Trust and Understand

Today was the Day of Atonement (Yom HaKippurim or Yom Kippur according to the Jewish year) and as such my thoughts centered around the New Testament letter called "Hebrews." This long epistle frames the significance of Jesus Christ in terms of the ancient Israelite priesthood and their service in the tabernacle in which God's presence dwelt. The Day of Atonement has a key place in the book of Hebrews.

But aside from the declaration that Jesus is in fact the High Priest of the heavens, interceding for all who trust Him on the cosmic "Day of Atonement," the book also stresses the function and importance of faith. Some of the more memorable passages about faith in Hebrews are:

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen."

"Without faith it is impossible to please God..."

When reading today, the one that caught my attention is found in chapter 11, verse 3.

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

It's the beginning of that phrase that stopped to ponder. "Through faith I understand..." How often do I build my understanding on "faith"? My normal routine is to build my understanding upon logic and reason. We Westerners are heirs to "Enlightenment" mentality, so reason holds a special place in our culture and the institutions that shape the way we think and look at the world. I know firsthand that things that just seem to "make sense" are sometimes contrary to what the Bible says about the world.

The "world" that I see as I look around - as well as the universe that the Hubble telescope photographs - is full of inexplicable wonder. Who hasn't stared into the starry sky on a moonless night, amazed with the beauty and immensity of the world? Looked into the intricacy of a spider's web? We all know of the debate between the "science of Evolution" and the "argument from intelligent design." At the core of this issue is the question, "What are we going to tell our kids?"

The answer of course depends upon what you believe.

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God..."

It is through faith that I "understand" that God created the universe. This is not an understanding built upon "scientific" data or facts. Faith is something you have. It is not something you muster up for yourself, however. Rather, faith is a gift from God. You either believe or you don't. Very rarely have people been "argued" into believing!

From the perspective of Enlightenment "reason," faith doesn't make very much sense. In fact, it makes no "sense" at all because by definition, faith is "the evidence of things unseen"! Faith is seeing apart from your eyes, hearing apart from your ears. It's a strange bird.

Nevertheless, I believe that God created the worlds by His word, just as Hebrews 11:3 says. I seek to understand my place in the world from this vantage point. Can I prove that God created the world? No. Does my inability to prove it in terms of science concern me? No.

I simply believe it and am happy.

"Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5