Out of the
Lab Donald S. Robertson, PhJD. Chairman, Dept, of Science, Biola Bible College
The Preaching Cowboy
D om in io n O v e r T h e E a r th
W hat is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? For thou has made him a little lower than the an gels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou has put all things under’ his feet” (Ps. 8:4-6). The Psalmist here recognizes the unique position of man in the uni verse with respect to God and with respect to God’s creation. Although man is a part of this creation he nev ertheless has been endowed with a capacity to master it. From the very beginning God gave man this position of privilege in the world. Soon after man was created we find God saying to him, “. . . Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Gen. 1:28). No greater power has been given to any other earthly creature. But what has man done to fulfill this God- given command to subdue the earth and everything in it? For centuries the progress was slow. Animals and plants were domesticated, the courses of some of the heavenly bodies were plotted and a few of the minerals of the earth were utilized. It was not until the age of science that great strides were made. Within the last few hundred years more progress has been made in subduing nature than was accomplished in all the preced ing centuries combined. Thus, this promised, but long neglected, sover eignty of man over nature lay idle for centuries until the scientific meth
od opened this vast storehouse of God’s provision for man. The Church for the large part neg lected this command because the saving of men’s souls was its primary concern, and rightfully so. As a re sult the challenge was taken up by those outside of the Church hierarchy. Early workers were generally sym pathetic to the Church but later the field was conquered by men that were indifferent and even hostile to the Word of God. Finally man lost sight of the fact that it was only by God’s grace that we have this ability to subdue nature. As a result some have taken the par tial knowledge of the creation that man has obtained and turned it against the Creator, proclaiming their independence of God. Therefore, man by p r es en t -day science has not achieved true dominion over the cre ated world. Instead the dominion which he has achieved has turned out to be a two-edged sword which in many ways cuts to free him from the bounds of this physical universe while at the same time it is in danger of cutting down its master in a man made holocaust. Just as the maluse of the grace of God, that provides a way to free man from spiritual bondage leads to spir itual destruction, so will the maluse of the grace of God, that provides man a way to free himself from physi cal bondage, ultimately lead to physi cal destruction. Only as the scientist realizes that all that he is and has comes from the hand of God can.vic- tory be gained, for man cannot bring all of nature into subjugation until man himself first becomes subjugated to the will of God. END.
Leonard Eilers
Now Booking Meetings
p astors and youth groups across the nation are finding that TV has caused a renewed interest in the old-time cowboy of the West. In the old days Evangelist Leonard Eilers used his horse and guitar and trick ropes for Para mount Studios. Then the Lord called him into the ministry and since graduating from the Bible Institute of Los Angeles he has carried on his unique ministry as "The Preaching Cowboy.” For information about meet ings in your church write him at 18019 Mission Blvd., San Fer nando, Calif., or telephone EM- pire 3-1458.
In silence and quiet the devout soul profiteth and learneth the secrets of the Scriptures: there he findeth the floods of tears wherewith every night he may wash and cleanse himself that he may he the more familiar to his Creator the more he withdraweth him far from secular noise. He that draweth himself from friends and known men, God shall come nigh unto him with His holy angels. — Thomas a Kempis
DECEMBER 1956
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