Question: What is the initial evidence for an unseen Creator? Answer: the seen creation.
While the Hebrews had Genesis 1 to tell them “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” the Gentiles did not have that text, yet Paul spoke of them being able to know of the Creator by looking at his creation: “the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,” (Romans 1:20).
Indeed, the Hebrews also looked not only to Genesis, but also to creation as evidence of the Creator: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1, ESV). Again. “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:14).
Consider three analogies:
Walking through the woods in the fall, you notice a bird’s nest in a barren tree. Although it is composed of natural products which you can find lying around on the ground, you recognize by their designed arrangement that this is not an accidental clump of sticks, grass, and twigs. And though you don’t see the bird that made it, but you can see that the bird had been there, by what he did. The clarity of design in the arrangement points clearly to the purposed creation of the nest.
Suppose, for the sake of argument, that there are people on another planet. Suppose after a while, and before they have seen us, that they were to came across one of our satellites or rovers, complete with intricate systems, cameras, computers, and capabilities. Should they be amazed at how such technology could result from unintelligent and chance processes of nature? Or should they be able to discern that they are not looking not at random accumulations of minerals, but at a clear design, that points clearly to an intelligent designer?
An archaeologist comes across an arrowhead sharpened carefully to a point on one end, and shaped to be tied to an arrow on the other end. Certainly, rocks can break or be chipped without intelligent intent. An earthquake, freezing water, a landslide, a flood… any of these could move, chip, or break pieces of rock. But none of these satisfy the design inherent in the arrowhead. He does not see the craftsman that made it, but he does not doubt that it was created.
Science and common sense are built around cause and effect. Windblown sticks are not an adequate cause for a bird nest. Cosmic collisions are not an adequate cause for a complex satellite. And ice is not an adequate cause to account for a finely crafted arrowhead.
Likewise: when you consider the complexity of even a single cell, heat in a puddle of water is simply not an adequate cause for the complexity of life. Nor would chance mutations be adequate cause for the flight of a hummingbird, the engineering of the immune system, or the interdependency of the circulatory, respiratory, and nervous systems of the body. Your brain, your ears, your feet, and your eyes (with muscles to turn and focus, a pupil to control light, tear glands to lubricate, eye lashes, lids, and brows to protect, and an amazing inner complexity to turn light into sight … all of this screams out design.
And when the effect is intelligent design, the cause that it points to is an intelligent designer. As Paul said:
“the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,” Romans 1:20.
This then leads to another question: has that Creator communicated with his creation?
Watch for other articles to continue your study, and thanks for visiting phillybiblestudy.org
— Scott Smesler
info@phillybiblestudy.org