In Part II of this devotion, we will examine a few additional examples of just how influential the Bible was in the lives of great scientists of yesteryear. Consider the following:
Lord Kelvin (1824-1907) was elected at the age of 22 as Glasgow University’s youngest professor ever. It was his habit to open every one of his lectures in prayer.
Samuel Morse (1791-1872) who invented the telegraph in 1844, used a quote from the Bible for his first message sent over his invention: “What has God wrought!” (Numbers 23:23)
Michael Faraday (1791-1867), who is without a doubt one of the greatest physicists of all time, was also a very humble man of God. At the age of 50 he became an elder in the Chapel Meeting House in Pauls Alley, London. He often preach there on Sunday’s. Near his death he was quoted as saying: “My worldly faculties are slipping away day by day. Happy it is for all of us that the true good does not lie in them. As they ebb, may they leave us as little children trusting in the Father of Mercies and accepting His unspeakable gift. I bow before Him who is Lord of all.”1
Isaac Newton (1642-1727), who many consider, along with Albert Einstein, to be one of the two greatest scientists who ever lived, is commonly known for sitting under a tree and having an apple fall on his head. This in turn led him to the discovery of the law of gravity. He was also credited with the development of calculus, formulating the three basic laws of motion, establishing the particle theory of light propagation, and many other monumental breakthroughs. This remarkable genius was also quoted as saying: “We account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.”2
Another gentleman, Wernher von Braun (1912-1977), was a great German space scientist. Later in life, after he became a United States citizen, he directed the U.S. guided missile program and then became the Director of NASA. Always in the vanguard of the latest advances in space technology, von Braun once commended: “Manned space flight is an amazing achievement, but it has opened for mankind thus far only a tiny door for viewing the awesome reaches of space. An outlook through this peephole at the vast mysteries of the universe should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator. I find it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science.”3
Finally, Johann Kepler (1571-1630), the great German astronomer, summed it up best, as he was exploring the vast reaches of the universe, by saying that he was merely, “Thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”
It is important to note that a person’s personal convictions and beliefs are an integral part of his very being. These values, by their very nature, are carried by an individual into every area of his life – including his occupation. The scientists we have just listed, were men who literally changed the way our world is today. Their discoveries and breakthroughs are now legendary. These men, however, all had one common denominator – they believed in and read the Bible. They undoubtedly used the wisdom gained from these sacred pages to help them unlock the deep mysteries of our natural world, thereby changing the course of history forever.
We owe a great debt to these pioneers of yesteryear. The scientist of today, who still has problems in finding reading the Bible hard to reconcile with the precise, concrete, and rational realm of his discipline, would do well to consider the backgrounds of many of his past predecessors. For these were the very men who laid the foundations of the field of the research he is now engaged in! Perhaps if he realized how integral a role the Bible played in these geniuses’ lives and work; he just might reconsider reading this one very special book. Can a scientist believe in the Bible? History shows that not only can he, but he has! Genius, discovery, and the Bible have long been companions in the quest for knowledge.
The next time someone tries to tell you that modern science has made your old Bible obsolete, ask him if he has ever heard of Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Samuel Morse, Leonardo da Vinci, etc.
1 http://gochristianhelps.com/tracts/other/evolutio.htm
2 Henry M. Morris, Men of Science: Men of God (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, 1988), pp. 23, 26
3 Ibid., p. 85.