ACCOUNTING FOR KING SOLOMON'S GOLD
1 Kings 6:22
"And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house."
Scripture tells us that Solomon's temple was overlaid with gold inside – the walls, the ceiling and even the floor! Solomon even decorated the Temple with gold, including over two U.S. tons of golden shields. Given the dimensions of the rooms, this would take a huge amount of gold.
For this reason, many modern scholars have expressed doubt about what the Bible reports. Scripture does report that Solomon's annual income was 25 tons of gold. We know that other world rulers in the ancient world held huge amounts of gold. We have all seen the golden treasures that were found in King Tut's tomb. Reliable Greek sources report that Alexander the Great discovered a hoard of 1,180 tons of gold in Susa. So there was obviously a great deal of gold in the ancient world. But what happened to all of Solomon's gold? The Bible records that after Solomon's death Shishak, king of Egypt, invaded Jerusalem and hauled away the Temple treasure. After his death a year later, his son Osorkon I became king. Three years later, Osorkon made an offering to the gods of Egypt of 383 tons of gold. Was some of that from Solomon's Temple?
There is no reason to doubt the Bible's lavish descriptions of Solomon's Temple. There was more than enough gold in the ancient world to do the job.
Lord, You are the generous giver of all good gifts. Help me always to hold Your Word as the greatest treasure. Amen.
AMAZING UNDERWATER EYES
Psalm 94:9
"He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?"
We love it when one of our listeners brings something of interest to our attention that we can pass along to other listeners. A listener sent us a link to an article at the National Geographic website on little-known facts about the eyes of animals. Though National Geographic treats evolution as fact, no mention was made that God created the eyes of these animals, but we are sure that our listeners will be quick to give credit where credit is due!
When asked which creature has the most eyes, the magazine replied that the world record holder is a type of mollusk called chiton. This ocean dweller has thousands of eyes embedded in shells on their backs. Most scallop species also have up to hundreds of eyes, as do giant clams. What's more, certain types of tubeworms called sabellids and serpulids have hundreds of small, compound eyes on their feeling appendages.
When asked which animal has the most advanced vision system, the article gave the nod to another underwater creature – the mantis shrimp. Their stalked eyes have three separate regions, and they are even able to see ultraviolet and circularly polarized light. Compared to our own three photoreceptors, mantis shrimp have up to sixteen! The crustaceans may use their photoreceptors to recognize colors right in the eye, rather than processing them in the brain, as we do.
If you come across anything in a book or a film that would be of interest to other listeners, please let us know by sending an e-mail to info@creationmoments.com.
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me eyes to see and especially for giving me the eyes to see spiritual things that lead to eternal life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
AMAZING WINTER MOTHS
Job 42:2
"I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee."
As fall comes to the temperate regions of North America, Europe and Asia, many birds head for warmer climates, and insects enter suspended animation. While it might appear that nature is shutting down for the winter, amazing things are happening. About 50 species of moths are awakening from spending the summer in suspended animation. Winter is when these moths are active, despite the fact that they don't have any of the biological antifreeze that some other creatures do. The metabolic costs of such chemicals would hamper their way of life.
Winter moths can live as they do – even though they freeze below 32 degrees Fahrenheit – because they emerge from the leaf clutter on the forest floor where temperatures almost never fall below 37 degrees. But when the air temperature rises above freezing, the moths emerge, shiver for several minutes to warm up, and look for food. Maple sap is among their favorite foods. One stomach full of this high-energy food provides enough energy for one of these moths to hibernate all winter. When active, they are able to increase their metabolism by over 8,000 times, using the same amount of energy that sustains them all winter, in a mere 30 minutes. Summer moths shed heat from the thorax, while winter moths conserve their heat with an entirely different heat exchange system.
Winter moths illustrate that there are no limits to what God can do. So if you are ever tempted to wonder how God could have made the entire creation in six days, just remember His winter moths.
I am comforted, Almighty Father, because You love me. Amen.
AMERICAN FLASHERS
Matthew 5:16
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Some time ago here on Creation Moments we did a program about Asian fireflies that flash in unison. The unspoken question was, "Aren't there some American species that flash in unison?" Someone in Tennessee who saw the same reports on which our program was based had the answer to that question. She contacted a researcher at Georgia Southern University to report an American species that clearly flashes in unison. At first, researchers had a difficult time believing that there were other firefly species that could accomplish this difficult task. But now several American species that flash in unison have been identified.
The newly identified species is found in the eastern United States, as far north as Pennsylvania and all the way down to Georgia. Another species has been found in Texas. Yet another species is found in the Gulf states. In each case, the males synchronize their flashes, creating a dramatic light show. Some species flash in unison for hundreds of flashes, producing shows that last up to three or four minutes.
