Why doesn't the Bible mention microbial life?

Question

Microorganisms are absolutely vital to the Earth's biology, essential for the survival, propagation, destruction, and evolution of life. They are countlessly abundant and admirably enduring, having survived for ages in every extreme condition imaginable. They are, in this sense, more successful than any human or animal mentioned to be created by God.

So, why does the Bible fail to comment on these magnificent lifeforms? Aren't they significant enough to be worth a mere mention? Do you believe that God created them? For what purpose?

While I'm an agnostic atheist, I really appreciate the insightful, reasonable answers from Christians. It does make some sense that people back then would not understand the concept of microorganisms.

As for the tomato comment, and those who think bacteria/viruses/protist are trivial...well, please read my little introduction.

The Christians who respond sacrastically/angrily are quite hypocritical, I would say.

Answer 1

It fell outside the imaginations of the Bible's authors, fertile as those imaginations may have been.

It was only when science advanced sufficiently that Louis Pasteur was able to see how microbial life effected human beings and developed germ theory.

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Answer 2

Arguably Microbes are covered by Gen. 1:20 Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures..."

If the Bible had of included a specific and detailed discourse on microbes it would have been meaningless to generations of people because we weren't ready to learn about the microscopic world until Antony van Leeuwenhoek discovered them in the 17th Century.

Of course God could have given ancient peoples a crash course in microbiology, but instead he chose to give us the brains and intelligence to discover it ourselves when we were ready to understand that information.

I figure that is also probably the reason why the Bible doesn't contain the plans for a nuclear power station or the space shuttle!

Answer 3

When He created life He created ALL life and all that was necessary to support it. Bible doesn't mention blood cells either but it is implied in the creation of life.

Why don't you ask instead how it could so acurately describe the steady effects of inbreding after the fall? Notice each generation getting shorter and shorter life spans as the inbreding takes place until finally God makes a prohibition against cousins or closer.

Notice also that the creation is orderly and set one foundation on the other. You find this in no other ancient writing.

Answer 4

Just simply because not every thing or every matter can be covered in the Bible. God wanted us to have to Bible to help us learn about him and his purposes for the earth and the future. But how practical could it be for many people to own a copy of God's Word if it included everything.

According to Ecclesiastes It would be a never ending book with volume after volume after volume.
Because........

Ecclesiastes 3:11 shows that even if we were to live forever, we would still never know every thing about God and all that he has created.

It says: "Everything he has made pretty in its time. Even time indefinite he has put in their heart, that mankind may never find out the work that the true God has made from the start to the finish."

Incredible but true. Scientists regularly discover new species and say there is so much yet to be learned. Truly they could never "find out the work that the true God has made from the start to the finish." (Compare Job 11:7)

Answer 5

If you read the Bible you would see how God told the Israelites to wash after and before several things. He instructed them how to do this and when. You see, they probably wouldn't have had a clue as to why, but when Israel obeyed Gods plan, they never had sickness in their camp.

You're just another scared unbeliever knowing if you come to the truth about the existence of God, you will have to give an account for your life.
I find that atheist and other God haters don't like answering to anyone.
There is one appointment you'll never be able to escape whether you believe or not.............death.
Why not just give in and seek the One who loves you and allow Him to bless you with life eternal.
The Apostle Paul was a hater of Christians and turned out to be one of the greatest men of God in the History of the Church.
You may be the next great tool for God to use for the good of His kingdom. I truly hope so.

Answer 6

The Christian population believe that they were CREATED,
Oh that they were! But not by GOD or Christ as both of them were virgins? So mum and dad came to their rescue,as they lay down together and made love,nine or so months down the track along came another Christian,so that's where the "CREATION THING" came from. They were
"CREATED" in the womb of their mother's,and we the other
99.9 % of us are on the side of EVOLUTION, and we are happy that we were Evloved from a tiny Microscopic life
form to what we are now,we are the more interlecual spicies
even though we do not follow the tooth fairies ways.

Answer 7

I think that there is a very simple answer to this, and that is that some guy 6,000 years ago had no idea that Microorganisms even existed. As a Catholic I believe that the Bible is inspired by God, but that it was written by humans. It does not contain in it knowledge about everything, and cannot contain material that its authors would in no way understand.

Answer 8

not many animals are mentioned really. also would people at the time the bible was written have understood that concept? Sure God created them but why would there be a passage in the bible about them. There isn't exactly one on oxygen but thats pretty essential for earth's biology.

Answer 9

I don't know why God chose not to mention them, but I know that he DID create them. I have often wondered how the dinosaurs fit into the days of creation, and while they are mentioned briefly, I know God created them as well. perhaps God didn't want to get into too much detail on such things, but it does say he created all living things, so in a way he did mention it.

Answer 10

I think it does mention microbial life . . . swarms of living creatures . . ..


20 And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ 21So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ 23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.


Of course Genesis is poetry, not biology, but poetically, it fits, doesn't it?

Godspeed.

Answer 11

I watched an amazing study on the word and how it portrayed germs and other bacteria. The Jewish people were under strict guidelines of how to wash and eat their food. It has been researched that those very guidelines they avoided the worst of the bubonic plague and the plagues of Egypt.

It also speaks of ceremonial washing before circumsion, centuries before washing your hands before surgery was considered necessary.

All in all an enlightening study of how God watches for his people.

It was on the History channel.