Q & A Series: Why Did God Make Such a Huge Universe?

Posted on by January 31, 2011
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[originally posted on my old blog (2/10/09)]

Question:
If we are the only people in the universe, why did God make it so big?

Answer:
Before answering this question, we probably need to discuss whether or not we are the only people (or sentient life) in the universe. I believe we are, based on the following reasons. First, the Earth is the focal point of God’s creation and it was formed to be inhabited. It was made three days earlier than all the rest of the planets, stars, etc. Second, the Earth is where God sent His Son to become a man and to die for man. Hebrews 9 makes it clear that Christ died once for sin. If there was sentient life elsewhere in the universe and they sinned, there would be no way for them to be saved. So, I don’t believe there is life on other planets.

With that out of the way…why did God make the universe so huge? The size of the universe is almost unfathomable. The planetarium show at the Creation Museum does a good job of showing just how big it is. It is a mind-blowing experience.

Really the answer to this question comes down to one’s perspective. Carl Sagan said that if we were all alone then the universe would be an incredible waste of space (he knows better now).

However, I can look at the night sky, try to fathom the size of the universe, and proclaim the amazing wonder and awesome splendor of the God that made it all. I believe He made it so big to demonstrate His power and so that we could enjoy the beauty of what He has made. It’s interesting to me that the creation of the stars almost comes across as an afterthought in Gen. 1:16. It’s as if God is saying, “Look, I made the fish, and the birds, and the animals, and trees, and, oh yeah, the stars too. I know it takes incredible power to do that, but I did it.”

Consider the words of Psalm 8:3-4. “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” When we reflect on the immensity and grandeur of the universe, we should see not only God’s power, but His incredible love for us and his glorious majesty. Out of everything He made, He focuses His attention on man and loves us so much that He was willing to become one of us and die in our place.

If you have a question you want me to answer, please leave it as a comment to this article, and I will try to address it in the near future.

First Post of the New Year

Posted on by June 11, 2011
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Hoar frost on the trees

I have not posted anything on the blog since around Christmas. I’m sorry if it seems like I have been slacking off, but I’ve actually been quite busy.

Most of my free time has been taken up with writing the first draft of my thesis. I thought I would end up writing about 50–55 pages but it is already 75 pages long. Who knew there was so much information about the “sons of God” and “Nephilim” from Genesis 6:1–4? I would eventually like to add several other sections and chapters, rewrite it at the layman level, and publish it as a book. I was fascinated by the topic before writing the paper, but I found so many things that I have never noticed or heard anyone discuss before.

Besides the thesis, I have continued writing several articles and book chapters for Answers in Genesis. As regulars to this blog know well, I had been working on a series covering misconceptions that people have about Christmas. We have continued in the misconceptions series, but are now focusing on some general misconceptions people have about the Bible.

I wrote an article that discussed whether or not the Bible condones abortion. Some people have used Exodus 21:22–24 (as it is translated in the RSV, NRSV, or Amplified) to make the claim that according to the Bible, the unborn child’s life is not worth as much as those who have already been born. If one takes the time to read through this same passage in any of the other major translations, you will quickly see that the Bible clearly shows that the life of the unborn child is equal in value to those who have already been born. Check out my article “Does the Bible Condone Abortion?” for more information.

Also, in response to a question from a reader, I wrote an article dealing with another touchy subject. This read had been confused by a lengthy article which claimed that although the Bible states that homosexuality is a sin, it is wrong about that claim because God allows each person to decide these things for himself or herself. My article explains exactly what the Bible teaches on this subject, explains some of the logical fallacies in the article that confused the reader, and shows that God is gracious to all who turn to Him. Check out “Feedback: God’s Not Clear on Homosexuality?” for the full article.

I am looking forward to what 2011 has in store for me and my family. I am off to a good start on reading through the Bible in the year (for the fifth year in a row). My co-author and I have started writing book four in The Truth Chronicles series. We are hoping to finish the rough drafts for the next three books by the end of summer. We’ve had some great responses to the first three books and have some exciting and fun things planned for the next three in the series.

Finally, my favorite team, the Green Bay Packers have surprised me so far in the playoffs by beating the Eagles and demolishing the Falcons. Hopefully, they can win two more games and take home another Lombardi Trophy. After all, that trophy belongs in Green Bay.