As Far As East From West | The Institute for Creation Research

As Far As East From West

“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11,12).

Critics of the Bible often claim that it pictures a four-cornered, flat Earth, with a solid “firmament” high above on which the stars traverse regular pathways along with the sun and moon. But nothing could be further from the truth, as evident from our text.

The heavens extend as high above the earth as the infinite mercy of God, which provides free salvation for lost sinners. This surely fits the modern scientific belief in an infinite universe. “Behold the height of the stars, how high they are!” (Job 22:12). The same concept is implied in Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Consider also the implication of the second verse in our text. Our transgressions have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west. And how far is that? One can start traveling east and continue forever without coming to the end of “east.” The same is true if he tries to find the end of “west.” The only way this could be true is for the earth to be round. The Bible no more teaches a flat Earth than a finite universe. “It is (God) that sitteth upon the circle [or ‘roundness’] of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22).

But such great scientific truths (revealed in Scripture long before their confirmation in modern science) are given primarily to illustrate the character of our loving Creator and Savior. His mercy is as infinite as the universe, and His forgiveness never ends. We can never judge His infinite thoughts or analyze His inscrutable ways with our finite understanding. But we can always rejoice in His mercy and praise Him for our great and eternal salvation. HMM

The Latest
NEWS
May 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans...

NEWS
Acoustic Communication in Animals
We are all familiar with vocalizations in the animal world. For example, dogs bark, birds sing, frogs croak, and whales send forth their own distinct...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: Crystals!
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

APOLOGETICS
Playing Chess with Little Furry Critters
God’s multifarious and marvelous designs for basic creature needs are so innovatively clever and providentially purposeful that Christ’s...

ACTS & FACTS
Credit Only Our Creator
History was my favorite subject as a young kid. But it always puzzled me when my teachers said, “We study history so that we don’t repeat...

ACTS & FACTS
Genomic Tandem Repeats: Where Repetition Is Purposely Adaptive
Tandem repeats (TRs) are short sequences of DNA repeated over and over again like the DNA letter sequence TACTACTAC, which is a repetition of TAC three...

ACTS & FACTS
Dinosaur National Monument: Fossil Graveyard of the Flood
Straddling the border of Utah and Colorado, Dinosaur National Monument (DNM) is one of the richest exposures of dinosaur fossils in the world.1...

ACTS & FACTS
The Transforming Influence of Genesis: Worker Dignity and Safety
When Pharisees questioned the Lord Jesus about marriage, He answered by quoting Genesis 1:27: “But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made...

NEWS
Giant ''Meg'' Shark: Longer and Leaner?
Fossil remains of the giant shark Otodus megalodon have been found in Miocene1 and Pliocene2 rock layers, which ICR scientists...

CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...