Q. 13: What is the work of Creation?
A: The work of creation is God’s making of all things of nothing, by the Word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.
What is creation? In a simple phrase it is the beginning of the works of God. If people categorize God’s works into creation and providence, then the logical order becomes clear. God must create something before he can act providentially on it and in it.
So, how did God create all things? First, He did it ‘of nothing.’ This means that before God created the universe there was nothing of the universe that existed. Unlike the gods of mythology or of the heresies things cults, God did not organize what was already here. In fact is is important to grasp that God didn’t organize anything. He created it as He intended for it to be. This also includes any adaptions or changes that have taken place since the creation of the world and the flood that took place afterwards.
This means that the world and all the things that are in it are not only able to adapt to potential climates and seasons that may come and go, but are also able to be trained and made into things that are better and more fruitful. This is what is means to have dominion over the earth and everything in it. Adam and his descendants were expected to expand the garden to the ends of the earth.
As God so wisely and creatively made the earth in this fashion, we should also think about the other aspects of this creative work. God’s power is shown and magnified in that he created out of the power of His word. He spoke and it was. This is important to grasp because of God had to do another work or something else to have matter and then organize it to what it is, then God’s power isn’t really perfect. There isn’t a show of power if God doesn’t simply speak it into existence.
Think about the idea of speaking into existence. God is the necessary being with existence in Himself and has the ability to give existence to other things.
Minimal effort is the point of why God created by a word, but not six days. God could have created in one second but didn’t. This is important to understand because as the argument is made for the power of God, six’s days has a different creative element. Mainly creating the rhythm of life and time. Have you ever thought about why a seven day week is the only one that really works? There isn’t anything is nature that points to a seven day week.
Years are shown by revolutions around the sun and the months are related to the moon cycles and days are shown by the rotation of the earth but there is nothing in time that points to a seven day week. This is strictly a creation ordinance. God said there would be seven days and no one, although people have tried, can make anything different.
Lastly, all things were made very good. God is good so God can only create that which is good. What is good? That which perfectly glorifies God. When God created all things, even man, it was perfectly giving glory to God.
Creation still gives glory to God but after the fall, that ability to see and hear the praises of the creator is shrouded by sin and darkness, but the creation is still trying to proclaim the greatness of God and one day, it will be taken away and recreated to do what is has been trying to do and intended to do as it was created to do.