Genesis 1:9 - Meaning and Application

The third day’s work is described in these verses, the forming of the sea and dry land, and the making of the earth fruitful. So far, God’s power had been shown in the upper part of the visible world. He had kindled the light of heaven and fixed the sky above, but now he turns to this lower world, the earth.

The earth was made for people, both as their home and as the place that would provide for them. So here we see God fitting it for both needs, building their house and spreading their table. We should notice how the earth was prepared to be a home for man by the gathering of the waters and the appearance of dry land. Where there had been confusion, as in Genesis 1:2, with earth and water mixed together, there is now order, because God separates them in a way that makes both useful.

God said, Let it be so, and it was so. No sooner was it commanded than it was done. The waters that had covered the earth were told to pull back and gather into one place, into the hollows made for them to rest in. Once they were collected and placed where they belonged, God called them seas. Though there are many seas in different regions, they are still one great body of water, because they connect with one another, above ground or under ground. All the rivers flow into this common place, and yet the sea is not full (Ecclesiastes 1:7).

In Scripture, waters and seas often stand for trouble and suffering (Psalm 42:7; Psalm 69:2, 14, 15). God’s people are not spared from such things in this world. But it is their comfort that these waters are only under heaven, not in heaven, and that they are all within the limits God has set for them. The way God first gathered the waters, and still holds them in place, is beautifully described in Psalm 104:6-9. It is there given as a reason for praise. Those who go down to the sea in ships should daily thank the Creator for making the great waters useful for trade and travel. Those who stay at home should also remember that God keeps the sea shut in with bars and doors in its appointed place, and restrains its proud waves (Job 38:10, 11).

The dry land also appeared and came out from the waters, and it was called earth, and given to the children of men. The earth had already existed, but it was useless while it was hidden under water. In the same way, many of God’s gifts are wasted when they are buried and unseen. Once God brings them to light, they become useful. We still enjoy the benefit of dry land, though it was later covered by the flood and then dried again. We must own ourselves as tenants and dependents of God, whose hands formed the dry land (Psalm 95:5; Jonah 1:9).

The earth was also furnished for man’s support and upkeep. This was done by the immediate growth of the new earth. At God’s command, it was no sooner made than it became fruitful, bringing forth grass for the cattle and herbs for human use. Provision was also made for the future, by giving each kind of plant its own seed, so that food would continue to grow for the whole time people live on the earth. What is man, that God should so care for him and provide so much for him? He has often deserved to lose everything, yet God still watches over his life.

We should notice several things here. First, not only is the earth the Lord’s, but everything in it belongs to him too. He is the rightful owner and ruler, not just of the earth, but of all it contains. The earth had been empty in Genesis 1:2, but now, by a single word, it is full of God’s riches. Even so, they remain his. He calls them his corn, his wine, his wool, and his flax (Hosea 2:9). We are allowed to use them, but ownership still belongs to him, and they must be used for his service and honor.

Second, common providence is a continuing creation. In it, our Father still works. The earth remains under the force of this command to bring forth grass, herbs, and yearly crops. These are not standing miracles, because they follow the usual course of nature, but they are standing proofs of the Creator’s tireless power and unspent goodness.

Third, God usually works through secondary causes, that is, through created means that do his work in the world. Yet he does not need those means, and he is not bound to them. The valuable fruits of the earth are usually brought forth through the sun and moon (Deuteronomy 33:14), but here the earth produced a large amount of fruit, likely ripe fruit, before the sun and moon were made.

Fourth, it is wise to have what is needed ready before the need comes. Before the beasts and man were created, grass and herbs were already prepared for them. God dealt wisely and kindly with man in this way. Let man then not be foolish in dealing with himself.

Fifth, God must receive the glory for every benefit we get from the earth, whether for food or medicine. It is he who answers the heavens, and the heavens answer the earth in return (Hosea 2:21, 22). And if, by grace, we belong to him who is the source, then even when the streams dry up and the fig tree does not blossom, we can still rejoice in him.