Read with Me
Genesis 1:20-23 (HCSB)
Then God said, “Let the water swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” So God created the large sea-creatures and every living creature that moves and swarms in the water, according to their kinds. He also created every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So God blessed them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.” Evening came and then morning: the fifth day.
Listen with Me
Everything had been made completely ready for living things besides the plants. Those had been created on day three as part of the preparatory stages of creation in order to produce oxygen, remove carbon dioxide, and to be used for food. Now the creation of the other life forms could begin on day five.
On day five, God filled the waters, rivers and streams, lakes and seas, with all manner of swimming creatures, from microorganisms to great whales, and everything in between. And he filled the skies with all manner of flying creatures, from birds to bats to bugs, and even flying reptiles. The word used to describe the numbers of these living creatures indicates that God didn’t create them in pairs or small herds. The seas literally swarmed with life, and the skies were covered with swirling multitudes of flying creatures.
As God created these marine and flying creatures, He blessed them all with the ability to reproduce themselves, each according to their own kind. Thus, He would not have to continually recreate these forms of life. They would restock themselves all on their own.
As a part of that “blessing”, God put into each creature not only the mechanisms for reproduction, but the irresistible drive to reproduce. He reinforces those by instilling into the creatures themselves mating rituals, plumage appropriate for mating displays, and preprogrammed nesting instincts, so that the seas would continue to teem, and so would the skies.
After God had created all this new life, He judged it to be “good”, conforming exactly to what he had designed. It all worked, and it would continue to work into the future.
Pray with Me
Father, I am always amazed when I see the vast variety of living things all around me. And they exist in such vast numbers of varieties that we are still discovering more and more of them all the time. Even though the sin of Adam and Eve brought the reality of death that has led to the extinction of some of the variety of creatures that you made, there is still a stunning variety of them even today, all continuing to act within Your blessing to reproduce themselves according to their kinds. As in everything, “Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.” (Psalm 139:14). Thank you, Lord! Amen.