What do 6 days really mean?

[Servant222]

Because the answer does not lie within our own genius, we shouldn't push it too much. But, error is error. We have the job of correcting it, among many others, such as avoiding division in the body.

Amen. Especially the part about avoiding division among Christians.

 

[ElOne]

In Exodus the six days are party of an extended metaphor describing God as a labourer who works for six days and is refreshed after resting on the seventh day. Genesis 1 is an expansion of this anthropomorphic metaphor.

Hello everyone! It is my understanding that there are 2 meanings for day in the creation story. The first being, in Gen 1:4, when the Lord started the Earth spinning on it's axis, a 24 hour period being divided into roughly half with light and half without light. The other meaning, at the end of Gen 1: 5, is an unspecified period of time. In defense of that I use Strong's concordance. Day is asigned #3117 and its root meaning is "to be hot". One of the interpretations of that meaning is "(a space of time defined by an associated term)". I believe the associated term is found in Gen 1: 3, when God commanded or allowed "light" to shine upon th Earth. In this context, a "day" is the time it took for this to happen. To the Lord, God, it may have been instantaneous, to us "maybe" millions of years. And I also think that God used the word "yowm" (day) in order for us to grasp the concept that there was an element of time involved between each stage of his creation. That is why he made the night/day distinction in the very beginning instead of after Gen 1: 14, where he created the sun, moon and the stars, where it would have made more sense as a 24 hour period.

 

[busterdog]

Hello everyone! It is my understanding that there are 2 meanings for day in the creation story. The first being, in Gen 1:4, when the Lord started the Earth spinning on it's axis, a 24 hour period being divided into roughly half with light and half without light. The other meaning, at the end of Gen 1: 5, is an unspecified period of time. In defense of that I use Strong's concordance. Day is asigned #3117 and its root meaning is "to be hot". One of the interpretations of that meaning is "(a space of time defined by an associated term)". I believe the associated term is found in Gen 1: 3, when God commanded or allowed "light" to shine upon th Earth. In this context, a "day" is the time it took for this to happen. To the Lord, God, it may have been instantaneous, to us "maybe" millions of years. And I also think that God used the word "yowm" (day) in order for us to grasp the concept that there was an element of time involved between each stage of his creation. That is why he made the night/day distinction in the very beginning instead of after Gen 1: 14, where he created the sun, moon and the stars, where it would have made more sense as a 24 hour period.

As the argument goes, when used in reference to time, yom is always 24 hours. Just what I have heard.

I have heard the argument that the mixed use of yom as daytime and yom as "a day" allows one to get beyond the 24 hr. thing. I just have such a hard time with 1. God speaking, which demands immediate action; 2. seeing evening, morning and day all in the same phrase, and creation of a 12 hour "daytime," and expecting to get to ages or any expansive interpretation without a specific cue within the text. Most poetic idioms use some type of simile or parallel references that show an expansive, metaphorical use. THat is missing here.

That is why "this is my body" is somewhat unique in its demands upon the reader and troublesome to some YECs. There isn't a cue to a simile or anaology.

 

[ElOne]

As the argument goes, when used in reference to time, yom is always 24 hours. Just what I have heard.

I have heard the argument that the mixed use of yom as daytime and yom as "a day" allows one to get beyond the 24 hr. thing. I just have such a hard time with 1. God speaking, which demands immediate action; 2. seeing evening, morning and day all in the same phrase, and creation of a 12 hour "daytime," and expecting to get to ages or any expansive interpretation without a specific cue within the text. Most poetic idioms use some type of simile or parallel references that show an expansive, metaphorical use. THat is missing here.

That is why "this is my body" is somewhat unique in its demands upon the reader and troublesome to some YECs. There isn't a cue to a simile or anaology.

In 1 Chronicles 4: 41 is made the reference to the "days of Hezekiah" a period much longer than 24 hours. The concept is the same as the word "run" in English. It can refer to: running to the store; running for political office and saying the refrigerator is running. Three different meanings for the same word.

