MARVEL OF GOD'S
CREATION #10

The
Woodpecker

If there is any animal that breaks the rules of evolution
in such a way that it could not possibly have evolved, then it would
need God as its Creator. The woodpecker is an example of such an
animal.

The woodpecker's beak is unlike that of other birds. It is
designed to hammer its way into the hardest of trees. If the woodpecker
evolved, how would it develop its thick, tough beak? Let's suppose some
bird decided that there must be all kinds of little critters which would
be good for lunch hidden beneath the bark of trees. This bird decided to
peck through the bark and into the hardwood tree. On first peck this
bird discovered problems with the way it was put together. Its beak
shattered when it was slammed against the tree, its tail feathers broke,
and it developed a migraine-strength headache.

With a shattered beak, the little bird was unable to eat
and so it died. Now this bird began to think, "I must evolve a thicker
beak and stronger tail feathers and something to help prevent
headaches." Of course not. Dead animals can not evolve anything. Yet the
woodpecker not only has an industrial-strength beak, it also has a
special cartilage between its head and beak to absorb some of the shock
from the continuous drumming. Woodpeckers go home at night without a
headache.

To help with the absorption of the constant pounding, the
woodpecker has uniquely resilient tail feathers. It uses its tail
feathers and feet to form a tripod effect as it clings to the tree. Even
its feet are specially designed to enable it to move up, down, and
around, vertical tree trunks. The feet of the woodpecker have two toes
in front and two toes in back. Most other birds have three toes in front
and one in back.

"This two-plus-two toe
pattern....along with stiff yet elastic tail feathers, allows a
woodpecker to grasp a tree firmly and balance itself on a vertical
surface. When the woodpecker braces itself to chisel a hole, the tail
feathers bend and spread, buttressing the bird against the rough tree
surface. In this way feet and tail form an effective tripod to stabilize
the blows of hammering into wood." [1]

Suppose that somehow a bird, knowing there was lunch in
those trees, developed the strong beak, the shock absorber cartilage
between the beak and the skull, the ability to move its head faster than
you can tap fingers, the "two-plus-two" feet and the super stiff yet
elastic tail feathers. This bird still has a major problem. It will
starve to death. How could it drag its lunch out of the little insect
tunnels in the tree? Have you ever attempted to drag an insect larva out
of a tunnel? They hang on!

God has taken care of the
woodpecker by creating in it a tongue that is several times longer than
the average bird's tongue. Lester and Bohlin comment:

"...the tongue of a
woodpecker is in a class by itself. When chiseling into a tree, the
woodpecker will occasionally come across insect tunnels. Its tongue is
long and slender and is used to probe these tunnels for insects. The tip
is like a spearhead with a number of barbs or hairs pointing rearward.
This facilitates securing the insect while transporting it to the beak.
A sticky gluelike substance coats the tongue to aid in this process as
well." [2]

What a fascinating creation! Not only does the woodpecker
have little barbs on the tip of its tongue, it is also a mini glue
factory. And the glue sticks securely to insects but does not stick to
the beak of the woodpecker. Aren't God's creations marvelous!

But this is not all. Most birds have a tongue and a beak
about the same length. The tongue of the woodpecker has evolutionists
scratching their heads. It can be stretched far beyond the tip of the
woodpecker's beak as it searches the larval tunnels for food. The animal
kingdom displays no other tongues quite like that of the woodpecker. The
tongue of some woodpeckers does not come from its throat up into its
mouth like other creatures. The European Green woodpecker's tongue goes
down the throat, out the back of the neck "...around the back of the
skull beneath the skin, and over the top between the eyes, terminating
usually just below the eye socket." [3] In
some woodpeckers the tongue exits the skull between the eyes and enters
the beak through one of the nostrils! How would this evolve? And from
what ancestor did the woodpecker inherit its special beak, feet, tail
feathers, shock absorbing cartilage, thicker skull and unique
tongue?

The woodpecker displays the glory of his Creator who is
also our Creator. Why would an evolutionist study a marvel of God's
creation such as the woodpecker and still refuse to believe in God the
Creator? Only one answer seems to make sense! Pride! Pride! Pride!
"Rational," humanistic man thinks that he himself is the "...master of
his fate and the captain of his soul...." This blinding pride does not
allow the intrusion of a personal sovereign God, but rather sees man as
the pinnacle of all that is. The time has come for us to humble
ourselves and bow before our infinitely righteous Creator!

II Chronicles 7:14, 15 reads:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble
themselves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways;
then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
their land.
Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto
the prayer that is made in
this place.

I Peter 5:5b-7 reads:

Yea, all of
you, be subject to one another, and be clothed with humility: for
God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you
in due time:
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for
you.

Philippians 2:3-11 reads:

Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem the other better
than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man
also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also
in Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God:
But made himself of no reputation, and
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of
men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above
every name:
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of  things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And
that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

[1] Lane P. Lester and
Raymond G. Bohlin, The Natural
Limits to Biological Change (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), p.
24.

[2] Ibid, p.
24.

[3] Ibid, p.
25.

TOP    CONCLUSION
PREVIOUS
CHAPTER     TABLE
OF CONTENTS

TOP OF page

SITE
MAP * SEARCH * HOME
*  INDEX

FAVORITE LINKS *
SPECIAL BOOK OFFERS

E-MAIL- COMMENTS

HARVESTIME BOOKS

PO. BOX 300

ALTAMONT TN. 37301