THE REAL KING SOLOMON'S MINES
2 Samuel 8:14a
"And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants."
There is a school of biblical interpretation that does not consider the Bible divinely inspired. For example, they say that the Bible's description of David's conquests and Solomon's wealth and greatness were written down many centuries after they lived. The stories had been verbally passed down, getting wildly exaggerated through the years. When they lived, Israel and Edom were little more than a few small, insignificant tribal villages.
Over the years, various archaeological finds have challenged this view in support of the biblical account. New findings have again supported the biblical history. Scripture describes David's conquests as having included Edom, which became a servant state to him. In the 1930s, the famous pioneer Holy Land archaeologist Nelson Glueck claimed to have discovered King Solomon's mines in what was the northern part of Edom. Now more complete excavations have been done in the northern part of Edom near the claimed mines and have revealed that there was extensive copper production taking place in the area. What's more, artifacts and several dating methods have left no doubt that copper production was taking place at the site during David's and Solomon's time.
As we've often said, we don't believe the Bible because of scientific proof of its truth, but we do expect it to be accurate.
Father, do not allow those who doubt Your Word to fool Your people. Convince them of the truth of Your Word. Amen.
Science News, 11/22/08, p. 10, Bruce Bower, "David, Solomon may have been kings of copper."
2 Samuel 8:14a
"And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom put he garrisons, and all they of Edom became David's servants."
There is a school of biblical interpretation that does not consider the Bible divinely inspired. For example, they say that the Bible's description of David's conquests and Solomon's wealth and greatness were written down many centuries after they lived. The stories had been verbally passed down, getting wildly exaggerated through the years. When they lived, Israel and Edom were little more than a few small, insignificant tribal villages.
Over the years, various archaeological finds have challenged this view in support of the biblical account. New findings have again supported the biblical history. Scripture describes David's conquests as having included Edom, which became a servant state to him. In the 1930s, the famous pioneer Holy Land archaeologist Nelson Glueck claimed to have discovered King Solomon's mines in what was the northern part of Edom. Now more complete excavations have been done in the northern part of Edom near the claimed mines and have revealed that there was extensive copper production taking place in the area. What's more, artifacts and several dating methods have left no doubt that copper production was taking place at the site during David's and Solomon's time.
As we've often said, we don't believe the Bible because of scientific proof of its truth, but we do expect it to be accurate.
Father, do not allow those who doubt Your Word to fool Your people. Convince them of the truth of Your Word. Amen.
Science News, 11/22/08, p. 10, Bruce Bower, "David, Solomon may have been kings of copper."
THE FASTEST JAWS IN THE WORLD
Psalm 46:7
"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."
If an octopus thinks you have found him in his lair, he will squirt ink in your face and hope, in your surprise, you don't see him fleeing. On the other hand, challenge a bull, and you will have more fight on your hands than you want. Other creatures will evaluate the situation to determine whether fight or flight is the best response.
The trap-jaw ant has a unique approach to this problem of fight or flight. He can fight, flee or do both at the same time with the same movement. The ant has a unique mandible. It is this jaw that is the secret of the ant's response to a challenge. If the ant faces a threat and decides to attack, it will strike at the threat with its mandibles and in the movement propel itself up to nine inches from the threat almost simultaneously. If the ant decides to flee, it simply does so by snapping its jaws shut against the ground on which it stands. Its jaw snaps closed at the speed of over 136 miles per hour.
While it is sometimes necessary to protect ourselves from earthly dangers through fight or flight, neither of these will work for the spiritual dangers we face. For those we must trust the strong arm of our risen Savior.
Lord, You are our protecting fortress when danger threatens. Help us to trust You in every situation. Amen.
Photonics Spectra, 12/06, p.154, Lauren I. Rugani, "Self-Propelling Picnic Pests."
Psalm 46:7
"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."
If an octopus thinks you have found him in his lair, he will squirt ink in your face and hope, in your surprise, you don't see him fleeing. On the other hand, challenge a bull, and you will have more fight on your hands than you want. Other creatures will evaluate the situation to determine whether fight or flight is the best response.
The trap-jaw ant has a unique approach to this problem of fight or flight. He can fight, flee or do both at the same time with the same movement. The ant has a unique mandible. It is this jaw that is the secret of the ant's response to a challenge. If the ant faces a threat and decides to attack, it will strike at the threat with its mandibles and in the movement propel itself up to nine inches from the threat almost simultaneously. If the ant decides to flee, it simply does so by snapping its jaws shut against the ground on which it stands. Its jaw snaps closed at the speed of over 136 miles per hour.
While it is sometimes necessary to protect ourselves from earthly dangers through fight or flight, neither of these will work for the spiritual dangers we face. For those we must trust the strong arm of our risen Savior.
Lord, You are our protecting fortress when danger threatens. Help us to trust You in every situation. Amen.
Photonics Spectra, 12/06, p.154, Lauren I. Rugani, "Self-Propelling Picnic Pests."
