This Article: (5 Pages)
- 1. A new look at creation.
- 2. An ongoing making of the World... (day to day)
- 3. Why and how we make things
- 4. Why Six Days? Why Six Thousand Years?
- 5. Evidence the God of Israel called on
4) Why Six Days? Why Six Thousand Years?
If we look about at the diversity we see, we may ponder that if the angelic host were delegated to make it all, it might have taken some time. We can only speculate. It is ancient history. It's as useless as wondering why a president was assassinated without the one who did it explaining their motives. It was history, it happened and we might never know why. But we know why six days was chosen.
The six days is having an effect now. Most of the world has a seven day week. In addition there is a reason given for six days and a seventh one of rest and joy,
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 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. (Exodus 20:10-11)
There is no room to move on understanding what is meant by a day here, and how long six days was. Israel acted out the creation pattern (at full scale) every week. For reasons known by the Mighty One of Israel, and the choices made at creation, he decided it was good for humans to labour for six days and rest for one. Not only did he ask that humans rest but that all living, breathing domesticated creatures (that laboured) also rested.
A day is defined as a 24 hour day by no less than God, and today you also keep a seven day week. There is a pattern of seven in terms of years but that is never related to creation. After every seven years there was to be a Sabbath rest of the land for the poor. After seven lots of seven years there was a jubilee of joy in returning to lost inheritances. All these contributed to defining the social values associated with 'rest' of equity and good to the poor.
To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. (Isaiah 28:12)
The most that a day may be stretched to is a thousand years.
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night. (Psa 90:4 cp 2 Peter 3:8 'a day as a 1,000 years' )
In terms of what the Creator did each day, a thousand years is too long for each irreducible complex interconnected part to survive. A day is long enough. However there is a point in matching each 24 hour day to a 1,000 years of history, and establishing that a “rest” swill occur after 6,000 years of human history, in the seventh 1,000 year era.
The significance of the 7th day of rest to the future seems to be well known by Jews and was drawn out by Paul,
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus (Joshua see context) had given them rest (when the Israelites entered the land), then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. (Hebrews 4:3-11)
In other words such is the great significance of the idea of rest, that we know it is designed to make us hope for and desire a time of equity.
The two most challenged ideas of the Genesis record are the six days and the short lapse of time since of about 6,000 years. The literal nature of the six days is confirmed in the Jewish law, where the language gives no room to move on it. The Mighty One of Israel said he created all in six days and they are the same six days Israel observed and the same that we keep now. The six thousand years or so also has the most reliable confirmation there is. Of all source documents, a genealogy with corresponding history and internal checks and detailed time-lines is the most reliable of all. No expertise is needed other than patience and anyone can check the Bible's chronology. The problem with human ideas of how long ago things occurred is that they were not there, they have no evidence of uniformity, and like a forensic team on a very cold case, they are making lots of assumptions.
The Bible says when the work began the earth was without form and void. What it was before that we don't know. The stars (a term including planets) were then set in place for times and seasons. If the planest and sun were moved we wouldn't know. And in any case the universe is a puzzle (full stop). It was a long time ago, except for written text close to the time, everything is an educated guess.
Just as you or I might chose to make something, according to our will, as we see fit, so the great designer and sustainer of all life chose to do the work in six days. The day of rest turns out to have deep significance, especially to those on the eve of the end of 6,000 years of recorded history (based on the Bible chronology), in terms of a 7th 1,000 year era of rest.
Who do you believe?
If modern man's highest authority is himself, why does he make other modern men more important than himself and believe what they think? And why make those who 'think' more important than those who make things? And then we consider that the most remarkable man who walked the earth, was someone who made things, and was not known as a thinker. His message was often about doing. In the end those who make things and do things have greater impact on the world.
Often mere theorists who cannot test their theories are proven wrong. Some ancient Greeks made the mistake of venerating thinkers and it resulted mistaken directions in human thought that dominated for over 1,000 years. The ones who 'think' admit they can't explain many things, and often pose more questions than they can answer. They can't explain why there is current force in the universe doing things in in the atmosphere and space now. There is still no explanation for the ordered movement of clouds, or what generates lightning.
As such a great ordered force exists, the amount of specific order indicates intelligence greater than humans have. As this force-energy-power is able to do things we cannot, it is not unreasonable that this great Power told us what was done to make the things we see?
Ongoing current action as a result of miracle
This account in the Bible means what it says, as it is a simple communication. It is seen as literal in subsequent genealogies. It is attached as a few pages to a large book full of eye-witness attested miracles, some of the most remarkable being attached to the events surrounding Israel coming out of Egypt as a nation, with a law of unsurpassed brilliance.
If Israel's history is not as they wrote it, then they have no history at all. Also they projected their fate into the future as prophecy, with a series of miracles in the modern world fulfilling what was written over 2,000 years ago. The most astounding prediction, is one that can't be denied. It is in the same set of books as the account of creation.
And among these nations shall thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: (Deuteronomy 28:65)
Among the nations Jews always had to move due to persecution for nearly 2,000 years. But in the order of the prophecy there is more,
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shall call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God has driven thee, And shall return unto the LORD thy God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God has scattered thee. (Deut. 30:1-3)
As in the question of origins, the issues that affect the lives of people of the world are about ongoing day-to-day consequences of those miracles in the modern world. The most remarkable evidence for the account of Genesis being reasonable, is that it is attached to a series of books which include prophecy literally fulfilled in detail in the modern world by a nation which makes it to the news most nights.
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It has been in my heart to write about an observation regarding the movement in the heavens : weather, climate, sun and universe. It concerns me that people do not give the God of the Bible the glory for His gift of life, moment to moment, and the giving of rain and sun.
Three times in the Bible we are introduced to the creation of the heavens and earth. The first instance is in Genesis, the second is by the prophet Isaiah and the third is in Revelation.
Recent findings suggest once again that science reveals how much is not known. Venus was found to have a longer day than was measured by the Magellan in the early 1990's: a noticeably and significantly longer day. The motion in the universe might be more quixotic than many had thought.
