By Faith – Learning from Creation
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what is visible. (Hebrews 11:3). Let’s look at the role of Faith and Creation Understanding.
Do you find it odd that the author of Hebrews would preface his list of faith’s heroes by speaking about the creation of the world? What possible connection could there be?
Well, more than you might think! We begin with a quote from the ZA blog: “Faith is what looks at that created order and has a firm and resolute confidence in the God to whom it bears witness, who, though unseen, has provided a foundation for such a confidence through his mighty acts.”[1]
And there you have it. If God could create the entire universe out of nothing at all simply through His spoken word, then He can be trusted in other matters as well. If He can sustain the world through the power of His word, then He can hold you safely in His everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27)!
If you are one who holds to the adage “seeing is believing,” then seeing all that God has created should kindle at least a spark of faith within you. Consider what the Bible says about the creation:
- Job 38:4-7 – Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
- Psalm 8:1-4 – Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
- Psalm 19:1-2 – The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
- Colossians 1:16-17 – For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Donald Guthrie further explains why this emphasis on creation precedes the list of faith heroes:
“The writer recognizes that acceptance of a special creative act of God is possible only to faith. But why does he introduce the subject at this state in his discussion? What relevance has it for the catalogue of men of faith which follows? The answer lies in the fact that he cannot consider the world of men apart from their environment. Indeed God’s interest in the faith of individuals is conditioned by his purpose in creation. If faith is exercised by men on earth, it must be concerned that everything that exists on earth is under God’s control.”[2]
We see the evidence of God’s creation all around us. We see the special care He took to create a world that was meticulously designed for us humans not just to live in, but to thrive. In fact, in one of our television programs, Dr. Stephen Meyer, said this:
“Physicists have discovered that there are very important fundamental parameters, physical parameters of the universe, that must fall within very precise ranges or within slight tolerances, such that if those parameters were a little bit outside those ranges, by even a little bit, life would not be possible. We couldn’t get stable galaxies; we couldn’t form planetary systems around those galaxies; in some cases, we couldn’t even get basic chemistry off the ground. Anything more than hydrogen atoms would be impossible unless you get these parameters just right. So oftentimes physicists talk about a ‘Goldilocks’ universe, where the fundamental forces are not too strong, not too weak; the force that causes the expansion of the universe is not too strong or too weak; the masses of the elementary particles are not too heavy, not too light; the speed of light is not too fast, not too slow. Everything falls within this sweet spot,…”[3]
If you are struggling to find a firm foundation upon which to base your own faith, look to God’s creation. Understand that the same God who formed the world formed you, and that same God is the one who is the firm footing upon which you can build your faith:
“In his Antiquities Josephus notes that Moses, in laying out the laws for humankind, does not start, like most lawgivers, with contracts and questions concerning rights, but rather with God and his creation of the world (1:21), thus laying a firm foundation for the giving of the law. This is the place to begin when discussing any subject worth discussing. … Faith grasps that the created order has resulted from the command of God and that what is seen, at times, relates directly to what is unseen.”[4]
This is the same God our heroes looked to in their times of need. It is the same God who is there for you, a firm foundation, and an anchor for the soul (Hebrews 6:18-19).
Go Deeper
- Exploring the Hope of Jesus in the Book of Revelation Collection
- Inspiring Faith in Your Children and Grandchildren – Package Offer
- Women of Faith Book Collection
- ZA Blog, “What Does the Bible Say About Faith? A Look at Hebrews 11,” https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/what-does-the-bible-say-about-faith-hebrews-11. ↑
- Donald Guthrie, Hebrews, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1983), p. 227. ↑
- Stephen Meyer, “The New Scientific Evidence that Points to the Existence of God,” transcript, the John Ankerberg Show transcript. This entire series is available in our online store: https://jashow.org/resources/product/the-new-scientific-evidence-that-points-to-the-existence-of-god-plus-3-dvds-and-book-package-offer/ ↑
- Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament, © 2002, accessed at biblegateway.com. ↑
