Wednesday: The Wisdom of the Wise
From our perspective today, it’s easy to look at the questions that God had asked Job and realize how little a man like Job, living thousands of years ago, could understand about the created world. It wasn’t until the A.D. 1500s, for instance, that humans (at least some of them) finally understood that the motion of the sun in the sky was the result of the rotation of the earth on its axis, and the reverse of the orbit of the sun around the earth—a truth that most of us take for granted now.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Thanks mostly to modern science, we live today with knowledge of the natural world that people in Bible times couldn’t begin to comprehend. And yet, even with all this acquired knowledge, we humans are still so limited in our understanding of the natural world and its origins.
Read over the questions God asked Job in chapters 38 and 39. How much better could people answer them today? (Job 38-39)
There is no question that science has revealed to us facets of reality that were previously hidden. However, so much still remains for us to learn. In many ways, far from removing the majesty and the mystery of God’s creation, science has made it even more fascinating, revealing a depth and complexity of the natural world that previous generations knew nothing about.
“ ‘The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.’ Deuteronomy 29:29. Just how God accomplished the work of creation He has never revealed to men; human science cannot search out the secrets of the Most High. His creative power is as incomprehensible as His existence.” — Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets,p. 113.
What warning, however, should we take from the following texts in regard to the great limits of human knowledge? 1 Cor. 3:19, 1 Cor. 1:18–27.
| Even with all the knowledge humans have accumulated in the past few hundred years, the Creation remains full of wonders and mysteries that we can barely fathom. The more we learn about the created world, the more amazing and mysterious it appears to us. In what ways does the created world cause you to marvel before the power of our God? |
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There is a moral difference between knowledge/understanding & wisdom. Wisdom includes moral insight & righteous behavior.
Some wisdom definitions or concepts:
1. Skilled in the art of Godly living
2. Having God's perspective.
3. Seeing the relationship between the problems in life and the principles of scripture which have been violated.
Thats The whole idea..God is spirit,and so we ought to believe Him inpirit.trying to understand Him will only lead to doubt
Yes we know more about the operations of the natural world today than the people in Job's time probably did. But we still cannot and do not understand the creative power of God. I am often in amazement of the time and seasonal difference between the Northern and Southern hemisphere. How far are his ways and thoughts are above ours...
Other than the gift of life, it's the beauty of creation that amazes me. When you look at the many different species of fish, each one has its own design and color, it's very own purpose. Flowers the same. Even creepy, crawling, insects have their different species, with their own designs, shapes, and color. I think about snow flakes, they say no two flakes are the same. Even identical twins, if you look at them long enough, you can see that they are different. What a God we serve. Then God's crowning glory man. Dating back to the first man (Adam), and the first woman (Eve) until now each person born God had an original plan for each of us. He gave each of us two angels, one as a guardian, and one as a recorder. Then after the fall God sent Himself, Jesus, to die for us. One day soon he is going to restore the heavens and the earth back to its original state, and live with us for eternity. Oh what a marvelous, loving, faithful, God we serve.
The fear or respect for God is the beginning of Wisdom and knowledge.
And there you have it Alvin; wisdom is made up of knowledge, experience and common sense - all of which come from God.
As the limitations of our knowledge of nature, so goes the limitations of our knowledge of this quarterly. How wonderful are the reflections of God here. I even marvel at the limitations of our comments this past few months on the subject. This truly makes us depend on the one who knew the answers to all these questions. Thank you God.
I am a physicist with a concentration in rocket science and I quite enjoy learning more and more about our world/universe and how it works. The more I learn, the more I marvel at God's great and powerful knowledge. Only He could design such a beautiful and majestic universe for us to live in and observe. The way stars line up in the sky to create shapes and figures is just amazing and, to me, evidence of a Creator. The way animals and insects migrate to far regions without language or reasoning or prior knowledge of where they are heading is proof to me as well. We know so little compared to our God, but from what we do know is that we are purposefully, intelligently, mathematically, and beautifully made. God bless.
It is always encouraging to find renowned scientists who will stand up for God. Truly God reveals himself at every level of human awareness it all comes down to choice on what to believe. In Job 38:30 it suggests the presence of a body of water inside a planet or an asteroid. In case you should discover this in one of your missions, know that it is not new under the sun. It is in the bible in the old book of Job.
