The Divine Science Textbook (part 2)

Ryan Goodwin

 

Introduction

 

          “If there is a God who is supreme over our universe, and if the Bible is the revelation from that God, then there is one essential that must be inherent within that revelation. It must be constituted solely of truths. It is an absolute necessity then, that statements of Bible writers, when describing or mentioning physical laws of this universe, other than allowances for poetic license, must coincide perfectly with all known facts of science (not necessarily theories). Furthermore, they must do this regardless of the accepted theories and level of scientific knowledge of the age in which they were written” (Has God Spoken?, Schnabel, ii). One of the most potent arguments in favor of a genuine Bible is the fact that it describes and enumerates scientific facts like no other book in history. In some ways, the scriptures perform literary tasks that most science textbooks cannot, clarifying geological, biological, astronomical, and hydrological truths that even the leading minds of the day did not comprehend.

          And should this come as a surprise to those of us who have spent a lifetime studying God’s book? After all, it is the Almighty who created this universe and who authored the Bible. It only makes sense that the Creator knows best His own creation – much to the chagrin of scientists throughout the ages who have had to amend and revise their theories to accommodate new discoveries.

 

Physics – All Matter and Energy Completed At Creation

 

          Like so many other scientific facts, this one is indisputable. If, indeed, creation is true, then we have to assume that all things have been created. If evolution is true, or if magic, sorcery, witchcraft, or divination is true, then one of the most basic laws of thermodynamics would have to be untrue. “Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts” (Genesis 2:1-2). It is so fascinating to see that the Bible is not a book of fairytales, but an inspired narrative of how the real world works. Although there are recorded miracles, none of them disprove the accuracy of the Bible. Rather, the fact that miracles are recorded shows a few things:

 

·        The miracles of the Bible establish the normal laws of nature. It is only God who has the power to change the laws that govern our universe, which make them literally unchangeable for the rest of us.

·        It emphasizes how astounding the miracles are.

·        Miracles show that even pagans and Gentiles could see the difference between the real power of God and the power of idols or sorcerers (1 Kings 18).

·        Miracles help clarify what the laws of nature are.

 

          Other verses help us see that all matter and energy are completed, such as Hebrews 4:3, “The works were finished from the foundation of the world.” Based on these scriptures, it is clear that the Bible writers are consistent in their declaration that since the origin of this universe, no new energy or matter has been needed or added. Historical records, however, show that man’s concept of the universe was never one of a closed, finished system. “There was the constant strong belief in a continual creation, or the spontaneous generation of living things, and the disappearance into nothing of many objects” (Schnabel, 50). Mayer formulated the law of mass and energy, also known as the First Law of Thermodynamics. This law of energy states that the sum total of all energy in the universe remains constant, but one form of energy may be converted into another. That the Bible writers dispelled the myths of magic, sorcery, and spontaneous generation of life is significant.

 

The Universe Is Decaying

 

          “Lift up your eyes to the sky, then look to the earth beneath; for the sky will vanish like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die in like manner” (Isaiah 51:6). Psalm 102:26 makes the same statement in slightly different language. In the New Testament, Hebrews 1:10-11 reads, “Thou, Lord, in the beginning did lay the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thy hands; they will perish, but Thou remains; and they will all become old as a garment.” The fact is that the Bible writers understood quite clearly the Second Law of Thermodynamics before it was explained by Mayer in 1850 A.D.

          The Law of Energy Deterioration states that in any energy transfer or change, although the total amount of energy remains unchanged, the amount of usefulness and availability that the energy possesses is always decreased. Entropy is significant concept to understand, for inherent in that is the idea that all energy is being used up, and will run out eventually. In every activity of this universe, including biological, physical, and chemical reactions, there is energy that is used. No new energy is ever created – it is just constantly being used and never renewed. An example of this is shown by use of the spectroscope in analyzing the sun. This study reveals that the hydrogen in the sun is being converted to helium at the rate of 4.6 million tons per second in the process of producing radiant energy. “Eventually the sun must burn itself out, and then all activity on the earth must cease as well. The same principle applies to all the stars of the universe, so that the physical universe is beyond question, growing old, wearing out, and running down” (The Bible and Modern Science, Morris, p. 15).

