Space Exploration: “And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven.” Genesis 11:4. There is something deeply revealing in that statement. Man was not content to dwell where God had placed him. He sought to reach upward, to establish something of his own, and to make a name for himself. That same spirit remains as strong as ever. It simply shows itself in different ways. What we see today in man’s continual push outward, into the heavens, into the unknown, is often presented as progress, as discovery, and in one sense, it is. But at its core, it reveals something deeply rooted, something that remains the same, which is a desire in man to go beyond his place, and in doing so, to define the world and himself apart from God.
You can see this clearly in something as simple as a nature documentary. Turn on almost any BBC program that explores the natural world, and what you’re shown is often remarkable, detailed, intricate, even breathtaking at times. But listen to how it’s explained. Everything is broken down, analyzed, and accounted for in purely natural terms, as though what is being seen can be fully understood on its own. The beauty remains, the order remains, the complexity remains, but the explanation is framed as though it all arose of itself or can be fully explained apart from Christ. Colossians 2:8. So while the creation is on full display, the One who made it is left out of the explanation. Romans 1:21.
And the same pattern shows up in all this NASA talk. At a certain point, it stops being about simple observation and begins to reveal something deeper. It begins to show how man does not simply observe what is before him, but reshapes it in his own understanding, giving an account of it that leaves God out of the picture. It is not merely about observing what is there, but about approaching it with the assumption that man can ultimately account for it, bring it under his control, and stand over it as though it were his own. Genesis 3:5.
For me, I try to be careful with that kind of thing and keep some distance. I Timothy 6:20. Not because learning is wrong, but because there is a difference between observing what God has made and approaching it as though everything can be explained apart from Him. Scripture reminds us that there are things God has revealed, and things He has not. Deuteronomy 29:29. And there is a kind of curiosity that does not stop at what is given but reaches beyond it.
Besides, it seems to me that science should start, and largely remain, with what can actually be seen. There’s plenty there already. The world itself is full, detailed, and more than enough to consider. Job 12:7-9. There’s a real difference between examining what is, and building a system that tries to explain everything, even when those explanations reach beyond what can truly be known. That line is crossed when it begins to speak with certainty about things that cannot actually be observed, building conclusions that lean more on assumption than on evidence. What starts as observation gradually gives way to speculation, and then speculation is treated as fact. Romans 1:22. At that point, it’s no longer simply dealing with reality, but constructing a framework where what is uncertain is presented as though it were settled. Before long, you’re not just looking at the world as it is, you’re being handed a version of it that has been filled in, shaped, and, in some cases, imagined into place.
And really, a lot of it comes back to where you begin. If the foundation is unbelief, if it is already settled that there is no God, then everything that follows will be interpreted through that lens and shaped to support that conclusion. It doesn’t matter what is seen, the conclusion has already been set, and the explanation will be shaped to fit it. But if you step outside of that for a moment, and simply consider what is before you, there is nothing in it that overturns the simple testimony of Scripture. By faith, we understand that God created all things, and nothing in what is seen forces a different conclusion. Hebrews 11:3. The issue is not the world itself, but the disposition of the heart that looks upon it. Matthew 6:22-23.
Christians are committed to the truth, and we have no interest in dismissing what is real. We want to know what is true, and to walk in it. And in that light, there is a proper place for science. Within its bounds, it has brought about many things for which we can be thankful, and it would be wrong to ignore that. But that does not elevate science beyond what it is. These advancements are not the product of some independent force, but of men using a particular method – the scientific method – to observe and make use of the world around them. What we benefit from comes through that process, applied within the world God has created. It is a tool, useful in its place, but not a source of truth in itself, and it cannot go beyond the limits in which it operates.
Of course, there is an aspect of this that brings us back to the sovereignty of God. The LORD has ordered all things for Himself, and He alone gives the ability, the insight, and the ingenuity by which anything is accomplished. Whether in science, medicine, or architecture, all things proceed from His hand and serve His ultimate design. Proverbs 16:4. And it may be that even these pursuits, which seem to lift man up, are ordered in such a way as to bring him face to face with his own limits.
All of it, in the end, only returns him to the same place, a creature, dependent for every breath, and unable to explain even the simplest things apart from the One who made them. Acts 17:25. Take the tower of Babel as one clear example. The Lord Himself gave the ability, the skill, and the unity by which they were able to build, but only up to the point He had appointed. And then, in a moment, He brought it all to nothing. What seemed like progress was stopped at once, and their purpose scattered. And this is not an isolated case, but a pattern that runs throughout history, repeated again and again. Psalm 2:1-4. And the same voice that scattered them then still speaks now. Hebrews 12:25.
And yet, for all of man’s striving, the testimony has not changed. The heavens still declare the glory of God, and the earth still bears witness to His hand. What man seeks to master continues to speak of the One who made it, and the answer is not found in reaching further, or explaining more, but in being brought to see what has been set before us all along, that all things are “of him, and through him, and to him, to whom be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36. MPJ