What did God create on the first day of Creation?

TL;DR:

God created the heavens and the earth, light, and day and night on the first day of creation. God, who created everything out of nothing and sustains everything, can be trusted to sustain our lives.

On the first day of creation, God created the heavens and the earth, which refers to the entire universe, including our planet. The earth was formless and empty, covered in darkness, with God's Spirit hovering over the waters. God spoke light into existence, distinguishing it from darkness and establishing day and night. This act not only brought light but also introduced time as part of creation, marking the first day. These foundational truths reveal God's power and authority; they also reveal Him as the One who brings order and purpose. This truth allows us to trust in Him as Creator and Sustainer of everything and to trust in His sovereign plan even in uncertain times.

from the old testament

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day" (Genesis 1:1–5).
On the first day of creation, God created "the heavens and the earth." The English gives the plural rendering of "heaven" which can cause confusion. In short, "the heavens and the earth" implies the entire universe, including our planet (Psalm 33:6; 148:5).
"The earth was without form and void," meaning that it was both formless, but also empty. There was nothing present on the earth.
"Darkness was over the face of the deep." We know that "the deep" is water for two reasons. First, because the next phrase tells us that God's Spirit was "hovering over the face of the waters." We also know this because God never says, "let there be water." God separates the waters in two different ways, which are discussed in our articles on creation days two and three.
As darkness covered the waters, God said, "Let there be light." God spoke and there was instant obedience to His command. He commanded the light to be, "and there was light." What a contrast to what existed before this.
God "saw that the light was good" and then separated the light from the dark. He called the light day and the darkness night. After this we read, "there was evening and there was morning, the first day."
Here in the final verse for day one of creation we have the creation of time, and we have the creation of the "day" as we know it. We don't often think about it, but time is part of the creation. God exists outside of time (Psalm 90:4; 102:24–27; 2 Peter 3:8). This is what "eternal" actually means: something that has no beginning or end. God is the only true eternal being that exists (Psalm 90:2). As Christians, we will live on for "eternity" but this is not the same as God's eternal nature. We have a beginning, but no end.

from the new testament

What God created on the first day of creation is recorded in the Old Testament.

implications for today

The first day of creation introduces us to far more than we may realize at first glance. We are introduced to God, who speaks things into existence that don't exist (Romans 4:17). We are introduced to the eternal nature of God (Genesis 1:1; 1 Peter 1:20). We are introduced to the world in a state of readiness; it was "void," lacking in form and substance. We are introduced to light and dark, and we are introduced to day and night. These first words of the Bible introduce us to the power, dominion, glory, and perfection of God (Romans 1:20), and they introduce us to aspects of the creation that are beyond dispute.

God is the creator of the universe and the One who continues to sustain everything including our lives. These foundational truths assure us that God brings order out of chaos, light into darkness, and purpose into what seems void. Understanding this shapes our perspective on the world and our place in it, reminding us to trust in God's sovereign plan even when we can't see the full picture.

understand

God brought into existence the entire universe.
God spoke light into existence, which brought a clear distinction between light and darkness.
God established the concept of time, marking the first "day" as we know it.

reflect

How does the fact that God brought order from chaos and light from darkness on the first day of creation encourage your trust in His ability to bring clarity and direction to your life?
In what areas of your life do you need to rely on God as the Creator and Sustainer, especially when things feel chaotic or uncertain?
How can acknowledging God's power in creation shape your perspective on the challenges and voids you face daily?

engage

Though a "day" is an obvious aspect of time, it is an important distinction for the Christian, especially in light of modern views of earth's history. Here, the word used for "day" is יוֹם (yôm). The word is used twice in verse five to represent both the period in which the light is present ("God called the light Day") and to represent the full cycle of light and dark as a completion of one "day" ("And there was evening and there was morning, the first day"). In case we question whether the length of time is different during creation than after, consider Exodus Chapter 20. God says: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work… For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20:8–11, emphasis added). The word used for "day" is the same word used in Genesis 1:5. God created everything we see and know about, and many things we don't know about or see, in six, literal, 24-hour days.
How does the creation account on the first day challenge modern views of the universe's origin, and what implications does this have for how we engage with those perspectives?
In what ways can the concept of God creating everything out of nothing encourage us to trust His ability to transform our lives and circumstances, even when we see no way forward?