| Christian Life and Doctrine | January 1975 |
Creation and Science
“IN THE beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” (Gen. 1:1,2) “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”—Genesis 2:7
In these majestic words, the Bible credits God as the great Creator. But some hold that the universe, with its law and order, and also man with his great capabilities, are simply the result of haphazard happenings. Others would leave the impression that all scientists agree with these conclusions. But that is not so. Many noted scientists today confess their belief in a supreme intelligent Creator. A. Creassey Morrison is one of these. In the book, “Man Does Not Stand Alone,” he observes, “By unwavering mathematical law, we can prove that our universe was designed and executed by a great engineering Intelligence.” And Professor Pasteur, the noted French scientist, openly stated that he prayed to God while engaged in his research.
Every Christian should be able to accept the Genesis account of creation as being reasonable, and a study of the Bible’s revelation will convince him that it is based on true scientific knowledge.
Take, for instance, the heavenly bodies and the intelligent processes that make it possible for mathematicians of earth to calculate with accuracy the movement of stars and planets and thus make the moon accessible. Or consider the human offspring, from conception to birth, and its development to a mature person, each with peculiar characteristics. Can these be the outcome of haphazard or accidental occurrences? Many thoughtful scientists and Bible students have concluded that in everything created is seen the wonder-working hand of God.
The Bible is the world’s best seller, and yet it has a reputation of being the Book nobody knows, for so few have taken time to find the message it contains. It is easier merely to assume that it lacks divine inspiration. And yet the Bible gives the only satisfactory explanation of creation, and what the divine purpose was in creating the earth, and what will be the destiny of its human inhabitants.
The Bible in descriptive words declares, “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” (Isa. 66:1) And in another place we are told that the earth, the Lord’s footstool, will indeed reflect his glory. But before this can be done, the God of creation must first provide a Redeemer to save us from the condemnation of death which we received from Adam’s transgression. John 3:16 tells of this provision, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The Creator who made the heavens, who gave the earth’s flowers their beauty, and who hath “put wisdom in our inward parts,” (Job 38:36) is also the One who has promised the perfecting of his creation. Isaiah 35:1,2 declares, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God
The wisdom and power of God are wonderfully expressed in creation. But our understanding of these works of creation would not be complete without the written Word that tells of his love and the blessing of his human family soon to be manifest in the establishment of his kingdom on earth.
“O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.”—Ps. 104:24