In Genesis 1:20, the Bible says God created "foul that fly above the earth in heaven." In verse 25, God made "everything that creepeth upon the earth." When did God make land birds that don't fly, such as the penguin, the ostrich, and the emu? — Joseph of De Soto, MO

Dear Joseph:

We have to remember that Genesis 1 never was intended to list every single creature that God made. It covers most of the plants and animals that were familiar to the people of Moses' day, but Scripture never leaves us in any doubt that God created everything. When God gave the Fourth Commandment, He said, "For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day" (Exodus 20:11).

Now to answer your question: When did God create the flightless birds? Here's another way to ask that question: Would the people of Moses' day treat these unusual animals as birds, or as some other sort of the creature? The ostrich is a good example, because it was well known to the people of Bible times. In Leviticus 11:16, it is listed among other unclean creatures with wings, such as the eagle and the bat. No one would have listed the ostrich with the unclean beasts, insects, or fish. It was a bird, and they knew it. But here's the clincher. In Genesis 1:22, we read that God created "every winged bird according to its kind." Ostriches, emus, and penguins do have wings, so God must have created them on the fifth day.