I have a question that I have never heard an answer to. I'm wondering if someone here can give an actual answer to this:
God is all-powerful and all-knowing. God can create anything with the snap of his finger. Why did it take him 6 days to create the earth? (I could break this down day-to-day but I'm assuming anyone reading this is familiar with the passage in the bible on it)
Why did he need to rest on the seventh day?
Seems like creating the earth would be something that could be done on a lunch break for someone all-knowing and all-powerful. A week's work and a whole day to rest afterward??
Does anyone know of an actual answer to this?
Saint Nick
Originally posted by Saint NickWhile we're debating Biblical time scales,
I have a question that I have never heard an answer to. I'm wondering if someone here can give an actual answer to this:
God is all-powerful and all-knowing. God can create anything with the snap of his finger. Why did it take him 6 ...[text shortened]... rd??
Does anyone know of an actual answer to this?
Saint Nick
do people really believe that some of the
characters lived to be several hundred
years old, in years as we know them today?
The evidence to the contrary is that lifespans
have generally been increasing in modern
times, due in large part to advances in
medical and scientific knowledge. Was there
some event long ago, before which people
had much longer life spans, but after which,
people only lived for a few decades? If there
was no such event, how do you account for
the discrepency in average life spans?
Dr. Cribs
Originally posted by Saint NickI have a couple of thoughts about your question. To me the creation account is evolutionary in its progression. The number of days is really not important except for the 7th in which God rested and that is only to remind us of the importance of this need. It is very possible that God has no idea what he is doing. You say, "well of course he did" but isn't mankind fundamentally flawed as well as wondrous?"
I have a question that I have never heard an answer to. I'm wondering if someone here can give an actual answer to this:
God is all-powerful and all-knowing. God can create anything with the snap of his finger. Why did it take him 6 days to create the earth? (I could break this down day-to-day but I'm assuming anyone reading this is familiar with the ...[text shortened]... nd a whole day to rest afterward??
Does anyone know of an actual answer to this?
Saint Nick
Originally posted by CribsI think that a very lengthy life was simply their way of saying "this person was blessed by God" and that is all. I don't take the number of years literally as they may not have known what a year even was in those days.
While we're debating Biblical time scales,
do people really believe that some of the
characters lived to be several hundred
years old, in years as we know them today?
The evidence to the contrary is that lifespans
have generally been increasing in modern
times, due in large part to advances in
medical and scientific knowledge. Was there
some eve ...[text shortened]...
was no such event, how do you account for
the discrepency in average life spans?
Dr. Cribs
Originally posted by kirksey957By my reckoning, Noah lived to be 969. I wouldn't take that literally, but I also don't see how being forced into a massive conservation project against one's will constitutes being blessed.
I think that a very lengthy life was simply their way of saying "this person was blessed by God" and that is all. I don't take the number of years literally as they may not have known what a year even was in those days.
I think you guys kinda missed the point here...
I'm not so interested in why he rested but why would he NEED to rest. Why did it take him so long to create the earth? If he is as knowledgable and powerful as the bible proclaims, why did it even take him more than twenty minutes to create the earth?
Years could be seen as a man-made unit of measure (one year could have been 10 cycles of the seasons at one point in time). A day has a more definte measure and has not varied over time. Which still begs the 7 day question....
Originally posted by Saint NickMuch of what God did in the O.T. was done as a pattern for us.
I think you guys kinda missed the point here...
I'm not so interested in why he rested but why would he NEED to rest. Why did it take him so long to create the earth? If he is as knowledgable and powerful as the bible proclaims, why did it even take him more than twenty minutes to create the earth?
Years could be seen as a man-made unit of measure ...[text shortened]... as a more definte measure and has not varied over time. Which still begs the 7 day question....
Our 7th day rest was a result of the pattern of God working.
The need for God to rest isn't there, as he never tires.
Originally posted by KellyJaySo, you're saying that he budgeted his time as a means to set an example for us.
Much of what God did in the O.T. was done as a pattern for us.
Our 7th day rest was a result of the pattern of God working.
The need for God to rest isn't there, as he never tires.
The story of creation could be an allegory for our work week. 😵
Is that the correct interpretation of your post?
well considering the earth is 4.5 billion years old, he certainly took his time evolving us.
And seeing what great beings we are (that's sarcasm by the way), it looks like he should have spent another couple of billion perfecting us before dropping us on the planet like something out a camel's arse.
4.5 billion. That's 4.500.000.000 years.
Probably give or take a few months here and there.
Humans in one form or another have been around for nearly 2.000.000 years or so. But back then we were probably more like little fluffy rodents than up-right walking ego-centrists.
So, I guess you could say that the universe was created on day one, the earth on day two, basic life on day 3, aquatic multi-celled life on day 4, land based life on 5, the humans in the last minutes of day 6.
And that God needed day 7 to ponder his blooper.
Well here is my explanation, as god lives forever, and a day to us is governed by the world turning to face the sun, Gods day is longer not sure in human terms its lenght, (but a million years = a day ) so god said to man in his life 6 days you shall work but the 7th you shall rest as he made it holy, But please try to understand time maybe scaled down according to mans life in years and seasons.
Originally posted by KellyJayGod of course operates in "Earth days."
Much of what God did in the O.T. was done as a pattern for us.
Our 7th day rest was a result of the pattern of God working.
The need for God to rest isn't there, as he never tires.
Funny. Let's revisit Genesis 1 via www.biblegateway.com.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was[1] on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." Gen 1:1-5
Huh? Where was this light coming from (not to mention the waters)? And how exactly is God measuring a day here? I mean how could this light and darkness some how mark a Earth day? And "evening" and "morning" in what sense? I guess he knows precisely how long it will take the future earth to rotate once on its axis. Perhaps he has a stopwatch? Of course then one has to wonder which day he used since morning and evening have different lengths on earth depending on the date and location on the earth.
Of course there is always the more reasonable alternative. Hebrews constructed this myth about 6000 years ago.
Well, I guess that's what it comes down to:
Either god intentionally took his time to set an example for us
or it's just complete fiction.
While the idea of setting an example seems sensible, but woudn't really hold up since there was no one here to set an example for or to record it.
If that is the best Christian answer, I would still favor the view of it being fiction.
Guess that's it.
Saint Nick, I like this question...it is one I have never heard before. As I have no answer...I have a comments and opinions....
Do you realize there are actually two creation stories?
The first is the more "modern" and comes out of a priestly tradition. The structure is liturgical and orderly. It is also an almost point by point refution of the Babylonian creation story. God said, something happens and then God says that it is good. The point, IMO is that all creation is good and that all that exsist is the creation of God. And, of course, that our God is God.
The second story which follows the "first" story is actually older, a fireside folk story. This God is very hands on, this is the God that plants with his own hands a garden and with those hands also makes of earth and water a man into whose nostrils he breathes life. A man who is then placed into the garden. IMO, the point is that God is the creator and that the breath of God is the life of man (and woman).
Personally, in reading the history of a people's understanding of God, it might be better to look for poetic truth rather than literal truth. And, it is also interesting to think about who is telling the story and for what purpose? What is the question facing the writer?
As for the day thing...maybe God likes process, maybe God was in the mood to play when God began to create.....
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I'm aware of the two theories. I think the question can apply to either one, but was directed at the first theory (God said..).
I was also looking at the literal interpretation. Don't want to go spinning off in the literal/allegory debate, but creation is presented as fact in the bible and to people studying the bible. Therefore, I was analyzing it as a factual story.
Any other thoughts?