The creation record is literal but it is also typical of the new creation in Christ who is the beginning of that creation. Revelation 3:14;Waiting for response for Revelation 3:14 Colossians 1:18Waiting for response for Colossians 1:18
There are 12 sections in Genesis, this is the first section: the beginning. The other sections begin with "the generations of".
This light was very likely God's glory for the sun and moon had not yet appeared and this beginning is symmetrical with the end when there will be no need of the sun or moon for the glory of God provide the light. Revelation 21:23Waiting for response for Revelation 21:23
Jesus is the light of the new creation. John 12:46;Waiting for response for John 12:46 2 Corinthians 4:6;Waiting for response for 2 Corinthians 4:6 John 1:9Waiting for response for John 1:9
Day 1 and 4 seem to be the same thing happening twice, in that light (or the sun) was created on the first day and then again the sun was created on the fourth day. An explanation is that this is describing creation from the earth. Which makes sense as it would be a vision that Moses saw. So, day 1 the sun was created and there was some kind of light and dark. On day 3, the clouds were sorted so the sun, moon and stars could be seen, and then on day 4 the earth was set to be spinning and moving so that the sun and moon correctly did "divide the day from the night" and the sun, moon, and stars were for "signs, seasons, days, and years".
Water saturated the atmosphere and completely covered the Earth. A lot of water remained in the oceans, lakes, rivers, clouds and snow at the poles but where did the rest go? This has been unanswerable until recently when oceans of water were detected in solid form, in ringwoodite, in the Earth's mantle. This could very well be the answer!
"After his kind" applies to all plants, fish, birds and animals and refers to species which, by definition, cannot interbreed and produce viable young, and this accords with all life forms on Earth today.
The creation of the heavens is covered in verse 1, so it's not their physical creation that's referred to here which occurred billions of years ago. Until 6000 years ago, the sun, moon and stars were not visible from Earth because of the thick cloud (cf. Exodus 14:20)Waiting for response for Exodus 14:20 but the dissipation of this made them appear. The word “made” in Hebrew, verse 16, means “to do or make in the broadest sense and the widest application (Strong)” and is translated “appointed” in Psalm 104:19Waiting for response for Psalm 104:19 - “He appointed the moon for seasons” which would be appropriate here for all these luminaries.
Jesus is the sun and moon of the new creation. Malachi 4:2;Waiting for response for Malachi 4:2 Psalms 89:35-37;Waiting for response for Psalms 89:35-37 Zechariah 6:13Waiting for response for Zechariah 6:13
The saints will be the stars of the future age. Daniel 12:3Waiting for response for Daniel 12:3
The Hebrew "nephesh chayiah", meaning "living breather", is translated misleadingly as "living soul" for man and "living creature" for animals but they were all created with the same nature, both being made of the dust and of one breath. Ecclesiastes 3:19Waiting for response for Ecclesiastes 3:19
Adam was "a figure (type) of him that was to come" Romans 5:14Waiting for response for Romans 5:14 and, as he was given dominion over all animals, Christ is given dominion over all mankind. Psalm 8:6;Waiting for response for Psalm 8:6 Hebrews 2:8Waiting for response for Hebrews 2:8
The first verse refers to the creation of the whole Universe, long ago, with nothing revealed of events before the Earth became "void, dark and covered in water". The rest of the chapter describes the renovation of this planet to make it habitable for living creatures, especially mankind.
The space called "heaven" in verse 7 is the atmosphere between the sea and the clouds, in which birds fly, and later is seen to extend much further out, and the "Earth" in verse 10 is the "dry" which was previously below the sea.
"Heaven and earth" is also used figuratively to represent the "world" consisting of rulers and ruled, e.g. "Give ear, O ye heavens.... and hear O earth" (Deuteronomy 32:1),Waiting for response for Deuteronomy 32:1 and the creation of the original world is given in Genesis 2:4,Waiting for response for Genesis 2:4 "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth." These facts help to answer sceptics who misunderstand and deride the Genesis record.