CAN THERE BE DESIGN WITHOUT A DESIGNER?
Romans 1:20a
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead..."
A new science called biomimetics is making news. In the past we have talked about how some of man's designs are often similar to God's which do the same job. However, in biomimetics, researchers actively seek to study the creation to learn of designs that will solve engineering problems.
We are all familiar with the story of how thistle seeds inspired Velcro. Engineers have used the design of the owl's wing to make the structures that carry electrical current to trains. The result is a much quieter ride. The moth's eyes' ability not to reflect light helps make it harder to be spotted by birds. The same design has now been used to make a nonreflective film. The result is a film that can be used to help prevent windows from reflecting light. This film will soon be available commercially. Many dyes are toxic, yet many creatures manage to show off bright colors without using toxic substances. Materials engineers studied how the jewel beetle produces its color. The result is a film that seems to change color depending on the angle from which you view it.
No scientist can offer a rational explanation for how so many thoughtful and efficient designs could be generated in a mindless universe. These designs are fingerprints God left all over the creation so that man might seek Him out.
I thank and praise You, dear Father, for the excellence and wonder You have left as fingerprints in the creation. Amen.
Nikkei Weekly, 2/22/10, p. 17, "Biomimetics yields life-inspired products."
Romans 1:20a
"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead..."
A new science called biomimetics is making news. In the past we have talked about how some of man's designs are often similar to God's which do the same job. However, in biomimetics, researchers actively seek to study the creation to learn of designs that will solve engineering problems.
We are all familiar with the story of how thistle seeds inspired Velcro. Engineers have used the design of the owl's wing to make the structures that carry electrical current to trains. The result is a much quieter ride. The moth's eyes' ability not to reflect light helps make it harder to be spotted by birds. The same design has now been used to make a nonreflective film. The result is a film that can be used to help prevent windows from reflecting light. This film will soon be available commercially. Many dyes are toxic, yet many creatures manage to show off bright colors without using toxic substances. Materials engineers studied how the jewel beetle produces its color. The result is a film that seems to change color depending on the angle from which you view it.
No scientist can offer a rational explanation for how so many thoughtful and efficient designs could be generated in a mindless universe. These designs are fingerprints God left all over the creation so that man might seek Him out.
I thank and praise You, dear Father, for the excellence and wonder You have left as fingerprints in the creation. Amen.
Nikkei Weekly, 2/22/10, p. 17, "Biomimetics yields life-inspired products."
DARWIN AND HIS FOLLOWERS DRAW THE WRONG CONCLUSIONS
2 Peter 3:6
"Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished..."
Charles Darwin once wrote of the fossil record, "No organism wholly soft can be preserved." That's because evolutionary orthodoxy says that fossils are buried and formed by slow, natural processes. In reality, there are many fossils of soft-bodied animals like jellyfish and squid. That is evidence, of course, of rapid, catastrophic burial at the time of the flood. Darwin rejected the flood and therefore got the science wrong.
It is not unusual to find deep sea creatures in the lowest levels of fossil-bearing rocks. This, too, would make sense in light of the flood. But it is clear that Darwin was wrong again. While living specimens of some of the fossilized squids have now been found, they also have all of the complete features of modern squids. They all have fully functional refracting-lens eyes and the well-known "jet propulsion" of modern squid. One fossilized squid, dated 150 million years old by evolutionists, was so perfectly preserved it looked like it could still have ink. Researchers even reconstituted real ink from its fossilized ink sac. The ink, which looks the same as modern squid ink, was even used to draw a picture of the fossil. There should have been no ink after all that time, so it looks like the Darwinists were wrong on the age, too.
In contrast, God's Word stands vindicated.
Father, lead me into all truth, and preserve me and Your church from being misled by falsehoods. Amen.
Acts & Facts, 8/10, p. 18, Brian Thomas, "Tentacular Squid, Re-writing Squid Stories Before the Ink Dries."
2 Peter 3:6
"Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished..."
Charles Darwin once wrote of the fossil record, "No organism wholly soft can be preserved." That's because evolutionary orthodoxy says that fossils are buried and formed by slow, natural processes. In reality, there are many fossils of soft-bodied animals like jellyfish and squid. That is evidence, of course, of rapid, catastrophic burial at the time of the flood. Darwin rejected the flood and therefore got the science wrong.
It is not unusual to find deep sea creatures in the lowest levels of fossil-bearing rocks. This, too, would make sense in light of the flood. But it is clear that Darwin was wrong again. While living specimens of some of the fossilized squids have now been found, they also have all of the complete features of modern squids. They all have fully functional refracting-lens eyes and the well-known "jet propulsion" of modern squid. One fossilized squid, dated 150 million years old by evolutionists, was so perfectly preserved it looked like it could still have ink. Researchers even reconstituted real ink from its fossilized ink sac. The ink, which looks the same as modern squid ink, was even used to draw a picture of the fossil. There should have been no ink after all that time, so it looks like the Darwinists were wrong on the age, too.
In contrast, God's Word stands vindicated.
