◄ What Does Genesis 1:8 Mean? ►

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Genesis 1:8(KJV)

Verse of the Day

It appears that on the first day of creation, when God made the heavens and the earth, that the earth had yet to be fashioned and formed into the beauteous orderliness that we witness today. The unformed earth, which was soon to become the home of man, was void of any inhabitants.

It appears that when the Lord made the heavens and earth on that first day of creation, the earth was encompassed around in a watery domain, for it was on the second day of creation that God's creative power called into being a firmament which was designed to divide the water that was surrounding the unformed, virgin earth, from the mass of waters that were to remain in the heavens - above the surface of the earth.

"Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters," was the creative Word that was spoken by the Lord, "and let it divide the waters from the waters," commanded our Creator. The one great expanse of water was supernaturally separated into two, clearly designated bodies of water - water that remained on the earth below and an expanse of water that was in the heavens above.

Following the mighty separation of these two great bodies of water, they were to work together, in perfect synergy, to sustain life on the earth - life that was yet to be brought into being.

We read that God called the firmament 'heaven' and Scripture elsewhere, gives us additional understanding of the three uses of the word for heaven. Firstly, heaven is what we would call 'space' where God fixed the stars in their courses within the firmament. Secondly, it can refer to the atmospheric heaven where birds fly and clouds form - which would be the expanse beneath the firmament. Thirdly, the heaven of heavens, which is where the Lord God Almighty dwells in majestic power and great glory - for heaven is His throne and earth is His footstool.

"And God called the firmament heaven," we read. "The great expanse between the two great bodies of water was called heaven - and the evening and the morning were the second day." There are many speculations about the exact formation of that great firmament which divided the two immense bodies of water in that mysterious, uninhabited, antediluvian world, but God has shared with us in His Word, all we need to know. And however much we like to speculate - there is only One Who knows exactly what took place on that special, second day of creation... when the waters below were separated from the waters above and God ordained that great star-studded expanse to separate - one from another - and it is by faith that we understand that the worlds were prepared and created by the Word of God.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank You for sharing with us the precious secrets of that second day of creation, when You divided the waters from the waters and placed a firmament in the midst of these two immense bodies. As the world attempts to destroy the truth of those six amazing days of creation and the wonderful story of man's redemption, may my heart be filled with wonder and praise for Your mighty works, Your creative wonders, and Your love for me - when You sent Jesus Christ to redeem my life through the shedding of His own precious blood. Thank You in Jesus' name, AMEN.