I Don't Know...

I was listening to a pastor today on the radio talk about how Christians should not be giving answers to questions that really don't have answers. He went on to say that by doing this we open up a whole can of worms about the subject and end up confusing the matter. In other words, we should just say, "I don't know." In general, I agree with this instruction. There is nothing wrong with telling somebody you don't know the answer. But, we can't stop there as if that is somehow standing on the truth. It is foolishness to think that any of us have total knowledge on every subject. If there is a subject we don't have an answer on, we should say, "I don't know that answer, but if you'd like, I will get one for you." Not only does that show a willingness to answer the question thoroughly, but it also tells the person asking the question that you care enough to get them an answer. Part of the reason so many Christians leave the faith or the lost don't come to faith is the lack of answers to their questions.

"So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city, and he named it after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech." Genesis 4:17-18

One of the most asked questions of a Christian is "Where did Cain get his wife?" According to this pastor the answer is "I don't know." It does appear that something is missing in the pages of scripture when we are introduced to the fact that Cain had a wife. After all, in this part of scripture the topic goes from Cain killing Abel and God punishing him to "Cain lay with his wife." The importance of answering this question isn't just to find the answer to where Cain's wife came from, but to reaffirm the idea that all mankind is decendent of one man, Adam. Otherwise, we risk leaving the door open to all sorts of unbiblical ideas being inserted into scripture. Chief among those ideas is the theory of evolution. If you allow for Cain's wife coming from another line of people then things like original sin can be questioned and, eventually, the need for a savior, Jesus Christ, to redeem mankind. The answer to where Cain got his wife is located just a few verses later. In Genesis 5:4, we read, "After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters." So Adam had sons and daughters. The wife of Cain was from amongst his own relatives. The Bible never tells us when Cain got married and it does tell us that God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. Given that Adam lived 930 years, it is highly likely that he had countless children who had children of their own. Cain's wife, no doubt, came from within the ranks of all these people. Now, before you cry foul because of the thought that somehow Cain was involved in an incestuous relationship, you must remember one thing. God didn't give the law forbidding the marriage of close relatives until Levticus 18-20, which was hundreds of years later. There are other reasons why this was not a problem, but that is a discussion for a later date.

"Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth..." Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day." Genesis 1: 26, 31

The days of creation have been a hotly contested topic for as long as I can remember. Perhaps, it is because Christians have allowed it to be that way because of saying, "I don't know" when asked if those days are regular 24 hour periods or some other time frame. The theory of evolution is the most popular "insertion" into the creation week that I have heard. To fit the absurd notion that the creation week is somehow millions and billions of years long, Christians and non-Christians, believing evolution to be fact, force the theory into scripture were it doesn't belong. Now, I am not a scientist and don't have the knowledge to debate all the beliefs surrounding the supposed "evidence" for evolution. Although, I will say one thing. The evidence is not what is in question. It is the same for an evolutionist as it is for a creationist. The difference is the belief system used to study the evidence. I happen to believe the evidence fits a six-day, literal reading of Genesis. Furthermore, I am not a linguist who wants to engage in determining what the meaning of "Day," "morning" and "evening " really is. I just think that is complicating the issue. However, I believe that in cases like this, the simplest answer is the best answer. In Genesis 5:5 it says that "Adam lived 930 years, and then he died." Therefore, if Adam was created on Day 6 of creation, lived through Day 7 and "only" lived 930 years, how could the Days of creation be anything other than regular 24 hour periods? If they're not, we have to believe that Adam lived thousands, millions and even billions of years. Something that is clearly not supported by Scripture.

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Peter 3: 15-16

Is saying, "I don't know" to a question so easily answered by Scripture an expression of the hope you have? I would have to answer "no" to that one. I don't say this to condemn anybody because even if we say "I don't know" the Lord doesn't condemn us and those we talk to do not have an excuse if they refuse to accept the truths of the Bible. But, with that said, being able to answer these, seemingly, unanswerable questions does more for our individuals faith than anything else. I remember in my early years as a Christian wondering about what the Bible had to say about dinosaurs. All the information I had heard about them was that they were "proof" that the Bible was not true since it didn't talk about them. Yet, God led me to answers that were there all along, but not revealed. Creatures like "behemoth" mentioned in Job 40 and "leviathan" in Job 41 may not have the names I was used to hearing used to describe dinosaurs. But the descriptions of these two animals gave me clear evidence that dinosaurs did walk the earth with man and were the creation of God. This discovery may not move others, but it gave me hope that my faith was grounded in evidence. Can we answer everything? Of course not. Does not knowing the answer mean one does not exist? Again, of course not. Not knowing the answer should serve as motivation for us to find one. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. And that truth will increase our dependency on God because we know that our faith is real and that "I don't know" will soon turn to "I now know."