CONCEPTION IS AN ONGOING
SEQUENCE OF GODS
CREATIVE MIRACLES.
My interest was aroused in
reading a beautiful , recurring phrase,
the foundation of the
world. I was astonished on
checking the meaning of foundation from Strongs Concordance that apart from structures, it meant the deposition of virile semen in the womb. While the world or cosmos meant the harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, or
government; also an adornment or decoration such as the arrangement of the
stars as heavenly hosts ( or the
heavens ).
Our Lord Jesus repeated
this meaningful phrase in the gospels, such as those things kept secret from the foundation if the
world ( Matthew 13:35) while the writers of the epistles used it
freely. This direct link with
conception, which explains the microscopic development of every creature on the
face of Gods earth was the pattern
with which the Lord established his heavens,
which show His glory, while the firmament showed His handiwork.
I was further enthralled
when I saw that the references to the foundation of the world covered most of the mighty themes in Holy
Scripture. Therefore, it was
fundamental to our understanding of our origin and destiny.
I consequently studied Robs textbook of Embryology, The Developing Human by Moore and Persaud
6th edition.. It
recounts the sequence of Gods
breath-taking creative activity.
The testes produce the
male cells, which divide twice , resulting in 4 sperms with 23 chromosomes
each, half of them with the X chromosome, while the others have the Y
chromosome. The ovary releases only one cell with 46 chromosomes, ready to be
invaded by the male sperm. Our Creator skilfully planned perfect cells for the
reproduction of life.
However, since mans rebellious defiance of the Lord, the possibility of
breakdown has been introduced into His ideal world. Our Lord graciously said, Inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world ( Matt 25:34). We do this when husband and wife have
intercourse, seeking the Fathers
blessing of a living, healthy child.
The development of the
testes is an amazing process, beginning from puberty at 13-15 years. The head
of the sperm contains the chromosomes and this is covered by a capsule,
containing several enzymes, which, on release, facilitate the penetration of
the outer and inner layers of the egg cell. The Creator could only be a
Pioneering formative Biochemist, who reserved these secrets for our scientists
to unravel. Our Lord said in His prayer
to His Father, You
loved Me from the foundation
of the world. (John 17:21). One enzyme, acrosin helps the penetration of the sperm in the process of
fertilisation. It is essential that the enzymes be present in all the sperms
produced. Marvellous design.!
Even the swishing of the
tail of the successful sperm is essential in the penetration of the two walls
of defensive cells around the egg cell, known as Corona radiata and Zona
Pellucida. Languid sperms could never accomplish
this invasive role. How dare we boast of our success when God gives a beautiful
child. Rather let us thank Him who did
all things well as Paul says He
has chosen us in Him from the
foundation the world. (
Ephesians 1:4 ) He chose us in normal physical creation and in spiritual
recreation.
Sophisticated electron
microscopes enable us to see the sperm. Our descriptive powers enlighten us.
Printing expertise enables us to illustrate this phenomenon. But Some One has made them and perfected
their production. We worship the Designer and Creator of these marvellous
cells.
The development of the egg
cell has extraordinary features. For
example, the egg is covered with a Zona pellucida, which is composed of a
glyconutrient. Until recent years only
one such, glucosamine, featured in biochemical textbooks, and in most of the
preparations for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Later a group of scientists
uncovered 8 gluconutrients, which promoted well-being as they maintained cell
communication. A recent book describes the eight glyconutrients. The biochemist Creator had used such a cell
facilitator in the creation of every egg cell. Hebrews 4:3 told how His works were finished before the foundation of the world. Genuine praise would be fitting for such. Researchers
have only discovered what He has created.
There are two kinds of sex
chromosomes of normal sperm; namely 23,X
and 23,Y., while the egg cell has only the 23,X chromosomes. Where the fertilised cell has XX
chromosomes, a female child will be born. A cell with X Y chromosome will
produce a male child. How remarkable
that one cell decides sexuality when there are vast differences between the man
and the woman; as God ordained.
The fertilisation of the
egg cell by the sperm releases a reservoir of energy, to sustain the duplication of cells throughout the nine
months of development in the uterus. The Snowy Mountain hydroelectric scheme
demanded the immense reservoir for generating power for millions of homes of New South Wales and
Victoria. While the immense flow of electricity staggered us, it was
understandable. However, conception was supernatural, defying our
reason. And this release of energy was confined to the uterus of the
mother-to-be. Of Christ the scriptures record, that All thing were made by
Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. ( John
1:3 )
Lets extol Him.
I bypass the complex but
equally breathtaking influence of the Pituitary and hypothalamus in the
preparation of the uterus to receive the fertilised cell. He made everything beautiful in His season, comments on the total preparation of the cell for
the reproductive cycle.
The transport of the
mature egg cell is fascinating. It is
released from the ovary, and is gathered in as the fimbriae of the uterine tube
sweep over the ovary. It passes into
the funnel of the tube by gentle peristalsis, the same activity which
characterises the gentle contraction and relaxation of the bowel. Researchers
humbly confess that the movement of the egg cell down the tube is complex, with
many factors not yet understood.
Fertilisation occurs in the funnel of the fimbriae of the uterine tube.
Our omniscient God reserves some secrets.
How marvellous that Mary conceived in her womb as the Holy Spirit moved upon
her. It was a supernatural
implanting of the life of Gods
Son, so that He could be in the form of
man. This means is used in in vitro fertilisation,
the direct implanting of the fertilised cell in the uterus of the woman.
At birth, a female child
has 2 million egg cells; reducing to 40,000 at puberty; while only 400 become
fully developed cells, one of which is released each menstrual cycle. This enables a woman to be fruitful during
the 30 odd years of her child-bearing period. The anovulatory Pill
prevents this release, thus modifying
this general picture.
