First Law of Thermodynamics in the Bible

First Law of Thermodynamics in the Bible

God’s created matter and energy in the beginning:In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1) – Matter created.God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light (Genesis 1:3) – Energy created.

Upon finishing Creation, Genesis reports Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. (Genesis 2:1-2)

The Hebrew word for completed is kalah (כָּלָה, Strong’s 3615). It means “completed, finished, at an end.” The use of the past definite tense for the Hebrew verb indicates action completed in the past, never to occur again. Creation was finished and done. Matter and energy are no longer being created.

Speaking of the Son of God, Scripture says,

“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:16-17)

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. (Hebrews 1:1-3)These verses imply that matter cannot be destroyed because the Son of God holds all things together by His word.

These Biblical truths foreshadow the First Law of Thermodynamics which says that matter and energy cannot be created or destroyed. Creation is finished as Genesis says; it is preserved and held together as the New Testament says.

Second Law of Thermodynamics in the Bible

Of old You founded the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.Even they will perish, but You endure;
And all of them will wear out like a garment;Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. (Psalm 102:25-26)

“You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,And the heavens are the works of Your hands;They will perish, but You remain;
And they all will become old like a garment, And like a mantle You will roll them up;
Like a garment they will also be changed.But You are the same,And Your years will not come to an end. (Hebrews 1:10-12)

This universe-wide disintegration began with Yahweh’s curse following Adam’s sin:

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it
All the days of your life.
Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you will eat the plants of the field;By the sweat of your faceYou will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken; For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (Romans 8:20-22)

The Bible teaches that the universe is deteriorating and running down. This foreshadows the Second Law of Thermodynamics which was discovered less than two centuries ago. The Bible’s teachings on this were written by Moses 3500 years ago, by the Psalmist 3000 years ago, and by the Apostle Paul 2000 years ago.

In contrast, the theory of evolution directly contradicts the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Evolutionary theory says things are increasing in complexity and order. The Second Law and the Bible say things are running down and becoming more disorderly. Which one is right? Which one coheres with experience?

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The Law of conservation of mass and energy:

Actually, the laws of conservation only make sense if we accept the Bible. Why is it that no new mass or energy can come into existence? It is because God has made all things (John 1:3) and ended His work of creation by the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). Why is it that mass and energy do not simply cease to exist? This is because God sustains the universe by His Word (Hebrews 1:3) and by Him all things consist (Colossians 1:17).

In a sense, the law of conservation of mass and energy is merely a “scientific” summary of Genesis 2:2, John 1:3, Hebrews 1:3 and Colossians 1:17. Without the Bible, there is no basis for the law of conservation of mass and energy!

But God can suspend this law since He created it. Possibly this is what happened when Jesus fed the 5,000. During the Creation Week, it is a good thing that God did create new material from nothing—otherwise we wouldn’t be here to discuss it! Incidentally, God’s creating something from nothing does not actually violate E=mc2 since this equation quantifies the amount of energy associated with a given amount of mass; it is not a restatement of the conservation of mass or energy. (Of course, God could suspend E=mc2 if He wanted to.)

(By the way, nuclear reactions do not actually destroy matter, but merely convert one element into another, such as the fusion of hydrogen into helium in the core of the sun. Mass and energy are conserved in such a reaction.)