Time and again the Bible has been challenged regarding its scientific accuracy. In case after case, when the Bible and science have disagreed, the Bible was later proven to be correct. As a matter of fact, some important scientific discoveries have been made as a result of studying the Bible.
A case in point is the mapping of ocean currents by Matthew Fontaine Maury. When Maury was bedridden with illness, his son read to him from the Bible. When he came to Psalm 8:8, he read of man’s dominion over “The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea” and “whatever passes through the paths of the seas.” Maury could hardly believe the words he was hearing. Being an oceanographer and a man of the sea, Maury exclaimed, “It is enough, if the word of God says there are paths in the seas, they must be there, and I am going to find them.” Within a few years after his recovery, he had charted sea lanes and currents and had established the basis for modern oceanography. In Richmond, Virginia there stood for many years a statue of Matthew Fontaine Maury with this inscription: “Pathfinder of the Seas.” The statue depicted Maury with charts of the sea in one hand and a pencil and compass in the other. Then, at his left foot, was a copy of the Bible along with his book entitled, “The Physical Geography of the Sea.” Sadly, the statue was dismantled in July of 2020. Nonetheless, it represented what an amazing difference can be made by reading the Bible! The Bible is not a book of science, but when it touches on scientific matters, we can be sure that it speaks with accuracy.
— Glen Elliott —