Genesis 1:6-8 “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”
On the second day of creation, God divided the water that surrounded the earth, (Remember that 71% of the surface of the earth is water today.) from the water, or vapor that was in the atmosphere surrounding the earth. As we will see later, there was no need for rain on the earth in the beginning. Rather, the land received its needed supply of water from a “mist” that “went up...from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.” Some speculate that the newly created earth was surrounded by a vast blanket of water vapor high in the atmosphere which acted as a terrarium. This would have provided the perfect enviornment for the growth of vegetation on the newly created earth. If that speculation is correct, it is possible that this vapor barrier was broken up and fell to the earth in the great flood of judgment in Noah’s day, which would explain the vast inundation that came as the result of mankind’s exceeding sinfulness.
Genesis 1:9-13 “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.”
Until the third day, water that is essential for all living things covered the entire earth. On day three, God caused the dry land to appear. Beneath the surface of the oceans are vast mountain ranges, great valleys and deep gorges. Being covered by the waters, these are not visible from the surface. Beneath the surface of the land of earth are vast aquifers where fresh water is stored. These aquifers are found in fractures and voids in the rock layers beneath the ground. This ground water is one of our most valuable resources, and was planned and prepared by our Almighty God. Perhaps on the third day of creation, God opened up these voids and fractures, allowing the water that covered all of the earth to drain, permitting dry land to appear. These “great fountains of the deep” are part of that marvelous plan wherein God provided for all living things fresh water needed to promote and sustain life.
What a wonderful plan God devised to bring life to His newly created earth! The oceans would provide a system of purification for the world’s water supply. Aquifers would store useable water that had been filtered through sand and sediment, finding it’s way to the surface of the ground through springs that would develop into streams and rivers, joining run off from the surface of the ground, making their way back to the oceans. Evaporation would recycle the water from the oceans and from the surface of the land through clouds that would drop their fresh supply through rain or frozen precipitation. The world’s water cycle is an amazing phenomenon, obviously not one that happened by chance, but by the master plan of our All-knowing God.
Water is a gracious gift and provision from God to humanity. See the following passages: Job 5:10; Psalms 65:9-11; 147:8; Jeremiah 10:13. He has provided air to breath, the sun to warm, the earth to bring forth vegetation and the natural water cycle to be a benefit and blessing to all. He has given us “rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” (Acts 14:17) Praise God for His bountiful blessings!
Pastor Steve