By Jim Mettenbrink
Can we know God exists? And if so how can we know? Yahweh, God, the author of the Bible indicates that God revealed Himself on two levels: General and Specific.
General revelation is by observation of the material creation. Although the notion of the evolution of everything from non-existence become something by itself to non-life becoming alive by itself and non-intelligence becoming rational intelligence begs the question – How? Briefly stated, the struggle to steps from nothing to becoming a rational being is one huge leap of fantasy, an illusionary delusion! Yet people believe it. In an attempt to “rationalize” this evolutionary idea, time has been injected, yea billions of years have pumped into the theory. Over the last 60 years the time required has increased from one billion to 4 or 5, up to 11 billion years. And it is what it is–theory!
Because the Bible claims to be of divine origin and sets forth our existence from fiat by God’s speech, it is equally difficult to grasp. That we are rational beings, what is reasonable? (1)That all that exists came from a vacuum of nothingness, or (2) that we are created by a ration supreme being, even containing some of the Creator’s attributes (primarily rationality) (Genesis 1:26-27)?
God has put in each of us a sense that we are small, i.e., there is something much greater than us or even our world. Just observing the design of everything, demands a designer, not random chance from nothingness. That Yahweh created us with such rationality, it is clear why the Bible begins with the summary statement, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). That first chapter states, God spoke the world into existence, thereby revealing His unfathomable power. Several millennia later the Psalmist wrote, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6). In a song of worship, Israel’s King David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” (Ps 19:1). Note, both Psalms refer to the heavens – space, sun, moon and stars. We might ask why that focus? Why are there more than just our earth sun and moon?
When God promised to make Abraham into a nation, referring to the number of His descendants, God said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them” (Gen 15:5). It is estimated that the naked eye can see about 4500 stars. With the super telescopes we know that the stars are numberless. The largest stars can fit over three billion suns or 4 quadrillion Earths. Why did God make so much? Again the Psalmist, composed, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power” (Ps 66:3). The expansive universe(s) proclaim God’s unfathomable power. Everything about our existence shows design and purpose. God is not frivolous.