OEC Bible Verses

OECs interpret Genesis 1:16 not as the creation of the sun and moon, but as the moment they became visible and functional on Earth.  They believe these celestial bodies were created on Genesis day one but a dense primordial atmosphere initially obscured them till day 4.  This aligns with Job 38:9, which describes Earth "wrapped in thick darkness." On Day 4, this atmosphere cleared, revealing the sun and moon to "govern" day and night.

The flexible nature of "yom" in Genesis 2:4.

"This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven."

This single verse encapsulates the entire creation week.  By using "yom" in this way, the verse emphasizes the grand sweep of creation as a unified act by God, rather than focusing on the specific timeframes of individual days.

Genesis 2:17 states, "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Yet Adam did not physically die within a 24-hour period, the verse uses "day" to represent a long view of the word Yom.

Psalms 90:4 "For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night." Old-Earth creationists interpret Psalm 90:4 as support for their view that the days of creation in Genesis 1 were not literal 24-hour periods, but rather long ages. They highlight the verse's comparison of a thousand years to a day in God's sight, suggesting that God's perception of time is vastly different from humanity's. 

Jeremiah 33:25, Thus says the Lord, 'If My covenant for day and night stand not, and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth I have not established, then I would reject the descendants of Jacob and David My servant..'" In this verse, God uses the constancy of natural laws, like the cycle of day and night and the fixed patterns of heaven and earth, to emphasize the unwavering nature of His covenant with His people. Just as the natural order remains steadfast, so does God's faithfulness, offering hope and security amidst uncertainty. God does not break his promises. 

Genesis 2:10-11 describes a river flowing from Eden that divides into four rivers, including the Pishon, which encircles the land of Havilah, known for its gold. From an old Earth creationist perspective, this passage can be interpreted as a description of geological processes that occurred over vast periods. The formation of rivers and the distribution of minerals like gold are not events that transpire within a 24-hour timeframe. Instead, they reflect the gradual shaping of the Earth's landscape over millennia through erosion, tectonic activity, and other natural forces.

Genesis 2:8-9 describes God creating a garden and placing the first man, Adam, within it. This act of deliberate creation and placement aligns with the concept of a long period of preparation, as it suggests a carefully orchestrated process rather than an instantaneous event.

The verses also detail God causing trees to grow, implying a natural process of development and growth over time. This mirrors the Old Earth view, which posits that the Earth and its life forms developed gradually over vast time.

The heavens declare God's glory, and the stars vividly punctuate this proclamation. Their light, journeying across vast cosmic distances, continuously reveals His creative power. As Psalm 19:1-2 states, "day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge." Starlight, in its constancy, contributes to this unending revelation, unveiling God's majesty in the darkness. It's a timeless testament to His enduring presence and the vastness of His creation. Its calls for the certainty of the glory of God in the heavens and stands against God making the universe with "apparent" age.

God's question to Job 38:19-20, "Where is the way to the dwelling of light?", highlights the mysterious origin of starlight. Though born in distant, often unseen stars, their light persistently reaches us, hinting at a power beyond human grasp. This enduring light, like the heavens declaring God's handiwork, points to His eternal nature and the vastness of His creation. Starlight becomes a constant reminder of the divine, illuminating both the night sky and the depths of God's creative power. It is not illusary.

Old Earth Creationists see Job 14:18

"But the falling mountain crumbles away, And the rock moves from its place;" The verse describes mountains crumbling and rocks moving, processes that align with OEC's acceptance of an ancient Earth where geological formations change gradually over millennia. 

Genesis 1:16,states, "God made two great lights – the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night," reveals an inconsistency in this approach.

While YEC adherents readily identify these as the sun and moon, the text itself doesn't explicitly name them. By inserting these specific names where the text uses the more general terms "greater light" and "lesser light," YEC proponents engage in eisegesis, reading meaning into the text rather than drawing meaning from it. This contradicts their principle of literalism.

A truly literal reading would simply acknowledge "two great lights" without assuming they are the sun and moon. This inconsistency highlights the selective nature of literal interpretations and raises questions about the objectivity of such approaches.

 

Old Earth creationism agrees with the scientific evidence that the Earth is billions of years old. Genesis 2:11 describes the Pishon river flowing through Havilah, a land rich in gold. While gold is found on Earth, it's formed in extreme cosmic events like neutron star collisions. This apparent contradiction can be reconciled by understanding that the Bible uses language and imagery appropriate for its original audience, without intending to be a literal seven days.

Some argue that the numbered days in Genesis, described using the Hebrew word "yom," necessitate 24-hour periods. They claim "yom" with a number always refers to a literal day. However, Hosea 6:2 challenges this rigid interpretation.

In this verse, "yom" is used with numbers ("two days," "third day") to describe God's future restoration of Israel. This restoration clearly spans a much longer period than 24 hours, as it refers to a significant event in Israel's history. This demonstrates that "yom" with a number can have a flexible meaning, encompassing longer timeframes depending on the context. Therefore, insisting on a literal 24-hour day for every instance of "yom" in Genesis, even when the context suggests otherwise, is an overly restrictive interpretation.

Genesis 2:23, where Adam exclaims, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." Theologians suggest the "this is now" implies a sense of relief or fulfillment, as if Adam had been waiting for a companion like Eve.

Psalms 104: "You covered it with the deep as with a garment; The waters were standing above the mountains. You set a boundary that they may not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth."

OEC views Psalm 104 as describing a global flood during Earth's creation, distinct from Noah's Flood. They point to the verses depicting waters covering mountains and the Earth's reshaping as evidence of a primordial flood. They point out that this verse indicates there will not 

be another global flood. This parallels a long Genesis Day 3.

The first chapter of Genesis describes creation days without the usual "morning and evening," suggesting they were extended periods. This aligns with the idea of God's seventh day of rest being an ongoing, long day. Hebrews 4:4 and 4:9 support this, stating God's rest continues and a "Sabbath rest" remains for believers. This rest symbolizes entering God's completed work, not a literal 24-hour day, mirroring the extended creation days. This interpretation reconciles the seemingly indefinite timeframe of creation with the concept of a continuing Sabbath, inviting believers to participate in God's rest.