Bees: Master Engineers
Psalm 119:103
“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! [yea, sweeter] than honey to my mouth!”
Why did the Creator bring together so many precise specifications and high intelligence in the honeybee? To glorify Himself and because bees are crucial to the reproductive cycles of so many plants as well as the food chain.
The amazing structure of the honeycomb has amazed scientists for thousands of years. As early as the third century AD, the astronomer Pappus of Alexandria offered an explanation for the six-sided or hexagonal shape of the honeycomb. He pointed out that while the triangle, square and hexagon could all be candidates for the shape of the comb, one of these shapes holds more than the others. The most efficient shape for storing the most honey while wasting the least space is the hexagon.
There are many variations of the hexagon that are available to the bee. However, the honeybee is always very precise in constructing honeycomb hexagons, with an obtuse angle of 109°23́ and an acute angle of 70°23́ . These angles produce the most usable space for the least amount of building material. Humans are unable to use such precision in their designs without sophisticated equipment.
Each honeybee is a tiny but powerful computer that could only have been designed and built by an intelligent Creator. Bees and what they do are of central importance to much of the rest of creation. No wonder God has given them so much: the complex structure of their society, their intelligence and industriousness!
Prayer: Father, when I look at Your personal care in the design of the honeybee, it is clear that You have a very personal love for all You have made. Remind me of this especially when I am in need of comfort. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Author: Paul A. Bartz
Ref: Philip, Johnson C. 1991. "Bees – master engineers." Bible-Science Newsletter, v. 29:3, Mar. p. 1.
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