THE STORY OF EVE |
Today on the broadcast I want to talk with you about a recent series
of findings that point us to some important considerations about the origin
of our species. In fact, this finding coupled with its more recent cousin,
leads to some startling conclusions each one of us should consider. But
before I introduce today's topic entitled: A STORY OF EVE, let's pause
right now and listen to this.
For centuries, especially this last century man has pondered his
beginnings. Just where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we
going if anyplace at all? Is there any meaning to this life we have but
did not choose? Yes, all men are interested in our roots and beginnings.
And, this is why the study of man's origins has taken a front seat in every
generation of man.
Well recently, I came across an article that captured my attention.
In November 1995, "Nature" magazine featured an article, that
captured the news periodicals attention. This article spoke of some recent
findings that were about to shoot holes in some theories of evolution that
has been taught recently. Have I captured your interest? I hope so, for
after we pause for another moment of musical refreshment, I'll get down
to business. A business you need to know about and consider in your own
personal quest for your roots and origins.
Eight or more years ago, Geneticists made a remarkable discovery.
Scientists snooping about in our human gene pool and DNA structures using
some BBM's "Big Brain Machines", which are high tech computers,
discovered some startling things. They discovered that contrary to much
popular opinion about our evolutionary origins, it appeared that the human
race did not universally evolve from a myriad of sub human creatures. Rather
researchers were startled to find what they soon called, the "mother"
of all humans, the proverbial Eve. By specifically peeking into cells of
several ethnic groups, they traced the family tree of modern humans back,
they say, 200,000 years to a single, albeit theoretical, woman."(1)
They named her "Mitochondrial Eve." This name was chosen for
part of the cell passed from the mother that endured to all generations
of the human race.
This finding brought startling considerations, one of which was how
ironic it was that now the Biblical story of Creation seemed to have a
seed plot in the evolutionist's journal of human origins. However, not
much more was said about it until…. until another astounding find recorded
in "NATURE," magazine's November 1995 issue and reported in a
US NEWS ONLINE edition. The article stated: "It appears that lonesome
Eve, the proverbial originator of all human life now has an Adam! In two
reports researchers suggest that virtually all modern men - 99.9% of them,
says one scientist - are closely related genetically and share genes which
come from one male ancestor, dubbed "Y-chromosomes Adam." Unlike
other chromosomes, Y's are passed strictly from father to son, thus enabling
scientists to follow the human race patrilineally." Now each study
has concluded differing dates as to this "Adam's" appearance.
Some issued the findings that he appeared roughly 188,000 years ago. The
other says even more recent than that, say about 49,000 years ago. However,
both studies and findings stand in opposition to the current evolutionary
belief that modern man is a product of differing evolutionary beginnings.
Michael Hammer, a University of Arizona researcher and author of
one of the studies said, " We are finding that humans have very,
very shallow genetic roots which go back very recently to one ancestor,
which indicates that there was an origin in a specific location on the
globe, and then it spread out from there."(2) Can you imagine
that! Scientist literally finding the possibility that our human race is
all related and may have actually come from one ancestral mother and one
ancestral father. Now I tell you that is exciting to me as a creationist
although I'm not making any serious connections here at all. It's just
amazing that science always has a way for evolutionists to be led back
to the truth the Bible speaks about concerning man's origins.
Permit me to refresh all our memories by going back to the Bible
and reading God's version of human life. We go to the Book of Genesis and
read in,
Genesis 1:1 (NIV) "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:26-28 (NIV) "Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.""
Genesis 1:31 (NIV) "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day."
Genesis 2:7 (NIV) "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."
Genesis 2:22-24 (NIV) "Then the LORD
God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought
her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out
of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother
and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."
Now many critics maintain that this story of creation in the Bible
is merely a fictitious myth, an old legend filled with scientific errors
and historical blunders. Not so say the Bible nor the New Testament writers
who were lead to quote and refer to this creation origin account in Genesis.
The great apostle Paul when he stood before the Grecian philosophers on
MARS HILL in ancient Greece, and gave his eloquent speech declared,
Acts 17:24 (NIV) ""The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands."
Acts 17:26 (NIV) "From one man he made
every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined
the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."
Here we have God's Word that declares the entire human race did not
evolve but was the creative product of the omnipotent Creator God who formed
and fashioned out of the elements of the earth - one man and one woman.
