SECCIÓN VII. 2: THE SCIENCE OF ANIMALS

LESSON 2: THE SCIENCE OF ANIMALS

(Devotional from "IS GENESIS HISTORY?")

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Scripture Selection: Genesis 1.24-25; Genesis 2.19-20; Job 38.39; Job 40.5

Video: https://vimeo.com/198227020 

Speakers: Dr. Del Tackett and Dr. Todd Wood, Biologist.

"I have a yellow labrador who love chasing balls. She never tires of it. The little terrier up the street, however, roots around in the yard looking for moles.

God had something curious in mind when He made animals. Genesis tells us they were created according to their kinds on the last two days of creation. On the sixth day, He brought to Adam to name.

God apparently built into each animal kind all sorts of possible variations whitin limits. We can look at dogs and cats to see the potential, but dogs don't become cats and cats don't become dogs.

This seems to be one of the reason God brought animals to Adam. It's as if God the designer wanted Adam to notice the unique characteristics in each kind. By naming them, Adam was indentifying their uniqueness.

In one sense, Adam is the first scientist; he is examining the natural world, figuring out similarities and differencies, then verbally categorizing  them. Science is the process of trying to understand more about God's creation in order to explain it and control it.

What's neat is that as we enter into that process -even if we're just observers- we can actually learn more about God through what He has made. This seems to be why God talks about His creation when He's questioning Job. God knows how complex and wonderful it is. He designed it to amaze us.

But the creation is now fallen. Paul tells us it is in "bondage to corruption." The animals are no longer as they were at the begining. Nor are we.

CREDIT Photos:  

Illustrations - Is Genesis History?

Original illustrations from the documentary film "Is Genesis History?" 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/compasscinema/sets/72157678045709095/with/31712911366/

This means two things for science. First, there is a tendency for some scientist to ignore what happened in history. When they do this, they mistakenly interpret the world. Second, these mistakes can seem plausible because people, though fallen, are still intelligent. 

It seems this is what happened to Charles Darwin. He was fascinate with animals, but rejected Genesis as a book of history. He therefore interpreted animals according to his own limited understanding.

Although a brillant man,  Darwin looked at the changes within animals kinds and leaped to the conclusion there must be changes between animal kinds. His theory of evolution from common descent, although plausible, is ultimately wrong.

The Psalmist tells us this is what happens if we lean on our own understanding. We can follow a path that seems right, but ultimately leads us in the wrong direction.

REFLECTION:

Are you pursuing ways of thinking not based on God's word?