according to their kinds."
The creation of humanity is marked by divine deliberation: "Let us make..." The plural "us" has been variously interpreted (plural of majesty, heavenly court, self-deliberation, foreshadowing of the Trinity).
Humans are uniquely created "in the image of God" (*tselem Elohim*) and "after our likeness" (*demuth*). This signifies more than physical resemblance; it includes moral, spiritual, rational capacities, and relationality, setting humanity apart from all other creatures. It implies humans are God's representatives on earth.
Being made in God's image is the basis for the mandate given to humanity: to "rule" (*radah*) and "subdue" (*kabash*) the earth. This is a call to responsible stewardship, not exploitation, reflecting God's own benevolent rule. Genesis 2:15 clarifies this as serving and keeping the garden.
God created humanity "male and female," indicating the foundational nature of gender distinction and complementarity within the divine design from the beginning (Matthew 19:4).
God blesses humanity, repeating the command to be fruitful and multiply, and adding the mandate to fill, subdue, and rule the earth.
God designates plants as the original food source for both humans and animals, suggesting an initially vegetarian and harmonious ecosystem.
The chapter concludes with the ultimate assessment: "God saw all that he had made—and it was very good!" This superlative evaluation marks the completion and perfection of God's creative work before the Fall.
The sixth day marks the pinnacle of creation week, preparing the world for God's rest on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3).

The Bullet Point Bible

Genesis 1