I used to think that the main reason why we are told in the opening chapters of Genesis that God created the world in six days was to be able to contradict the evolutionist's claim that it happened over billions of years. In retrospect, however, it seems a tad anachronistic to think that Moses could have been polemicizing against a theory that wasn't developed until over 3,000 years later! While Moses was indeed polemicizing (not plagiarizing!) against other Ancient Near Eastern creation myths, it is his masterful way of narrating the creation account that draws our attention.
I would like to briefly discuss the literary aspects of the opening chapters of Genesis. If one focuses solely on the chronological details of Genesis 1, they may miss what I think is one of Moses' main points in his six day outline.
For example, the first three days of creation describe the creation of light & darkness, waters & sky, and earth & vegetation, respectively.
I would like to briefly discuss the literary aspects of the opening chapters of Genesis. If one focuses solely on the chronological details of Genesis 1, they may miss what I think is one of Moses' main points in his six day outline.
For example, the first three days of creation describe the creation of light & darkness, waters & sky, and earth & vegetation, respectively. The next three days describe the creation of the sun, moon & stars, fish & birds, and animals & man, respectively. When placed side-by-side, one can see how the first three days correspond to next three. What we see in the first set of days are the creation of different realms and in the second set we see the creation of the respective rulers of those realms. 
The sun, moon and stars rule the heavens, the fish and birds rule the seas and skies, and animals and man rule the land. The fact that the creation of man takes place on the final day of creation highlights man's supremacy over the rest of creation. Certainly, the way Moses describes the creation of man in God's image sets him apart from the rest of God's creation. Indeed, God, as it where, saved the best for last when he created man to be the great ruler over all the rest of his creation and thereby mirror the dominion that the Triune God exercises over all things.
The sun, moon and stars rule the heavens, the fish and birds rule the seas and skies, and animals and man rule the land. The fact that the creation of man takes place on the final day of creation highlights man's supremacy over the rest of creation. Certainly, the way Moses describes the creation of man in God's image sets him apart from the rest of God's creation. Indeed, God, as it where, saved the best for last when he created man to be the great ruler over all the rest of his creation and thereby mirror the dominion that the Triune God exercises over all things. 
3 comments:
Your pictures are a little misleading, for instance, on the 1st day the earth was not formed yet; only the light and darkness were separated. Note in particular that this means the "evening" and the "morning" and the "day" (Hebrew word 'yom') may not mean the usual evening and morning and the 24 hour day as we see today.
Part 1 of 2
Why. six. days. ?
No one denies that we living creatures have a natural need for rest. And few would deny that there is a natural maximum and minimum of rest we need, relative to a given unit of work. In other words, few would deny that there is some kind of ideal work-to-rest ratio; that there is some range beyond which the ratio is either abuse or laziness. In fact, no one would deny that it is as much an abuse to continually prevent a person from acting as to force them to act without rest.
So I think the answer to why God created in a particular amount of time has to do with the fact that creatures need periodic, occasional, and regular rest. The same is true even of a given location of ecology (Lev 26:34-35). And this need does not stop there. For, God designed us to need a particular measure of periodicity and duration of rest and work.
Indeed, when the 'sweet spot' of work-to-rest ratio is violated too much or too long in a particular case, be it to a person or to an ecology, the effect on that case is essentially a form of PTSD. And recovery from PTSD requires extended amounts of appropriate forms of rest (Leviticus 26:34-35).
So the confound and the issue can respectively be compared to two radically different portrait painters:
The one painter is an ignoramus with one bad eye, so he paints all his portraits skewed to the right.
The other painter designed and created all of the things of which he makes portraits. So he paints all those portraits true. Both painters have all the same students, who study under both painters.
The students ask the first painter why he paints all his portraits skewed to the right. His answer is,
'It is self evident why I paint all my portraits skewed to the right. I paint them all skewed because I want you all to skew all yours to the right as well. But, lest you misunderstand me, I am not partial to painting them one way over any other way. I just want to give you a model to follow. And, for as long as you study under me, I require that you paint yours skewed to the right, never to the left, never to the bottom or to the top, never in a cubist style or any in other style, and never, never, never true-to-life.'
Of course, the students never think to ask the other painter the same kind of question. The reason they don't is self-evident. They recognize, and truly appreciate, portraits painted true to life.
For us, the Bible is a set of portraits of a complex reality. It's foundational teaching, Genesis 1-2, is that all foundational elements of that reality are true to one another, even as God Himself is true to us for His having designed and created us. He knows the design, as we ought to, too.
Had God opted to create in, say, ten days and rest on the eleventh day, Exodus 20:11 would reflect this amount of time. But so would all actual, foundational elements of the Creation.
....continued in part 2 of 2...
part 2 of 2
An automobile does not require being made in any particular sequence, nor in short order. This is because its engine does not naturally require being run in order for it to be made. Nor can it care what is done with it. It cannot care if it is ever completed, or, if it is, if it is ever driven. Nor can it care if it is 'driven into the ground' by lack of maintenance. It cannot care if it is smashed, whether on accident or on purpose. And it cannot care if it is simply left exposed to the ravages of the weather to slowly deteriorate into dust.
By contrast, the main subsystems of the Earth's ecology are not just 'machines'. Rather, they are living organisms. This means each subsystem naturally requires being run in order to be assembled one to another. This is especially the case for the global flora system and the two fauna systems. And, unlike the subsystems of an automobile, they have no natural 'off' mode.
So, basically, Genesis 1 shows how Earth's ecology can be known to function as an irreducibly complex system of life and life support. The account does not teach a conception of God's power that is equivalent to logical possibility. It teaches the self-evident wisdom of God (Psalm 19; Proverbs 8; Romans 1:20).
Exodus 20:11 does not explain why God created in six days rather than in any other amount of time. It simply reminds the Children of Israel as to why they, as God's Holy People, ought to follow God's example. He knows whereof He paints.
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