Mmmm....interpretations: An explanation or conceptualization by a critic of a work of literature, painting, music, or other art form; an exegesis.
One person says, God created the world in six days, meaning a 24 hour rotation of the planet, allowing the earth to be only 6000 years old.
Another quotes Peter and says "a day is as 1000 years and 1000 years as a day." When we bring our understanding to the words in the Bible. We come from a perspective rooted in time and space. God is in no way shape or form rooted in time and space. Jesus said, "God is Spirit, and they that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth." Even when Jesus walked this planet He spoke of speaking with Abraham in one breath, and the next He spoke of the end of time. Each event described in a first person point of view with no recognition of that event's place in a specific time. Why doesn't inform his disciples when he is speaking of the past, the future or event that took place in the heavenly realms? He wants to push their understanding of who they are sinful humans to what He is calling them to be. Which is, broken, sinful people, who serve a God with no limitations of time, space, physical or spiritual boundaries. i.e., "Where were you when the sons of God shouted for glory?" God questions Job...and where was I? and where were you? Is this event before the creation of the physical universe, during it???...
So now, we look at Genesis, and some Christians say there is only one way to interpret the events there...I would say there are many ways to interpret those events and many meanings in them, and further more; deep and profound mysteries that we have not yet begun to scratch the surface of.
For example, Genesis 1:2 "The earth was without form and void," If there is no earth to rotate as of yet, how is a 24 hour period notated? Does God really care at this point in history if it takes him 24 hours or 2 millions years to roll this beautiful blue planet into shape? Why does an extended definition of a day shake so many Christians faith/confidence in the Bible? If the definition of the word DAY is so vitally important in this topic, then how is it defined in Hebrew? The problem with the english language is that there is no room for nuance of meaning (I love pizza, I love my family, you get the idea). However, in Hebrew Day=Yom can be defined to mean afternoon, age, all the years, always, completely, course of time, days, forever, forevermore, full year, future, life, lifetime, perpetually, years, yesterday, period.
Now, these definitions apply depending on the context. And the context in the beginning of Genesis is of vital importance.
"So, God called the light Day=Yom and the Darkness he called Night(look up the Hebrew on Night if you are so inclined). So the evening and the morning were the first day=yom."(Again, yom but clearly a different meaning from the first use). Genesis 1:5
Many would say, "Oh that's simple the sun rises and sets, and that's the first day=24 hour period. Next verse, this stuff is boring." I don't think that is what is being said in verse 5. God is painting a clear picture of His hand moving not just in the formation of our world, but this universe. In the Big Bang, the essential forces of the universe were present and released. Gravity, Light, Radiation, Weak and Strong Nuclear Forces, I can't remember them all...watch the Discovery Channel for the rest:bunny:. And this light was placed by His hand throughout the universe, including our Sun. One star among trillions in a galaxy among billions. "God called the Light Day," What does Day=Yom mean here? Honestly, Im not sure, but I am positive it does not mean a 24 hour period. verse 4,"God divided the light from the darkness," There is so much here, this is a picture of God moving his Hand through the universe via his son, Jesus (see John 1), and creating the beauty we see through the Hubble telescope. verse 5 "So the evening and the morning were the first day=yom: lifetime, length, all the years, age, battle, forever, forevermore, first, yesterday, future, everyday, fate, eternity!!!"
The problem is not with astronomy, anthropolgy, archaeology and the Bible being in conflict. They are not! The problem is we as Christians have decided we completely understand God and His word. Some guys read the first part of Genesis many years ago (by some guys I mean Christians in the late 19th and early 20th century) and said this is what it means. This was an attempt to merge the Bible with the new developments in the sciences of astronomy and archaeology. The problem here is English, French, and German are NOT Hebrew. If you say the Bible is the final and ultimate authority on life, the laws of nature, the laws of the universe and the laws of the spiritual world beyond this life, THEN let the BIBLE and the GOD who wrote it be that authority, and not some fallable, sinful man (which we ALL are).
Get in the Bible, when you read it. Put down the commentaries, forget what Pastor Such and Such, and Bishop whathisname said, and work it out for yourself.
Sympathize with the people in the Bible, ask what is was like to be in their shoes, walk where they walked, saw what they saw and do what they did. All the joy and beauty you could ever want is in those pages...in the very spaces between the words of that Book you can find God.
If you doubt me, ask your Pastor or whoever you think is a spiritual big shot, what verse Genesis verse 1:2 means, "And the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters."
If the answer they give you, doesn't make your jaw hit the floor, and everything inside you says, "Yes, this is truth, without a doubt," then take the same question to God. Pray about it, think about it, get quiet and ask God to speak to you about it. I guarantee what God will show you, and only you, through His word will carry you for a lifetime, a day, a forevermore, an age, a yesterday, a future, an eternity, a fate, a hope, your beginning and your end with Him.
ISAIAH 41:10,13
10. Fear thou not; for I AM with thee: be not dismayed; for I AM thy GOD: I will strengthen thee; Yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. 13. For I the LORD thy GOD will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, fear NOT, I WILL HELP YOU!!!
I think a good place to start with this question is the beginning...let's say life started on this planet from a single celled organism. The main problem is the planet is here with all its elements, and they are inorganic. THEN, Pow! we have organic material. Where did this organic material come from? What is the medium of transformation from mud to the 250 proteins required to make the simplest forms of life? Where did all this genetic material/information come from??? It is essentially information and the complexity of it, is staggering. If you have more questions, and you want to hear from a qualified scientist, and not some random talkinghead on the internet.
Check out Ben Stein's documentary: "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed"...I have never heard this debate outlined in such clear terms, with such poignant and articulate answers. Honesty on both sides will reveal the truth. Scientists should let the data and facts speak for themselves, and the facts of molecular biology are screaming that an intelligence far beyond our own has set life on this planet in motion.
