With no “new moon” day before the first day of Creation, how could the moon have been in the correct phase for the first Sabbath and all Sabbaths to follow?
Answer: This does indeed seem contradictory, doesn’t it? However, remember that when the Creator designed and crafted this earth, everything that was needful for man’s health and happiness was put into place before Adam and Eve were created. The Sabbath was the crowning gift to the new race and it came after everything was created.
The principles by which Yahuwah created the world answer this question. On Third Day, Yahuwah created all of the plants. Genesis 1:11 gives the command: “And Elohim said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” Verse 12 establishes the principle: Yahuwah created age into all of His creation: “And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and Elohim saw that it was good.”
This is an important point to understand, because had Yahuwah not created age into everything, then when He got to Fifth Day, how could He have created birds and fish? What would there have been for them to eat? The Biblical record supports that the birds and fish were created fully mature. Verse 20 gives the command: “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth . . . .” Verse 21 reveals the fact that these creatures were created mature, not as fertilized eggs: “And Elohim created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and Elohim saw that it was good.” The birds were not created as fertilized eggs rolling around on the ground (no trees yet, so no nests.)
Verse 22 underscores that what was created were fully formed, mature creatures: “And Elohim blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply . . . .”
Even Adam and Eve had age created into them. The very first “job” assigned Adam was to name all of the animals (Genesis 2:20). This was before even Eve was created! (Genesis 2:21-23.) Adam was not created as an embryo, a zygote or even a new born baby. He was created as a fully mature, sentient being.
This principle of creating age into what was made can be established from scripture in Third Day, Fifth Day and Sixth Day. The moon was created on Fourth Day, right in the midst of these other days: “And Elohim said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night . . . .” (Genesis 1:14-15.) Verse 16 states that “Elohim made two great lights” but verses 17-18 takes it one step further: “And Elohim set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night . . . .”
The word “set” comes from the Hebrew word nâthan, (#5414) which means to put, set, lay, place and fasten. The idea is of deliberate placement. Yahuwah was creating His calendar for all future time on earth! He did not simply speak the words, not caring where Creation might be randomly scattered. Scientists know that the earth is at the precise distance it needs to be from the sun in order to sustain life. Likewise, the same divine thought that placed the sun in a precise location, at a specific distance from earth, also positioned the moon at the right place in the sky, in the correct phase, in order to accurately calculate time for the people He was going to be creating in two more days.
The care and thought that went into the creation of this earth is inspiring as it reveals the depth of love and care our Maker has for His created beings.
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