“God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness.”
— Genesis 1:4, AMP

God’s First Pronouncement of “Good” #

This verse marks the first divine judgement on creation: “God saw that the light was good.” The Hebrew word for “good” is טוֹב (ṭôb), which means pleasant, excellent, beneficial, beautiful — not only morally good, but functionally and purposefully good.

Thus, light is not merely approved — it is endorsed and affirmed as possessing divine utility and delight. This reveals something profound: God delights in revelation, in clarity, in the unveiling of Himself. Christ, as the Light, is the only thing declared “good” before any form of man appears.

“In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.”
— John 1:4, AMP

The Division of Light and Darkness #

“And God separated the light from the darkness…”

This is the first act of divine separation, and it sets a pattern throughout Scripture: God always divides light from darkness, clarity from confusion, spirit from soul, true from false, holy from profane.

In Hebrew, the word for “separated” is בָּדַל (bādal), meaning to divide, to distinguish, to sever, to make a clear distinction. God didn’t just create light — He set it apart from darkness. This division is theological, not just physical.

Theological Meaning #

This division prefigures the Gospel:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
— Ephesians 5:8, AMP

In the New Creation (just like in Genesis), God does not allow mixture. Light and darkness cannot coexist in the same space — they must be divided.

“What fellowship can light have with darkness?”
— 2 Corinthians 6:14, AMP

The Pattern of Separation: A Divine Law #

Genesis 1:4 begins a pattern that repeats throughout the Bible: God divides to define.

This reveals a divine principle: God creates identity by division, not by blending. We live in an age that celebrates ambiguity and mixture, but in God’s Kingdom, clarity comes through separation.

Christ the Divider #

Jesus Himself came not only to reconcile, but to divide:

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
— Matthew 10:34, AMP

He is the Light that exposes the hidden things of darkness (John 3:19–21), and His Word divides even the deepest inward parts:

“For the Word of God is living and active… piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit…”
— Hebrews 4:12, AMP

The Division Must Happen in Us #

This division is not just cosmic — it must become personal. When Christ enters us as Light, He begins dividing:

• Spirit from flesh
• Old man from the new
• Religious mixture from living truth
• Soul-led decisions from Spirit-led obedience

He separates us from the darkness we once dwelt in, bringing a holy severance.

“But you are a chosen race… so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.”
— 1 Peter 2:9, AMP

All this is only when Christ is in you, you are moved by the Holy Spirit, you are dead to the world, dead to Adam and the flesh, but alive in Christ and the Spirit.

Word Study #

Christ in Genesis 1:4 #

Christ is not only the Light — He is also the Divider and the Judge. He is the one who says, “This is light; this is darkness.” He is not a grey Messiah. He stands in purity, and calls His people to walk as children of that same clarity.

Genesis 1:4 Unpacked #

In Christ,
Shaliach.