Did God create Technology?
I was asked by my peers,
“How do you feel about Technology and Christianity? “Cause you seem to be a pretty good tech guy and also a devoted Christian.”
This question prompted me to think about it. As a Christian leader, I encourage the youth to be as active as possible in the things of God and also to be as smart as possible in the modern technological world. Yet technology is sidelined by some Christian believers. They would talk about how much technology has influenced many of us negatively, as well as how it has led us to strange adaptations that most find so uncomfortable. And also Christians are not exceptional on this one. Most of our cultures scorn technology.
But in this article, I would love to explore the question, “Did God create technology?”
In the beginning…
Genesis chapter 1 places God at the center of creation. Verse 1, He is responsible for the creation of the heavens and the earth. Both chapters one and two demonstrate how God got involved in the creation. Psalms 146:6 too complements all the actions that God did (creation of the heaven, earth, and all that is in them.)
Getting back to Genesis chapter 1 verse 26, God is equipping man with the ability to take care of the things that He has created. Why would God do that? Because He is designing man to be just like Him. God would not just create the world and then leaves it unattended, but He is entrusting His own creation to take care of it in His place.
Here is also an amazing fact. God has designed the creation to have recreation or regeneration ability. This should be clearly understood that man is also entrusted with that process: to make sure it happens by making it happen. In Genesis 2:15, we see God placing man at the center of Eden to work or cultivate it. So, whatever recreation or regeneration was happening in the garden of Eden, man (Adam) was given the authority and responsibility for it.
Before I go any further, allow me to explain the process of regeneration or recreation that I am talking about here. Seeds are planted and replanted to ensure the continued existence of their species. Resources are turned into new things to make sure they are used up to their maximum potential. And this has made man realize the creative potential that God has given him (Exodus 35:30–35).
Technology creation…
Think of what it takes to manufacture a laptop. Computer components have changed over the years, but a PC today is typically 40 percent steel, 30 percent to 40 percent plastic, 10 percent aluminum, and 10 percent other metals, including copper, gold, silver, cadmium, and platinum. Have you noticed natural resources on the list? The Bible talks of silver and gold belonging to God (Hagai 2:8.) This can also mean that all resources belong to Him, as written in Psalms 146:6.
Getting back to Genesis 2 verse 15, God places man to be the overseer of all He created, including to be part of its recreation and regeneration. Also, He is equipping them with knowledge and skills to create amazing things (Exodus 35:30–50.) How are they being creative? By using the very same resources that God has created.
Creativity spreads across the earth
Now, allow me to take you back to the creative revolution in the Bible. When Adam sinned, he put on leaves he sewed himself until God made them clothes (Genesis 3:7, 20.) And then fashion improved with time under the influence of God Himself (Exodus 29:3.) Cain was known to have built cities (Genesis 4:17) and also his bloodline Tubal-cain was known to be a forger of instruments of bronze and iron.
Noah was skilled too. How? Genesis 6 verses 14 to 16, we see God teaching him. God continued to equip man with a lot of knowledge and skills. The tower of Babel is also one of the examples of how man became creative with time (Genesis 11:3,4.) Why was God not happy about the Tower of Babel? That’s a topic for another day, probably the next one.
There are so many examples in the Bible including that of Jesus Christ being a carpenter’s son (Mark 6:3.) He also learned to work with wood. That is being creative. Creativity continued to be passed on from generation to generation and here we are. At the center of it all. Everything you see around was inspired by God Himself through the knowledge and wisdom He has given us (Proverb 2:6.)
Did God create technology?
In the first creation, God made all things out of nothing (Romans 4:17b and Hebrews 11:3) and it was done. He saw the beauty and the completeness in the creation. Secondly, God is creating things according to how it is needed. He did not create clothes for Adam and Eve but when they sinned, there was a need for them to have clothes. Adam made some from leaves, and later God made some from animal skin (Genesis 3:7,21.) That’s the time we saw something being created out of something. The creation of things became man’s job since the time of need began.
Talking of technology, God designed technology as a human need to fulfill certain obligations to Him. Let us go back to Noah. God tasked him to build an Ark for He had planned to destroy all living on earth. An ark needed to be made in order for God to fulfill His plans. As we said earlier, God has entrusted mankind to carry out certain tasks for His glory since He engineered man to like Him. Noah needed the skills to build it and God gave them to him. So God is fully responsible for the creation of technology. He owns it. Through man. he made technology and saw that it was good as man needed it.
Conclusion
Every piece of technology is God’s and He allows it as it fulfills certain needs. My fellow believers, let us embrace technology as God’s gift to us. Let us use technology to glorify our Maker in every way possible. I am so thankful to God, looking at how Churches are using technology to advance the Gospel to all the ends of the earth. Using technology to meet the needs of all people around the world. We must learn to appreciate what God has brought forth in times of need.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
James 1:17
This includes technology. Let us embrace it.
Next article: If God uses all to fulfill His plans, then where is Technology fitting into His plans?
