Making sense

In the Bible, God made sense. That is how they proved His existence.

The God of the Bible speaks; he sees; he hears; he discerns flavors and aromas; he feels; he walks. Therefore he is God.

Idols do not have senses: they cannot see; they cannot hear; they cannot smell. Therefore they don’t make sense.

The phrase “to make sense” comes from a time when, if somebody or something looked right, smelled right, heard right, felt right, well, then it made sense that he or it was right.

In the old days, plain evidence available through common observation was enough to make sense of a whole lot of things, including the existence of God. In the New Testament, Paul said that just by observing nature is sufficient to render all men without excuse from acknowledging God.

This was before scientific method.

I am thankful for scientific method. For example, I have a huge backache today (from building those blasted raised beds!) and I am very thankful for the scientific research that led to Ibuprofen.

But there is a way that the scientific outlook has made us doubtful of what we can commonly observe. We now think that real truth must always be somewhere in what we observe, and this real truth is only available by manipulating what nature obviously shows us. In this way we disconnect ourselves from the glorious sensual beauty of nature – and what it is telling us, and Who it is telling us about.

The book of nature has simply become the cover of a book. And we were raised not to judge a book by its cover.

But nature is not just the cover of a book; it is a book.

And it is time to read that book again so as to make sense of it all, because it looks, tastes, smells, sounds and feels so right. It points to Someone who made it all just so.

Logos2Go

Psalm 115.3-8 Our God is in the heavens;he does whatever he pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats. Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.

Romans 1.20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Habakkuk 2.18-20 Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, 'Come to life!' Or to lifeless stone, 'Wake up!' Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.

Revelation 9.20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood-idols that cannot see or hear or walk.