A. Overall Lesson Objective

B. Learning Competencies

Note: The word “birds,” which is used in most modern translations of the Bible, is more literally translated from the Hebrew language as ‘flying creatures.’ This encompasses such things as bats and pterosaurs.

C. Lesson

One could say that the tenor or direction of God’s work of creation changes in day 5. Now, we arrive at God’s actions that fill the earth with life in the seas, on the land, and in the air. These actions prepare the earth for the last creating day. This means that complex ecosystems are in operation in a mature sense. The earth is now a habitat ready for the last day of creating. Read Genesis 1:20-23 that pertains to the fifth day of creation.

🦕 CT? As we have done on previous days of creation, list the verbs God provides in verses 20 and 21 as well as the objects of those verbs (the things that are created). Make note of their assigned habitat. Is there any other habitat noted or transition expected to some other ‘kind’ according to what is said? Describe what is present in numeric terms by the end of the day after God “blesses” them.

Note that the word “kind” is used twice—once for the sea creatures and every living thing that moves [in the sea] and once for the flying creatures. This word refers to groupings of things. Species is too narrow a definition. The word ‘genus’ is more appropriate. There are many genera (plural of genus) of created things in both realms. So each realm has many kinds, but the elaborate (one could say miraculous) code in the genes for each kind includes the potential for several species within the kind to develop later. Nevertheless, the ‘kinds’ will not cross or become another kind. God provides the limits and specifies that each kind will produce after itself. By God’s command, a kind cannot reproduce or change to another kind.

The details of any of the kinds are complex. Consider this: in God’s wisdom He creates the concept, the structures, the materials, the senses of all flying creatures on this day. It includes complex flight, ability to forage, the calls, and so on. It includes the right features for interaction with the created atmosphere, the earth, and the vegetation that all play into the habitat. Then each kind of flying creature is unique, relating to its created environment a little differently. Can you see that each created kind involves more than just the creation of the kind, but is an interwoven creation with living relationships to other kinds and the food sources that all of them share?

Note the verb “blessed” in verse 22. Note what follows this verb and see the words that indicate numbers of flying and sea creatures. God not only created the kinds, He commanded their numbers to vastly increase and fill both the waters and the skies. With a general knowledge of the amazing types of sea creatures and flying creatures we see today, one can only imagine what the scene was like. The lush vegetation along with teeming numbers of sea creatures and flying creatures means complex ecosystems were fully created and functioning. They only lacked one influence: the things that would be created on the sixth day.

Note God’s time reference in verse 23. Note the structure of the sentence compared to previous days.

D. Assignment

Read Genesis 1:24-2:3. List what is created. Find the commands given to man and list them. Find dictionary definitions to the words ‘subdue’ and ‘dominion’.

E. Learning Activity

An exceptional (by God’s emphasis) sea creature is described in Job 41. Using the assignment for this class, where the attributes of the leviathan were listed, and form 3-4 teams. Make a quick illustration of the parts of the whole creature by using some imagination, but make sure that the prominent features listed in Job 41 are represented. Compare your creature drawings. (15 min)

F. Concluding Assessment

Flying creatures and creatures of the sea are created and multiplied over the earth and seas, respectively, on the fifth day of God’s creation.