Father, lead me into all truth, and preserve me and Your church from being misled by falsehoods. Amen.
Acts & Facts, 8/10, p. 18, Brian Thomas, "Tentacular Squid, Re-writing Squid Stories Before the Ink Dries."
THE BUZZ ABOUT CHANCE
Acts 1:26
"And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."
With the early morning dew on the leaves, a vegetable garden may seem a very peaceful place. Actually, though, it's a war zone.
If you know what they are, you don't want to see army worms in your garden. But when they hear a wasp fly by, they stop eating and sometimes even fall off the branch they are on. This is probably because a number of wasps eat caterpillars. Researchers realized that honeybees can produce the same result in caterpillars since they sound like wasps. They decided to find out what was really going on under controlled conditions. They set up two tents with various types of plants. In one of the tents, they also placed a beehive and then hung bottles of sugar water around the tent. Researchers then placed beet army worms into both tents. In the tent with no bees, the army worms munched away nonstop. But much less damage was done in the tent with bees because the worms stopped eating every time they heard a bee fly over.
The evolutionist researchers explained that this is simply a "happy side of the effect of pollination." In other words, chance. But the Bible teaches that there is no such thing as chance. God's always in charge. This is why you find them casting lots in the Bible to decide matters.
Father, I thank You that there is no such thing as chance and that You are always in charge. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39514, 12/22/08, Susan Milius, "Buzzing Bees Protect Plant Leaves."
Acts 1:26
"And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles."
With the early morning dew on the leaves, a vegetable garden may seem a very peaceful place. Actually, though, it's a war zone.
If you know what they are, you don't want to see army worms in your garden. But when they hear a wasp fly by, they stop eating and sometimes even fall off the branch they are on. This is probably because a number of wasps eat caterpillars. Researchers realized that honeybees can produce the same result in caterpillars since they sound like wasps. They decided to find out what was really going on under controlled conditions. They set up two tents with various types of plants. In one of the tents, they also placed a beehive and then hung bottles of sugar water around the tent. Researchers then placed beet army worms into both tents. In the tent with no bees, the army worms munched away nonstop. But much less damage was done in the tent with bees because the worms stopped eating every time they heard a bee fly over.
The evolutionist researchers explained that this is simply a "happy side of the effect of pollination." In other words, chance. But the Bible teaches that there is no such thing as chance. God's always in charge. This is why you find them casting lots in the Bible to decide matters.
Father, I thank You that there is no such thing as chance and that You are always in charge. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/39514, 12/22/08, Susan Milius, "Buzzing Bees Protect Plant Leaves."
CHAMELEON CHANGES IN UNEXPECTED WAY
Psalm 7:1b
"O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me..."
Evolutionary naturalists have predicted that a given creature should have pretty much the same strategy for dealing with any of the predators that seek it out. As our knowledge of the animal world grows, they are beginning to realize that they may have to reexamine their prediction.
Researchers have now established that a dwarf chameleon native to Africa does indeed use very different strategies depending on the predator. The two main predators the chameleon faces are snakes and birds. After observation in the wild, naturalists decided to test the chameleons' reactions to these predators under controlled conditions. They captured some chameleons and then tested their reactions to a fake snake or a stuffed bird. When the snake was placed where the chameleons could see it, the chameleons turned pale and hugged the branch they were on. When the bird was introduced, the chameleons color-matched their branch much more closely while hugging its underside. Further study led the researchers to see the wisdom of these strategies. The snake looks up from the ground and sees the chameleon against the bright sky. The birds look down and see the darker branch.
Obviously, the chameleons didn't figure this out by themselves. God gave them these strategies for their protection.
Father, help me to trust more completely in Your protection, both in physical matters and in the spiritual. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/32396/titl/These_colors_dont_run, Susan Milius, "These Colors Don't Run."
Psalm 7:1b
"O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me..."
Evolutionary naturalists have predicted that a given creature should have pretty much the same strategy for dealing with any of the predators that seek it out. As our knowledge of the animal world grows, they are beginning to realize that they may have to reexamine their prediction.
Researchers have now established that a dwarf chameleon native to Africa does indeed use very different strategies depending on the predator. The two main predators the chameleon faces are snakes and birds. After observation in the wild, naturalists decided to test the chameleons' reactions to these predators under controlled conditions. They captured some chameleons and then tested their reactions to a fake snake or a stuffed bird. When the snake was placed where the chameleons could see it, the chameleons turned pale and hugged the branch they were on. When the bird was introduced, the chameleons color-matched their branch much more closely while hugging its underside. Further study led the researchers to see the wisdom of these strategies. The snake looks up from the ground and sees the chameleon against the bright sky. The birds look down and see the darker branch.
Obviously, the chameleons didn't figure this out by themselves. God gave them these strategies for their protection.
Father, help me to trust more completely in Your protection, both in physical matters and in the spiritual. Amen.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/32396/titl/These_colors_dont_run, Susan Milius, "These Colors Don't Run."
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