SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS
Genesis 1:25
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
British comedian Milton Jones tells this one-liner:
It’s difficult to say what my wife does for a living. She sells sea shells on the sea shore.
However, the famous tongue-twister actually refers to a young woman who never married.
Mary Anning was born in 1799 to Richard, an impoverished furniture maker, and his wife, Molly, in Lyme Regis, England. This coastal town is now famous for its discoveries of dinosaur fossils, discoveries that began with Mary. Richard would take the young Mary and her older brother Joseph out on to the cliffs and the beach looking for fossils, and they would sell these to visitors. The teenagers discovered what would later be named the ichthyosaur, and this was the first of many discoveries made by Mary.
One biographer of Anning has stated that her many discoveries of so-called prehistoric animals paved the way for Darwinism. Mary was mostly self-taught, having learned to read and write only in Sunday School. Nevertheless, her extensive knowledge of her finds did not cause her to lose her faith, despite her many hardships. She was not allowed to join the Geological Society because she was a woman and also because she and her family were members of a Dissenting Chapel, not the Church of England.
It is of note that her most prized possession was a volume of the Dissenters’ Theological Magazine and Review. Her pastor, James Wheaton, had contributed two articles to this journal. One urged his flock to get interested in geology. The other emphatically taught the biblical truth that God had made the world in six literal 24-hour days.
We know, Lord God, that all true science is thinking Your thoughts after You. Thank You for those men and women of talent who have given their lives to push back the frontiers of knowledge. May they give all the glory to You. Amen.
Genesis 1:25
And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
British comedian Milton Jones tells this one-liner:
It’s difficult to say what my wife does for a living. She sells sea shells on the sea shore.
However, the famous tongue-twister actually refers to a young woman who never married.
Mary Anning was born in 1799 to Richard, an impoverished furniture maker, and his wife, Molly, in Lyme Regis, England. This coastal town is now famous for its discoveries of dinosaur fossils, discoveries that began with Mary. Richard would take the young Mary and her older brother Joseph out on to the cliffs and the beach looking for fossils, and they would sell these to visitors. The teenagers discovered what would later be named the ichthyosaur, and this was the first of many discoveries made by Mary.
One biographer of Anning has stated that her many discoveries of so-called prehistoric animals paved the way for Darwinism. Mary was mostly self-taught, having learned to read and write only in Sunday School. Nevertheless, her extensive knowledge of her finds did not cause her to lose her faith, despite her many hardships. She was not allowed to join the Geological Society because she was a woman and also because she and her family were members of a Dissenting Chapel, not the Church of England.
It is of note that her most prized possession was a volume of the Dissenters’ Theological Magazine and Review. Her pastor, James Wheaton, had contributed two articles to this journal. One urged his flock to get interested in geology. The other emphatically taught the biblical truth that God had made the world in six literal 24-hour days.
We know, Lord God, that all true science is thinking Your thoughts after You. Thank You for those men and women of talent who have given their lives to push back the frontiers of knowledge. May they give all the glory to You. Amen.
CRYSTAL PALACE DINOSAURS
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
If you visit London, England, there are a lot of interesting sights to see. You will probably want to take photos of the Horse-guard's Parade, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and, of course, Buckingham Palace, among many, many other sights. But it might not occur to you to visit the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs.
In the 1850s, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins designed and built a magnificent dinosaur park. Today, you can still see his fascinating sculptures, set in urban parkland in the London Borough of Bromley. However, it is not until you look more closely that you begin to notice something strange.
For example, you might take a look at the Crystal Palace Iguanadon. It looks like a giant lizard with a spike on its nose, just like the small iguana lizard. But if you look in your picture book of dinosaurs, you will probably find a picture of an iguanadon, standing upright on two legs, with a spike on its “hand”. Why the difference?
Fossil discoveries are rarely complete, and often the animal’s bones are scattered over a large area. Moreover, many bones in the skeleton are missing. Nineteenth-century paleontologists discovered a spike among the iguanadon fossil bones and assumed it to be a nose. Later, more complete skeletons showed that the spike was a thumb rather than a nose.
Hawkins’ Crystal Palace Dinosaurs should not be laughed at because he worked with the best scientific information available at the time. Rather, we should expect that modern scientists should have the humility not to make dogmatic statements about the form or behavior of their fossils lest they should turn out later to be wrong.
Thank You, Lord, for scientists and artists who strive to do the best they can, according to their talents. Help us to honor You, by the exercise of our talents, for Your glory. Amen
Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.
If you visit London, England, there are a lot of interesting sights to see. You will probably want to take photos of the Horse-guard's Parade, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and, of course, Buckingham Palace, among many, many other sights. But it might not occur to you to visit the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs.
