Job 10:11

You clothed me in flesh and skin,

   Wove me together with sinews and bones.

In our study of Hebrews 11, we talked about faith and science. The question posed was how does science impact your faith and how does your faith impact your belief in science. Science is built on the ideas of man testing theories about nature and often people believe the stupidest things because science said so. Faith is built on knowing that God designed and built everything from us to the heavens to the tiniest parts of elements. Here the author gives credit to God for creating the nuances of humans.

“Clothed” was also “covered”.  So, no real variations among the sources.

“Wove” was also “knit”, “entwined”, and “fenced”. Entwined matches better how I feel our bones and muscles are attached, but I am an engineer not a scientist, so I deferred to the simpler wove. Again, no real variations beyond wove.

As an engineer, I was taught that we were to be artists utilizing the aspects of science that could be relied upon to make things function. As a structural engineer, I was supposed to make sure people did not die and things were not destroyed. As a young engineer, I struggled picking just the right member size. As a mature engineer, I pick the one that seems the best fit (and works).

I believe that God created everything and the Bible is our guide of how to use what He provided to serve ourselves and glorify Him. Oil spilled from a tanker or gas leaked from a valve do not glorify Him nor serve us. Oil refined into other products and gas used to heat our homes and cook are foods can glorify God. Working in the oil and gas industry has allowed me to serve the needs of those around me and to glorify God in the process. Knowing that the Bible is true and does not change allows me to view scientific theories with a grain of salt and not get bent out of shape when the things we thought we knew last year, last decade, or last century were all wrong because the science had not yet accounted for all the unknowns. And that is the difference. Science is built upon people who do not know what they do not know. Nature was built by the all-knowing God who loved us so much that He gave us His Son. I like when science fits with my understanding of the Bible, but I know its right when my Bible tells me about science.

(Written 12/12/22, Posted 1/1/23, Job 219)