Genesis 1:2
...and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. NIV
...and the Spirit of God was moving over the water. TEV
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In Changsha, Hunan Province, China, is a spring giving a good source of water. Beside the spring are these tablets showing the evolution of the character for water, both for the oracle bone (right) and the Traditional (left) characters.

(shui / water)

Genesis 1:3 - Day 1
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. NIV
Then God commanded, "Let there be light" -- and light appeared. TEV
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(Notice that there is no specification for the source of the light. What we now see as sources were created on Day 4.)

(sheng / create, give birth to)
(kou / mouth), where the old characters for mouth are:
(The mouth character can also represent a person.)
Combining these two characters results in another meaning:
( gao / speak, tell, declare)

Notice that God creates by speaking with his mouth.

Genesis 1:6-8 - Day 2
God created the sky to separate the waters below from the waters above, again by simply speaking.

Genesis 1:9-13 - Day 3
God separated land from ocean. He had the land produce vegetation. This was to provide food and shelter for the animals that were to appear two and three days later.

So water was an important substance in the creation of the Earth and universe.