Researchers have tried to explain this complex behavior in what is supposed to be a simple species. What troubles them is that every explanation they come up with credits the firefly with having some sort of pacemaker in its tiny brain. To those with an evolutionary view, this is unacceptably complex. But for those of us who know we have an all wise Creator, the synchronized flashing of fireflies is but another sign of the excellence of His work.
Father, let my light shine before men so that others may see Your work. Amen.
AN EVOLUTIONARY QUANDARY
Psalm 14:1
"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good."
How did life get started? We all know that the Bible tells us that life got started when God created it. But we have also learned, perhaps in school, or reading the news, that evolutionists believe that life could have started in the distant past all by itself if the conditions were right. Perhaps you have read that scientists can form amino acids in the laboratory. Besides the fact that amino acids are a long way from life, the amino acids made in the laboratory are the wrong kind for life. The idea that life can form spontaneously under the right conditions places modern evolutionary scientists in a very precarious position.
One assumption of evolutionary scientists is that the early Earth had no oxygen. Oxygen destroys amino acids. Yet geologists tell us that oxidation even in the oldest rocks proves that the Earth has always had an oxygen atmosphere. Besides, if the Earth didn't have an oxygen atmosphere when the first amino acids formed, that means there was no ozone, a form of oxygen, to protect those amino acids. Amino acids are quickly destroyed by ultraviolet light from the sun. So, you see, with or without oxygen, amino acids can't begin to form. The truth is that the Bible offers the only sensible explanation for the origin of life. As the great scientist Louis Pasteur said, "Life can only come from life," while the Bible tells us that eternal life can only come from the eternal life-giver – Jesus Christ.
Father, in Your wisdom, You have put to shame those who would deny that You exist. Thank You for salvation in Jesus. Amen.
AN OPEN-AND-SHUT CASE FOR CREATION
Genesis 6:17
"And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die."
Evolutionists hate the very idea of the worldwide flood because they know that such a catastrophe would cause the Earth to appear to be much older than it truly is. And without those long ages of time, evolution becomes an impossibility.
Surprisingly, dead clams – like many other sea creatures – have much to tell us about the flood of Noah's time. Clams are known as bivalve mollusks. They have two valves that are hinged together, and they can close their shells very quickly to protect themselves from predators. When a clam dies of natural causes, the clam releases its grip on its shell, and it opens within a matter of hours. But if a buried clam shell is found shut tight, it shows that the clam was buried suddenly.
We mention this because fossil clam graveyards are found all over the world containing millions of clams with their shells shut tight. This speaks to us of a catastrophe that buried billions of clams very quickly. In other words, the worldwide flood of Noah's time. Since these fossil clam beds are found all over the world – and are often high above their natural habitat – it can only mean that the biblical worldwide flood is a fact of history.
Now, if the Bible is right about the worldwide flood, the Earth is much younger than it appears to be, so there simply isn't enough time for evolution to take place. Graveyards of closed clams have given us an open-and-shut case for biblical creation!
Heavenly Father, thank You for providing abundant evidence that the Bible is true. I pray that You will remind me of these things when I am talking to Bible skeptics. Amen.
AN UNUSED RELIGIOUS ICON?
Psalm 9:17
"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God."
Are we Christians becoming less able to defend the truths of Scripture, like creation? Dozens of studies show that not only are we, as a group, less ready to defend the hope that we have in Christ, but also we are less able to explain why we have that hope.
George Barna, president of the Barna Research group, has analyzed data from 28 religion surveys that he conducted between 1987 and 1996. In 1992, nearly 50 percent of those polled said that they had read the Bible during the previous week. By 1996, that figure had dropped to 34 percent. Yet, in another 1996 poll, 80 percent of those polled said the Bible is the most influential book in human history, and 76 percent said that the Bible is important to them.
Barna concludes from this kind of information that for many Americans, the Bible has turned into an unused religious icon. The result is a general biblical ignorance. Barna documents this fact with examples from other surveys. For example, 80 percent of those asked thought, incorrectly, that the statement, "God helps those who help themselves" was in the Bible. In another instance, 50 percent of those polled thought that Jonah was a book of the Bible while 10 percent thought that Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.
If we are to defend the great truths of the Bible – like creation and the flood – and show their relevancy to Christ's saving work, we must each look at ourselves. Shouldn't we all study the Bible more than we do?
Dear Father, increase in me a desire to study Your Word so that, with Your help, I can be more prepared to witness the hope of salvation I have in Jesus Christ. Amen.
ANCIENT MODERN STEEL
Isaiah 51:5
"My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust."
The ages of human history are frequently divided into periods named after rocks and minerals. There was the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. This evolutionary way of describing human history is based on the materials people used to make weapons and tools. On the other hand, the Bible describes man as developing his knowledge of metalworking within a few generations of his existence.
