The Paths of the Sea

Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806­-1873) was once confined to bed during an illness. His son, who had been asked to read to him from the Bible, turned to Psalm 8 and upon reading verse 8, drew his father’s immediate attention. The verse reads: “The birds of the heaven, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea.” This verse had never been noticed by Maury before. Using this verse, he decided to find the “paths of the sea.” Indeed, he did just that. He was the first to recognize that the seas were circulating systems with interaction between wind and water. His book on physical oceanography is still considered a basic text for studies in this field.

Maury reasoned that there must be specific patterns of wind and water movement that created paths which would allow a ship to move faster in the water. He made detailed studies of winds and currents from the logs of ships and plotted ship routes across the oceans. These routes then formed the basis for international agreements.

Today, we know the oceans and seas do literally contain “paths.” Mr. Maury “took God at His word” and found that word to be fully accu­rate.

by Bert Thompson in “Reasoning from Revelation,” published by the Apologetic’s Press, 320 Landmark Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117