1:11 - Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so.
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A second creative act is recorded for the third day. At the same time, a dramatic shift occurs in the creative process from here onwards. Up to this point, the creative process has essentially been a matter of separation and a setting in place different realms. The earth is now, however, empowered to do what it was meant to do — a literal translation of the command is, "Let the earth sprout sprout, herb seed seed, fruit tree make fruit after its kind."
It has sometimes been suggested that here we find the basis for a Christian conception of evolution. Such an idea is hardly to have occurred to the ancient Hebrew writer; to argue for such a thing we would have to import our ideas into the text. The author is rather concerned to show that "God has bound together all creatures in a common dependence on their native elements, while giving each the distinctive character of its kind. Each has an origin which is from one angle natural and from another supernatural; and the natural process is made self-perpetuating and, under God, autonomous. One implication of this is that it is part of godliness to respect the limitations within which we live as natural creatures, as from Him. Another is that fertility, so often deified in the ancient world, is a created capacity, from the hand of the one God."1
This also means that, from a biblical point of view, to say that "Mother Nature" or "Nature" (with a capital N) has blessed us with abundance is pagan-speak. To speak of 'Mother Nature' is to idolize what God has made and blessed.
The emphasis on day three is not just on creation but also on its continuance; the regeneration of plant life is ensured by the production of "seed" from which new plants of the same kind will grow. This early focus on the concept of seed is significant, because throughout Genesis this same word is used to describe the offspring of animals and human beings. Genesis focuses on a line of seed that traces its origin to Abraham. By analogy, the faithful Abraham should produce seed who would replicate his qualities of obedience and faith. However, this analogy breaks down in Genesis because Abraham's seed does not bear much resemblance to him, especially in the realms of faith and obedience to God. Sadly, Genesis reflects the reality that plants are more likely to bear the image of their parent plants than humans are to replicate the better qualities of their forebears.
James McKeown, Genesis (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids/Cambridge: Eerdmans, 2008) 23-24.
You may wish to read the following commentaries-expositions:
Low Chai Hok
©Alberith, 2016