According to the account, there were indeed. Because the light that came from the thing made on Day 4 could not have reached the world on Day 1.
Why not?
The light source from Day 1 might have morphed into the Sun, but the Sun didn't exist before God made is (Day 4)--according to the account.
The account reads...
14 Then God said, “Let there be [
s]lights in the [
t]expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and they shall [
u]serve as signs and for seasons, and for days and years;
15 and they [
v]shall serve as lights in the [
w]expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so.
16 God made the two great lights, the greater light [
x]to govern the day, and the lesser light [
y]to govern the night;
He made the stars also.
17 God placed them in the [
z]expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,
18 and [
aa]to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
Here, the scriptures speak of lights being placed in the expanse to govern the day and night, and serve as signs, and to separate the light from the darkness.
In Genesis 1:1, we read that God created the heavens and the earth... The heavens referring to that mentioned at
Genesis 2:1,
4;
Exodus 20:11;
Exodus 31:17 which is all the heavens as mentioned at Proverbs 8:27.
So, we don't have to speculate about an unknown light morphing into the sun, which requires us adding a narrative to the text, since we know that the word made does not necessitate something being newly created, but the reading can be taken as objects already in existence being "placed" or made to appear in the expanse, as visible indicators... to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; to serve as signs and for seasons, and for days and years;.
Bear in mind, too, that you said, " the light had to be separated from the dark".
However, that is referring, not to the source of light, but to the light on the earth.
3...“[
d]Let there be light”; and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
It's important we carefully read the account to get what is happening, because everything being recorded from verse 2 is in relation to the earth.
Let there be light does not mean, let there be a light source.
Rather, let there be light on the watery deep mentioned in verse 2.
Like this:
Further proof this is the case, is seen in the word for light, being used (
אוֹר or).
This is different to the word
מָאוֹר maor used for light in verse 14, which refers to the light source - a luminous body.
There are problems from a scriptural perspective of reading Genesis 1:14-18 as an origination of the heavenly bodies... not to mention problems with scientific facts.
It's actually saying that God created the earth as the only body in empty space, and then made everything else.
So, the earth is the oldest object in space, according to such a narrative.
That's both scripturally and scientifically inaccurate. Not true?
When God says, "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath... Isaiah 51:6, what are we seeing?
When David sang, "The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork." Psalm 19:1, what was David seeing?
Understanding Genesis 1:1 as God creating the heavens and the earth. Then moving on to work on the earth from verse 2, and then make everything just right, will present us an accurate picture, would it not.
