Does The Expert Know?

II Peter 3:1-7

My mom grew up in the heart of the dustbowl, at Campo Colorado. As a child, there were still deserted homes, traces of old buried fence lines, and many old CCC projects still around. While little was said about the dustbowl, most adults remembered it, and became quite tense when dust started blowing. As a child, I remember going to town, and having to shovel dust out of the house when we got home.

I have been interested in reading Timothy Eagan’s book, The Worst Hard Time, describing the experiences of people during the period and comparing it with the experiences of my own family. It is troubling to realize how many hard working and devoted people lost everything they had, often including their lives as a result of the dust.

The really shocking thing are the causes. Long before the area was settled, various Indian tribes had lived in the area, following the buffalo and living well. There are evidences that at times some had tried farming and found it only minimally successful. Spanish explorers surveyed the land and concluded that it was not suitable for farming, but would work well for raising livestock. A few Spanish and Mexican families settled in the area to do so.

When the United States obtained the land as a result of the Louisiana Purchase, Calvary officers and surveyors concluded that the land was not suitable for widespread cultivation because the annual rainfall averaged less than twenty inches per year, and the continual wind evaporated much of the moisture from unprotected ground, which then blew away. Ranchers and cowboys working in the same area came to the same conclusion, soon learning that they had to limit even the number of cattle to keep from overgrazing and causing wind erosion.

Despite the experiences and warnings of those already in the area, real estate people began promoting that the land was cheap and a fortune could be made, enticing thousands into the area. The homestead act was expanded to encourage more people to move into the area as well. A period of a above average rainfall caused great grass crops, making the land look extra productive. Old timers were not able to warn people before they bought, and were ignored when they did.

War and drought in Europe and other areas created demand that pushed the price of wheat to record levels, and the wet years caused bumper crops. Machinery became available to do much of the work and huge profits were made for about five years. Speculators called suitcase farmers rented as much land as possible, and planted wheat with no concern except for the profit they would make.

The war overseas ended, and demand for wheat dropped, leaving huge surpluses an the price dropped below the cost of producing it. Those who were just out to get as much as possible simply walked away leaving the land bare. When the wet period ended, those who remained had trouble producing a crop at all. Huge areas of bare topsoil were exposed to the wind and blew away. It was largest and most expensive disaster our nation ever experienced.

The entire disaster occurred because over three hundred years experience and warnings were ignored. In their pride, people became convinced that the new crops would cause the unusual rainfall to continue., or that special methods of farming, such as dust mulching would overcome the lack. As things began to decline, the Government guaranteed wheat prices, encouraging them to plant more, and ignoring growing concern by farmers, and agricultural experts.

Millions of people fell for the promoters claims and never checked them out. Peter wrote this letter because he was concerned that Christians would fall for claims by those with no real knowledge, who gained a popular following. His intent was to remind them of the reality, and get them to listen to instruction from people who knew the truth.

“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (II Peter 3:1-4)

Promoters and self styled experts convinced people that the rainfall would remain at the abnormally high levels and the demand for wheat would maintain record prices, enabling everyone to get rich. The same attitude has caused the present financial crisis. By looking into history, we can see similar spiritual crises. Man can only go so far before God causes things to be put right. Deliberately ignoring that only results in disaster, yet man chooses not to know.

“For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (II Peter 3:5-7)

Evidence for a world wide flood abounds. There are legends in every ancient culture of a worldwide flood. Fossils and petrified wood require rapid burial and hardening of stone. The huge canyons such as Grand canyon indicate they were formed when the rock was not yet hardened. Every evidence of seven ice ages can be explained by a single world wide flood. The formation of coal, and oil are more consistent with a flood than with the evolutionary theory.

A friend of mine married a man who was involved in studying the effects of the Mount St. Helens collapse. He visited and studied the initial collapse, then returned ten years later to document the changes. As a result he became convinced that the modern claims of historical geology to prove evolution are bogus, and became a Christian. Nevertheless, many choose to believe in evolution.

Paul wrote about this in Romans 1:20-23. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” There is no excuse for falling for the lie. Man makes his own choice.