[A ‘Tuesday Challenge‘ originally prepared for the congregation of Horley Baptist Church during February 2025]
Our contemporary practice of referring to the days of the week by unique names is thought to date from the Sumerian period, around the fifth millennium BC. The practice was adopted and refined during the days of the Babylonian empire. Names were often associated with the deities of the times, themselves often associated with astronomical entities (eg Sun-day, the day of the sun god).
The seven-day week with named days became more generally used during the Roman period, when the administrative influence of the Roman empire included much of Europe and north Africa. Initially the names honoured the Roman gods but after the decline of the Roman empire the names were influenced by various regional cultures to become those in common use today.
By contrast, in the Biblical text, days are referred to using a numeric designator such as the first day, the eighth day, etc, or by being the first or last day of a particular period. Here is one such example:
Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb.
Mark 16 v2 [NIVUK]
How can we establish a correlation between the days’ names and their numeric identity? For example, how do we know which day-name relates to the first day of creation – indeed, was it even a ‘day’ as we know it?
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
2 Peter 3 v8 [NIVUK]
When Moses wrote the account of creation he was doing so retrospectively, using the language of his day. The sun, which is central to our definition of a 24-hour day, was not created until the fourth period so perhaps the creation timescale might be more flexible than the use of ‘day’ might suggest.
In a similar way, Jesus referred to the days of Noah, a period which may have lasted some 600 years.
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
Luke 17 v26 [NIVUK]
The significance of that reference lies not its historical context[1] but rather in its description of what is to come. The description that Jesus gave of society in Noah’s time is not very different from that around us today. Perhaps the time is ripe for the next stage in world history.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
2 Peter 3 v10 [NIVUK][2]
The Bible tells us of another day of major importance for us. This is how Jesus foretold the events that would lead up to that day:
The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.
Luke 24 v7 [NIVUK]
The Resurrection is not just history, it is an affirmation of our salvation and gives us security for the days ahead. The day of the Lord is yet to come; no one knows when that day will be.
Are you ready?
References:
[1] Genesis 6:5, Luke 17:27
[2] see also 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3
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Last week’s reflection: Snakes and Ladders
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © Steve Humphreys
Thank you Steve for another thoughtful reflection.