In the 1850s, Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins designed and built a magnificent dinosaur park. Today, you can still see his fascinating sculptures, set in urban parkland in the London Borough of Bromley. However, it is not until you look more closely that you begin to notice something strange.
For example, you might take a look at the Crystal Palace Iguanadon. It looks like a giant lizard with a spike on its nose, just like the small iguana lizard. But if you look in your picture book of dinosaurs, you will probably find a picture of an iguanadon, standing upright on two legs, with a spike on its “hand”. Why the difference?
Fossil discoveries are rarely complete, and often the animal’s bones are scattered over a large area. Moreover, many bones in the skeleton are missing. Nineteenth-century paleontologists discovered a spike among the iguanadon fossil bones and assumed it to be a nose. Later, more complete skeletons showed that the spike was a thumb rather than a nose.
Hawkins’ Crystal Palace Dinosaurs should not be laughed at because he worked with the best scientific information available at the time. Rather, we should expect that modern scientists should have the humility not to make dogmatic statements about the form or behavior of their fossils lest they should turn out later to be wrong.
Thank You, Lord, for scientists and artists who strive to do the best they can, according to their talents. Help us to honor You, by the exercise of our talents, for Your glory. Amen
THE FOXGLOVE
Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Species of foxglove appear on both sides of the Atlantic. I was familiar with this poisonous weed when I was growing up in England. The plants are abundant in Washington State also. Although every part of the plant is poisonous, it is a source of the useful drug group digitalis, used in the treatment of heart complaints.
It is the pollination of foxgloves that fascinates me. In Britain, the foxglove is often, though not exclusively, pollinated by large bumble bees. These big, cuddly-looking bees fly into the bowl-shaped flowers, and extract the nectar, with a short burst of ultrasonic buzzing, before flying off, coated in pollen, to another flower.
One BBC documentary that I watched suggested that the foxglove plant �does not want the bee to visit every flower on the one plant, before pollinating another plant, so it has evolved a mechanism to prevent this.� What happens is that, of the cascade of flowers, the lower flowers open first, before the upper flowers are even mature. Flower opening proceeds step-wise upwards, and when the top flower is open, the lower ones are wilting. My issue with the documentary is that it is impossible for the plant to �want� anything. A so-called blind evolutionary purpose cannot be moving towards a desirable goal of differential pollination. Of course, evolution is contrary to the Bible�s account of origins. This differential pollination is better explained as a design feature consistent with God having made plants, as He stated, on Day Three of Creation.
When we see the way that You have created such things as foxgloves and watch how they are pollinated by bees, we stand in awe, Lord God, at Your greatness and Your power. Amen.
Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Species of foxglove appear on both sides of the Atlantic. I was familiar with this poisonous weed when I was growing up in England. The plants are abundant in Washington State also. Although every part of the plant is poisonous, it is a source of the useful drug group digitalis, used in the treatment of heart complaints.
It is the pollination of foxgloves that fascinates me. In Britain, the foxglove is often, though not exclusively, pollinated by large bumble bees. These big, cuddly-looking bees fly into the bowl-shaped flowers, and extract the nectar, with a short burst of ultrasonic buzzing, before flying off, coated in pollen, to another flower.
One BBC documentary that I watched suggested that the foxglove plant �does not want the bee to visit every flower on the one plant, before pollinating another plant, so it has evolved a mechanism to prevent this.� What happens is that, of the cascade of flowers, the lower flowers open first, before the upper flowers are even mature. Flower opening proceeds step-wise upwards, and when the top flower is open, the lower ones are wilting. My issue with the documentary is that it is impossible for the plant to �want� anything. A so-called blind evolutionary purpose cannot be moving towards a desirable goal of differential pollination. Of course, evolution is contrary to the Bible�s account of origins. This differential pollination is better explained as a design feature consistent with God having made plants, as He stated, on Day Three of Creation.
When we see the way that You have created such things as foxgloves and watch how they are pollinated by bees, we stand in awe, Lord God, at Your greatness and Your power. Amen.
MYRRH
Matthew 2:11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Why did the Wise Men bring myrrh as a gift for Jesus, along with their gifts of frankincense and gold? This is an interesting question, and many people have pondered the meanings of all the gifts given to Jesus, but I think it is unlikely that we can give a definitive answer.
Myrrh is a resin from the bark of certain varieties of the commiphora tree. When the bark splits (or is deliberately tapped), a fluid is exuded. This hardens in the air into lumps, called tears. The solid tears are reddish or golden brown in color. They are sweet-smelling but bitter to the taste. When consumed, myrrh has a stimulant effect.
It is also clear from the Old Testament that myrrh had value. When Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites by his brothers, that group of travelers was on their way to Egypt �with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh� (Genesis 37:25). Later, when Jacob was sending his sons to Egypt for food (where they would unknowingly meet Joseph again), he urged them to take a number of items of value, including myrrh.
