There are a lot of problems with young earth creationism. Most people are well versed in the scientific problems. But no less daunting are the hermeneutical problems as helpfully summarized in this AiG tweet:
God’s Word makes it clear that he created everything in six literal days (as plainly defined per the Hebrew word for day, “yom”) and rested on the seventh day. Creating the universe in six days is not a problem for an all-powerful God.” – Rob Webb
— Answers in Genesis (@AiG) March 11, 2022
Mr. Webb begins by saying that God literally created in six days because God’s creative action is “plainly defined per the Hebrew word for day, ‘yom'”. Webb then goes on to say that God is “all-powerful”.
However, if we are committed to saying that God’s creative act is “plainly defined” as occurring in “six literal days” then consistency requires us to conclude that God literally needed to take a break as plainly defined per the Hebrew word for rest, “shabat” following this expenditure of effort. Further, it took God a full 24 hour period to regain his strength.
Needless to say, this invites the question: how can an “all-powerful God” need to rest and regather his strength after expending effort?
That is not the only hermeneutical problem with young earth creationism, not by a long shot. But it is a pretty serious one.
The proper conclusion is that God did not literally need to rest. But if you draw that conclusion, as any orthodox Christian surely should, why would you think you should interpret the rest of the narrative literally?
