A Look in the Book, Part 10

contributed by Pastor Darrell, elder and teaching pastor

The Sixth Day, Part 1
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​Genesis 1:24-31

(24) And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. (25) And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. (26) Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (28) 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 heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. (29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. (30) And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. (31) And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)

After creating plant life on Day Three (verse 11), marine life and avian life on Day Five (verse 20), Jehovah God begins Day Six by creating animal life.

Genesis 1:24-25. “And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. (25) And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”

A close look at verses 24-25 reveals that God categorized His newest creation into three broad but distinct groups. He named the three categories beasts, livestock and creepers.

1. Beasts 
God’s first category is “beasts,” referring to wild animals—the untamed, undomesticated variety. Some Bible versions correctly substitute the clearer word wildlife.  Examples of this kind are the wolf, elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, lion, tiger, crocodile, elk, mongoose, snake, squirrel, kangaroo, bear, groundhog, …the list goes on and on.

2. Livestock
​God’s second category is “livestock.” This category would include common household pets such as dogs and cats as well as common farm animals like goats, sheep, horses, cows, pigs, chickens, and other domesticated animal species. The King James Version (KJV) uses the word cattle but the context is not talking only about cows. (Evidently, when the King James Version was translated in the 1600’s, “cattle” had the same English meaning as “livestock” does today.). Livestock is a much clearer, more accurate word.

Before we move on to God’s third category, we should (with tongue positioned firmly in cheek) address a very difficult question, the answer to which has been the topic of much debate throughout many generations: Which came first—the chicken or the egg? Have you ever lost sleep over the answer to that question? Hopefully not. But just in case you are still struggling with which came first, the answer is…the chicken! According to Genesis 1:24-25, the biblical order is: God creates the chicken (a.k.a., hen). The chicken lays the egg. The chicken sits on the egg for a period of time. The egg hatches and a baby chick exits the eggshell. The baby chick grows up to become a chicken. This newest chicken lays their own egg…and the cycle continues. This chicken/egg question need never bother you again…ever.
Note to reader: you may want to place this question under the heading titled: “Who cares?” Your response would be totally understood. By the way, in the above illustration we are not forgetting the role of the rooster… we’re just ignoring it. 😊

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3. Creepers

Okay, back to the biblical text. The third category of God’s latest creation on Day Six is “everything that creeps” (or in a word…bugs!). “Everything that creeps” is a well-named category. Insects of every kind were created. There are thousands of species of bugs (flyers as well as creepers): ants, roaches, beetles, grubs, bedbugs, ladybugs, moths, flies, dragonflies, mayflies, fireflies, gnats, bees, wasps, spiders (technically not an insect, but definitely a creeper!), mites, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, termites, grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, walking sticks, caterpillars (later in life their called butterflies), centipedes, millipedes, praying mantises, etc. As stated, not every creeper listed here is an insect, but all of them definitely fit into the creeper category.

Colossians 1:16-17 is a great New Testament passage that clearly supports the work of a Divine Designer. “…By Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.” Read these two verses again carefully. ALL things were created by Him, through Him and for Him. God created everything we see—and even things we don’t. “By Him all things were created.” Beasts, livestock and creepers. God created and categorized them all on Day Six. But God is not finished with this day yet. Our study of Creation Week continues the next time with the creation of man and woman (Genesis 1:26-31).

[Prayer] “Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for who You are and for what You do. I pray that next time as we continue our study of the first chapter of Genesis that we won’t just read about what You did, but will also acknowledge how mighty You are—how powerful and great You are! Lord, for all You have given, the beauty and wonder of the earth You created, we are truly thankful. Amen.”

Darrell Nichols is an Elder and Pastor of Education at commUNITY church in Muncie, IN.
He can be reached at darrell.nichols@beincommunity.com or on Twitter @_nichols_dimes