 

[shernren]

I'd actually agree that within the Creation account a day really is "a day", and not an indefinite period of time; in the same way that in the fable of Goldilocks and the Three Bears the bears were really bears, and not panda bears or teddy bears or bugbears or any other sort of bear. The real question is not how the days are defined within the story, but how the story itself is defined in relation to the rest of theology and science.

 

[Assyrian]

The thing is, in the bible evening marks the start of a new day. In the Genesis story the six days, (there was evening and morning an x[sup]th[/sup] day), only begin at the end of each period of creation. We are not told how long the creation periods before each of the days were, though before the evening and morning of 'one day' we already had at least one day and night. Before the evening marks the beginning of 'a third day' we have the earth producing vegetation and trees growing and producing fruit. Again this takes time. Before 'a fourth day' began we have lights in the sky marking out seasons, day and years.

Gen 1 lists six numbered days but mentions other days in the text too. Genesis never says the creation took place in only six days.

 

[busterdog]

I'd actually agree that within the Creation account a day really is "a day", and not an indefinite period of time; in the same way that in the fable of Goldilocks and the Three Bears the bears were really bears, and not panda bears or teddy bears or bugbears or any other sort of bear. The real question is not how the days are defined within the story, but how the story itself is defined in relation to the rest of theology and science.

Your just agreeing that so I haven less to argue about! And you know I am not going to touch Goldilocks.

 

[busterdog]

The thing is, in the bible evening marks the start of a new day. In the Genesis story the six days, (there was evening and morning an x[sup]th[/sup] day), only begin at the end of each period of creation. We are not told how long the creation periods before each of the days were, though before the evening and morning of 'one day' we already had at least one day and night. Before the evening marks the beginning of 'a third day' we have the earth producing vegetation and trees growing and producing fruit. Again this takes time. Before 'a fourth day' began we have lights in the sky marking out seasons, day and years.

Gen 1 lists six numbered days but mentions other days in the text too. Genesis never says the creation took place in only six days.

Its funny how hard it is to argue against you on this. Maybe God Himself is laughing at our frustration.

OK, how about Exod. 20?

Exd 20:11
For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Are you suggesting that the Lord broke the sabbath by working for more than six days in a row.

 

[ElOne]

I'd actually agree that within the Creation account a day really is "a day", and not an indefinite period of time; in the same way that in the fable of Goldilocks and the Three Bears the bears were really bears, and not panda bears or teddy bears or bugbears or any other sort of bear. The real question is not how the days are defined within the story, but how the story itself is defined in relation to the rest of theology and science.

