A Day is a Day

      The Hebrew word “yom” translated “day” in English, can be used much like our word day.  It can mean one 24 hour period or you can say “back in the day” and mean a time period in the past, or you can say “in the days of Solomon” and mean a specific time frame.  Yom is a versatile word, but in Genesis chapter 1, God makes the understanding of the word very clear.  When ever the word  “yom” is used in the Bible in conjunction with a number like, day 1 or day 2 it means one 24 hour time period.   When ever the word “yom” is used in the Bible in conjunction with, “and there was evening and there was morning” it means one 24 hour time period.  God made it idiot proof.  Unfortunately, even though God made Genesis 1 idiot proof, people still insist on interpreting Genesis 1 to fit there own theoretical notions, ideas, flights of fancy, theology, etc.

             In Genesis 1, Yom means one day.  Such a simple straight forward word should not be over interpreted by adding in the fallible theoretical or presumptive thoughts of man.  I clearly understand that there are numerous theistic theories expressing “what God really meant” when he said he created everything in 6 days.  You have the day age theory, the gap theory, and theistic evolution theory, among others.  The problem I have is that all of these theories put fallible man’s theories before the clear straight forward written Word of God.  This is clearly secular humanist and evolutionist theology.  They believe that man is the apex of all things, so they have the right to question everything, including the Word of God.  Any man that presumes to tell others, “what God really meant was…” is lifting himself or herself above God’s inspired, infallible, inerrant Word.  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16).  This verse has no regard for the interpretations of fallible, sinful man.  “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6).  Regardless of how good, smart or righteous we feel, the truth is that I and everyone else are, comparatively speaking, stupid, unrighteous simpletons in comparison to God.  God’s inspired Word should not be interpreted to comply with man’s theories.  “For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Mathew 5:18).  We just don’t have the right or intellect to tamper with His Word.

             God created everything in 6 days a little over 6,000 years ago.  Trying to cram long periods of time into Genesis 1 just cheapens God's amazing creative power and sets man's ideas above the clear description of our origin written in the Bible.  If you can't believe the very clear simple explanation God gave for creation, how can you believe anything else in the Bible? How can you believe in the 10 commandments, which clearly states, 6 days of creation and a day of rest?  How can you believe Jesus who quotes from the Old Testament?   He believed in the 10 Commandments, Noah and the Ark, Jonah and the fish.  Jesus clearly taught that Adam was a real person who committed the first sin that condemned all of us to a sinful nature and an eventual hell bound death.  If Adam is a myth or allegory, I believe Jesus would have alluded to that.  He didn’t.  He believed Adam was the first sinner and Adam condemned us all.  He believed in and quoted from the book of Genesis.  If we fail to believe what Jesus believed, then we are putting man’s thoughts and theories above Gods Word.  We lift up man as our God.  We become idolaters.  

            Well, I believe God and His clear description of the origin of everything, and take Him at His Word, and I always will.  “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)  Jesus is my creator God, the Lord and origin of everything, and through His grace, my savior.