The Bible and Science
by Elsie Read

You will remember that in the days of Columbus (450 years ago), people said the earth was flat, and they were afraid that if they ventured too far, they would fall off the edge. Nowadays we are taught in school that the world is almost round like a ball, but this knowledge, as we have seen, is fairly modern. Yet it was known to Isaiah 2,650 years ago, and to Solomon 2,950 years ago.

Isa. 40:22: "It is he (God) that sitteth upon the CIRCLE of the earth."

Proverbs 8:27: "... when he (God) set a CIRCLE upon the face of the depth." (Marginal rendering)

You have no doubt read, too, that the Greeks believed the world rested on the shoulders of Atlas, and other peoples believed it rested on the backs of animals, etc. We know now that the earth is not stationary, but travels through space; and Job also knew this 3,450 years ago:

Job 26:7: "He hangeth the earth on NOTHING."

One hundred years after Christ, astronomers thought they could count the stars, and said there were 1022 to 1026 in the whole heavens, and men believed this for hundreds of years. Yet the Bible, 3,400 years ago, taught the truth we today know by means of telescopes that the stars are countless.

Gen. 15:5: "Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them."

Gen. 26:4: "And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven."

A recent discovery of astronomers is that there is one spot in the sky - in the north - where there are no stars to be seen at all; just an empty space. Yet Job knew about this 3,400 years ago:

Job 26:7: "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place."

These are a few instances which show that true science does not discredit the Bible, but rather helps to prove that its writers were inspired by God.