Genesis - The 6 day or 6 billion year beginning?

One of the most debated parts of scripture is the creation account of seven days. I offer up a piece of work referenced in a prior post that has more thoughts on this account. Please do send me thoughts or questions on this as we begin our study of THE BIBLE this week.

I also find it interesting that, for some reason, this account is constantly questioned. Please review and we can discuss as appropriate. I am not attempting to cause conflict with this but rather ensure we have a definition of YOM as is contextually accurate.

From Ken Ham @ http://www.answersingenesis.org/cec/study_guides/answersSG2.pdf-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some people believe God created, but they deny Creation took place in six
normal-length days. Does it matter whether God took six days or millions
of years to bring about the universe?

1. Age-dating methods:
a. All age-dating methods are based on assumptions about the past
that cannot be proven.
b. 90% of all age-dating methods give dates far younger than secular
scientists require.
c. Careful study of Biblical chronology yields a date for the universe
of only a few thousand years.

2. Positions attempting to add man’s theories of ‘millions of years’ to
the Bible:

a. Gap Theory: There is a gap of time between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
b. Day-Age Theory: The days in Genesis 1 represent long periods
of time.
c. The Universe existed for millions of years before creation.

3. Biblical uses of the word ‘day’:

a. The Hebrew word for day (yom) is used 2301 times in the Old
Testament. Outside of Genesis 1:

i. Yom + ordinal number (used 410 times) always indicates an ordinary
day.

ii. The words ‘evening’ and ‘morning’ together (38 times) always
indicate an ordinary day.

iii. Yom + ‘evening’ or ‘morning’ (23 times each) always indicates an
ordinary day.

iv. Yom + ‘night’ (52 times) always indicates an ordinary day.

b. Genesis 2:4—Yom is not qualified with a number or the phrases
‘evening and/or morning,’ and represents a period of time.
Exodus 20:11—The basis for our week is the six days of creation
and one day of rest.

d. The Israelites walked around Jericho for seven days, not an indeterminate
number of days.

e. Jonah was in the whale for three days, not three thousand years.

f. 2 Peter 3:8—In context, this verse is showing God is outside of
time, and is not attempting to define a ‘day.’

c o n c l u s i o n
Biblical authority and infallibility are called into question if God did not
create in six Earth-rotation days. If the Bible is wrong when it speaks
of God creating in six days, why is it not wrong when it speaks of the
Virginal Conception or the Resurrection of Christ? The foundations of
Christianity are based firmly in the words of Scripture, which state clearly
that God created all things in six days.