Proverbs 25: 2

"It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings."

What does it mean to be truly human? There's a lot to answering that question, but one thing this proverb reveals is that humans are intended to be learners. If you consider the numbers of things that God has hidden from us, things that have been learned over time--like how the body functions, how to communicate over radio waves, and how to get a man to the moon--as each of these is learned, God's majesty and awesomeness is revealed. We're always confronted with new and marvelous information that was known only to the Lord himself when we discover something new, and we're confronted with how intricately and intimately God is involved with his universe despite us.

As we discover these new things, another side of that coin is revealed, the side that shows us part of man's purpose upon the earth--to be a student, learner, interpreter of the universe God has put in front of us. Why does a man climb a mountain or fly to the moon. Not just because its there, but because its there and he's a human being. He was designed with curiosity and the need to know. This is what distinguishes us from lower life forms. Dolphins, eagles, polar bears, white Bengal tigers--none of these is searching for answers, learning, reaching farther than their stomachs. Human beings are in their glory when they are discovering things formerly unknown to them, often for no other reason than just to know.

This is what also separates cultures. Base cultures are subsistence oriented. They are not seeking greater understanding about their world, or whether tools can be made and used to improve their circumstances. Advanced cultures are growth oriented. They want to improve their circumstances. They want to know new things. They want to reach past their stomachs and develop their minds.

It's what God made for us, and made us for. It is glory!