The Universe

Myself | 05/29/08 | Richard Jr.

[tricky_k_1972]

Looking up to the stars tonight, though the clouds and admiring the Creators work, the Great Engineer, the Creator of all the universe, I can't help but admire his creation and all that it implies.

He gave us such a large playground, and if our scientists have interpreted his works correctly, an ever expanding playground.

How can we not work to discover his works, his Creation, and how can we not "Read" and "Study" his works in the vast "Teaching" we call his creation, his universe.

"Be as smart and cunning as the serpent", he has called us to be.

I am in utter awe of His vastness.

I feel sorrow and pity for those whom wish to limit the Creators power to this lonely and small part of the universe he created.

To think that he created all of this simply for us to gaze upon and not explore, to not question, to simply live and die (granted with a place in the Heavens) and not discover his achievements, is a sin and perhaps one of the greatest sins, the sin of ignorance of GOD.

Did he create all of this, the entire universe, for us to remain ignorant of his teachings, for us to ignore his written word in the engineering of the world and universe around us.

I love my God and my Creator in full, and therefore I must work to explore and understand his word in the creation around us.

To not do so is to ignore the word of God.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

"How many galaxies could Moses see?"

As many as God wanted him to see.

"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" -- Mark 8:36

[betty boop]

And I agree that for reasons known only to God, He has especially blessed mankind and this earth.

I have that sense too, strongly. It fills me with wonder...and profound gratitude.

[Alamo-Girl]

I daresay A-G sees it this way as well.

Indeed!

I would add that God the Father has revealed Himself in four ways: 1) through the Person of Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, 2) through the indwelling Holy Spirit, 3) through the Scriptures, and 4) through Creation both spiritual and physical.

Seems to me it would be miserable to close one's mind to any of these.

To God be the glory!

[Fichori]

Considering that God revealed the truths in Genesis to a scribe (Moses?) who only had at his disposal written language in its earliest, most primitive state (including no vowels) -- and whose understanding was constrained by what his eyes could see and his uneducated mind could conceive -- how can modern believers insist that those few sentences must be a complete and sufficient description of Creation? [excerpt]

By not having any preconceived ideas how God Must have done it.
(I'm assuming your talking about the Creation account in Genesis 1)

God's word is wholly sufficient and any time we find it lacking when measured against the fallible human methods of science, we are on thin ice.

BTW, Hebrew was invented by God, and in Genesis 1:31 he proclaimed it to be very good, not primitive:

And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31

[hosepipe]

[ I strongly suspect that in banishing Adam to mortality (Genesis 3) God limited the visual and mental perception of Adamic man to four dimensions (three of space and one of time) thereafter rendering man blind to both the spiritual realm and the full nature and extent of the physical realm: ]

Exactly, kind've... at least for now..

[allmendream]

I agree. That is one of the reasons I am a Scientist.

Most Scientists in the U.S. are, like myself, people of faith.

[Alamo-Girl]

One of my quests in life is to try to understand the root cause(s) of why otherwise-intelligent folks would insist on self-limiting their understanding of both Scripture and Creation as you describe.

In my view the doctrines and traditions of men are often the result of man trying to understand God using his own reasoning. If he goes that route, he invariably anthropomorphizes God into a small imagining of a "god" his puny, mortal mind can comprehend.

And I do not believe he does it maliciously but rather sincerely believing that his own efforts to understand God are good even though it would be as if God the Creator could be fully known by a creature, an irrational objective.

In the end though, when such a one weighs anchor from this physical realm - then things will be more clear to him.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. - I Corinthians 13:12

And then he'll know if his efforts were for good or ill.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. - I Corinthians 3:15

To God be the glory!

[Alamo-Girl]

Well and truly said, dearest sister in Christ!

[Alamo-Girl]

It fills me with wonder...and profound gratitude.

Me too. Praise God!!!

[Alamo-Girl]

Indeed!

[TXnMA]

"BTW, Hebrew was invented by God"...

Reference?

[betty boop]

I don't think of the earth as "small" and "lonely." I do think God created the earth as the center of His creation, even though science might point us in another direction.

The funny thing is, the more I study physics and math, the more "plausible" the idea that the earth is the center of God's creation becomes. The Logos, the Word of God in the Beginning evidently "stacked the deck" in favor of Life; Man was specially created to be a son of God, for into him God breathed the breath of Life, wherein man was specially created a living, ensouled being. This type of being is known to live only on Earth. If there are other such beings elsewhere in the universe, we have yet to detect them by scientific means.

But this is "rationalization." The test of God's Truth is not to be found via scientific methods, or applications of human logic as we know. The truth of your insight that "God created the earth as the center of His Creation" has been spiritually discerned, a gift of the Holy Spirit. As is the magnificent passage from Acts you cite: "In Him we live, and move, and have our being.... For we are also his offspring."

