Topical Bible: Sciences: Mechanics

◄ Sciences: Mechanics ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Mechanics, as a branch of the physical sciences, deals with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of these bodies on their environment. While the Bible does not explicitly discuss the principles of mechanics as understood in modern science, it does contain numerous references to the natural world and the orderliness of creation, which can be seen as reflecting the underlying principles of mechanics.

Creation and Order

The Bible begins with the account of creation, where God establishes order out of chaos. Genesis 1:1-2 states, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep." The subsequent verses describe the systematic and orderly process of creation, which can be seen as an early reflection of the principles of mechanics, where forces and laws govern the physical universe.

Divine Wisdom in Creation

The wisdom and understanding of God in creating the universe are highlighted in various passages. Proverbs 3:19 declares, "The LORD founded the earth by wisdom and established the heavens by understanding." This suggests that the laws governing the physical world, including mechanics, are a reflection of divine wisdom. The intricate balance and order observed in nature point to a Creator who designed the universe with precision and purpose.

Natural Phenomena and Forces

The Bible often uses natural phenomena to illustrate spiritual truths, and in doing so, it acknowledges the forces at work in the world. For instance, Job 38:31-33 records God's challenge to Job: "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear with its cubs? Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?" These verses recognize the existence of celestial mechanics and the forces that govern the movement of heavenly bodies.

Human Understanding and Limitations

While the Bible acknowledges the complexity and order of the natural world, it also emphasizes the limitations of human understanding. Ecclesiastes 3:11 states, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work God has done from beginning to end." This humility before the vastness of God's creation encourages a reverence for the natural laws, including those of mechanics, as part of God's sovereign design.

Application in Daily Life

The principles of mechanics, though not explicitly detailed in Scripture, are evident in the daily lives of biblical characters. The construction of Noah's ark, the building of the tabernacle, and the engineering feats of Solomon's temple all required an understanding of basic mechanical principles. These endeavors reflect the application of God-given wisdom and skill in utilizing the laws of nature for practical purposes.

Conclusion

While the Bible does not provide a scientific treatise on mechanics, it consistently affirms the orderliness and intelligibility of the created world. The principles of mechanics, as part of the broader natural laws, are seen as a testament to God's wisdom and power, inviting believers to explore and steward the physical world with awe and responsibility.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 6:14-16
Make you an ark of gopher wood; rooms shall you make in the ark, and shall pitch it within and without with pitch.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Genesis 11:4
And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad on the face of the whole earth.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 14:6,7
And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Beatific vision. (Continued. )
... With all his boasted discoveries in astronomy, chemistry, geology, mechanics, and
other kindred sciences, his knowledge of nature's secrets is still very ...
/.../boudreaux/the happiness of heaven/chapter iii the beatific vision.htm

The Scientific Aspects of Positivism.
... quantity, which are properly included under the name, with rational mechanics and
statics ... head, nor at the tail, of any hierarchy of the sciences, since, like ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/viii the scientific aspects of.htm

A Liberal Education: and Where to Find It.
... If any one is concerned in knowing the ordinary laws of mechanics one would ... English
language as a language; the whole circle of the sciences, physical, moral ...
/.../huxley/lay sermons addresses and reviews/iii a liberal education and.htm

Extracts No. vii.
... of every artificer in brass and iron, and if reason has any thing to do in this
case, we may suppose that the use of fire was known to these mechanics. ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/extracts no vii.htm

The Essay which Brings up the Rear in this Very Guilty Volume is ...
... controversial writers of former ages put together." (pp.340-1.) This might be tolerated
per-Imps, in the self-constituted oracle of a Mechanics' Institute; but ...
/.../burgon/inspiration and interpretation/vii the essay which brings.htm

According to which principle or hypothesis all the objections ...
... up a few despicable and illiterate men, and for the most part mechanics, to be the ...
to him, by which he can know and learn many arts and sciences, beyond what ...
/.../proposition vi according to which.htm