One of the first books that I remember hearing April read to our children
was Are You My Mother? This little book tells the story
of a baby duck who hatched out when his mother was not tending the egg.
The little duck then goes from animal to animal in the barnyard asking
each in turn, “Are you my mother?” Mankind has some things
in common with that little duck. 1) Man has an insatiable desire to
know from whence he came. 2) Man is often sorely misguided in his search
for his origins. 3) The efforts man has made to discover his origins
have been as fruitless as a duck seeking its mother among the pigs.
In an effort to discover his origins, man has gone to extraordinary
lengths. Millions of dollars have been spent in digging up the earth
in hopes of finding evidence of our origins. The sea has been sounded
and its creatures studied and cataloged in hopes that we might find
our ancestors. Scientists and doctors have plunged into the single human
cell in hopes that they might follow the DNA trail back to man’s
beginnings. All of these attempts have proved futile. No “missing
link” has been found. No “key” has been discovered.
In fact, nothing has been learned, with scientific certainty, that points
to man’s origin that had not already been revealed in the pages
of God’s Word.
This past week, we Americans wrote the latest chapter in mankind’s
Book of Failure in seeking to discover his origins without turning to
God. At a cost of many millions of dollars the Genesis spaceship was
sent to orbit the sun. This probe was to have collected atoms that had
been emitted from the sun that are now floating in space. Scientists
hoped to study those collected atoms and from them to gain some new
insight as to how our universe began. If you watched the news or read
a paper last week, you know that Genesis turned out to be a big waste
of money and time. The parachute that was to open and lower the spaceship
gently through the air did not open. The helicopters that were going
to snag it in midair could not do so since it was moving at over 200
mph. The ship crashed into the earth destroying itself and the collection
devices aboard it. Genesis turned out to be a big, expensive flop.
Since blame will have to be placed, I am sure NASA will launch a detailed
investigation to determine what went wrong. I am sure the sub-contractors
will do all they can to point the finger of blame at each other or at
NASA or at anyone other than themselves. Probably, the findings will
show that some little do-hickey or thing-a-ma-bob failed, and that is
where the blame will finally rest. That will be a mistake. The ultimate
blame for mankind’s failure to learn about his origins and the
origin of his universe lies with man himself. The problem is that man
is too busy looking to Genesis (the spaceship) for answers and not enough
time looking to Genesis (God’s record of the beginning).
God has already told us, “Through faith we understand that the
worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3). The Genesis
probe is the latest piece of evidence that man rejects that our universe
was made by the word of God, and it is man’s latest attempt to
explain the things that are seen with the things that do appear. As
squirrel hunters might say, they are barking up the wrong tree. We have
been warned to, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean
not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). It would seem
reasonable that we should accept the explanation of an eye-witness to
the creation who was also the mastermind behind the creation. Yet, man
retreats so far from the Bible record of things, claiming it is not
reasonable (does not fit with his understanding), that he seeks the
origin of life among non-living things, the origin of matter from non-existence,
and the method of intricately designed detail without a designer.
The Psalmist said, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered
me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and
their faces were not ashamed” (Psalm 34:4-5). By looking to God,
man can be enlightened regarding his origin. There is no reason for
anyone to fear being brought to shame by the halls of academia or the
laboratories of science. When they learn something; truly learn something
verifiable, repeatable, and provable, it will agree with what the Bible
has already said. The Bible is truth (John 17:17). If the efforts of
man produce anything that is true, it will, it must agree with other
truth. To have truth disagreeing with truth is a contradiction and opposed
to the very nature of truth.
Look to the skies, dear friend. See the glorious handiwork of Jehovah.
Be reminded that He is the great Creator. See the scope of His power.
However, look to the Bible to learn of His love. Learn of His great
holiness. See the sacrifice He made so that we can be redeemed. Learn
what He requires of man. Believe the record He has left behind for us.
Obey all that the Bible says we should do. All who will do these things
will know much more than their origin. They will know their destination.
They, with Paul, will be able to say, “Henceforth there is laid
up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge,
shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
