The first chapter of the Bible records the first miracle God performed – the creation of the universe. This was certainly a miracle because none of the events recorded in Genesis 1 would have happened naturally without the working of God. But the Bible does not just tell us that God created the universe, it tells us how He created everything: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made…For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6, 9). This is exactly what we see in Genesis. God spoke everything into existence. “All that He had made” was finished on “the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31). “By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all the work which He had done” (Genesis 2:2).
Six days of creation followed by a seventh day of rest is what we find recorded in Genesis. The following question has been asked by many: Are the days of Genesis 1 literal or figurative? First of all, we can look at the context of Genesis 1 and see that the days are literal. We notice that the chapter contains an order of events. These events are said to have taken place on certain days. Are these days literal? It is certainly true that there are times in the Bible when the word “day” refers to something other than a 24-hour period of time. That cannot be denied. But this chapter defines what these days are. All of these days are said to have an “evening” and a “morning” (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). The context indicates that the days were literal 24-hour days.
Other passages also show that the days are to be interpreted literally. “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 20:11). The Jews were reminded that the creation occurred in six days. Nothing suggested that the days were anything but literal.
In responding to a question about divorce, Jesus said: “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6). Some Christians, in trying to harmonize the Bible with scientific theory, have said that that the earth was created long before – thousands or millions of years before – man was created. This is not what Jesus said. He said mankind was created at “the beginning of creation.” Could Jesus say that man was created in the beginning if mankind arrived late in the history of the planet as some believe? No. Jesus was affirming that mankind was created soon after the world was created.
Some believe the days of Genesis 1 cannot be literal. Different theories have been proposed as alternative explanations. Some believe that the days were actually long periods of time – thousands or millions of years. Some believe there was a long gap of time between the initial creation (Genesis 1:1) and the creation of everything else (Genesis 1:3ff). Others believe Genesis 1 forms a literary framework generically describing our origin and was never intended to be perceived as recording the actual events of creation. Those who hold to these views are simply wrong. As we have seen, the Bible teaches that God created the universe in six, literal, consecutive, 24-hour days.
Some believe the truth regarding the days of creation – that they are literal – but say it does not matter if one believes they are literal or figurative. They claim we should emphasize the real points of the passage and not be concerned with the details. Some say we should just appreciate God’s power. We can agree on that even if we do not agree that the days were literal. Some remind us how Genesis 1 sets a precedent as to the importance of “rest” between God and His people. We can also agree on that without agreeing that the days are literal. These are important lessons – God’s power and the idea of rest. But what ever gave people the idea that the facts of a biblical narrative can be discarded so long as we understand the moral?
As I said at the beginning, the creation is the first miracle of the Bible. Some are dismissing the facts, claiming they are not important, so they can be united around the moral. They dismiss the fact that the days of Genesis 1 are literal, as if that was irrelevant, and simply teach the lessons we can learn about God’s power and the principle of rest. What other miracles could we do this with?
Genesis 6-8 tells of the flood. Noah and his family were saved in the ark. Everyone else was destroyed. The text says this was a universal flood – it covered the whole earth “so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered” (Genesis 7:19). Can we ignore this fact and claim that this was only a regional flood so long as we understand the principle that evil will be punished and that we must obey God?
Jonah 1:17 says “a great fish” swallowed Jonah, and he “was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights” before being vomited out (Jonah 2:10). Can we say this did not really happen? After all, Jonah was trying to run away from God. Can we just make the point that we cannot escape from God and the facts of this story really are irrelevant? How far will this go?
Jesus was said to be born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23). This was a miracle. Do we believe it? Can we discard this fact simply because we might believe that what this really shows us was that Jesus was special or unique? How about the resurrection? Can we discount that miracle as well? When we start dismissing portions of the Bible, how do we ever draw the line?
The psalmist wrote, “The sum of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). God’s word is true. Therefore, we must believe it. Belief in the word of God is foundational to our faith. If we surrender that foundation, what hope do we have? “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). If we cannot believe parts of the Bible, how can we believe any of it? And if we cannot believe the Bible, how can we claim to have faith? “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). If we do not have faith, how can we ever hope to please God? “Without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Do not let anyone tell you that it does not matter what one believes about the days of Genesis 1. It is a matter of faith. The Bible teaches us that God created the universe in six literal days. We need to have the faith to accept that.