Researchers in 2000 were studying an ancient steel factory in Turkmenistan. The 1,000 year old steel factory produced the legendary Damascus steel, which was the strongest and most durable steel produced in ancient times. When the factory was operating, steel was heated to temperatures up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Researchers examined the pottery shards that are the remains of the crucible. They found traces of the steel they once held on the shards that told an amazing story. Some of the shards had traces of low carbon steel, while others had traces of high carbon steel. They concluded that the ancient steel makers were mixing the two together in a process called co fusion. The result was a strong, durable steel. What is amazing is that it was previously thought that co fusion was discovered in the 20th century!
While our knowledge may be growing today, we need to avoid false pride. The Bible teaches that the highest knowledge is the knowledge of God. His protection is better than any provided by the hardest steel.
Dear Father, I trust Your strength for my protection. Amen.
ANCIENT ROMANS AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
Hebrews 2:6b-7
"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:"
One of the most interesting artifacts at the British Museum is the Lycurgus Cup, a beautiful goblet made by the Romans sixteen hundred years ago. The cup depicts the story of King Lycurgus, entangled in grapevines for his treachery against Dionysus, the god of wine in Greek mythology.
But it's not the design that makes the cup of such great interest to scientists. When viewing the cup in normal lighting, the glass is jade green. But when the cup is lit from behind, the glass changes to a bright ruby red. What is this ancient sorcery that gives the cup its color-changing properties? It's the precise amount of silver and gold nanoparticles dispersed throughout the glass material.
New research has discovered that the cup even changes colors when liquid is poured into it. Scientists replicated the makeup of the cup and then filled it with various liquids. Their results suggest the cup might have displayed many different colors depending on what sort of beverage was poured into to it.
As one science website puts it, "researchers are just now, all these years later, learning about such color changing properties of materials with embedded nanoparticles. The hope is that these properties can be exploited to perform chemistry or medical tests cheaply and quickly by displaying different colors under different conditions."
Creationists need not wonder how the ancient Romans knew about nanotechnology. However far back you go in history, the ingenuity of man points to the even greater ingenuity of his Creator!
Heavenly Father, thank you for the discovery of ancient artifacts revealing that You gave early mankind more abilities and technologies than evolutionary scientists would ever expect. Amen.
ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO ERASE JESUS FROM HISTORY
Psalm 50:22
"Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver."
When most of us were in school, everybody knew that the terms "BC" and "AD" meant Before Christ and Anno Domine, meaning "in the year of our Lord." But those terms are disappearing as authors now prefer the terms "CE" and "BCE", which are abbreviations for "Common Era" and "Before the Common Era."
As the online encyclopedia Wikipedia points out, "since the later twentieth century, use of CE and BCE has been popularized in academic and scientific publications." It is also being used "by publishers wishing to emphasize secularism and/or sensitivity to non-Christians." In other words, they are changing the terms to erase Jesus from history under the guise of not wishing to offend anyone. The secularists, on the other hand, have no qualms about offending Christians.
This is what secularism does. It obscures the truth and even revises history in subtle or overt ways. Applied chemist and creation scientist Mark Cadwallader says that the use of CE and BCE is "clearly another example of the assault on Christianity. Radical atheists," he says, "have been agitating for freedom from any reference to Christianity and especially its founder. They will disguise and revise history itself to obscure the truth of Jesus Christ."
Here at Creation Moments, we believe that truth will ultimately prevail, but we must all do our part. That's why we encourage you to do everything you can to make all people, young and old, aware of the truth and consistency of a biblical worldview. And keep on using BC and AD!
Heavenly Father, though sinful man is trying to erase Your Son from history, they will not succeed. Someday every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord! Amen.
ANTZILLA!
Matthew 7:12
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
Welcome to Australia! This delightful continent is home to many of the world's most poisonous snakes and spiders, not to mention deadly sea creatures like the box jellyfish, salt water crocodiles, and everybody's favorite – the great white shark. Today, however, we're going to talk about another creature you don't want to meet on your next trip down under. It's called the jumper ant because it can jump as high as two inches into the air. But most people call it the bulldog ant, and with good reason.
These aggressive ants got their name from their powerful sting, strong grip, and savage biting behavior. Bulldog ants are fast and they're big, growing up to 1.6 inches in length. This makes them among the largest ants in the world. Their eyes are big, too, so they don't miss a thing. Their long mandibles are menacing, especially with their rows of long teeth.
But they're even more dangerous at their posterior end, where their venomous stinger is located. The ant's aggressive behavior is so famous, it was even immortalized in one of philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer's major works. "If it is cut in two," he wrote, "a battle begins between the head and the tail. The head seizes the tail in its teeth, and the tail defends itself bravely by stinging the head."
While aggressive behavior is the rule in a world that has been corrupted by sin, Christians exhibit a different kind of behavior – looking out for the benefit of others.
Heavenly Father, I pray that you will constantly remind me – especially when I am hurt by others – that I am not to return evil for evil. I am to return evil with forgiveness and love. Amen.
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