by David V. Bassett, M.S., Creation Evidence Museum Staff Writer

"Speak to the Earth, and it shall teach thee;...Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?" (Job 12:8-9)

Of all the lessons which the Earth continually teaches us, perhaps the most obvious and profound is that it alone among the worlds framed by the Word of God (Heb. 11:3) is divinely crafted, sculpted, and engineered to sustain life.

In fact, the more we learn about our solar system and the universe, the more unique our Earth becomes. As home to over one million different species of life, each with its own special criteria for survival, the Earth repeatedly reinforces the fact that God orchestrated each detail necessary for terrestrial existence.

"For thus saith the LORD Who created the heavens, God Himself Who formed the Earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited; I am the LORD, and there is none else" (Isa. 45:18).

The Creator's matchless formula for life on Earth involves a multitude of planetary parameters working together in a specific and delicate balance. So precise is this prescription, a mere absence or slight alteration in any one of the countless interrelated factors and mutually-dependent variables upon which life hinges could prove cataclysmic. Consider these more noticeable requirements upon which all life on our world depends:
  1. The Abundance of Liquid Water: This flowing treasure is unique in the combination of physical and chemical properties it manifests as the only possible solvent and medium for living cells. More than 70 percent of the planet is covered by some 326 million cubic miles of liquid water, enough to submerge a perfectly smooth and spherical Earth to a depth of 8,500 feet (over 1.6 miles!). [Gen. 1:2, 10; Job 38:34; Ps. 33:7; Rev.14:7; see also Gen. 7:10; Ps. 104:6]
  2. Cleansing Ocean Tides: The ebb and flow of Earth's tidal circulation (in response to the lunar gravitational pull) purifies the world ocean and the continental shorelines which serve to enclose its waters. [Prov. 8:29; Job 26:10, 38:11; Ps. 104:9]
  3. Ideal Planetary Size and Mass: With an equatorial diameter of 7,927 miles (Job 38:18; Isa. 40:22) and a mass equal to nearly 6.588 sextillion (10 ^ 23 = billion trillion) tons, the Earth is able to provide the perfect gravitational attraction and optimum atmospheric pressure for living organisms. [Job 28:25; Isa. 40:12]
  4. Life-Sustaining Atmosphere: It has been said of the Earth that "the existence of its inhabitants hangs upon a thin and delicate sheath of gas that envelops the planet like the skin of an apple." Though over 99 percent of our atmosphere (composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% other gases) lies below 50 miles in altitude, it still is able to (a) provide the necessary oxygen crucial for animal and human respiration, (b) preserve acceptable temperature ranges while avoiding life-threatening extremes of heat and cold, and (c) protect from incoming extraterrestrial debris and (UV) solar radiation. [Gen. 1:20; Job 37:18; Ps. 104:3,13]
  5. Protective Magnetic Field: Supplemented by the Van Allen radiation belts, the ionosphere, and the ozone layer as interior shields of defense, the Earth's magnetic field not only protects us from cosmic bombardment of harmful particles and high-frequency waves, it is also responsible for facilitating cellular communication and directional location. [Prov. 8:27; Ps.5:12]
  6. Proper Orbital Shape: With a circumference of almost 600 million miles, the Earth's orbit around the Sun is nearly circular in order to minimize extreme temperature variations. [Ps. 19:4-6]
  7. Perfect Orbital Radius: Earth's 93 million-mile-average distance from the sun (typically referred to as one astronomical unit or 1 A.U.) allows our planet to have an ideal surface temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit and an average ocean-water temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, in terms of insolation (i.e., incoming solar radiation), this orbital radius positions our world at the optimum location for life in the entire solar system. [Gen. 1:14-18; Ps.74:16]
  8. Orbital Speed and Duration: With an orbital period of exactly 365.256 days, which the Earth can accomplish by racing through space at an incredible 66,600 mph (over 18 miles per second !), our planet's seasonal length is conducive for agriculture. [Gen. 1:14]
  9. Angle of Rotational Axis: Also playing a role in Earth's favorable pattern of climate, the 23.5 degree tilt on its planetary axis permits the four annual seasons and, in the northern hemisphere, increases the amount of suitable land area and fertile soil needed for summer cultivation of crops. [Gen.8:22; Ps. 74:17]
  10. Rate of Planetary Rotation: Earth's sidereal day of 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4.09 seconds allows for proper, uniform heating and cooling of its spinning surface (Job 38:14; Gen. 8:22), as well as the re-circulation of its atmospheric winds and ocean currents in the global hydrologic cycle. [Eccl. 1:5-7; Ps. 135:7; Isa. 55:10]
The tolerances for life are extremely narrow, and if there are any other planets in the universe, it is very unlikely that any of them could have life, due to the extremely rigid conditions necessary for life to exist.

The mathematical odds that all of these and other essential conditions happened by random chance are indeed astronomical—in fact, beyond all probability. The ideal combination of prerequisites and requirements crucial to life observed only on Earth surely testifies to intelligent, purposeful design. The Bible says, "The LORD by wisdom hath founded the Earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens" (Prov. 3:19).

To believe that this beautifully balanced life-support system is a mere accident requires invincible faith in the power of blind chance. Would not any honest observer have to admit that the Earth alone appears to have been designed for us to live on, just as the psalmist said?

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the Earth hath He given to the children of men" (Ps. 115:16).

Copyright © Creation Evidence Museum.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.