For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
I believe in the literal 6-day creation as laid out in Genesis. I don't have a problem with that at all. However, how can we classify 24-hour days (which are based on sun-earth relationship) BEFORE the earth was created? Would a 24-hour day extend into the far reach of the universe, outside of our solar system? This is where I get tripped up.
24 hour days are not based off the sun-earth relationship. All you need is a light source, provided on day one, and a rotating earth, signified when God says let the light be called day and dark be called night. Evening and morning, so approximately 24 hours since the earth rotates 360 degrees in approximately 24 hours.
For the record, the word, "create" only occurs in three verses in Genesis 1:1-31. God created the Universe in verse 1; God created animals in verse 21; and, God created Man in verse 27. The words, "Let", "made", and "make" are not "creative" words.
Len Thies