What I notice reading through the whole chapter is the rhythm - and God said, and it was so, and God saw that it was good. The repetition is not accidental. It is liturgical. The creation account is structured like a week of worship, with God as both the priest and the offering. Each day builds on the last. Light before sky, sky before land, land before life. There is an ordered intelligence behind every step, and the ordering matters. By the time we arrive at humanity on day six, everything has been prepared for our arrival. We were the last to come, but the first in intention.
The liturgical reading of creation is something I had encountered in academic theology but never felt it this clearly until reading your reflection. Thank you.
The idea that humanity was last but first in intention is one of the most beautiful things I have read about this chapter. It reframes the whole sequence.
Great note, thanks a lot!