          The fact that science and the Bible agree is significant because it shows that evolution is impossible. If the entire universe is wearing down, then how can life on this planet be improving itself? If every star, every planet, every mountain, every stone, and every measurable amount of energy is digressing and falling apart, how can life forms be progressing? Not only that, but it becomes clear that this universe has a limited amount time to exist. God did not design it for eternity, but for destruction (2 Peter 3:10-11).

 

Universe Built of Things Not Seen

 

          “by faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of the things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). The Bible teaches that all things are upheld by that which is invisible, or not seen. Up until recent ages, most cultures believed that the world was made up of only visible parts – earth, wind, fire, water, etc. But now have entered the age of the electron and atomic microscope – we see things that were inconceivable just fifty years ago. We now know that the world is made up of unseen parts, or elements.

 

Biology – Man and Woman Each Have Seed of Propagation

 

          Until 1880, a philosophical and scientific war had been raged between those who believed the primary seed of propagation was either in the male spermatozoon or in the female egg. By around 1000 A.D., it was at commonly believed that only males had the seed. Michael Psellos, of Constantinople, believed that both men and women have sperm, contributing to the embryo. Some believed that the female egg was only a fertilizer for the sperm, while others argued that the egg was the entirely “preformed” human being, and the sperm only served to activate the egg. Science and the Bible prove them both wrong, though. In the fifteenth century B.C., Moses wrote in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.” Moses also writes in Genesis 13:15, of Abraham, “The land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.” The Hebrew word that is sometimes translated “descendant” actually refers to the individual or individuals generated from a person’s reproductive capability. Further, in Hebrews 7:9-10, the writer describes Levi as still being in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met Abraham.

 

All Flesh Is Not The Same

 

          “All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fish” (1 Corinthians 15:39). “Flesh” here denotes, literally, “meat.” In 1838 A.D., Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann established cell theory, which states that all cells are the same, and are the basic building blocks that make up all creatures. Therefore, there was little difference in people’s minds between the meat of one animal or another. These men and their contemporaries, because of the limited microscope technology of the time, could not see a difference on a cellular level between the meat of humans, animals, birds, and fish, leading them to conclude all cells were identical. The “common cell theory” was held for years. However, when the electron microscope was invented in 1930, a new world of possibilities opened up for exploring matter beyond the cellular level. It was discovered that there were many types of cells, not just one common type.

 

Life Is In The Blood

 

          “The life of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11). The Hebrew definition of “life” is “that which makes it possible for an animal to breathe; also vitality” (Schnabel, 65). Contrary to God’s wisdom, mankind devised a method of treating diseases called blood letting. This was practiced at least as early as the 4th century B.C. by Herophilos, a physician in Alexandria. Many of his contemporaries also believed that this process worked as a cure, considering blood a carrier of disease not life. Blood letting eventually was based on the theory that as old, or “bad”, blood was released from the body, new “healthy” blood was replace it rapidly. Sadly, this is not the case, and it is impossible to know how many people throughout the ages have died from blood loss at the hands of those who ignored God’s wisdom.

 

Sanitation

 

          It is unfortunate that the darkness of man’s understanding led him to ignore God’s laws concerning cleanliness and sanitation for so many centuries. There are laws concerning how to deal with raw meat (Leviticus 11:32-40, 7:19, 7:26). Notice the way that earth and clay pots, as well as leather and wooden preparing areas are treated to deal with exposure to blood and raw meat. God gives ordinances about basic sanitation (Leviticus 17:13, Deuteronomy 23:12-13). Even many countries today still manage to wallow in filth and squalor because of poor water quality and sanitation treatment. There are also commands about how to deal with an individual who becomes sick (Leviticus 13:14-17, 13:45-46, 14:8-9, Leviticus 15).

 

·        God gave laws which kept food clean and safe. If any lizards, rodents, or creeping things touched an implement, vessel, or raiment, they had to be cleaned or destroyed.

·        He forbade them to eat or drink blood.

·        There were various laws concerning the sick and diseased, including;

·        Recognition of infected individuals;

·        Quarantine;

·        The wearing of a mask over the mouth and nose;

·        To “clean” oneself included bathing in running water, and in some cases the removal of all hair.

·        It has taken mankind centuries to catch up to the ideals that God has already established.