From them, we are told the entire human race, red or yellow, black or white,
has come. Now for more than 100 years evolutionary philosophers have concluded
that such teaching was nonsense! However, with these two recent findings,
one seriously must consider that evidence is pointing more and more to
two common ancestors the proverbial Adam and Eve.
Now the name given to this new finding, the first being, was "Mitochondrial
Eve." This is the name of the DNA our mothers give us through formation
and birth. Mitochondrial DNA is passed only by the mother to all life she
produces. Our mothers got their mitochondrial DNA from their mothers and
so on. So while our total DNA is a blend of our four grandparents, our
mitochondrial DNA is almost an exact copy of the DNA of our maternal grandmother.
The difference lies in the fact that with each reproduction there is a
very slight mutation, a downward digression or copying. Now listen, this
mutation of the mitochondrial DNA provides the molecular clock that allows
the scientist to track how much time has elapsed since the original mitochondrial
Eve lived. You see the Mitochondrial Eve, for all purposes lives or exists
in all humans now living in Earth.
Now with the findings that there is a proverbial Adam too, what are
we to conclude? Researchers suggest that virtually all modern men, 99.9%
of them are related genetically and share genes, the "Y-chromosome,"
which one male ancestor, passed on to each human male now living on Earth.
I tell you it is exciting to me as a staunch Creationist, to see
and hear reports like this. Of course, as a Christian I do not need to
have the truth of God's Word proven to me. I believe the Word of God based
on reason and faith. Reason where through apologetics, we can prove or
reasonably prove what is said is true, but also on faith. That is where
something taught in the Bible cannot be proven, but must be believed by
faith - well we can exercise that faith because of the absolute truthfulness,
reliability, and accuracy of the entire Bible. Yes, in the world of Christianity
we call this belief in the absolute inerrancy, infallibility and authority
of the entire Word of God. True historic Christians believe there are no
errors, mistakes, blunders or scientifically refutable teachings or writings
in the whole of Scripture. Now I know evolutionary philosophers who call
themselves scientist, say the Bible is full of errors, but really none
of them has ever come forth and proven a single error of historical, scientific,
or spiritual reporting in the whole of Scripture. Now God has something
to say about this, for we read in
John 3:12 (NIV) "I have spoken to you
of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if
I speak of heavenly things?"
Jesus was saying, "Look! All through the Bible you have opportunity
to test its teachings and reporting. You have already concluded that nothing
there pertaining to earthly things is in error. If so, then why do you
refuse to believe what it teaches about spiritual matters? Do you hear
God's voice? God is saying I've given you a Book, a book that tells you
where you came from, why you are here, for what purpose you exist and most
of all, where you are going to spend eternity. Because this book, the Bible,
is totally reliable, you can trust what I say about your personal makeup
and future life too.
And, as we look around our world, God has something special to say
to us all. Listen to this astounding scripture that should sober the heart
of any serious honest inquirer of the origins of his existence. We read
in,
Romans 1:18-22 (NIV) "The wrath of
God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness
of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what
may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain
to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible
qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor
gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish
hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they
became fools"
God is saying, you have My Word and that should be sufficient to
believe Me and all there is to know about yourself. However, if for some
reason it is not enough, God says, I've placed in the creation, the environment
in which we live, enough proof to drive you to consider Me and my Word
and to believe it and respond to it by faith. I believe that this finding
of the genetic Eve and a genetic Adam, may be yet another "proof,"
God wants us all to see that His creation account in Genesis one and two
is indeed true and truth. If so, as Paul the apostle said to the Grecian
intellectuals of his day,
Acts 17:29-31 (NIV) ""Therefore
since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being
is like gold or silver or stone--an image made by man's design and skill.
30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all
people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will
judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given
proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.""
Accountability, proof, responsibility, leading - all these things
are mankind's role in seeking His roots, and ultimately His Creator. And,
for any of us to fail to seek Him in light of the many convincing proofs
in the creation around us, God tells us He will not hold anyone guiltless.
This means even the most primitive savage in the darkest continent is responsible
to seek God for all through his days, he is confronted in his environment
with convincing proofs he is not a product of evolutionary change, but
a divine creation, wholly distinct from the animal kingdom, and he is the
product of one original human couple - Adam and Eve.
