Who Made It?

Sir Isaac Newton had a friend who, like himself, was a great scientist. But this friend was an unbeliever, and the two men often discussed the Christian faith.

Newton had a skillful mechanic make a replica of our solar system. In the center was a large gilded ball representing the sun. Revolving around this were smaller balls fixed on the ends of arms of varying lengths, representing the planets in their proper order (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and so forth). These balls were so geared together by cogs and belts as to move in perfect harmony when the crank was turned.

One day, as Newton sat reading in his study with the mechanism on a large table near him, his friend stepped in. He recognized at a glance what was on the table. Slowly he turned the crank and, with evident admiration, watched the heavenly bodies moving at their relative speeds in their orbits. Standing off a bit, the friend exclaimed, “What an exquisite thing this is! Who made it?”

Without looking up from his book, Newton answered, “Nobody!”

Quickly turning to Newton, the unbeliever said, “Evidently you did not understand my question. I asked who made this thing.”

Looking up, Newton solemnly assured his friend that nobody had made it, but that the aggregation of matter he so much admired had just happened to assume the form it was in. But the astonished man replied, getting warmer, “You must think I’m a fool! Of course somebody made it, and he is a genius. I’d like to know who he is.”

Laying his book aside, Newton arose and laid a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “This thing is but a puny imagination of a much grander system whose laws you know, and I am not able to convince you that this mere toy is without either designer or maker! Now tell me, by what sort of reasoning do you reach such incongruous conclusions?”

“All Things are of God”

The man was at once convinced and became a firm believer that “the Lord, he is the God” (1 Kings 18:39). Jesus Christ said, “Ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:1). “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:18).

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16—18).

“All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:3—4).

“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things. . . . But now [he] commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him [Jesus Christ] from the dead” (Acts 17:24, 25, 30, 31).