In John 19:39, Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes with him to Jesus� grave. Its aromatic properties presumably would make it ideal as an embalming material. Therefore, it could be said that myrrh speaks of death. Perhaps the Wise Men were being prophetic, when they brought Jesus gold, for His kingship, frankincense to represent prayers, because Jesus was and is God, and myrrh to represent the fact that He was to die to cleanse repentant sinners of their sins.
Matthew 2:11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Why did the Wise Men bring myrrh as a gift for Jesus, along with their gifts of frankincense and gold? This is an interesting question, and many people have pondered the meanings of all the gifts given to Jesus, but I think it is unlikely that we can give a definitive answer.
Myrrh is a resin from the bark of certain varieties of the commiphora tree. When the bark splits (or is deliberately tapped), a fluid is exuded. This hardens in the air into lumps, called tears. The solid tears are reddish or golden brown in color. They are sweet-smelling but bitter to the taste. When consumed, myrrh has a stimulant effect.
It is also clear from the Old Testament that myrrh had value. When Joseph was sold to the Ishmaelites by his brothers, that group of travelers was on their way to Egypt �with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh� (Genesis 37:25). Later, when Jacob was sending his sons to Egypt for food (where they would unknowingly meet Joseph again), he urged them to take a number of items of value, including myrrh.
In John 19:39, Nicodemus brought myrrh and aloes with him to Jesus� grave. Its aromatic properties presumably would make it ideal as an embalming material. Therefore, it could be said that myrrh speaks of death. Perhaps the Wise Men were being prophetic, when they brought Jesus gold, for His kingship, frankincense to represent prayers, because Jesus was and is God, and myrrh to represent the fact that He was to die to cleanse repentant sinners of their sins.
THE ROBOTS ARE COMING
Genesis 1:26-27
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Everybody�s scariest monsters would be robots. I remember as a little boy, in November 1968, hiding behind the couch while watching Doctor Who � The Invasion. I was enthralled as the Cybermen (cybernetic robots) emerged from London�s sewers to take over the world!
Many science fiction stories feature robots, which are essentially an artificial framework, containing some sort of a computer for a brain. This computer-brain has been manufactured, but the idea is that its programs eventually become self aware, and the robot is then capable of intelligent thought.
Of course, robots now exist among us. Yet they are not the metal men of our childhood nightmares. Computer-controlled arms paint cars, wrap packages, and even drive trains. Where these modern robots differ from those of sci-fi is in the nature of their computer programs. These programs are not self-aware. They sometimes give the impression of intelligence or even self-awareness, as the listener would recognize, if you have ever tried to talk to Siri or Echo. Some experts in the field of artificial intelligence believe that these programs could eventually become genuinely self-aware and could then start to create their own successors. Would such machines have souls?
The answer to that conundrum is to go back to Genesis. In the first chapter, we are told that the special nature of humanity exists because we are made in the image of God. AI machines, however sophisticated, are not. It is an evolutionary idea that robotic programs could one day reproduce, but such an idea is not supported by the facts, as revealed in Scripture.
I praise You, Lord God, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for the wonder of Your creation of humanity, all descended from the first man, Adam. Amen.
Genesis 1:26-27
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Everybody�s scariest monsters would be robots. I remember as a little boy, in November 1968, hiding behind the couch while watching Doctor Who � The Invasion. I was enthralled as the Cybermen (cybernetic robots) emerged from London�s sewers to take over the world!
Many science fiction stories feature robots, which are essentially an artificial framework, containing some sort of a computer for a brain. This computer-brain has been manufactured, but the idea is that its programs eventually become self aware, and the robot is then capable of intelligent thought.
Of course, robots now exist among us. Yet they are not the metal men of our childhood nightmares. Computer-controlled arms paint cars, wrap packages, and even drive trains. Where these modern robots differ from those of sci-fi is in the nature of their computer programs. These programs are not self-aware. They sometimes give the impression of intelligence or even self-awareness, as the listener would recognize, if you have ever tried to talk to Siri or Echo. Some experts in the field of artificial intelligence believe that these programs could eventually become genuinely self-aware and could then start to create their own successors. Would such machines have souls?
The answer to that conundrum is to go back to Genesis. In the first chapter, we are told that the special nature of humanity exists because we are made in the image of God. AI machines, however sophisticated, are not. It is an evolutionary idea that robotic programs could one day reproduce, but such an idea is not supported by the facts, as revealed in Scripture.
I praise You, Lord God, that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Thank You for the wonder of Your creation of humanity, all descended from the first man, Adam. Amen.
We praise You, Lord God, because You left nothing to chance. You gave us Your Son, Jesus, to be the propitiation for our sins. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
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