One of the “difficulties” found in the first chapter of Genesis is the mention of light existing before the creation of the sun. Here we explore the exegetical evidence of such claim.
On the first day we are told that God created light.
God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. – Genesis 1:5
The sun was not created until the 4th day.
Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years – Genesis 1:14
The light element has been created in Day 1. Day 4 is a matter of placing that element into a medium or object for illumination and for showing signs and seasons.
Imagine if there was no light emitting or reflecting from the sun, moon and stars, how would astronomy work? How would the Jews know when to celebrate Rosh Hashanah? How would our body know when to sleep and stay awake? See “Scientific Evidence For Biological Clocks & God” to find out how the sun affects our circadian clocks.
We must also note that the Bible says there will be light without the sun in the future New Jerusalem. Light as we know it will cease to exist because Jesus will be our new source of light!
And there shall be no night there: They shall need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign for ever and ever – Revelation 22:5.
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness the moon shall give light to you; but the Lord will be your everlasting light – Isaiah 60:19
Since there will be no need for the sun as a light source in the future, it is certainly possible that there was no need for the sun as a light source in the beginning. The Sun is merely a medium emitting the light that was already created!
Return from “Exegetical Evidence For Light Before The Sun” to “Exegetical Evidence For The Bible”