The Question: How could there be light before the sun?
How could there be light before God created the sun? This is a great question and also a common one. Let's dive into scripture to find the answer. First let's look at the account of what happened on the first day:
"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light."
Genesis 1:3
Then we continue reading and we get to the fourth day:
"And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars."
Genesis 1:16
Many people wonder what happened on the first day of creation. How is it that God created light on day 1 when the things that give light weren't created until day 4?
The Answer
Everything that we know as energy, matter, space and time were all created in Genesis 1 but the order that they were created matters. When we think of light we typically associate it with a light source. A flashlight gives off a beam of light. The sun gives off the light we see during the day. So what was the source of light on day 1 of creation? The simple answer is God. God was the source of light just as he was the source of everything created. When God spoke, light came into existence... not stars, not the sun or the moon... light itself, the whole electromagnetic spectrum. When we read about our future home in heaven we read this:
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
Revelation 21:23
God's radiant glory itself gives off a brilliant light to illuminate heaven. I can only imagine that God's glory was on full display as he created the universe. The whole universe was bright with his light and then God separated the light from darkness to make a distinction between day and night. By making that distinction on day 1, God actually created time itself. So when God said, "there was evening and there was morning, the first day," he actually meant there was one literal day of time marked by light and darkness. On the fourth day God then took the light that he created and organized it into stars, the sun and the moon to give us a way to order days, months and years on earth.
As Isaiah looked forward to the coming birth of Jesus, he wrote this prophecy using the imagery of light and darkness:
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
Isaiah 9:2
Family Discussion
Why do you think God uses light and darkness as imagery throughout the Bible?
How would you describe the glory of God?
How is your light shining for others to see?