The next objections to taking Genesis chapter one at its word come from events which are supposed to take much longer than a single day, and thus, it is argued, those days cannot be literal days: The third day, and the sixth day. Like the previous objection to day one, there are some unspoken assumptions about limitations God seem to have in the Old Earth Creation (OEC) model. 

Day number three goes like this:

¹¹ Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds.

Day Three Objection to Literal days

The OEC model will argue that the events described here MUST take much MUCH longer than a single day, and thus these cannot be actual days. After all, it takes a LONG time for plants to grow, and flower, and make fruit, etc. etc. Right? Thus, these days CANNOT be literal days.

Response: Apparently by the time PhD’s like Huge Ross (OEC) get to day three, they have already forgotten the first verse. Let me remind you how it starts;

“In the beginning, GOD…”

In fact, just for those people with such short memories, verse 11 reminds you who is working here. It’s God. Do we really think there is reason to believe that God HAS the power to bring the universe into being, merely by commanding it so, but not the power to make plants without waiting? I’m not sure the details of this objection, but it seems as if this model claims God was able to make some seeds but not trees, and so was forced to wander the earth planting them like some Divine, Cosmic Johnny Appleseed. Apparently people like Dr. Ross picture God waiting around for it to rain, then maybe stopping by now and then to weed? I’ve not heard Dr. Ross’s model spelled out quite so clearly so I am forced to speculate.

I do know that Dr Ross doesn’t believe the plants grew in the dark for millions of years. Dr. Ross argues that, while the text clearly SAYS God made the sun on day four, what it means is he made the sun on day ONE and then pulled back some kind of cloud cover on day four to REVEAL the sun. So, I guess all of those plants from day three were all perfectly content to grow in overcast conditions for a few million years? Again, I’m note sure how the whole story goes there. I suspect they think the text MUST imply seeds growing to maturity over a long time, because it says, “The land produced vegetation,” but if that is the case, what the heck do they think was happening on day six when it says this?

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.”

Do they think God is planting cow seeds and waiting for them to grow as well? I’m fairly sure there never was such thing as “cow seeds,” which all things considered is a shame. I’d love to see a field of beasts of the field.

Maybe that’s why they’re CALLED “Beasts of the Field!” Just imagine planting a field of giraffes! That would be AMAZING!

To sum up day three, let’s all agree that the Bible does give evidence that, were God to WANT plants without planting seeds and waiting around the normal time for them to all grow to maturity as we do today, he could probably make that happen. He can do things we cannot do. On the other hand, He can also do the things we CAN do, such as making light without the sun.

#JesusLovesYou