In the beginning, everything was dark and empty. That’s where God created the world. Do you want to know how? Let’s listen!
On the first day , God said, “Let there be light!” And it became light. God called the bright day and the dark night. So there was the first day.
On the second day , God made heaven. The sky is very high up, where the clouds are. He divided the water so that there was water at the bottom and at the top.
On the third day , God said, “Let the water gather together, and dry land appear.” This is how the sea and the land were created. Then God let grass, flowers, trees, and all plants grow. It was all so colorful and beautiful!
On the fourth day , God created the sun, the moon and the stars. The sun shines during the day, and the moon and stars shine at night. So every day knew when it should begin and end.
On the fifth day , God made the animals in the water and the birds in the air. Big fish swam in the sea and colorful birds flew through the sky.
On the sixth day, God created all other animals. Big elephants, little mice, buzzing bees and sheep to cuddle. Then God created human beings. First he made Adam and then Eve. He wanted them to take care of the world and the animals. People were very special because they can talk to God and love Him.
On the seventh day, God rested. He was happy about everything he had done, because it was very good.
And that’s how the wonderful world we know came into being. All the things in nature, the animals and we humans are a gift from God.
Message of history
God made the whole world and us because He loves us. Everything he does is very good.
Bible passage
The story of the creation of the world is found in Genesis, chapter 1, verse 1 to chapter 2, verse 3:
Genesis 1:1-2:3 (Schlachter 2000):
*”In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was desolate and empty, and darkness lay upon the deep; and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light. And God saw that the light was good; then God separated the light from the darkness, and God called the light day, and the darkness night. Then evening and morning became the first day.
And God said, “Let there be a vault in the middle of the waters, which will form a separation between the waters.” And God made the vault and separated the water that was below the vault from the water that was above the vault. And so it happened. And God called the vault heaven. Then evening and morning became the second day.
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens gather together in one place, that they may see the dry land.” And so it happened. And God called the dry earth, and the gathering of the waters he called the seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, herb that brings forth seed, fruit trees that bear fruit after their kind, in which their seed is on the earth.” And so it happened. And the earth brought forth grass, herb that produces seed after its kind, and trees that bear fruit, in which their seed is after their kind. And God saw that it was good. Then evening and morning became the third day.
And God said, Let there be lights in the vault of heaven to separate the day from the night, and they shall serve as signs, and for the determination of the times, and the days, and the years; and they shall shine as lights in the vault of heaven to illuminate the earth. And so it happened. And God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and also the stars. And God set them in the vault of heaven, that they might illuminate the earth, and rule the day and the night, and separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. Then evening and morning became the fourth day.
And God said, Let the waters swarm with living creatures, and let birds fly over the earth by the face of the vault of the heavens. And God created the great sea creatures, and every living creature with which the water teems, after their kind, and all feathered birds after their kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and the birds shall multiply on the earth.” Then evening and morning became the fifth day.
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after its kind: cattle, creeping things, and beasts of the field after its kind.” And so it happened. And God made the creatures of the earth after his kind, and the cattle after his kind, and every creeping thing of the ground after his kind. And God saw that it was good.
And God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” They shall have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them; And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over all the creatures that creep upon the earth.” And God said, “Behold, I have given you all the seed-bearing herb that is on the face of the whole earth, and all the trees on which there is seed-bearing fruit for your food; but to all the beasts of the earth, and to all the birds of the air, and to every creeping thing on the earth that has living breath in it, I have given all the green herb for food. And so it happened. And God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good. Then evening and morning became the sixth day.
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, together with all their army. And on the seventh day God finished the work that He had made, and He rested on the seventh day from all the work that He had done. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; for in him he rested from all his work, which God had created and made.” *
