Yohm can equally express a point in time as well as a sphere of time. It is used to denote (i) the period of light (as opposed to darkness), (ii) a period of a full 24 hours, (iii) a general vague period of time or era, (iv) a specific point in time, (v) an entire year (as in in 1 Samuel 27:7; Exodus 13:10, etc), and (vi) a period of specified time measured by two extraordinary events.There is much material available on the etymological and cultural nuances of this one little word. As a serious introduction to study, I would suggest E.J. Young's Studies in Genesis One, Presbyterian and Reformed - although a publication nearly 40 years old now, it is still one of the best ever written.
The creative days of Genesis are conspicuously patterned, chronological, of indeterminable length, intended to show - at a very summary level view - how Yhwh changed the uninhabitable and unformed into the habitable and formed from 1:3 to 32.Genesis indicates the closer of all six creative days/periods, and closure of the group of all six as "one day" in itself. God's day of rest commenced with the beginning of the seventh creative day, and according to the author of Hebrews at 4:1-11 and Psalm 95:7-8, and 11, that 7th period was still open for entering into at the time of David and even Paul, and I would suggest even today.
Could God have created or formed the entirety of creation in 6 days? Probably. Maybe. 6 minutes I suppose would also be possible, or 6 seconds, or even in the twinkling of an eye.But if we are to believe that "The heavens are declaring the glory of God; and the work of his hands the expanse is telling" (Psalms 19:1), and if we are to believe "His invisible qualities are cleary seen from the world's creation onward .." (Psalms 104:24) - then we must also give adequate consideration that:
- Light from the Andromeda nebula can be seen on a clear night in the northern hemisphere, and that it takes about 2,000,000 years for that light to reach the earth - meaning that the light you now see is at least that old in our time - this alone indicates that the universe is at least millions of years old, if not older; and
- End products of radioactive decay in rocks in the earth testify that some rock formations have been undisturbed for billions of years.
If the expanse is then "telling", and the created world giving "testimony" to its creator and the creation, it might be of some benefit to listen to what the heavenly expanse and earth are testifying to - and then maybe reassess the validity of retaining tradition over truth (Matthew 15:3, Mark 7:13, Col 2:8, and so on).
