Genesis 1 and the 7 day week

[rmwilliamsll]

look at these sites foe evidence 7 day sabbath was kept and recognized through history.


http://www.bible-sabbath.com/history/historyTOC.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/la/prophet1/sabbath2.html

7th day adventist propaganda.
There is no evidence for a 7 day week before Mesopotamian. The "rest" day found then was probably the 15th day which makes reasonable sense since the 15th is a lunar marker.

this is a nice essay since he presents the data and disagrees with it.
http://www.bibleorigins.net/ShabbatShapattu.html


try some relatively unbiased sites like:
http://ephemeris.com/history/mesopotamia.html

The Semites recorded dated financial transactions (such as land sales, rents, and loans) in their temples. Because of this, today we have a very complete chronology of the succession of Babylonian kings and a detailed knowledge of the Babylonian calendar. The twelve Babylonian months by the time of Hammurabi were Nisannu, Airu, Simannu, Duzu, Abu, Ululu, Tishritu, Arach-samma, Kislimu, Tebitu, Sabatu, and Adaru. Like their Sumerian predecessors, Babylonians began their lunar months at the first appearance of a crescent Moon following the New Moon. When a thirteenth intercalary month was necessary, Babylonian priest-astronomers repeated the last month, Adaru. If a correction was necessary sooner for their crops then they could repeat the sixth month, Ululu, although this was rare. In Babylonian astronomical writing, months were written as the first character of their former Sumerian names.
...
Babylonians also used a seven-day week. They named each day for one of the visible planets, and the Sun and Moon: Monday was named for the Moon; Tuesday for Mars; Wednesday for Mercury; Thursday for Jupiter; Friday for Venus; Saturday for Saturn; and Sunday for the Sun. Next to the Sun and Moon, Babylonians held Venus in the highest regard. The Babylonian word for planet was "lubat," which translates as "stray sheep." They named Venus Nin-dar-anna, "mistress of the heavens," and referred to the Sun, Moon, and Venus as a triad of deities.

 

[Assyrian]

And, as I've already stated, a "historical narrative" simply does NOT mean what you are trying to make it mean. That view does NOT require the "evening and morning" to have occurred after the day's events simply because it's the last thing mentioned on each day. A "historical narrative" simply is not required to be read that way.

A historical narrative may not require this, the waw consecutive does. That is the meaning of the waw consecutive, it describes a series of consecutive actions. you have to ask yourself why the writer of Genesis 1 used a grammatical form that said morning followed after evening and evening followed after God naming the light day and the darkness night. Why he said that morning followed after evening and evening followed after God naming the firmament heaven.

You also have to ask yourself why YECs would want to interpret the plain meaning of the waw consecutives any other way than the way they are written. Now it is quite possible Gen 1 is narrative, but not a historical one in which case the order may have figurative significance rather than a chronological one. But if YECs want to take it literally they should look at what the verbs literally tell us.

Assyrian

 

[rmwilliamsll]

The YEC claim is that it is a simple straightforward historical narrative. But if you argue for historical narrative, evenings and mornings come at the end of each act of creation with nothing in the verbs used that says anything but sequential event.

Now you can look at the whole narrative a framework of distinct topics, that is fine. But once you you start talking about non sequential topical order, then your literal six days disappears.

Even if Gen 1 is divided into a series of topics, then the structure of the chapter says each separate topic is a block that finishes with 'and there was the evening.. nth day.' The waw consecutive used is exactly the same form as the ones used to give the narrative form leading up to it making evening and morning part of the narrative sequence.

Assyrian

are there essays online that go into this in more detail? perhaps some drawings of what you are getting at?
thanks.

 

[jereth]

1) It was God’s only account of Him working, so if He wanted it to be an example, delayed or not, this was the time to not be a hypocrite.

Fair enough. But it still begs the question: why would God have made such a special point of creating in 7 days when this was only for the nation of Israel, and only for a limited time (1300BC - 33AD)? Does this not invest pre-Christian Israel with huge significance -- more significance in fact than the Church? (i.e. why is there a direct link between Creation and Israel, rather than Creation and the Church?)

