Genesis 1:14
“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”
KJV
Read in Genesis 1Meaning
The heavenly lights are given practical roles in the ordered world: they distinguish day and night and provide markers for recurring times and seasons.
Read carefully
In the ancient world heavenly bodies were often objects of worship. Genesis instead places them firmly within creation and describes them by the functions God gives them.
Reflection
The verse presents calendars and recurring times as grounded in created rhythms. Human planning occurs within patterns that precede and exceed human control.