Posted on 02/05/2002 9:04:00 PM PST by Sabertooth
I believe your problem is you are taking it, AND trying to make it, too literal. It is not sequential, nor exclusively literal. It is poetic.
Well it's good to keep trying anyways!
Because some folks are extremely literal. Later on in the Bible it says something akin to the span of a man's life is but a blink of an eye to God.
You misunderstand... this is exactly how I take it. Poetic and allegorical. And true within that context. The purpose of the question at the end of the post:
Why does the word "day" in Genesis 1 have to mean a literal 24-hour period?
was to pose a challenge to the literalists.
And you're saying that God couldn't manage that?
' II Peter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Make sure you read the whole passage here.
Notice there is not one reference to Creation in that 1000 year phrase, it is connected to the mercy of God and His unwillingness for us to perish but to come to repentence. To use the 1000 year reference outside this is in error, the 1000 year= a Day reference was spoken about God's mercy toward us.
I don't believe Rashi is wrong. Clearly Gen 1:2 reveals that the waters were created before the Heavens and the Earth as described in Gen 1:1. So when it says "In the beginning God Created the Heavens and the Earth" we find out in Gen 1:2 that he had already created the water before the "beginning". You just can't read it to be sequential.
Nor do must evoluntionists who study the matter. Rather they believer that men and apes are branches of the same limb, as it were, of the tree of life. That is that apes, at least the great apes, and men (naked apes?) have a common ancestor, but are not lineal decendents one of the other. Kind of like cousins with common grandparents, a poor analogy perhaps.
Genesis 1:11 is what i posted, I thought you would recognize that it is cut and pasted from the top of the screen from Genesis 1
Since the Bible does not teach that, it is wrong, that is what I am saying. Look up what i wrote to Cheney Chick on the 1000 year misunderstanding many people have.
No, the Heavens and the Earth created together only shows waters were created with the Earth. Notice it says the FACE OF THE DEEP. Deep What? That refers to water, and so does the mentioning of the Spirit on the waters.
When we read further, we read in verse
6: And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. ...That clearly implies the waters were already there as mentioned in verse 2 previously.
Everytime we examine this, water was already there, it is in the description in verse 2, it is in verse 6, water, water all around. I think you should see it now.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
Both verses show that Water was already there, it is in the clear language of the verse, water already existed, it was not created in the order you assumed.
MM
As I read it, a day means one period of sunlight and one period without. I suppose that is the same as 24 hours by our standards.
Gen 1:1 says "In the beginning", it does not say "At first". Thus we know right away that this is a story of the events, but not necessarily in the order in which they appear, nor do they completely detail all of His works.
So what should be interpreted is that "In the beginning" really means is that "In the beginning of God's creating", but not necessarily in the order.
Additionally, the Hebrew word for "heavens" is a compound word of "Fire" and "Water" -- which also indicates that fire and water pre-existed Heaven and earth.
In my father's day a lot of things were different. How does the same word apply to Genesis 1? I can't tell you for sure and I'm not sure anyone can. Could the word actually have had duel meaning in it's day, which isn't recognized today? I don't know. Perhaps others do.
There are certain conflicts within the Bible. Those that want to use those conflicts to discredit it will. Those who wish to accept the Bible on faith will have their questions answered eventually, if their faith is justified.
I have accepted the literal meaning (in my estimation) of Genesis 1 and 2. I have done so because I was raised a believer of the Seventh-Day Sabbath. That Sabbath as been celebrated for something like four thousand years if I remember correctly. I have accepted the observance on faith because we are admonished to do so in Exodus 20:3-17. Others will tell you that this observance was abolished at the cross. I don't buy into that.
God blessed and sanctified the seventh day. And when I observe the Sabbath as I have explained it, it seems to be very rewarding. Can't explain it. I feel blessed for having done so.
Hey, this is my perception. I'm sure you'll hear many others.
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