Why didn't God make the world in one day?

Answer 1

Quite possibly this is an unanswerable question, since almighty God has not revealed in detail why this is the way things were done.

It is true that the objects in the sky observable to the naked eye were made 'for signs and for seasons.' Thus, even ancient man used the sun and the moon and the stars to tell the passing of time and the seasons. This could also be one reason why the world was made in seven days, since, given God's omnipotence He needed only a moment of time to create.

The creation account deals with the world as God made it and in its second part deals particularly with man and his place in that world. Man lives in a tri-universe of space time and matter. The use of seven day time period is indeed a convenient way of ordering time, with the allowance, taken advantage of by many of a day of rest. This time period is somewhat independent of the times and seasons signified by the heavenly bodies. As indicated by Mark 2:27 'the sabbath was made for man..' that is for his benefit. The seven day time period of the week being the setting in which this 'sabbath' sits.

Answer 2

If you are referring to Genesis 1, then this is actually a renewal of the already created Earth.

The verb 'created' in Genesis 1:1 is singular and means 'to fashion anew' and whenever used in Scripture has God as its subject. Here it means God renewed what was in a chaotic state. God changed chaos into cosmos, disorder into order, emptiness into fullness.

Further the translation of 'was' in Genesis 1:2 describing 'without form and void' would be better translated as 'became' as it is in Genesis 19:26. God does not create in vain as Isaiah 45:18 clearly states. Also, the angels rejoiced at the sight of the 1st creation (see Job 38:7). Lastly, King David was inspired to tell us the following, 'You send forth Your Spirit, they are created, and You RENEW the face of the earth.'

The Bible does not state how long it took God to do the first creation. You are correct that He could do it with a simple word but we don't know. The renewal took 7 days as this is the foundation of God's Plan for the salvation of Mankind. Seven represents 'completion/perfection.'

Answer 3

The first creation account in Genesis (1:1-2:4a) says that creation took six days. The distinguished biblical scholar, Raymond E. Brown, says that the author of Genesis, even if he drew on earlier legends, wrote his story working back from the world he knew to picture its origins. In other words, the author chose a period of six days of creation for literary or theological reasons. Presumably a truly omnipotent God could have created the world in a mere instant, but how do you write a dramatic and compelling story about something that was all over in a flash?
For more information, please visit: http://christianity.answers.com/theology/the-story-of-creation

Answer 4

The Jewish Mishna (Avot ch.5) answers that question. It states the ancient tradition that God created the world by stages in order to impress upon us the importance of the Creation.