Introduction

Genesis 1 seems to present the earth as complete from the very first verse: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." But just one verse later, the earth is described as formless, void, and covered by water. How do we reconcile the appearance of a finished earth on Day 1 with the details of Genesis 2, where Adam is formed from dust before vegetation has even sprouted?

This post builds on my ongoing series exploring the Genesis creation sequence. Here we look closely at the ground Adam was formed from, showing it had to be dry soil—which ties Adam’s creation to Day 3 when dry land first appeared.

1. Why the Earth Looks Complete on Day 1

Several explanations are offered for why Genesis 1:1 makes the earth look "done" on Day 1:

• Pre-formed matter view: God created the raw material in verse 1, but verse 2 clarifies it was still unshaped, covered in water, and awaiting order.
• Summary statement view: Genesis 1:1 is a headline summarizing what God did across the six days, while the verses that follow unpack the details.
• Heavenly-earthly layers view: Day 1 inaugurates creation, but heaven and earth are completed progressively: the firmament on Day 2, the land established on Day 3.

My reading harmonizes with these: Day 1 is an inauguration, not a finished state. The earth exists, but it is still formless and watery, waiting for structure.

2. The State of the Earth Before Adam

Genesis 2:5 (KJV)
“And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.”

Here the text makes two things clear:

• No plants had sprouted yet.
• No man existed yet.

This sets the stage: Adam will be formed before vegetation springs up.

3. The Material of Adam’s Formation

Genesis 2:7
“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground (עָפָר מִן־הָאֲדָמָה / aphar min-ha’adamah)….”

• עָפָר (aphar): dust, powder, dry soil—never mud or wet clay.
• אֲדָמָה (adamah): ground, land, arable soil. From this comes the name Adam.

Together: "dust of the ground" means dry, loose topsoil. This means Adam could not have been formed while the earth was still submerged under water—he required the dry ground revealed on Day 3.

4. The Sequence of Sprouting

Genesis 2:9
“And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food…”

Notice the order:

1. Adam is formed from dust (v.7).
2. Then God makes trees sprout up (v.9).

Adam is alive before vegetation sprouts—he sees God plant the garden. This mirrors the Day 3 sequence in Genesis 1.

5. Tie to Genesis 1: Day 3

Genesis 1:9–11

• Waters gathered.
• Dry land (יַּבָּשָׁה / yabashah = dry ground, parched land) appears.
• Then plants and trees sprout.

This is the same sequence as Genesis 2: dry land first → Adam formed from dust → sprouting plants afterward.

6. The Logical Flow

Bringing the pieces together:

• Day 1 = inauguration/summary: earth exists but is unformed and submerged. (Mirrors Chaos)
• Day 3 = land rises dry; Adam formed from that dust; vegetation sprouts afterward. (Mirrors Life from Death -> Day 3 resurrection)
• Days 4–5 = animals created and brought to Adam to name. (Mirrors the nations being established)
• Day 6 = woman formed from Adam, completing humanity as male and female. (Mirrors God's bride being brought to him...i.e. Revelation)

Conclusion

The Hebrew itself demands that Adam’s dust was dry soil, not wet clay. Genesis 2 places him before plants, and Genesis 1 confirms plants sprout only after dry land appears on Day 3. This means Adam was formed on Day 3 from exposed dust, not Day 6. Eve then joins him later, fulfilling the "male and female" of Genesis 1:27 on Day 6.

What looks like a "finished" earth on Day 1 is actually the raw material, inaugurated but not yet ordered. The true establishment comes on Day 3, when dry land rises, Adam is formed, and the ground yields fruit—a prophetic echo of Messiah’s resurrection on the third day.