The timing of creation is not the first heated debate the church has worked through on a science-related topic. For three hundred years, the church wrestled over the location of the earth within our solar system. Although emerging scientific findings indicated the sun was at the center of our solar system and the earth rotated around it (heliocentrism), many fervently argued from the Bible that such findings were wrong.

Some have questioned: Isn’t the Bible is a simple book written for the average person to understand? Should considerations such as Hebrew syntax, literary forms, and the cultural context be necessary for one to properly understand Genesis 1-2? What about the clarity of Scripture? Doesn’t a technical analysis undermine this doctrine and imply the Bible is inaccessible to the masses?

aving examined Moses’ construction of the first six days of creation, let us now turn our attention to the seventh day when God rests from His labor. One of the striking features of this day is its lack of closure. Unlike the first six days, day seven has no concluding refrain about this day drawing to an end (“and there was evening and there was morning, ______ day”). As readers, we are left wondering why Moses breaks here from his standard pattern. Why does he not depict this day drawing to a close? Has it not yet ended?

“And there was evening, and there was morning, ______ day.” As you may recall from a previous article, this is one of the four phrases Moses uses to structure Genesis 1. This particular one is how Moses concludes each creation workday (days 1-6, see Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). Since it plays a…

In Genesis 1, Moses numbers the days of creation using a unique construction. In fact, he presents them in a way that is different from all other numbered sequences in the entire Old Testament. This should get our attention! Moses is clearing wanting to alert us to the fact that he is up to something…

In our last article, we examined how Moses presents a different order of events within Genesis 2 than he did in Genesis 1 – particularly the order of God creating Adam and then the animals. This diverse ordering is not due to misinformation or multiple authors.

Having examined how the literary arrangements of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 develop, let us now pause to reflect upon any insights that can be gleaned concerning the timing of creation. Let’s dive in to understand if the days of creation were 24 hours or not. In this article, I want to draw our attention…

Having examined the literary arrangement of Genesis 1 and then Genesis 2, we can now reflect on how they correspond and the significance of their development. Let’s dive into the correlation between Genesis 1 and 2 As you may recall, Genesis 1 is a highly structured account which presents days 1-3 in parallel with days…

The Structure of Genesis 1 Genesis 1 is a structural masterpiece. The intentionality Moses gives to crafting it is quite astounding. So, let’s start by looking at the overarching arrangement of this account and consider what Moses is meaning to convey through it. Were the days of creation 24 hours long? Let’s dive in. Repeated…