How Do Bones Grow?
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
My wife and I are expecting our first child later this year, and it has been one of the most interesting and surprising experiences in my life.
Since that first pregnancy test, there has been one new thing after another: morning sickness, maternity clothes and ultrasounds. Naturally, my wife and I both began studying to understand what exactly was happening within her body.
By the end of three months of pregnancy, our baby had already developed all of its organs and bodily systems. How could that be? Only a short time ago, it began as a single cell! As they divided and grew, how did some cells know to become nerves, while others formed a heart and yet others formed bones?
I wonder—how could something as complex as an entire human being grow and develop without any conscious guidance by its parents? Doctors know what happens, and can even partially describe how it happens. We now know that the genetic code within each cell contains millions of megabytes' worth of information. But how did that code get there? Why does it work? No man can answer those questions.
While musing on his life and on all that he had accomplished, King Solomon of ancient Israel asked some of the same questions I have, and reached a simple conclusion. He wrote, “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child , so you do not know the works of God who makes everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5 Ecclesiastes 11:5As you know not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so you know not the works of God who makes all.
American King James Version×, emphasis added).
This was his poetic way of saying that God has simply done some things that are beyond our ability to figure out. Some things work because God made them that way.
I don't know how He made it so that our baby could grow over 300 bones, and all the other working parts it needs—but I'm sure glad He did! I'm also glad that while leaving some things a mystery, He does give answers to other important questions.
American King James Version×). Yet many ask, on what basis is the judgment made—and then what happens?
I'm looking forward to meeting our new son or daughter, and to eventually helping him or her learn the answers to those and other questions. However, if you would like help to find and understand answers from the Bible to your life's biggest questions, read our free booklet What Is Your Destiny? VT
Since that first pregnancy test, there has been one new thing after another: morning sickness, maternity clothes and ultrasounds. Naturally, my wife and I both began studying to understand what exactly was happening within her body.
Science leaves questions
Scientists have been able to conduct detailed studies of the way a fetus grows and develops. The books and magazines I read have amazing color photographs of the process. But still, even as I see it happening before my eyes, I am stunned. I also still have many questions.By the end of three months of pregnancy, our baby had already developed all of its organs and bodily systems. How could that be? Only a short time ago, it began as a single cell! As they divided and grew, how did some cells know to become nerves, while others formed a heart and yet others formed bones?
Whole new skeleton
We realized very early how important it was for my wife to eat properly. At one point, to encourage her to eat more food with calcium, I joked, “Remember, you have to grow a whole new skeleton inside you.” We laughed, but it was absolutely true.I wonder—how could something as complex as an entire human being grow and develop without any conscious guidance by its parents? Doctors know what happens, and can even partially describe how it happens. We now know that the genetic code within each cell contains millions of megabytes' worth of information. But how did that code get there? Why does it work? No man can answer those questions.
While musing on his life and on all that he had accomplished, King Solomon of ancient Israel asked some of the same questions I have, and reached a simple conclusion. He wrote, “As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child , so you do not know the works of God who makes everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5 Ecclesiastes 11:5As you know not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so you know not the works of God who makes all.
American King James Version×, emphasis added).
This was his poetic way of saying that God has simply done some things that are beyond our ability to figure out. Some things work because God made them that way.
I don't know how He made it so that our baby could grow over 300 bones, and all the other working parts it needs—but I'm sure glad He did! I'm also glad that while leaving some things a mystery, He does give answers to other important questions.
Questions about life
There are many questions about life that science struggles to answer, like:- We know a lot about physical life and are continually learning more, but why is our ability to think so much greater than chimps or dolphins whose brains are so similar to yours and mine?
- We know about human existence from birth to death, but what happens after that?
American King James Version×). Yet many ask, on what basis is the judgment made—and then what happens?
I'm looking forward to meeting our new son or daughter, and to eventually helping him or her learn the answers to those and other questions. However, if you would like help to find and understand answers from the Bible to your life's biggest questions, read our free booklet What Is Your Destiny? VT
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