Tuesday, September 21, 2010

A Scientific Explanation for the Parting of the Red Sea?

The study, published today in the online journal PLoS ONE, finds that strong, persistent winds could offer a physical explanation for the event, which was made eternally famous by Charlton Heston in the epic film The Ten Commandments.

The article goes on to explain that scientists have used a computer model to test the theory that a 63 mph east wind sustained for 12 hours could have created a land bridge across the Red Sea.  Also, there have been reports of winds doing similar things for a short time in the past.   

I am fascinated that scientist today are looking for ways to explain the inexplicable.  The Red Sea parting is compelling because it was such a significant historical event that it is hard to deny.  What these scientist miss is that a miracle is a miracle precisely because it cannot be explained away in scientific terms.  God accomplished miracles in the Bible so that people would see that He was and is the only true God.  The parting of the Red sea was such a significant event for Israel because it was the capstone of God showing His power over Egypt, the most powerful kingdom on earth at the time.  The Israelites would "stand still and see the salvation of the Lord."  as the Egyptian army bore down on them to destroy them.  God would provide a way of escape and crush their enemy without them having to lift a finger!  God was fulfilling His promise to Abraham to make him a great nation, to bless those that bless him and curse those that curse him.  He was going to give Abraham's family the promised land.  More importantly he was going to bring about through Abraham's seed the child of promise:  Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.  The passing through the Red Sea signifies for Israel the start to their journey to the promised land.  For those who believe on Christ the miraculous new birth is the start to our journey to God's promised land.  This too cannot be explained scientifically!  

Ken Ham's response given at the end of the article is very appropriate.  

Ken Ham, president and CEO of the Creation Museum, in Petersburg, Ky., needs no scientific explanation: "The parting of the Red Sea was a miracle," he wrote in an e-mail. "It was an extraordinary act of God. Yet, God used a   
force of nature — wind — to bring about this miracle. But there is no need to come up with a naturalistic explanation of a supernatural event."

Let us stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord in our lives.  Let His miraculous power and not inept scientific explanations thrill our hearts!  

Posted via email from Caleb's posterous

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