Dr. Gott states in the Aug. 11 Daily Press, that, "when the Bible tells us that the earth was created in six days, I do not believe that the text means six 24 hour periods. Rather, I choose to interpret the word 'days' as eras of unspecified length." He gives no explanation as to why he believes such. Paul said that our "faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (I Cor. 2:5).
When did the full 24 hour day begin? If the first six days was long "eras" of time, when did it change? Did it suddenly change on day seven? The first reference to the word "day" is in Gen. 1:5, where it is used in two different senses. (1) To indicate a portion of a twenty-four period while light prevails. (2) The whole of the twenty-four hours. "And God called the light Day, and the darkness Night. And the evening and morning were the first day." Does that sound familiar? Note: "Jesus answered, Are there twelve hours in a day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light..."(John 11:9-10). If God had wanted to describe a twenty-four day in Gen. 1:5, what better way could he describe it?
"And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: and he made the stars also. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day" (Gen. 1:14,16, 19).
"Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. Six days shall thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." Then the Lord gave the reason they were to observe the Sabbath day. "For in six days the Lord made the 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" (Ex. 20:8-11). The Hebrews were to pattern their week after the creation week. The same terminology is used for both weeks. Did they work six vast "eras of unspecified length," and then rest one vast "era of unspecified length?"
Dr. Gott is trying to hold to the Bible on one hand and to the atheistic view of evolution with the other. But we read in Gen. 1:27 that "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." No one can accept at the same time the theory of evolution and the Bible record of creation. God did not create something that became man. He created man. He did not create something which through the evolutionary process became female. He created Eve as female. Adam and Eve were created on the sixth day. The Lord, in Matt. 19:4, refers to the origin of Adam and Eve as being included in "the beginning." Then in Mark 10:6 we read where this "beginning" was "the creation."
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God..."(II Tim.3:16). "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost"(II Pet.1:21). For one to reject the creation as recorded in the Bible, is to reject the word that "shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48).
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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