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The Facts about Creation sets the scene throughout the bible: that there is a spoiler (Satan)**, messing up God's perfect works, who needs to be dealt with; Creation and Re-Creation; Darkness replaced by light.

(The study is based primarily on the NIV (New International Version - quotes in pink) and the TLB (The Living Bible - quotes in blue).

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. NIV
Gen 1:1 When God began creating the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors. TLB

The difference between the situation in verses 1 & 2 seems to indicate that two stages were involved, a First Creation and a Re-Creation.

The broad statement, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," indicates a completed action: the earth was created and was functional, judging from archeological findings that go back millions of years.

In verse 2 the situation had changed from completeness to  "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep." It indicates that something had happened that turned the earth into a formless mass cloaked in darkness "down there," away from God's light - indicated by, "the surface of the deep."
**See Satan, Isa 14:12, where it is shown how Satan was kicked out of heaven. In all probability, he landed on the earth and destroyed it in the process, causing God to have to re-create it. But he didn't remove the devil from the earth, enabling him to try to spoil man and the rest of (re-)creation, up to our day and until he is permanently put in chains in the pit as we see in 14:9.

"...the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors " (TLB) tells us more about the cloak around the earth than the NIV's version, "...the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." The NIV's version, "waters," is too neutral and contradicts the real situation sketched by the TLB: "a shapeless, chaotic mass," cloaked in "dark vapors" that could be oozing from the chaotic mass. The dark vapors must also have caused the darkness on earth, that God removed to make it possible to have light and darkness as we know it.
Gen 1:3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day. NIV

With, "And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day," God set the trend for the time to come, that a day starts and ends in the evening - until he changes it again, as in the New Jerusalem:
Rev 21:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, for the glory of God and of the Lamb illuminate it. 24 Its light will light the nations of the earth, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. 25 Its gates never close;

"...the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" provides vital information about God: that he is a person with a spirit who is always present and available to perform God's [physical and spiritual] works.
Matt 12:28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.
Zech 4:6 Then he said, "This is God's message to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty-you will succeed because of my Spirit, though you are few and weak.' 7 Therefore no mountain, however high, can stand before Zerubbabel! For it will flatten out before him! And Zerubbabel will finish building this Temple with mighty shouts of thanksgiving for God's mercy, declaring that all was done by grace alone." TLB

The Spirit is also responsible for the "re-creation," "REBIRTH," of man, after which he dwells in us to lead us, to perform God's works in and through us. And, what's of utmost importance, rendering us more creative and productive.

In other words, God says (it), and the Spirit does it: Gen 1:14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. NIV

All Three persons of Elohim [body, soul & spirit] took part in creation, viz. "The spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Then we read for each creative act of God, "and God said"; this speaks of the Word, the Son of God. Paul says of the Son: Col 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. NKJV (See also Refs/Messiah#Word)

In fact, Messiah was the Creator and the spiritual "Light" vs. the "darkness" the unsaved walk in: Heb 1:10 God also called him "Lord" when he said, "Lord, in the beginning you made the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
John 1:1 Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. 3 He created everything there is-nothing exists that he didn't make. 4 Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. 5 His life is the light that shines through the darkness-and the darkness can never extinguish it. TLB

Creation of Living Creatures

Up to Gen 1:25 God recounts his creation of creatures in the waters, air and on land. Then he got to creating a being in his image, OUR image, that tells us that he is multiple and that the being he will create will consist of the same persons: Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness,  See Strong's
In the same way as it is said about Adam and his son Seth: Gen 5:3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image (bearing his genes); and he named him Seth. NIV
Gen 9:5 And murder is forbidden. Man-killing animals must die, and any man who murders shall be killed; for to kill a man is to kill one made like God. TLB.
In Scripture Keywords:Man, we quote scriptures that refer to the corresponding persons of God in man, namely, Body,

God(s) (Elohim), creating man in their image shows that man didn't "evolve" from lower beings, but was created without any change from then until now. Obviously, there has been superficicial sideway evolvement of man to adapt to environment.

In associating himself so closely with man, God also sets himself apart from the newage premise of "God is in everything." His Spirit is, of course, everywhere, but dwells in men, and that only when God allows it. This is clear from king David's plea:
Psalms 51:11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. NIV.

Similarly, man's spirit is also specie specific: Eccl 3:21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth? NIV

Gen 2:7 the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. NIV
God mentioning specifically that he breathed life into man also shows how closely he relates to man - as against animals.

As we see later God created man with the potential to be like them, not needing salvation - unless they found out that they could rebel - to their detriment, like Lucifer.

Women: Gen 2:18 The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." ...20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man (chav in Hebrew) said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' (chavvah in Hebrew) for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. NIV
OT:2332 Chavvah (khav-vaw'); causatively from OT:2331; life-giver; Chavvah (or Eve), the first woman: KJV - Eve. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers)

Numbers of MenGen 5:32 Noah: Noah was 500 years old and had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Gen 6:1 Now a population explosion took place upon the earth. It was at this time that beings from the spirit world looked upon the beautiful earth women and took any they desired to be their wives. 3 Then Jehovah said, "My Spirit must not forever be disgraced in man, wholly evil as he is. I will give him 120 years to mend his ways." TLB

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