Eclipse from Novi and a Pastoral Concern about created order

After making our eclipse viewer out of a cereal box, Peter and I went outside to see how the eclipse was coming along.  Unfortunately, we were battling cloud cover throughout the afternoon.  Fortunately, the clouds proved to be our friends and enabled us to see the eclipsed sun without going blind.

Here are some photos.

Peter checks out the progress of the eclipse.

This is what we could see in our box when the sun was not hidden behind the clouds.

Eventually, the eclipsed sun was seen with the clouds making a nice filter for viewing.

Now, the pastoral concern about the created order.

The eclipse grabbed the attention of many people.  And while most people seem to have embraced the theory of evolution in which all things assembled by a series of amazing chances which have resulted in our current universe, the eclipse makes a very strong argument that our universe could hardly have been achieved by chance.

Notice that the eclipse followed an exact path, and that scientists could chart the exact time when the total eclipse would happen over each location.  They even had the length of totality determined down to the second.  This is hardly random or chance.  This is incredible precision--as if it were designed and continues to be orchestated by divine power.

What's more, scentists were already telling us when and where the next eclipse would be, and when the next total eclipse would cover the USA again.  If the universe were a random process and continaully subject to grand evolution by chance, there is no way a scientist would be so confident in predicting eclipses with such confidence or accuracy.  And yet, they do; and they are right.  This is hardly random or chance.  It is precisely what the Scriptures state.

The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
    and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
    whose voice is not heard.
4 Their voice[b] goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5     which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them,
    and there is nothing hidden from its heat. (Psalm 19:1-6)

The Scriptures are trustworthy in all things because it is the word of God who does not lie or deceive or contradict himself.  And since his word is sure, so is the forgiveness of sins and the resurrection of the dead which Jesus Christ has secured for us by his sufferings, death, and resurrection.  If the Scriptures are brushed off, then so is our salvation.  But since God has again proved himself faithful, we have more confidence in our salvation than scientists have in the next eclipse date and site.