Genesis 1:4 (ESV) … “And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.”
There were three stages in the process. God dealt first with the darkness (1:3). The statement “And God said” occurs ten times in Genesis 1. It introduces God’s first set of commandments, not one of which has ever been broken. They stand in contrast with God’s second set of commandments (Exodus 20), not one of which has ever been kept, except by God’s incarnate Son.
The statement that dispelled the darkness is compelling. God said, “Light be,” and light was. Nobody, even today, can tell us what light is. We know what light does, but not what light is. It is one of the most mysterious entities in the universe. In physics it has become the new absolute. As such, it is at the heart of the famous equation E = mc2 (energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared) which, in turn, ushered in the atomic age.
And God said, Light be, and light was! In other words, God’s words are not only legislative, they are executive. When God speaks, it is done. That Jesus was, indeed, God manifest in flesh is evident from His words, which had the same quality about them. When sleeping in a boat, for instance, He was awakened by the frightened disciples. The storm that had sprung up threatened to sink them all. He arose and addressed the howling wind and heaving waves. “Peace,” He said, “be still!” And immediately there was a great calm (Mark 4:39). His words were not only legislative but also executive. He stood before the tomb of Lazarus, a man who had been dead four days and whose body was already de-composing. “He cried … Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth” (John 11:43–44). His words were executive. A leper came to Him, riddled through and through with that foul and fatal disease. “Lord,” he said, “if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” “I will,” Jesus said, “be thou clean” (Luke 5:13). It was that same almighty word that chaos and darkness heard, and took their flight in the early dawn of time.[1]
In Christ & Friends Always,
Bro. Chris.
[1] Phillips, J. (2009). Exploring Genesis: An Expository Commentary (Ge 1:3–12). Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp.