C. H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
was a powerful “Prince of Preachers,” and prolific author. By one estimate he
preached to over ten million people. My personal favorite is Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David, a lengthy commentary by Spurgeon blending
his own sayings with those he assembled from other authors. Virtually every
chapter and verse in the Book of Psalms is covered. Primarily a theologian,
Spurgeon also possessed an enlightened view of the harmonious relationship of
science and theology. In our modern times, many Christians thrive on this
relationship. Others stumble, sometimes perceiving the link to be a barrier.
Spurgeon
articulated his lofty respect for both science and theology. In his commentary
on Psalm 19, he opined that King David “had devoted himself to the study of
God’s two great books—nature and scripture.” Today some conservative
theologians diminish the “book of nature,” elevating their personal interpretation of Scripture as though it were superior to
the revelation of God as he has revealed himself in creation. The discussion of
general revelation (man’s correct
reading of nature’s “book”) versus special revelation (the inspired words of
God, subject to man’s interpretation of
that revelation) should never contradict each other.
Charles Spurgeon
may be amused, even distressed at the discomfort experienced by some conservative
Christian commentators as they study modern scientific discoveries in the world
of geologic history. This is particularly true with respect to the age of the
earth. Secular scientists would also experience amusement and distress when
experiencing the “conflict model” of the relationship between science and
theology by church spokesmen dismissing undisputable mainstream science.
The 30-page
commentary on Psalm 19 begins with a paragraph containing this quote: “How
foolish and wicked are those who instead of accepting the two sacred tomes, and
delighting to behold the same divine hand in each, spend all their wits in
endeavoring to find discrepancies and contradictions. We may rest assured that
the true “Vestiges of Creation” will never contradict Genesis, nor will a
correct “Cosmos” be found at variance with the narrative of Moses. He is wisest
who reads both the world-book and the Word-book as two volumes of the same work,
and feels concerning them, “My Father wrote them both.”
Psalm 19 proclaims
the “heavens declare the glory of God.” The cosmos was the subject of King
David’s discovery. Psalm 29, Spurgeon instructs, is “best rehearsed beneath the
black wing of tempest, by the glare of the lightning, or amid that dubious dusk
which heralds the war of elements.” He instructs us that even nature’s severe
events are within God’s purview and will. Spurgeon reminds us once more that
“…we have God’s works and God’s word joined together: let no man put them
asunder by a false idea that theology and science can by any possibility oppose
each other.” In Psalm 139, the pre-born child was the inspiration for David’s
exultant praise. We remind readers that modern scientific knowledge has
reinforced the inspired words of the Psalmist. Scientifically, however, there
is no
error or inaccuracy in Psalm 19, Psalm 29, or Psalm 139.
We close with a few
modern facts relating to prenatal life and fetal development. Modern science
extends far beyond the inspired vision and knowledge of King David. It is able
to provoke spiritual wonder matching and exceeding the insights of the ancient
king of Israel. Our recent post on the blueprint for prenatal building of the
human body was only the beginning of the story of human life from “conception
to consciousness” in one calendar year.
The union of male sperm
and female ovum is classic modern knowledge. This union forms the human zygote,
a single diploid cell containing two sets of chromosomes—one set from each
parent. The human zygote cell divides numerous times and after about five days
has formed a 200-300 cell blastocyst, a hollow, spherical structure. By now the
blastocyst has migrated to the uterus and prepares for implantation 8-9 days
following fertilization. Implantation is a critical event for survival of the
embryo and finally establishes a physical connection with the mother. Until
then the mother was a “host” for the embryo. The embryo, therefore, is a
separate and fully human being from fertilization until implantation. From
implantation onward, this separate human being receives nourishment from the
mother throughout her pregnancy.
The wonders of
creation and development of human life in the womb speaks loudly that every
pre-born child is fully human and worthy of tender care. Neither faulty science
nor faulty respect for the living may destroy this fact. We hope to build upon
this preliminary foundation in future posts.