God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:3-5, reveals that God’s first act of creation was one of willing light into a space of darkness. Easy peasy, right?
God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning–the first day.
And here is where debate begins! People who love God, worship Him and faithfully serve His church can’t agree about whether the story of creation literally took place in 6 days or if the biblical term ”day” represents a geological period of time. People on both sides of the controversy honestly seek to understand the Scriptures and to understand the mind and will of God. They attempt to reconcile what is scientifically known with what they know of God.
Do I believe the creation story took place in six literal days? I believe God could. Do I believe He did? Read on.
First, I believe that when studying Scripture, there are times we must throw our hands up in the air and say, “We cannot know for certain. God’s ways are different than ours. Our minds are limited.” And I’m ok with doing that. I believe that it’s ok to wrestle with the narrative and it’s also ok to trust it.
Oh, I wrestle quite often but I can trust the story because I know who was present at the beginning. I know who holds every answer. I know the One who is Truth. What I can only see dimly now will be understood in whole—one day.
I have surmised that the six days of creation could not have been based upon solar days because the sun and moon were not even created until day 4. God’s workdays are His days. He defines a day.
The lesson to be gained is that while reading through Scripture, our filter must be with openness to see from God’s perspective, not man’s. In other words, we must remain teachable.
The book of Genesis is the Creator’s description. It’s His story. His way. His timeframe.
Questions to ponder:
Can I ask questions of the narrative without insisting upon answers?
Can I let go and trust God’s story?
Can I focus on what is to be learned about God and His attributes?
debponders 