Is man the product of evolution or Intelligent Design?

Today’s bible study is Genesis 2:7: The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

This is an extremely important and also inflammatory passage especially since it once again beings into focus the concept of Creationism or Intelligent Design. Did God, at some far and distant time, literally “roll His big sleeves up” and create a man? Many who subscribe to Creationism believe that He did. Did God breathe life into the man that He created? He surely must have done so to make the man capable of sustaining life.

Taken literally, this is proof of Creationism and quite unarguable. But let us look at it not only from the outlook of Genesis, but from a spiritual outlook that we, even today, might be able to relate to.

There is no sense going into a long history and explanations of Neanderthal man and Pitcairn man. Whether you believe in Creationism or not, it is difficult to argue archaeology and anthropology, and we are not going attempt to do it here.

But think about God breathing life into a person. This is the point upon which we shall focus our attention. Is there a difference between the breath of God and the air around us which we all breathe? Is there something spiritually missing is we are not aware of the breath of God and if it has never been breathed into us? I believe that the breath of God is not only necessary to sustain life but to give us the fullest, most incredibly wonderful lives possible. It created a direct relationship to the Almighty and allows us to have a small part of the living God within us.

And people can tell. Just by looking at our faces, they can see happiness, love and compassion. They can sense an outpouring of goodness that is lacking in one who has not received the breath of God. They can feel the softness of love and the open arms of forgiveness. We, simple humans that we are, cannot do this alone. We can do it only through the breath of God and remembering to savor that breath and strengthen our faith and hope every day of our lives.

We can argue Creationism verses science forever and never be able to answer the questions of the unseen: where did love come from? Where did goodness come from? Where did happiness and joy come from? Where did our ability to forgive come from? Where did our faith in tomorrow and even eternity come from?

We can prove many things, and some have been proven beyond any reasonable doubt. But I have yet to hear of a scientist or archaeologist who has gone in search of the love of God. Has anyone unearthed the early artifacts of grace or of peace?

References: The People’s New Testament Commentary by M. Eugene Boring and Fred B. Craddock and The MacArthur Bible Commentary by John MacArthur.

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