And truly, this is a marvelous insight as well: "...it was onto this earth Christ was born; Christ, "by whom all things consist."

Christ forever dignified Earth by choosing it as the "venue" of his Incarnation.

Christ is Logos! Thus all things really do "consist" by and in Him.

And as you say, that's as real as it gets, Dr. Eckleburg! And I agree that is neither "small" or "lonely."

Thank you so much for your excellent essay/post!

[Alamo-Girl]

Er, if I may, when a Christian perceives there is a conflict between God's revelation in Scripture v. Creation he must realize that the problem is his own, not God's. There is something he does not know and perhaps is prohibited from knowing.

The bottom line is that he must love God surpassingly above all else, the one and only Great Commandment (Matt 22.) Believe Him. Trust Him.

In other words, he should not let science get him down but pray for, not demand, understanding and God will answer his request according to His own will.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane [and] vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace [be] with thee. Amen. - I Timothy 6:20-21

And he should remember this, that we believe that Jesus Christ is God enfleshed, born of a virgin, died on a cross for our sins, resurrected and sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven and will come again. We believe that while He was enfleshed, He walked on water, raised the dead, healed the sick and so on. We believe everything that was made was made by Him and for Him.

We believe all of this – why should we be disturbed by anything or any one?

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:7-8

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

Marantha, Jesus!

[hosepipe]

[ I am often tempted to ask such folks: "How many galaxies could Moses see?" \ Does anyone want to attempt an answer? ]

I will... Moses had no idea of the concept of a galaxy.. or a STAR or Solar System.. or even that the earth was a round ball hanging in nothing.. as far as anything he scribbled down or had scribbled down.. as far as anyone knows.. The very idea of a whole galaxy is heady enough information.. WHo can look at a whole galaxy as viewing some earthly object?..even galaxy "clusters"..

"WE" are blessed indeed.. you and I.. blessed to even KNOW of these things.. to be able to mentally grasp the magnitude of it all.. To think these facts are just the start.. mere openers in universal facts.. to be considered as the eon rolls on..

[1000 silverlings]

Thanks for the ping, Dr. E. nice to see something different for a change.

I see our reality as a dimension that we are alive within. Within the first material dimension, there is a spiritual dimension which not everyone or thing is in. To those who are in it, it is virtually impossible to describe it to those who are not.

All of it is continually sustained by the mind of God, and those who are spiritual can partake in sustaining it, by following His revelation, which is the word of god from the mind of God. The Hebrews say that every scholar who studies the word of god, helps to sustain the universe.

[1000 silverlings]

sorry meant to capitalize “God”

[Alamo-Girl]

The test of God's Truth is not to be found via scientific methods, or applications of human logic as we know.

Oh so very true.

Man is not the measure of God!

Thank you so very much for all of your insights, dearest sister in Christ!

[TXnMA]

"In my view the doctrines and traditions of men are often the result of man trying to understand God using his own reasoning. If he goes that route, he invariably anthropomorphizes God into a small imagining of a "god" his puny, mortal mind can comprehend."

Well put! And, as we both observed in recent threads, development of doctrines, traditions and (mis) interpretations along those lines may well have been aided and abetted by those who have violated the Second Commandment...

As our dear Sister, betty boop reminds us.

"God tells us truly, but not exhaustively."

I for one, do not feel worthy to demand more of Scripture than God put into it.

OTOH, I don't disregard sub-atomic physics or the observed red shift -- merely because Genesis did not mention them...

[Alamo-Girl]

To those who are in it, it is virtually impossible to describe it to those who are not.

Oh so very true, dear brother in Christ!

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. - Colossians 3:3

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. - I Corinthians 2:14

To God be the glory!

[hosepipe]

[ And I agree that for reasons known only to God, He has especially blessed mankind and this earth. I have that sense too, strongly. It fills me with wonder...and profound gratitude. ]

Carl Sagan said life must have started somewhere first, why not here.. Indeed, why not here first.. Some natural scientists are not objective enough to see that..

Human life on THIS PLANET just could be a qualification, a TESTING of out "spirits".. for future tasks/deeds/"gifts" to be manifested.. That human history is just the qualification for the REAL STORY to begin.. The population of uncountable Galaxys and other space stuff.. With NO DEVIL/Satan to test the process but human spirits THAT WERE TESTED just for that purpose.. How many eons would it take for intelligent civilation(s) to be "seeded", watered, weeded, and watched over.. in all the Galaxys of this Universe or even many of them.. NOT by a devil but by beneficial creatures with experience with all the errors of human civilation to guide them(beneficial creatures) on what NOT TO DO.. With knowledge of many or all the errors of a developing civilation..

The parable/metaphor of the talents takes on a whole new meaning if that scenario is true.. "Heaven" will maybe NOT be a bodacious choir meeting.. That negative human history maybe will become an ASSET to an even LARGER plan..