So, after our little discussion about Bill Nye the Science guy... it happens that my reading took me into Genesis 1.
This is how I see it:
In the beginning....
(1-5) it was empty, formless, cloaked in darkness, a desolate wasteland
God said, "Let there be light" - and God SEPARATED the light from the darkness. He called that light "day" and the darkness He called "night".
Now, that right there tells ME that each of the numbered days of creation was a period of light and dark. If some people choose to think that these periods were millions of years long, I guess that's their prerogative. Doesn't make sense to me. This "day" and "night" equaled "one day". And He saw it was GOOD. [Sunday]
(6-8) Then He *separated* the upper water from the lower water. I find it interesting that He *separated* the light from the dark and then *separated* the lower and upper waters. It sounds very "chemistry" oriented to me!
Seems like it was rather a big job unless it needed time to separate properly or completely. Hmmm. That's all He got done that day and, did you notice?, He didn't say the second day's work was good! But, again, it was an evening and a morning - one of each, to make the second day. [Monday - we seem to agree that monday's are not all that great, eh?]
(9-13) He had the lower waters gather so the dry land would appear and called it "land" and "seas". These were "GOOD". Then, He *let* the land burst forth with every sort of grass and seed-bearing plant", trees with fruit - seeds that produced more of the same. And THAT was "GOOD". So, the third day's work was called "GOOD" twice! (The Jews call Tuesday "The Day of Double Blessing" and often get married on Tuesdays!)
(14-19) Bright lights *separated* the day from the night (which is different from the light and dark). These lights are signs to MARK seasons, DAYS, and years. Try as I might, I cannot get "years" out of a period of dark and light. This is also GOOD. [Wednesday]
(20-23) *LET* waters swarm with fish and other life and the skies fill with birds. (Aha! Here's where I tho't there might be some wiggle room for some evolution but...wait!) God *created* great sea creatures and EVERY sort of fish and bird. They were GOOD. Then, God *BLESSED* them to fill the earth. [Thursday]
(24- Well, here comes the Big Day! - 31) Friday was the 6th day and it's like God was putting the finishing touches on His creation. Of course we all know that this is the day the land animals were created, including the special creation of Man. This is also the first time (in the English) that we get a glimpse of God being a plural being! "Let US make man in OUR image". How cool is that!? He blessed Man and told him to have dominion over all living creatures and to fill the earth. (Now, the KJV says "replenish" but I don't see that in the Hebrew or other translations. I don't know where they got that.) This is where He gave us our vegan diet, too. Even animals ate plants instead of meat.
And THIS day He declares "very good" or "excellent"!!!
Why does the chapter end there? It seems like it should end where chapter 2 verse 4 ends, or maybe even 3. Hmmm.
Gen 2:1-4
2:1 So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work. 3 And
God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from his work of creation.
4 This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth. NLT
Gen 2:1-3
2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, KJV