Recognising the Creator.

Creation tantalizes! The creator is unseen yet defined in some-way by what is created. Powerful, majestic, wise and glorious are words which come to mind through such ‘handiwork’. But what nature shows still doesn’t reveal who or what created it. Was it a personal being or something undefinable, perhaps chance?

Neither, microscope or telescope can tell us the character and personality behind the seen and unseen. Does the design come from a he or she or something nebulous such as chance? If a being of some type how could he, she, it be described? Capricious or benevolent? Evil or righteous? Indifferent or merciful? Could we ever know unless the designer was unmasked!

The Judeo-Christian Scriptures proclaim the news “the architect of the universe has made Himself known!” Genesis 1 began the unveiling. The 'How' is stated as coming from the power of the spoken word. In turn this requires omniscience under-pinned by unlimited power. it says little about His character though this comes to the fore later on. Now this births a problem for those who want to discredit the Scriptural timeline from seven literal days into billions of years. Such a belief system changes the Biblical revelation of the essential being of God. The ‘very good’ cannot apply to the evolutionary process because of its trial and error, cruelty and death mixed with deformity and pain. What it says about its maker can never ever be summed up as being ‘good.’ A better term would be ‘malicious.’

The Bible is insistent and consistent in what it reveals about the designer of the universe. His goodness is expressed in numerous ways and most evidently in the keeping of His word. The psalmists repeatedly write about this and their experiences of the goodness of grace. The most expressive testimony comes from Jeremiah following the overthrow of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The Lord had warned the nation of this impending catastrophe due to their degrading of Yahweh’s worship. Now it had come. Was this the end of God’s promises and purposes? What is written in Lamentations 3:22-25 is the height of trust in the goodness of God to His word. ‘The Lord is good to those who wait for Him…’ Jesus endorsed this view of His Father’s being when speaking to the young ruler in Mark 10:19. ‘No one is good but God alone.’

However, this raises complex problems. What's gone wrong? Goodness seems to be contaminated by varying degrees of evil, heartbreak and tears.  Is it conceivable that He who declared His handiwork as 'good' would be mischievous and malicious by playing the evolutionary game. There is no clever way of manipulating the Biblical account of Creation with the evolutionary process without defaming, dethroning and diluting God of His goodness. In turn, such thinking calls into question the very nature of Christ Jesus who is the person designated as the Creator.

Some Bible passages are here offered for your edification. Job 38-42 Psalms 8, 19, 139,

Next week Getting to know  God beyond the superficial

©Ray Hawkins