“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” (Job 38:2-4)
This past years we have seen the rise of Science as a new idol. It has risen to new heights in the midst of the global pandemic as we are daily reminded to trust the science. And in the global climate change debate that has been raging for decades, we are daily reminded to trust the science. Yet how can we when modern science as a whole rests upon a worldview that is fundamentally flawed? That flaw consists of the theory of evolution and the Big Bang theory.
But who really is the author of scientific truth, not theories, opinions or speculation, but truth? Here in Job 38 the Lord God Almighty tells us that He is. God is in charge of and maintains full control over everything. He set spiritual laws in place as well as scientific principles in motion that are discoverable. If such laws are followed, the result is peace and joy. If these laws are broken, the result is sin and chaos, which is what we see today.
And yet millions of people including scientists and scholars claim to know the ways and origin of the universe and all life. Yet they were not present when God created everything, when He created life. Who are they to second guess Him? Who are they to play God by pontificating upon and boasting in their superior knowledge?
The Lord’s series of graphic yet unanswerable questions ought to make each one of us keep our mouths quiet and never again boast of our “wisdom”. And despite all our scientific and technological advancements, natural disasters and epidemics seem to occur with random unpredictability, without reason or logic; but the Lord controls all of them, sets their limits and uses them for His own purposes. We humans label God’s power as “mother nature” and spend a lot of time and energy trying to prevent the damage that results from sickness, floods, earthquakes, severe storms, and climate change. Yet the best science and government can do is make predictions, attempt to minimize risk, and repair the resulting damage. We humans, therefore, must place ourselves in the hands of the Lord, trust Him and ask for faith, mercy, forgiveness, wisdom, and the strength to endure. He will not fail to carry us through.