Happy Birthday Shernren!
One of the messages that I get from the Creation story is that God is light. He brought it into existence. Light is energy (heat). Energy (heat) does work. Light is also life, without it, there could be no life on Earth. Light comes in two forms: as a particle and as a wave. Your microwave oven "cooks" with wave light. It is beyond the ability of our eyes to see it, but it is there. If you listen to your microwave when it is cooking, the magnatron, which form the waves goes on and off. If it didnt the "cooking" process would be too intense and burning would result. The magnatron emits waves and stops, emits more and stops throughout the cooking cycle. Even during this "stoppd" cycle, these waves are being absorbed by whatever is in the microwave. As the absorption diminishes, the magnatron emits more waves. So even during the "stopped" cycle, work is being performed. That is how I envision, how God, controlled the intensity of his "Creative" energy. And when he created the sun, he created a "warming" cycle to nurture his creation. The story of the Bible is really the same way. He created the Earth and Adam and Eve (on). The Lord rests on the 7th day (off). During this creation process the Gaden of Eden is created (on). Satan messes up the original plan (off). The Lord makes a covenant with Abram (Abraham) (on). Joseph is sold into slavery to the Egyptians (off). Joseph does well in Egypt (on). A new king comes to power in Egypt and abuses the Hebrews (off). The Lord comes to the aid of the Hebrews and leads them out of Egypt (on). They seem trapped by the red (or Reed) Sea (off). The Lord, through Moses, spreads the waters for the Hebrew liberation and dessimates the Egyptian Army (on). The entire Exodus is full of smaller stories where the Lord tried, by isolating the Hebrews in the desert for forty years, to gain the confidence of the Hebrews (on) and they continually kept rejecting his love and guidance (off). All the Prophets (on). All the times the Hebrews worshipped foreign idols and married pagans (off). The Hebrews get their own land (on). They still keep doing evil in God's eyes (off). The Lord asks if they would rather be ruled by Him or a king (on). They choose a king (off). He gives them Saul and David (on??) Successive kings are much much worse (off). Because man said he would rather be ruled by a king the Lord brings Jesus into being (on). The Hebrews reject him (off). Jesus recruits his Disciples (on). Jesus is murdered (off). Jesus is ressurected and bestows the Holy Spirit on His disciples (on). Except for a few congregations, the message of "Faith" in the Lord God and Jesus is pretty much rejected and the Earth enters into the Dark Ages (off). Faith is renewed and the Renaissance blooms (on). The industriousness (?) of the Renaissance is turned toward mass murder (creation of bombs, machineguns, biological and chemical weapons resulting in th death of millions and millions of innocent people) (off). Which brings us to this "day", meaning this "era" of Spiritual rebirth of Faith, Hope, and Longing for God's rule through King Jesus.
1 Cor. 3: 2 says, " I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready." (NIV)
The one thing everyone who has read the Bible can agree upon is that it is a very complex work, written in simple terms. The simplicity is the milk, the complexity is the solid food.
Hebrews 5: 14 "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (NIV)

To me, these scriptures are saying, accept the teachings of Jesus, live them, breathe them, be them, to the best of your ability. Once you are one with them, as Jesus was one with "the Father"; dig deeper into them to better understand the complexities of the message. This is the solid food. To me it is like learning math. First you learn what numbers are, then to add, subtract, multiply and divide. Once you understand that, you move onto algebra, where the complexities of life are put into an equation ("love thy neighbor as thyself"). This is where math and the Lord's word can be of use in life. This is the first step, in my opinion, to true maturity. Where, when this concept is truly understood, the whole message of the Lord's word can be understood. (on).
I hope you had a wonderful birthday.

 

[Assyrian]

Its funny how hard it is to argue against you on this. Maybe God Himself is laughing at our frustration.

OK, how about Exod. 20?

Exd 20:11
For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Are you suggesting that the Lord broke the sabbath by working for more than six days in a row.

That is what Jesus suggested when the Jews accused him of the same thing. John 5:16 And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.
17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I am working."
According to Jesus God never stopped working. He didn't seem to take a very literal view of God resting after the six day creation, did he?

Exodus 20:11 is interesting in the context of the structure of Genesis. In Genesis all the work of creation is done before each of the six days begin. Exodus says God made the world in six days. That is, during each of the days itself.

The only way they fit is if the days in Exodus refer not just to each numbered day but to the period of creation that went on before each of the days as well. In other word the six days in Exodus refer to the longer periods than 24 hours.

Otherwise they simply do not match up. The other way to read it is that the days in Genesis simply do not match Hebrew calandar days. Remember the Hebrew calendar day began in the evening. Lev 23:32 from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath. And according to both Genesis and Exodus, the Sabbath was holy because God rested on the seventh day of creation and made the day holy. If the Genesis days do not fit Hebrew calandar days then they are probably not mean to be understood as calendar days.

 

[shernren]

Your just agreeing that so I haven less to argue about! And you know I am not going to touch Goldilocks.

Every once in a while, when the planets are aligned and the stars twinkle extra bright and the full moon hangs low in the sky and bin Laden takes a break from plotting world domination, two Christians will read the same passage of the Bible from utterly different viewpoints and actually find something they agree on!

Utterly amazing. No natural explanation. After all, just because they're both seeking truth, and doing it within the exact same book, and often looking at the exact same passage, doesn't mean they actually ever have to agree on anything, right?