So as Michael Hammer, one of the researchers on the Mitochondrial
Eve quest for origins has said, "We are finding that humans … go
back to one ancestor that indicates was an origin in a specific location
on the globe and then spread out from there." I tell you , you
can't ask for more evidence to consider seeking God and His truth found
in the Word of God. Now I'm certainly not claiming this finding is conclusive
proof of the truth of the story of Adam and Eve, no it is a trail, a sure
and clear trail though, that leads one back to the Garden of Eden, where
God reminds us of His highest and finest creation, the human race. There
God made man in His own image. This teaching destroys materialism that
says we are a mindless part of the environment, that there is no soul or
spirit that is immortal.
But friend God says there is and we are! You and I, we are distinct
from every other life form on the earth, we are related in creation to
God Himself. We learn God is a Spirit, God is a rational thinking, feeling
being. So are we, but one thing God isn't, that we are. We are all fallen
sinful beings, lost and separated from our Creator and His perfection.
And, friend this is the story of the Bible. Man, through disobedience to
God's test in the Garden, sinned, and now exists in a fallen depreciating
and dying state. The researchers found the mitochondrial DNA that every
mother passes on to her children mutates, and each succeeding generation
is degenerating. This is called in the Bible the curse or Law of Sin. God
said,
Genesis 2:15-17 (NIV) "The LORD God
took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care
of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free
to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you
will surely die.""
Genesis 3:17-19 (NIV) "To Adam he said,
"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which
I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because
of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the
plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your
food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for
dust you are and to dust you will return.""
Say, have you taken heed to God's warning, His truths that unfold
day by day all around us? We all acknowledge the effects of this sin and
mutation of life. All mutations are harmful and deadly. The human race
is dying, and we too one day will face the consequences of death. However,
the Bible also says death does not end anything. Everyone of us goes on
to eternity and will face God's judgment. The question God will ask us
may well be - What did you do with my Son Jesus Christ? Did you take Him
as your Lord and Savior? Did you believe my Word about Him and what He
has done for you? If we will at that judgment day hang our heads and say
nothing, we will be condemned and suffer the fate of an eternity in a place
called Hell.
Hell friend is a place for all created human and angelic life that
refuses God's grace, mercy and forgiveness in this life - all those who
refused to take Jesus as their Savior from their sin penalty coming. That
is the urgent message of the Bible and is my plea for you today. Adam and
Eve too needed to be saved from their sins, and every child since then
that has been born of their union. Yes, every human creature that has lived
on this earth comes from one ancestral parents, Adam and Eve. And, regardless
of whether it is the proverbial Adam and Eve of the researchers findings,
one thing is for sure. God's Word is truth and you and I must respond to
it, or die in our sins. May God open your heart, may the Spirit of life
Himself raise our deadened minds and hearts to hear the still small voice
of God calling us through His Word to receive afresh, Jesus Christ, as
our God and Savior of the world.
Although there are many varieties of human beings, there is only
one race of beings. Neither Neanderthal, Africa , China or Java man are
sources of our existence. All such creatures found in the fossil record,
if they were human in origin came from Adam and Eve, and as such we are
all of `"one blood," as Paul stated. Therefore we are all obligated
to our Creator to seek Him and find Him whatever the cost. The "Good
News" of the Bible is all who seek Him will find Him if they seek
Him with all their heart. May you be one of Christ's own by faith alone
in His Person and work, and may today's message encourage you that God's
Word is truth.
The Bible says Jesus Christ is the second Adam who is now generating
a whole new race of spirit beings, born from among the fallen of this world.
I trust you are one of His own children born again by faith, or you will
right now become one. Just reach out with your heart and call upon the
Lord Jesus Christ, and He will save you now. That is the real message of
this new finding of the Genetic Adam and Eve. I trust you are listening
today.
___________________________________________________
RESOURCES:
(1) US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, December 4, 1995; "The Genetic Eve Gets a Genetic Adam"
(2) US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, December 4, 1995, " The Genetic
Eve Gets a Genetic Adam"
The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures.A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request.These weekly radio commentaries can be heard in selected areas around the nation. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for 16 years, and serves as General Director. These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of all messages is available upon request also.
For further information, reprints, or a listing of all topics,
please write to our speaker, Dennis
L. Finnan(wwyfin@sparc.isl.net), or visit our webpage at [ http://www.isl.net/wwyweb.html
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