In Genesis 1:6 God speaks, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters and let it separate water from water." The Hebrew term often translated "expanse" (raqia) conveys the idea of God making a firm, ordered space that distinguishes waters above from waters below. The immediate point of the verse is theological and functional: God is imposing order on the chaotic deep, creating a structure in which life will flourish rather than giving a technical description of atmospheric mechanics.
Does Genesis teach there was water above the sky and below the sky? The biblical narrative consistently uses the imagery of waters above and waters beneath—the later language of "the windows of heaven" and the "fountains of the great deep" in the Flood account uses the same vocabulary to describe how God acted in judgment. That means the biblical authors describe the event in terms familiar to their worldview, affirming Gods control over both the heavens and the depths. The text therefore reassures us that God sovereignly governs the realms above and below without obligating us to press the ancient imagery into a modern scientific model.
The pastoral and theological thrust remains clear: Gods separating of waters displays his power to set boundaries, to restrain chaos, and to make space for human flourishing. The oceans depth and the imagery of waters above remind us of Gods transcendent mystery and authority; they point us to worship and humble inquiry rather than anxious certainty. Christians may pursue scientific understanding of oceans and atmosphere while holding the theological conviction that the Creator ordered the world and sustains it by his wisdom and care.
So when questions arise about why the sea is so deep or how the Flood is described, return to the comforting truth of Genesis 1:6: the God who separates water from water is the same God who separates chaos from life and who governs both seen and unseen realms. Bring your questions to him in faith, keep learning with humility, and rest in his wise, sustaining care.