During sexual intercourse,
200-600 million sperms are deposited around the cervix of the woman. This
number staggers. God had told Abraham
his seed would be like the
stars of heaven and the sands of the sea. Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are
able to number them. So shall your descendants be. (Genesis 15:5)
In normal married life sexual relationship occurs approximately twice
weekly; that is 100 times annually. Multiply this by the 50 years or so of
sexual activity; and the number of sperms in each emission by 5,000. For each male this amounts to trillions of
sperms. ( 10 to the twelth power ) Gods promise to Abraham was realistic, not extravagant.
Every sperm has this
potential for it contains all the information to share with the egg cell and produce a unique, never-before-seen,
person.
Such prodigality reveals
Intelligent Design from a beneficent Creator.
At ovulation the viscous
secretions of the cervix are reduced to permit the flow of sperms. When
intercourse coincides with ovulation, the seminal vesicles release an enzyme,
vesiculase which coagulates the semen, thus
forming a plug, and preventing many sperms from returning to the
vagina. How beautifully and wisely
engineered.
The muscles of the uterus
and tubes contract to facilitate the
passage of sperms to the ampulla of the tube: for fertilisation. Prostaglandin in the semen stimulates the
uterus, while fructose ( a glucose ) supplies energy for the sperms. The sperms move at 2-3 mm per minute.
Contrast their microscopic size with a man running 100 meters in less than 10
seconds ( Olympic record ) and the sperms move 10 times faster. Awe-inspiring. All creation is geared to
expedite the fertilisation and production of life. God reinforced His order in
the command, Be fruitful and multiply.
Peter writing under the
Holy Spirit said, Verily
we were ordained from the foundation
of the world. (1 Peter 1:22 ) Natural
and spiritual development are in the ordination.
Freshly ejaculated sperms
cannot fertilise the egg cell. It must undergo a conditioning period of 7
hours, in which the glycoprotein coat and some of the proteins are removed from
the head of the sperm. They now become more active. Enzymes hyaluronidase and acrosin are released from the head of
the sperm to facilitate fertilisation.
How can millions of sperms be moulded with some precise yet diverse
biochemicals in right proportions in every cell. Organisation ! Their uniform structure under the electron microscope delights the
viewer.
Normally, a male produces
100 million sperms per ml of semen. 20
million sperms per ml would probably mean that the man is sterile. 40% of the
sperms are motile after 2 hours, while some remain motile for 24 hours. Such
variations must affect the likelihood of pregnancy. Prayer for the blessing of new life should accompany sexual oneness.
Contrast this with the
human egg cell, or Oocyte. They are
usually fertilised within 12 hours, while it is no longer possible after 24
hours.
Acosta 1994 claimed that fertilisation is a complex sequence of
coordinated molecular events. This accurate, descriptive cavalcade of
human development begins when the oocyte, or egg cell, is fertilised.
When the sperm has
contacted the egg cell, the merger of paternal and maternal chromosomes takes
place. In our generation, the molecular structure of the chromosomes, their
complex biochemistry, proteins and nucleic acid, the wealth of information
available have been discovered. Yet,
our mighty Creator laid the foundation in the first sexual union of Adam and Eve.
It had been part of life as God structured each man and woman. While we were so belated to unfold these
mighty mysteries, yet the wonder remains. We commend the researcher; and we
worship and magnify our Lord.
Changes to the plasma
membrane of the egg cell make it impermeable for other sperms to enter the egg
cell. The creative work is done. It
must now be sealed. When our Lord said, It is finished on the cross, our redemption was accomplished. Nothing could be added to it. Then new life
in Christ became possible through a spiritual birth.
Moore and Persaud
summarise the results of fertilisation. It stimulates the egg cell ( oocyte )
to complete the second division. It restores the normal number of chromosomes in
the cell to 46. It results in a new species of the human family with the merger
of the chromosomes. It determines the sex of the embryo; the X chromosome
resulting in the female embryo; the Y one resulting in a male embryo. Metabolic activity of the cell stirs up the
initial cleavage.
Then the cell division
begins. The two cell stage produces the
four cell stage, then the eight cell and the Morula with its 16 cells. About
three days after fertilisation, the Morula enters the uterus and the complex embedding
in the endometrium of the uterus takes place. Our detailed observation
anticipates the marvellous 280 days development in the uterus.
The final two quotations
from the Revelation stringently warn of
Those whose names are not
written in the book of life from
the foundation of the world.
(13:8;17:8 ) The meaning of foundation and world agree with those used earlier. Is this an
evangelical pleading to those who have
gone through the mysterious natural development in those early formative processes and are now of mature mind,
who should attend to the great salvation for all eternity provided by their
Creator- Redeemer.
Through Christs Calvary suffering and rising again, He has also made
provision for their redemption from the curse of sin, and the glorious
assurance of a resurrection body, perfect through all eternity. As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be
made alive.
(1 Corinthians 15:22)
As a Christian I recognise
the total sovereignty of my God and personal Saviour in all the multiplicity
and complexity of this creative activity.
Colson and Pearcey in How now shall we live convincingly state ,
Jesus is the origin and
end of all things, the Alpha and Omega. Nothing has meaning apart from
Him. Nothing exists apart from Him. He
is the agent of creation, author of all that is and ever will be. Christ is
Lord over all of creation, from the human soul to the vast reaches of the
cosmos.
David the sweet psalmist of
Israel wrote:
Psalm 139:13-16
You have formed my inward
parts;
You have covered me in my
mothers womb.
I will praise you for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvellous are your works,
And that my soul knows very
well.
My frame was not hidden from
you,
When I was made in secret,
And skilfully wrought in the
lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance,
being yet unformed,
And in your book they all were
written.
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.