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Mankind Challenges The Great Creator
Man claims to have created life.
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Friday, May 21, 2010
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www.bibleinthenews.com Audio & Print versions
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We are surrounded by a world of breathtaking beauty. During sunrise and sunset, the sky above us like a giant canvas is painted with the most exquisite artistry. The plantlife and creatures that inhabit the earth are wonderfuly colour coordinated; sceintists have great difficulty explaining the purpose of their beauty, whose only function is to grace the planet with elegance. Exceeding the most captivating artwork created by man, the earth stops us with its grandeur, from its majestic mountain peaks and cascading waterfalls to the secret deeps of its oceans. We rush to document its beauty with our cameras, far more than we frequent any museum or gallery. The earth always has more for us to see, new secrets for us to unlock and it is faithfully new with every sunrise.
The second word in the hebrew scripture is the verb for “he created”. God is introduced to us as a creative being. The prophet Isaiah in chapter 45:18 writes:“For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.”
"He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion." Jeremiah 10:12
The Almighty God of the Bible is a creator, the architect of our world, the designer and giver of life to all.
"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." (Acts 17:24,25)
When we consider those things which God has made we marvel. We are filled with wonder when we appreciate the irreducible complexity of the eye. How it collects light to form a projected image on a light sensitive layer showing color, form and depth; how it is able to focus; and most incredible - how all this information is sent along a nerve to the brain which is able to present the scene to us, in real-time and record it, with the associated sounds, smell and even taste and texture!
"O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts. There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein. These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good. Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth." (Psalm 104:24-30)
Well the big news this week is that man is now the creator - we are told he has made artificial life in a laboratory. The Economist headline proudly states: "And man made life", "Artificial life, the stuff of dreams and nightmares, has arrived." Has man really created life? Well it turns out not really. The Associated Press had a more realistic title: "A step to artificial life: Manmade DNA powers cell" The article goes on to say:
"Scientists announced a bold step Thursday in the enduring quest to create artificial life. They've produced a living cell powered by manmade DNA."
The DNA from a cell was synthetically replicated, inserted into a cousin cell and was able to reproduce.
The Associated press asks the question:
"Is it really an artificial life form?"
Their answer:
"The inventors call it the world's first synthetic cell, although this initial step is more a re-creation of existing life — changing one simple type of bacterium into another — than a built-from-scratch kind."
"It's partially synthetic, some said, because Venter's team had to stick the manmade genetic code inside a living cell from a related species. That cell was more than just a container; it also contained its own cytoplasm — the liquid part."
The Economist goes on to arrogantly state:
"It is now possible to conceive of a world in which new bacteria (and eventually, new animals and plants) are designed on a computer and then grown to order.
"That ability would prove mankind’s mastery over nature in a way more profound than even the detonation of the first atomic bomb...
"It will be a while, yet, before lifeforms are routinely designed on a laptop. But this will come."
Interestingly, the first attempt failed because of one mistake in the DNA. I'm not a scientist, however, one wonders that if one mistake caused the replication to fail, how could a new life form be created, with a vast amount of new material?
The truth is that mankind does not like to retain God in their knowledge. What they really want to achieve is mastery over God. To prove that he doesn't exist. To prove that creation could have happened by chance after all - as there really isn't any proof. Yet all this proves the opposite. How many years of man's research, technology, money and intelligence has it taken to manufacture a copy of the DNA of a cell and get it to reproduce by inserting it into a living cousin? Compared to one complex creature that God has created, man's achievement is a brutish, rather ignorant accomplishment. One really wonders what the Almighty's reaction to all this is!
"He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure." Psalm 2:4,5
Incredibly when man looks into the wonder and complexities of God's creation, he is so arrogant and proud he assigns God's work to mere chance and exults in his own replication of one of the simpler components, of one of God's simplest life forms. And God formed an entire creation in a mere six days! Many Christians doubt this today. Their God is too small. The scriptures are clear. Hear the writings of Moses:
"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:11)
What does the master say:
"For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"
Man may proudly think that he can solve the worlds problems. He may arrogantly think that he can master nature. However, he will soon be gone and his brutish knowledge with him - for all flesh is grass.
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12)
If left to his own devices, man will much more likely destroy himself and the earth with him. Many are now terrified what the effect of the new ability could be in the hands of evil men - and we know this is a real fear. What saith the scripture?
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)
It is truly amazing what a patient God we have and how much freedom and choice he has allowed men to exercise. Sometimes within our limited view we may think God has given man too much freedom! When we consider the corrupt state of society around us and the power in man's hands today - although it is minuscule compared to God - we can see that God will intervene and this current order of things will soon draw to a close; then the kingdoms and pride of men will be abased and Yahweh will be great in Zion.
See you again next week God willing, for more Bible in the news at www.bibleinthenews.com. This has been David Billington with you.
Printed: Friday, May 21, 2010
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