I marvel at the human structure
We're made so intricately and amazing in our function
All systems work together smoothly and if by chance there's a problem due to illness or injury the body can heal and compensate
Man attempts to explain the complexity of each system but even though we know alot I believe that we haven't scratched the surface of knowledge
From the function of the minute cell to the entire body that's the working of a harmonious orchestra
Praise God for his master piece
Can the scientists explain to us what causes the air temperature to come down to zero degrees causing water to freeze. Why and how? Whats the depth of the sea? What makes the sea water salty? Amazing how God made them all.
The short answer to these questions Brighton, is "Yes". As a scientist I can give answers to most of those questions. The point must be made that providing an explanation does not reduce my view of God as the creator. Rather, it helps me understand him better and look forward to even more explanation.
Two people listen to a musician playing a piano. One person has never had a single minute of music education in their life. The other person is an accomplished piano player herself. Which of these two persons enjoys listening the most? Before giving an answer, remind yourself that there is no quantitative measure of enjoyment. I suggest that the piano player probably understands the performance more and that would contribute to her enjoyment. But on the other-hand the uneducated listener may have an inbuilt appreciation of music that education cannot give.
Appreciating God's creativity is available to all of us, educated, experienced, or not. It is up to us to respond.
By the modern science, we live today with knowledge of the natural world that people in Bible times couldn’t begin to comprehend. And by the same modern science, we are tempted to beleave "Evolutionism phylosophy" which makes us more ignorent than people in the bible times who understood less but beleaved that there's a creator! "we shall learn a new lesson every day about our Creator and Readeemer, his love and his mercy in the new earth forever and ever" (EG White, the great controversy) the eternity will not sufficient for us to know our God!
Coming from a science background myself, I resonate with many of the comments about the "wonders of nature" revealing God. The moment of revelation for me came when I was involved in research into the haemin family of chemicals. They are the ones at the centre of haemoglobin the oxygen/carbon dioxide carrying entity in our blood. I was struck by the similarity between haemin and chlorophyll. The essential difference being that the central atom of the complex is iron in the case of the haemins and magnesium for chlorophyll. The reuse of design for both animals and plants struck me as a masterpiece.
I am well aware that atheistic scientists make the same observations and ascribe them to nature rather than God. Listening to some of my atheistic friends talk about design in nature, I sometimes think that all they are doing is calling God a different name.
It raises the point that if we want to make the notion of a personal God relevant to atheists then we have to show the effect of a personal God in our lives. We are quick to argue the defence of a personal God but living a life that defends God is much harder. If there is one lesson that we can perhaps take from the lessons on Job it is that often we talk too much in our attempts to explain God.
The Pianist is the right answer. God makes it possible for us all to enjoy his creation including music, color, motion, shapes, etc.
I therefore, think that, any time we'll try to understand God and His creation mystery, then,He ceases to be God.
I don't think that trying to understand God is the problem Simon. I have spent a lifetime doing just that, only to find there is more to understand and explore. However I would agree with the notion that if we were to reduce God to an explanation then He would cease to be God. I don't even understand my wife, but it has been both fun and rewarding to keep on trying for the last 48 years.
I think God wants us to know Him intimately. His Spirit is what many scientists miss. This may be the reason they come up with such far fetched conclusions like the theory of evolution coupled with the errors of carbon dating assumptions without knowing the factors of inconsistency that lead to false assumptions and conclusions, etc.
Through the work of the Holy Spirit with our permission we can learn much about the character of God that we cannot know otherwise.
Even natural science comes more alive with the wisdom of God's Spirit which can lead our thoughts and feelings to greater and higher understanding of the creation of God around us.
Don, if I may interject a remark here: I agree with what I think you mean to say.
However, we need to recognize that evolution (i.e. gradual change over time) is a demonstrated fact. What has not been demonstrated is that life evolved from non-living matter or that one kind of animal ever evolved into another. That is pure speculation masquerading as science, and I think that's what you meant by "theory of evolution."
I believe we are more likely to get an opportunity to communicate truth if we are more careful with our language and do not discount demonstrable, observable science. Scientists are more likely to listen to us so we can introduce them to our personal God who wants them as well as us to know Him intimately.
Don was speaking about macro evolution, not microevolution. Microevolution mutates, loses information and becomes something less than it was before, etc. The truth is that much is made out of evolution that says very little about microevolution. It always denies the existence of God, the Grand Designer.
Isn't trying to understand part of getting to know someone? We may never fully understand a person, but if we don't at least try, it seems to me that it demonstrates a lack of interest.
Jesus Himself said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." John 17:3 Thus I believe that getting to know God and understanding Him better should be our chief goal in life. It means spending time listening to Him, talking with Him and working with Him. As we do this, we will understand Him better and better and become more and more like Him.
Thanks William for your rejoinder, I agree with your point on this