Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.”
And God created, the great sea monsters, and every living creature that moves, with which the water swarmed after their kind; and God saw that it was good.
And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
Then God said “Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind; cattle and creeping things and beast of the earth after their kind” and it was so.
And God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
On the fifth day, God created the creatures of the sea and the air. Creatures of the deep were worshiped in the ancient world. Even the beast of the air and land as in Egypt. We can marvel at God’s creation for it shows a dim version of His glory, but we are never to worship the creation. We are only to worship the Creator.
In verse 24, God had the earth bring forth living creatures. This is the second creative act in which God finished creating the animals. Here the word create is sometimes translated soul which implies having a conscious life. Now plants do not have a conscious life, although they respond to music, fertilizer, and so forth.
Many years ago, I heard a pastor say that the soul is “the seat of emotions”. To me, that is logical. Animals have fear, happiness, contentment, and so forth. This, I am thankful for. I love my dog and horses and our interaction with each other.
