The Process of Creation

Lesson Objective: Understand that all of creation goes through period of growth before it reaches completion.

Divine Principle Reading:

According to the Genesis account the process of creating the universe took some period of time represented by six days. The process of creation recorded in the Bible bears some resemblance to the theory of the origin and formation of the universe as described by modern science. Considering that the account of the creation of the universe recorded in the Bible thousands of years ago nearly coincides with the findings of modern scientific research, we are reassured that this biblical record must be a revelation from God.

The universe did not suddenly spring forth complete, without regard to the flow of time. In fact, its origin and development took an enormous length of time. Therefore, the biblical period of six days for the completion of the universe is not to be reckoned by th0e number of literal sunrises and sunsets. It symbolizes six ordered periods of time in the creation process.

The fact that it took six days, that is, six time periods, to complete the creation of the universe implies that some period of time was also necessary to complete the creation of each of the individual entities that make up the universe. When the first day of creation was completed, it states, “There was evening and there was morning, one day.”(Gen. 1:5) One would think that the arrival of the morning after the passage of an evening and a night would be reckoned as the second day, yet it is referred to as the first day. The Bible states “one day” to show that a created being must pass through a growing period, symbolized by the night, before it reaches perfection in the morning. Then, as it greets this new morning, it can step forward and realize its ideal of creation.

All things are designed to reach completion only after passing through a set growing period.

Activity:

1. Explain:

• The 6-day biblical account of creation is a symbolic number.
• The bible counts one day as “evening then morning”.
• The “evening” represents the growing period and the “morning” represents the completion.
• All things have growing periods, such as: plants, animals, buildings, etc.

2. Create:

• Give everyone some play dough or clay.
• Ask each person to make to design a new animal and ask them to identify:
  1. What it looks like (use the clay to demonstrate)
  2. What it eats
  3. Where it lives
  4. How it moves around
• Explain: Creating things takes time, even for God. Each individual part of creation took tremendous thought and investment to create.

3. Pair the youth up and ask them to:

• Decide on something in life that has a growing period (anything works!).
• Determine what its’ “evening” time is.
• Determine what its’ “morning” time is.
• Share with the rest of the group.

4. Share in small groups/Pair Share:

• If you feel comfortable, share your answers to these questions first to get people thinking about the concept.
• What’s an “evening” time of your life that you grew from?
• What was the “morning” of that experience?

5. Share the growth:

•   Ask everyone to think about how they have grown over the last year and to specifically think of one major lesson they have learned this past year.
•   Write a simple phrase down and put it in a bowl.
•       Mix the papers in the bowl and have each person pick out one piece of growth.

Concluding Point: All of creation requires a time of growth before reaching its full potential. This law pertains to the natural elements of creation as well as human beings.