“The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork.”  Psalm 19:1

“And they said: ‘Come let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens, let us make a name for ourselves…”  Genesis 11:4

It is said that we live in a time of unprecedented discoveries and increase in knowledge (whether those around Leonardo DaVinci or Sir Isaac Newton would agree who knows).  Seemingly every day there is a new astounding picture published from the Hubble space telescope or some new amazing medical breakthrough.  Yet this is also a time of fear.  Some fear the taking over of knowledge and the inventions knowledge inspires, invading and exposing every aspect of our lives.  Some would withhold knowledge from a certain segment of their population in the name of their god.  Some would argue that there is a war on; a war of science against religion, the scientist against God.  What are we to do?

Hmmm?  What did God say?  Is all knowledge wrong?  Wasn’t the original sin gaining knowledge?  Genesis tells us towards the end of chapter 1 that He created man and woman and that they were to have dominion over the fish of the sea, birds of the air and every living thing that moves on earth.  Now dictionary.com (oh by the way while I sight them often I do not get any kickback or such for siting or using them) says that dominion is the power over or control of.  So it would seem that, to have dominion would necessitate a certain amount of knowledge to do so.  But wasn’t the gaining of knowledge the downfall of mankind?  Genesis tells us it was a very specific knowledge, a knowledge of judgement; specifically the knowledge of good and evil (why that knowledge was forbidden would be a topic for another post).

Think of it this way; to build an arc, a tabernacle, a temple, to use a sling, to fight a battle, to build a city, to tend a crop, to herd sheep, to be a carpenter, all takes the gaining of knowledge.  Now when you look a science, it is the systematic pursuit of the gaining of knowledge and a scientist is one who engages in that pursuit.  Yeah!  All science is good and all scientists are fulfilling God’s will!  EEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (that is supposed to be the sound of screeching car brakes)!  Not so fast pilgrim.  That is not the truth.

There is an interesting aspect of human nature that seems to parallel the gaining of knowledge; the shunning and looking down upon the thoughts of the past.  How could people believe the earth was flat; the earth was the center of the universe and all things rotated around it, or that you could cure baldness by rubbing goose droppings on the bald area (not making that up)?  As we look down on the thoughts and supposed facts of the past; we often times lift ourselves up in the present believing that our new knowledge either does or should make us intrinsically better, wiser more noble.  How many times have you heard recently the phrase: “In the twenty-first century, we should no longer be dealing with……….”  Also after so many tragedies, many solely man made, we hear the refrain: “We must understand this so that it will never happen again!”  There is an arrogance contained in those types of statements that with the correct amount of knowledge we can fix all things.  We can in essence be perfect.  I have heard it said and frequently from some in the scientific community:  “I no longer see a need for God”  We hear that we are on the verge of discovering the God Particle with an inference from some that upon that discovery; we will understand God!

Have you ever heard the phrase: “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”?  Why?  Because when we take action based on limited understanding, the results are almost always disastrous.  I took a splinter out of someone’s hand so now I think I prepared to perform surgery.  I’m a ten year old child who has been allowed to drive an old one gear truck on a secluded farm pasture so now I’ll take by father’s sports car out on the interstate.  I’ve learned to read and have read many things that make sense to me but because the bible doesn’t I feel confident in rejecting it and all it’s teaching.  Or equally as dangerous, I have read part of the bible and think I fully understand it so I feel I am as smart as God in judging this thing or that!  It is at those times where the pursuit of knowledge lays the foundation for, and then adds the bricks and mortar for the tower, Our New Age, Virtual (but a tower is a tower even if it is virtual) Tower of Babel.  A tower designed to make us equal with God.

Bottom line brothers and sisters, we are created; which means there is a Creator.  We did not create ourselves.  The Creator fashioned us in His image.  The Creator, God, did not make us replicas or complete copies of Himself.  As the Creator, God has allowed us to gain knowledge.  That knowledge has allowed us to build things, transform things, cure things, reveal things.  In fact, that knowledge can be a wonderful revelation into omnipotent and omniscient nature of God.  It should give us pause and leave us in awe of Him.  Each new discovery should show us just how much more there is that we don’t know and causing us to be truly humble as Our Heavenly Father knows all that is knowable.  We should be content that God’s judgement is perfect and He shares, in love, only that which is for our good.

In this life I will never know or understand fully the nature or mind of God Almighty.  So it is in faith that I come to Him; not as an equal, but as one of His creations.  And I truly believe every scrap of knowledge I’ve obtained to be a gift from Him, revealing the Merciful, Loving, Eternal Father of all.

Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, You are the Creator and knower of all things.  Forgive us when we try to use our limited knowledge to judge ourselves equal to You.  Forgive us when we feel that we’ve gained so much knowledge that You are no longer necessary.  Give us the strength to combat the world’s view that faith is weakness and only what can be proved is valuable.  In the knowledge You so abundantly provide, let us see You revealed in all the discoveries.  That as we learn; we will always praise, Your Most Holy and Perfect Name.  In the name of Jesus Christ we pray.  Amen