“And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day” (Genesis 1:5).
An alternate rendering is: “And the evening was, and the morning was, the first day.” This is a traditional Hebrew expression, defining a literal 24-hour day (Exod 20:9-11). The natural order of the day, according to God, runs — not from light into darkness — but from darkness (first) into light. Here is a wonderful spiritual lesson.
The Talmud paraphrases this verse, to similar effect: “ ‘And it was evening’: these are the deeds of the wicked. ‘And then it was morning’: these are the deeds of the righteous.”
In the Talmud, another rabbi says: “We can explain this verse [Genesis 1:5] thusly: ‘You should repent one day before you die.’ But does a person know when he shall die? No! Therefore you should repent today, i.e., in this very evening and morning, because tomorrow may be too late.”
In short, follow the pattern and the path laid out by the LORD in His Genesis creation. Take your own spiritual journey, in one day, from darkness into light. Then it will prove to be, for you, a new “creation” and the true beginning of the rest of your life.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One