Mathematics and the God Factor

Homeschooling means I get review of simple arithmetic principles on a regular basis. There is, in mathematics, a beauty in the blend of infinite variety with measured reliability that testifies to God as its Author (a fact of which I am anxious to remind my students, should they dare speak ill of the subject).

Addition and subtraction seem to be principles of this world. We humans understand from an early age what it is to add or take away. But we are slow to grasp negative numbers, thinking we can continually take away without giving back and keep things positive. Too late we realize that how easy it is to slip into the red, how hard it is to climb out.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
~ Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)

Multiplication and division hint of the spiritual. God is Creator of life and desires to multiply it. This is first of all His commands to us, to cooperate with Him as co-creators of life, to multiply blessing as He does. Division is likewise His work in creation, whether dividing light from darkness, dividing waters above and below or seas, dividing the earth and her seas of peoples.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
~ Romans 12:21 (NKJV)

We have an enemy who works in death as his medium. He speaks in negatives and would have us believe that evil is overcome by evil—that a negative times a negative equals a positive. But he is of this world, where a negative plus a negative will always equal a greater negative. Evil can only take away, and never add anything.

"Comfort, yes, comfort My people!"
Says your God.
"Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her,
That her warfare is ended,
That her iniquity is pardoned;
For she has received from the LORD's hand
Double for all her sins."
~ Isaiah 40:1-2 (NKJV)

As the Author of mathematics, God also stands outside of its principles. If a negative times a positive equals a negative in our world, God is the positive Who cancels out all negatives, working all things for His good will. Who but our God could bring comfort via weighing out retribution in the measure of sin times two?

By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
~ Hebrews 11:3 (NKJV)

My very favorite math principle? The God factor defies the zero factor.

Look, child. Here are some containers. Each one has zero. What is three times zero? Ten times zero? No matter how many times you multiply nothing, you still have nothing.

Now calculate this.

0 x Δ = ∞
(Nothing times God equals infinity.)

Think about it.

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do … He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."
~ John 14:12; 15:5 (NKJV)

I love You, God! You're WAY cool. :D

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