The thought of ‘dual creation’ is that “Genesis chapters one and two present two accounts of creation which are often interpreted as separate but complementary perspectives on the same event.”  To that, I would agree.  As we look briefly at these two chapters, I think we will plainly see there were six days of creation, and then the re-telling of this creation with greater information given.

Genesis 1:1-2 tells us, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”  Blessed fact!  GOD created the heavens and earth as a single and great act!  Psalm 33:6-9 tells us, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”  Indeed, God spoke the world into existence.

The rest of Genesis, chapter one, gives us the day-by-day acts of creation where the Lord created and set in order His mighty work in six days.  We do believe these were literal 24-hour days the Lord used, identifying each day with the different creative acts.

Genesis 2:1-3 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.”  After the sixth day of creation, the Lord finished His work of creation and rested.  Of course, the Lord was not tired from His labors, but He rested to show the completion of His creative work and to give us an example of the necessity of rest for us.

Let’s read Genesis 2:4 from the NASB, which gives us a better understanding of the events and purpose of the remainder of the chapter.  That says, “This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven.”  So, at this point, the Lord goes back and gives us a more detailed account of His creation, dealing mainly with the creation of man on the sixth day as told in Genesis 1:26-31.  He tells us, in this chapter, about the Garden of Eden and man’s role in the garden, “to dress it and to keep it.” (Verse 15).  In verses 16-17, the Lord gives Adam one restriction…not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  In verses 18-23, we have the miraculous creation of woman taken from Adam’s rib.  In verse 24, we have the institution of marriage given, and in verse 25, the innocence of the pair is mentioned.

Chapter two of Genesis is so important to us, giving us greater details of God’s creation.  Without this chapter, there would be many unanswered questions.  It is sad that the greatest of God’s creation (man) is the only part of His creation that rebelled and disobeyed Him.  It was through Adam that sinned entered into the world.  Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by ONE MAN sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”  Thankfully, we read in Romans 5:18-19, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”  ONE MAN’s disobedience brought sin into the world, and death by sin.  Yet, by ONE MAN’s obedience many are made righteous by trusting in that ONE MAN (Jesus Christ) as Lord and savior.  Dear one, have you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and received the gift of eternal life?  (CC)  (719.2)