The other day Abarim Publications received a message from Angry Dave. He had become angry after reading our article on the word yom, meaning ‘day’ as used all over the Bible but most troublesome in Genesis 1. There it reads that it took God six yoms to create the heavens and the earth. Since mainstream science insists that the universe is 15 billion years old, throngs of eager Bible bashers have made it their mission to use Genesis 1 as proof that the Bible is flawed. Scripture Theorists and Christians alike became nervous, or should have, because when God launches the Ten Commandments, He claims His authority by stating that He’s the one who’s created everything in six days. If that’s not true then the Ten Commandments are folly, and ultimately Christ’s fulfillment of the law the ultimate joke.
A close look at Genesis 1, however, shows no reason to insist that the word yom must mean 24 hours. Dave thinks it does, and now he’s angry.
When I received Dave’s email, I had just come off work. I was tired and I gave Dave a short and little forgiving answer. I regret that now.
Dave, there are different models to believe in, and these models may not always be the same, or even comparable. People like to think that the scientific model consists of absolute truth, but no, even the scientific model is just a tool, and accepting it requires faith just as much as accepting the Biblical model. I can guarantee you that some day the scientific model and the Biblical model will be found at odds. I’m even predicting that science itself will one day conclude that the Bible is more true than science. But that day hasn’t yet come.
But to be sure, Genesis 1 without a doubt states that God created everything in six days, and that’s it then. And science figured out that the universe is 15 billion years old, and that’s that then. We can accept these figures as different, if we so chose, but we can also allow one account to explain the other, if we so chose, just to see what would happen when we do.
What I’m saying is that if you feel most comfortable believing that God made everything in six days, then you should go right ahead and worship God in spirit and truth. And just as you should be able to count on other people giving you the right to accept any model you chose, so should you allow people like me their own perspective. In the end, it only counts whether we believe in Christ or not. When you and I stand in front of His throne, I’d like to say to Him that you and I agreed that it took God six yoms, but that we would like to hear from Him what that word yom might mean, and how that relates to the scientific story.
Deal?
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