Then we have to ask: if God only meant the 7-day week to be relevant for Israel, and not for Adam, was the world thus created in anticipation of the fall of humanity? Because if humanity never sinned, there would have been no Israel, and no one would have ever kept the Sabbath, right?

In other words, if Adam didn't keep the Sabbath, the inevitable theological conclusion is that the future need for redemption from sin was written into the very fabric of creation in its 7-day duration.

3) As in my 1st post, it is possible that Adam:

a. Did not need to work a full week to provide for himself, so the seven days was not an issue yet

This just reinforces my point above -- the 7 days of creation must intrinsically be a prior anticipation of sin (and its consequent frustration of human work).

b. Did follow the seven days and humanity fell away from it

No, that's what we've been arguing this entire thread. According to YEC, Adam was effectively only separated from Abraham by 4 generations:
Adam --> Lamech --> Shem --> Abraham

Yet we know that by the time of Abraham (ca. 2000 BC) no civilisation on Earth observed a 7 day week with the exception of the Babylonians. This state of affairs remained until well after the time of Christ. Is it really possible that observance of a 7 day week could have faded so quickly -- in just a handful of generations? (please see previous posts on this thread)

 

[RenHoek]

Fair enough. But it still begs the question: why would God have made such a special point of creating in 7 days when this was only for the nation of Israel, and only for a limited time (1300BC - 33AD)?

Job 5:9 -
Who does great things, and unsearchable, Marvelous things without number.

Ro 11:33 -
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

Does this not invest pre-Christian Israel with huge significance -- more significance in fact than the Church?

Absolutely. They were the “firstborn”, the choosen people. God gave them every chance to claim their birthright. They rejected Him and the birthright was given to the second born (Gentiles/Christians). There are numerous examples throughout scripture setting this pattern of the birthright falling to the second son.

Mathew 21:
42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?43 "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Then we have to ask: if God only meant the 7-day week to be relevant for Israel, and not for Adam, was the world thus created in anticipation of the fall of humanity? Because if humanity never sinned, there would have been no Israel, and no one would have ever kept the Sabbath, right?

Good questions, all. I would go back to His ways being unsearchable, His ways are too high for us to comprehend at times.

Isaiah 55:
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

We have to humble ourselves to the fact that we can never fully understand His ways in this lifetime…

but I will hypothesize for you.

I think there is more relevance to Job in the grand scheme of the world. The fact that Satan is challenging God to a duel, I feel, has relevance to how this world works. Satan prowls around trying to find things to accuse us of to God. I am sure God knew humanity would fall, He is all-knowing. Perhaps we are on nothing more than a grand proving ground/courtroom for the condemnation of the fallen Lucifer. Just my lowly thoughts…

I would agree with the last statement/question.

This just reinforces my point above -- the 7 days of creation must intrinsically be a prior anticipation of sin (and its consequent frustration of human work).

This would be my best guess. Time does not exist to Him. He sees the future past and present with ease. We are told He has a plan, and we are to accept the fact that we cannot always understand it. This is why faith is so important. We can have faith that He has a good plan for us personally; as well as on a macro level that we can’t comprehend

Ro 8:28 -
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

[jereth]

Absolutely. They were the “firstborn”, the choosen people. God gave them every chance to claim their birthright. They rejected Him and the birthright was given to the second born (Gentiles/Christians). There are numerous examples throughout scripture setting this pattern of the birthright falling to the second son.

Yes, but everything about Israel was only meant to be prefigurative/prototypical of the gospel and Church. This includes the sacrifices, it includes the law, it includes the sabbath. God's ultimate goal in history was the Church, not messianic Israel. It therefore doesn't make sense that the fabric of creation (7 literal days) would be linked to Israel and not the Church.

As I've said, I believe that Hebrews 4 argues against YECism rather than for it. Hebrews teaches that God's overarching purpose of creation was the eternal rest in Christ, which has nothing to do with literal 24 hour days.

This would be my best guess. Time does not exist to Him. He sees the future past and present with ease. We are told He has a plan, and we are to accept the fact that we cannot always understand it. This is why faith is so important.

I agree, but I maintain that there is still a theological problem. The Bible teaches that creation ultimately points towards Eternity (compare Gen 2 and Revelation 22), not towards prototypical Israel.